“For f**k’s sake, George,” Eddie exploded. “Lee got the cal before the drive-bys!”

“Hearsay,” George replied.

“You’ve got to be shittin’ me,” Vance snapped.

George’s gaze swung to Lee. “You get the cal on tape?” Lee’s eyes were on George and I changed my mind again. Perhaps he did scare me more than Hank.

Not taking his eyes off George, Lee said low, “Hank…” and I got it immediately that if Hank did not handle this George guy, Lee would and it might get messy.

But Hank was already talking and he wasn’t paying attention to Lee, his eyes were also on George.

“We’re done,” he said.

George turned back to Hank. “I’m tel in’ you Nightingale

–”

Hank interrupted him.

“A week ago, the windows of my house were blown out by an AK-47, my fiancée in the house at the time,” Hank snapped. “And I’ve known Shirleen since I was ten f**kin’

years old. She’s family. And someone broke into her house this morning and dril ed three rounds into the wal of her livin’ room but they were aimin’ at her. ” George had the grace to look a might uncomfortable but stil hanging onto stubborn and angry as he glared at Hank.

Thus began a tense staring contest that went on until Hank broke it.

Hank broke it.

“Done,” he repeated then without another word he walked out of the room.

Al the men (and women) stared at George.

George stared at the door.

Then he looked at Eddie. “He wouldn’t be that stupid.” It was Eddie’s turn to cross his arms on his chest and with one look at him, he went to the top of the list of Hot Bunch Boys Who Scared Me Most. “We played your game, you f**ked us and this mornin’ Shirleen nearly got her head blown off,” Eddie said, his voice tight. “Now, hombre, we’re gonna f**k you.”

George looked around the room and his lip curled before he hissed, “You think you’re untouchable.” Luke’s body moved slightly right before he said, “Don’t play that game, George.”

“You’re messing with the wrong man,” George replied to Luke.

Lee’s eyebrows went up and he entered the exchange.

“You think?”

George, in my opinion, took his life in his hands and pointed at Lee. “The days where the Nightingale men have carte blanche to waltz through Denver are over.”

“You don’t back down, your dream of sittin’ behind the Governor’s desk is over,” Lee returned.

“Fuck you,” George spat at Lee.

Oh dear.

Lee leaned forward, maybe an inch but it was a scary inch. “Now it’s you who’s bein’ stupid.”

George glared at Lee.

Lee calmly returned his glare.

Then George made a weird, angry, scrunchy face. His glare travel ed the room, taking us al in. Then he stomped out.

Everyone stared at the door.

Beautiful.

I didn’t even know what was happening but it was pretty obvious we had a new problem.

My eyes went back to Mace and saw his were on me.

He moved his head in a short, nearly imperceptible jerk then he walked out too.

“You boys okay?” Jules quietly asked Roam and Sniff.

“Fuck yeah, it was great. Shirleen’s the shit,” Sniff replied, throwing himself in a chair. “It was like the movies.”

“Black bitch can move fast,” Roam muttered.

“Don’t cal Shirleen a ‘black bitch’,” Jules snapped, her voice no longer quiet.

“Be cool, Law. She don’t care,” Roam returned.

“I do care, boy, and you just lost this week’s al owance,” Shirleen broke in, hands on hips, narrowed eyes on Roam who kept bel igerent eyes on Shirleen. She, apparently, didn’t like his bel igerent eyes so she continued, “And you bought yourself bathroom duty.”

“Shee-it,” Roam mumbled, his gaze sweeping the room, his shoulders hunching as if he wanted to disappear.

“I got three and a half bathrooms,” Shirleen informed me.

“Boys take turns each week cleanin’ ‘em.” She turned to Sniff. “You got the week off.”

“Kil er,” Sniff’s goofy grin returned.

Roam was saved any further embarrassment when the door flew open and Smithie stormed in, a pretty black woman in tow.

His eyes moved through the room and he was mumbling under his breath.

“Hey, Smithie. Hey, LaTeesha,” Jet greeted but Smithie waved at her with impatience and his eyes went back through the room, his mouth stil moving silently.

Then he yel ed, “Where’s the f**kin’ Hawaiian?”

“Mace is fine,” Roxie told Smithie and I caught Indy rol ing her eyes at me.

Smithie’s gaze sliced back through the room and then stopped on Roxie. “Where’s your man?”

“Hank’s fine too,” Roxie smiled.

“Oo, girl! ” LaTeesha suddenly screamed, making me jump before she surged toward Roxie. “When’d you get that ring?”

My body went stil as my eyes moved to Roxie’s hand which, I noticed, now sported a sparkling diamond engagement ring.

Then my stomach pitched in a happy way when Roxie’s gaze found mine and she smiled at me.

I smiled back.

“She and Hank got engaged last night,” Ava shared and I looked at Ava who was also smiling huge.

LaTeesha’s happy face turned back to Roxie who had her hand in LaTeesha’s, ring pointed skyward.

“Was he sweet?” LaTeesha asked.

“Was he sweet?” LaTeesha asked.

“Oh yes,” Roxie said softly.

“It wasn’t sweet. It was hot, ” Daisy put in.

Al y placed her hands over her ears and chanted, “La-la-la, not-listening-to-the-story-of-my-brother-proposing-while-doing-the-nasty-one-more-time, la-la-la.” Wow.

That sounded like a hel uva proposal.

“Wicked,” Sniff breathed, his eyes on the blushing Roxie.

Indy bit her lip but her body was shaking with laughter.

Jet giggled.

My gaze moved over the Hot Bunch and they were al avoiding eyes, shifting on their feet and trying to control grins.

“Um, excuse me, but didn’t one of ya’l get shot at this morning?” Smithie barked at the Hot Bunch, jerking us out of our happy moment. “Now, I’m not one to tel anyone how to go about their business…” he went on and Jet made a noise that sounded like a snort and LaTeesha’s eyes got huge. “But it’s one thing to shoot at your girls while they got your badasses covering their tight asses and, I’l admit, that’s some crazy shit but it’s a whole other thing to break into a house and shoot at a woman with kids under her roof.