“Hector told me to burn that skirt,” I informed her.

She let out another laugh. “I’m not surprised. If Eddie saw me in that skirt, his head would explode.”

I had to admit, the skirt was an eensy bit OTT.

Well then, one down.

“Next!” I cried.

I heard her laugh again then she said, “The girl at the bar –”

When she hesitated, I encouraged, “Go on.”

“Well, that’s harder. But, see, Indy told me Lee had a reputation, as did Eddie, both of them bad. Vance was considered a legend. Everyone knew he was a player. Luke even had a woman when he started with Ava, he blew her off the minute Ava came into his life. Hank, more discreet, but –”

I interrupted her impatiently, “You’re telling me this because…?”

“I’m telling you his because you know them now.”

Hmm.

This was a point to ponder.

They all seemed pretty devoted. In fact, if the stories were anything to go by, they’d gone above and beyond the call of duty to win the hearts of their respective Rock Chicks.

My foot stopped jerking and I decided it was time to get serious.

So I told her, “Jet, she was a nice girl, he didn’t even remember when he slept with her.”

I heard her sigh. “Duke explains this better but it has something to do with the kind of men they are, the dangerous work they do, knowing who they are and what they want, recognizing it when they find it and not f**king around in making it theirs. Or… something like that. Anyway, whoever this girl was, she obviously wasn’t the one because, Sadie, you are.”

Oh my.

I didn’t know what to say to that because, what, on earth, did you say to that?

Then, for some reason, I blurted, “I saw him.”

“What?” she asked.

I took in a deep breath and shared, “That night, when he brought me to the hospital, after I was raped. I passed out and when I woke up in the emergency room, I saw them force Hector out of my bay. He didn’t want to go. Luke told me tonight that Hector asked if he could stick around until I woke up, they said no and he lost it.” I waited for her reaction to this announcement and when none was forthcoming, I pushed, “Really, Jet, how bizarre is that?”

“It doesn’t sound at all bizarre to me,” she answered quietly.

I shook my head thinking she was not getting it and sat up, pulling a hand through my hair and then dropping it into my lap. “You don’t understand. We didn’t know each other. I mean, we were around each other a lot when he was undercover and, one night, we had a thing that didn’t end well. But other than that…” I stopped then went on, “I don’t get it.”

“I don’t either,” she told me. “It even happened to me. One second, I was minding my own business, trying to avoid Eddie, the next second he informed me he was making me his business and the next second after that, I was living with him. I watched it happen to Roxie, Jules, Ava, Stella and I knew it happened to Indy. I don’t know how these guys know, I don’t know how their minds work, it just happens, they just know. I’ve stopped trying to figure it out.”

Well.

It wasn’t an answer but it was one.

Still.

It was time to get to the heart of the matter.

“What do I do now?”

Jet answered instantly, “Do what they do. Go with your instincts. It’ll all work out in the end, I promise.”

That didn’t give me anything to go on.

“You okay now?” Jet asked.

I sighed then said, “No.”

“You will be, honey,” she replied softly. “It’s hard then, when you trust it’s for real, it gets a whole lot easier.”

I answered, “Okay,” but I didn’t mean it.

She changed the subject to a much better one. “We need to get you fitted for your bridesmaid’s dress. Can you do that tomorrow?”

At last. Something to look forward to.

“I think so. I’ll have to check with whatever bodyguard I have.”

She giggled. “Oh, I hope it’s Bobby. I bet he’ll love going to a bridal shop.”

I smiled into the phone even though I didn’t know Bobby, none of them were bridal shop type of men then I whispered, “Thanks Jet.”

“Anytime, honey.”

We disconnected. I did the getting ready for bed thing, gathered up my clothes and boots and walked into the bedroom.

The lamp was lit on the nightstand by Hector’s side of the bed. Hector was sitting up against all (yes, all!) the pillows, chest bare, legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed, wearing a pair of gray, drawstring sweatpants that had also been cut off (poorly) at mid-thigh.

He looked better than ever which, at that moment, I thought stunk.

A game was on TV but his eyes sliced to me the minute I walked in.

It took effort but I ignored him. I wasn’t quite finished being angry, though I wasn’t certain sure what I was angry about anymore, and I wasn’t quite ready to make amends and didn’t know how anyway. So, I dumped my stuff on my overnight bag and headed to the other side just as he angled off the bed and stalked out of the room.

I stared at his back until he went into the bathroom then I climbed in bed, stole two of the four pillows as should be my ration and propped them up on my side well away from his. I sat on the covers, arms crossed on my midriff, legs out, ankles crossed and I locked my eyes on the TV.

I didn’t watch sports, except tennis, those tennis players had finesse… and nice legs, so the football didn’t do anything for me but I watched it like it fascinated me beyond imagining, even though Hector wasn’t in the room (practice).

Therefore, when he came back, I kept my eyes glued to the TV and didn’t look at him except when he walked in front of the TV, of course. I didn’t look at him when he got to his side of the bed and I didn’t look at him when he resumed his position.

Then, all of a sudden, his arm sliced along the small of my back between me and the pillows, he yanked me across the bed until my body hit his then his arm bent, so my front was against his side.

I put a hand on his abs to push away but his arm went tight.

“What are you doing?” I snapped, looking up but he leaned across me and grabbed my pillows. Doing an ab curl, he shoved them behind him. “Hey!” I cried. “Those are my pillows.”

“Settle, Sadie,” he ordered in a low voice.

I. Did. Not. Think. So.