“MourningStar”—GeminiSyndrome
“What the fuck?” I questioned as I watched Hawk use his abilities on Loralei. Abilities that were much the same as mine, yet I hadn’t accomplished diddly shit with her when I tried. Then I shouted “Ow!” as Angel removed the dressing from over the wound Apollo had carefully stitched.
“A little warning would’ve been nice!” I grumbled at him.
“Sorry about that,” he said as he studied the wound and tried to hide his grin. “Thought you heard me, but you must’ve been too distracted by the chick.”
I glared at him and silently dared him to keep running his mouth. Wisely, he buttoned his trap, but his twisted lips betrayed his barely contained humor at my expense.
That’s when I addressed the visitor in the room. “Jigsaw,” I said as I gave him a chin lift. “What brings you here?”
“Well, you know, the weather here’s a fucking dream.” He suppressed a smirk.
“Maybe more like a nightmare,” Ghost grumbles. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He was forever bitching in the winter.
“Everything okay? We didn’t know you’d be passing through.” Jigsaw was a nomad but held some ties to the Tonopah Chapter in Nevada.
“Well, I didn’t plan on it, but I’m heading back to the Crossroads, and this beautiful weather you have slowed me down a little. Then I heard rumor you ran in to a bit of trouble up north and figured I’d see if you needed my help. Since I’m here and all.” The tall nomad tipped his head, and his sandy hair fell over one insanely blue eye as he stared, waiting to see what I had to say.
“I’d never turn down an extra hand when we don’t know what’s headed our way. Hopefully nothing, but I’m not sure. I didn’t want to worry Loralei, but whoever this guy is, he’d been watching her. There’s no way he doesn’t know she’s here now.” At my reply, he gave me a slight nod.
“I’m here. Might as well make use of me.” The grin he gave me was dark, and if I dared say, hopeful that he’d be needed. If it was Loralei’s ex like Snow thought, I could use him and Voodoo to make sure the guy was finished. If Hannibal had been here it would be even better, but beggars couldn’t be choosy and all that.
Hawk returned from the back and pulled up a chair next to us at one of the tables in the common area.
“You know you could go to the infirmary so we don’t have to catch you when you fall out of that chair,” he said, also poorly hiding a grin.
“No way. I spent enough time on that uncomfortable gurney at Snow’s. When I go lie down, I’m gonna be doing it in my own fucking bed.”
“Suit yourself,” he said to me.
As Angel snipped out the stitches, I distracted myself with what had been on my mind. “How were you able to calm her down?” I asked Hawk.
He gave me a strange glance as he cocked his head. “Whadda you mean?”
Glancing around nervously, I debated whether to announce what I saw as a weakness.
“Whoa. Wait.” Hawk squinted at me before he started laughing and shook his head.
“What the hell is so funny?” I grumbled. I’d been in a shit mood for a long damn time. Pretty much since the day I drove away from Loralei. It was getting old. Something needed to change.
“Prez, I’d say you’re well and truly fucked.” He started chortling, and my teeth ground in frustration. Why did it seem like I was stuck in this weird dream where I was clueless and everyone else knew something I didn’t? Oh yeah, because Iwas.
“Would someone quit beating around the goddamn bush and tell me what they think is going on? I’m tired. I found out I’m gonna be a father, survived a goddamn fire, got shot at, chased through a blizzard, rear ended, shot twice, then traveled my ass back here. My patience is a little fucking thin.” I ended my angry tirade to see Hawk, Raptor, Voodoo, Angel, Ghost, and Chains all staring at me in various stages of disbelief.
Then all hell broke loose with demands from them.
“What the hell?”
“Why didn’t you say you needed our help?”
“A kid?”
“Why didn’t you let one of us go with you?”
“Who the hell is the girl?”
“We shouldn’t just now be hearing about all of this!”