Chains (20 page)

“Her name’s Cinda. We were together two years. Engaged. It went south fast. She’d like to see me dead, which won’t be too hard for her to accomplish seeing as how I’m in Reno and not supposed to be.”

“She knows you can’t be here?” I shot a look back across the bar to Cinda. She was nodding and smiling at something her friend said, but her eyes were still locked on Alex.

“She knows everything.”

“Did you love her?” Danny asked.

“Way to ease into that question,” Alex said, scrubbing at his jaw with his knuckles. “Yeah. I did.”

“Did she love you?” she asked.

“I thought she did.”

“You should go talk to her.” Danny practically bounced in her seat. “At least say hi and ask how she’s been.”

“Yeah,” I said, “and beg her not to tell whoever that you’re here.”

“I don’t know,” Alex said. “It’s been a long time, and it got pretty ugly. She’s probably with someone else now.”

“You should find out,” Danny said, slipping off her bar stool and standing between Alex and I. “You always did have to be pushed into doing things you didn’t want to do.” She grabbed his hand. “Come on. Introduce me. I’m your sister, and I want to meet her.”

“You’re insane and starting to become a pain in my ass,” he said, but he stood up and let her lead him around the bar. I took a swig of beer and watched them approach Cinda. Her eyes went wide when she saw him standing there a few feet away, and her lips parted like she was shocked. He said hello, leaned in and kissed her cheek. Then he introduced Danny. I had no idea what Danny said, but she smiled and gestured with her hands, chatting like she was introduced to strangers every day.

There was nothing meek and mild about Danny on the outside. She hid her fears and scars, putting on the face she wanted people to see. She adapted. I guess all three of us did. Whatever she said next, Cinda laughed and so did Alex. Then Danny pointed across the bar to me. Cinda held up a hand and gave me a little wave. I held up my beer and nodded my acknowledgment.

After another minute of chatting, Danny eased out of the conversation and made her way back over to me, leaving Alex behind. “That was impressive,” I told her, helping her back up onto her stool. “You’re a social goddess.”

“I’ve learned how to read people,” she said. “She still wants him, and he’s gone over her. They just needed a shove.”

“What were you guys laughing about?”

“Well, there was some confusion when you were brought up. You know, I’m Alex’s sister, you’re his brother, but you and I are together.”

“Oh. Yeah. I can see how that would be confusing.”

“He’d told her about us, though. When they were together. She seemed to know a lot. She was surprised when we first went over there. I think she’s happy for him, that he has us in his life again.”

We sat and watched Alex and Cinda. Her friends disappeared, finding spots to lay out at the pool, but she stayed behind with him. She talked, and he was so focused on her face and whatever she was saying—I’d never seen him like that. Usually, it was Alex doing the talking and everyone else listening. “He’s got it bad,” I said.

“Maybe this is their second chance.” Danny put her hand on my thigh and squeezed. “Isn’t it exciting? Maybe they’ll end up getting married and here we are watching them get back together.”

“You and your fairytales, Princess.” I leaned in and kissed her temple.

“I think we all deserve one, don’t you?” She turned her shiny blue eyes on me, and I wanted to capture every star in the sky and give them all to her.

“You do,” I said. No matter what I had to do, I’d give her that house in the suburbs with the kids and the SUV. We’d get there.

“So do you,” she said.

Her nose was turning pink from the sun, and freckles were emerging on top of her cheeks. She never had them in winter, only in summer when she spent time in the sun. They’d fade in the fall, when the leaves fell from the trees. I used to tell her she had her own autumn when the freckles fell from her face.

I couldn’t imagine why her mother never came for her. I always planned to go back and get her. I didn’t know when, or how I’d take care of her. I wanted to be somebody first. Someone she could be proud of. In my mind, I took her to that house she dreamed of living in and gave her a good life. I never pictured her in my apartment over the gym. She deserved better. But now, I wish I would’ve brought her to my apartment to live. She could’ve gotten a job and gone to school. I didn’t need to take her from zero to sixty in two seconds, we could’ve started off small together and built a future. That’s what we’d do now.

Alex came back over with a little more swagger in his step. Cinda joined her friends by the pool. “What’s the word, brother?” I asked, as he sat back down beside me.

“It’s good,” he said, gazing over my shoulder at Cinda. “I think we might get together later tonight. Talk some more. I told her about your fight, and she might come with me.”

Danny gave us a smug smile. “What?” he said, grinning. “Fine. Thank you, Danielle. I owe you one.”

“You can name your first daughter after me,” she said, giving him a wink.

“And you two can name your first born after Uncle Alex,” he said.

Danielle smiled, but it faltered a bit. My stomach sank, but I covered for her. “We already named our dog after you. Don’t be greedy.”

“Right. The mutt you bought at a dog fight. What a tribute.” He laughed and took a drink. “Really, that was nice, to name him after me.”

“He bites and pisses on the carpet,” I said. “Who else would we name him after?”

“That was one time,” he said, joking. “I should’ve pissed down Striker’s heating vents.”

“Shit in the crawlspace,” I said.

“Why are we only thinking of this now?” He threw up his hand. “It’s genius.”

“I did that once,” Danny said. We both looked over at her.

“You did what?” I asked.

“Peed down the heating vent. Not to be mean, but he locked me in the utility room. What was I supposed to do?”

There was something disturbingly hysterical about what Danny said. We all burst out laughing. Maybe it was the sun and the drinks, being together and letting off steam. Maybe it was because it wasn’t so shocking to us and it should’ve been, and that in itself was something we could only laugh about. Maybe it was picturing little Danny squatting over the vent. Who knew why we sat there laughing like she’d said the funniest thing we’d ever heard. But we did. We laughed at ourselves and our shitty luck, our comradery of misfortune.

Later that evening, Danny and I soaked in the jetted tub watching the sun set. We were both drained from the sun and parched from the alcohol. She sat across from me with her legs floating on top of mine, sipping a bottle of water. I couldn’t remember when I’d had a better day.

“Did you hear that?” she said.

“No.”

“Turn off the jets for a sec.”

I pressed the button. The room fell silent. Then there was a thud against the wall next door in Alex’s room and a moan. A woman making sounds—sex sounds. “Guess things are going well with the reunion then,” I said, running my toes up the inside of Danny’s thigh.

She laughed, grabbing my foot. “We can’t listen. Turn the jets back on.”

“I have no interest in hearing what he has going on over there.” I pushed the button and water rushed through the jets again.

“I hope he’s happy,” she said, staring at the wall, like she wanted to make sure he was.

“Right now? Yeah, he’s happy, Danny.”

“You know what I mean,” she said, nudging me in the stomach with her toes.

I grabbed her ankle and pulled her over onto my lap. “I know what you mean.” I moved her hair over to the side and kissed her neck. “I hope he’s as happy as I am.”

“It’s scary though,” she said, leaning her head to the side for more kisses.

“What’s scary?”

“Being happy. When you’re miserable, you have nothing to lose. But when you’re happy, it can all be taken away if you’re not careful.”

I squeezed her tight. “Nobody’s taking anything away from us. Don’t be afraid to be happy.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Early the next morning, Alex pounded on the door. “It’s fight day!”

“It’s seven in the freaking morning,” I said, standing at the door in my underwear.

“I know. Come on. Breakfast then the shooting range. I’ll meet you in the restaurant downstairs in twenty minutes. Get up Danny!” he shouted.

“He’s chipper this morning,” she said, sitting up and yawning.

“And we know why.”

“Well now I don’t have to feel guilty for my sex glow,” she said, batting her eyes at me.

“You do kind of glow.” I tapped her nose. “No. Wait. Those are freckles.”

She swung her pillow and whacked me with it. “Trust me, it’s a glow.”

I took her face in my hands and kissed her. “That’s what I do, baby.”

The tub jets proved to be very useful last night. Cinda wasn’t the only woman crying out in ecstasy.

“What time does Mike get in?” she asked, pulling her clothes out of her bag.

“This afternoon.”

“Are you going to talk to him? About the fight with Jose?”

“I have to. I can’t pretend I don’t know.”

“I know.” She held her shirt against her chest. “I don’t want to be the reason things are strained between you two.”

“Why would you be? Because you said something? Do you regret telling me?”

“No! I couldn’t stand not telling you. I just wish I hadn’t been a part of it. Now you have to deal with this, too.”

“It’s fine, Danny. Don’t worry about it. I told you I understand why you guys did it.”

“I’m sorry it had to come out this way. I don’t think you would’ve just taken our word for it though. I know you, Tyler. Sometimes you need to be hit in the head with proof before you believe.”

“Are you saying I’m stubborn?”

“Oh, just a little bit.”

“That’s one of those pot/kettle type of comments.”

“Hey, I never said I wasn’t.” She fastened her shorts and skipped into the bathroom.

I finished dressing and went to the room safe to get my gun. It was hard to conceal under my shirt in the waistband of my shorts, but it was either that or carrying my duffel bag around with me. I wouldn’t ask Danny to stash it in her purse. She’d probably toss it in the first trashcan we came across.

After breakfast, Alex drove us out into the desert to a cinderblock building that said FIRING RANGE on the side in black block letters. “They’ll want your license and gun registration, but don’t worry,” Alex said, “I know the owner.”

“Does the owner know you’re in town?” I asked.

“No, but I don’t think he cares one way or the other.”

“How can you be sure?” I squinted, looking over at him.

“I can’t be,” he said. “Not entirely.”

“Great.”

Danny walked along behind us. She wasn’t mad, but not convinced that a gun was a good idea. “Are you going to shoot?” Alex asked her, holding the door open for us.

“I might,” she said. “I don’t like guns, but since I’m here, maybe I should try it.”

Alex smirked. “I thought you might.”

“Well, aren’t you smart then?” She sneered at him and rolled her eyes at me. “You two are asking for trouble. You know that, don’t you?” She looked at me for an answer.

“This is for self-defense only. And that includes your self-defense.”

“Since you’re part of him and all that romantic crap,” Alex said. “Let’s get some ammo and get out on the range.”

He name dropped at the counter and nobody asked us for any identification. We bought a few rounds, grabbed some safety glasses and earplugs, and headed outside. Our assigned lane was on the far end. It wasn’t quite noon, but the sun beat down, baking us.

Only two other people were there, and we were spread out. Alex set his case on the bench, and I set down my ammo. We loaded our guns and got ready. “We’ll start at twenty-five yards out,” Alex said.

“You can go first,” I said, wanting to make sure Danny was okay with this before taking my turn.

He stepped up to the line and aimed, cradling the butt of the gun in his left hand. He kept his feet apart, shoulders square, and his elbows bent, ready for kickback. “See how he’s standing?” I asked Danny. “Think you want to try it?”

“I’m not afraid of guns, Ty,” she said. “I’ll shoot. I don’t like them, but I’ll do it with you.”

“Okay.” I rubbed her back. “You want to go next?”

“No. You can.”

Alex fired, paused, aimed, and fired again. He kept going until he was out of bullets, then brought the target in. He had quite a few head shots and a couple to the chest. “Nice job,” I said, trying to replace the blank outline with Striker’s face and body, because that’s who I’d be shooting if I had to.

“You’re up,” he said, getting a new target ready for me.

I toed the firing line and took a deep breath. I cocked my head from side to side, cracking my neck. I squinted one eye and took aim, slowly squeezing the trigger until it clicked. The discharge was louder than Alex’s gun, and my arms jerked back. “It’s got some kick,” I said.

“Yeah it does,” he said, smiling.

I unloaded my magazine and reeled in the target. “Damn,” Alex said. “You’re as good as me.”