Angel said. “And you’ll be free of Ford soon, too. We’re renting a house with Consuelo. It’s furnished. We’ll have the keys in a couple of days.”
He passed over a beer.
Gideon took it and popped the top. “You’re going to live with Ford?”
“You sound surprised.”
“You’ll kill each other.”
Ford and Angel had always been competitive. They would bet on anything and liked to create elaborate challenges with ridiculous payoffs.
“We’ll be fine,” Angel said. “Consuelo will keep us in line.”
“Or smother you with a pillow if you get to be too much trouble.”
He’d only met the feisty brunette a few times. She was small but muscular, and she fought dirty. He’d watched her take down a trained fighter twice her size and not break a sweat.
He pushed another button to start the next CD.
“Besides,” Angel said, waving his can. “I always win.”
“You don’t always win. You win more than half the time, which is the problem. Ford gets defensive, you get cocky. It’s not a good scenario. It’s like when the two Terminators fight. They both walk away and the town is left in ruins.”
Angel grinned. “I like the Terminator movies. I see myself as a T-1000.”
Gideon rolled his eyes. “I see you as the old beat-up Schwarzenegger.”
“Hey.”
“I’m just saying. You’re over forty, my friend.”
“It beats being dead.”
Gideon raised his can. “I will drink to that. How’s the business coming?”
“Good.” Angel looked around the studio. “You should join us. Get out of here.”
“I like it here.”
“You have to miss the work.”
Gideon knew what he meant. That it was difficult for some guys to walk away. They craved the excitement or the constant travel. Without danger, they couldn’t relax. One of those counterintuitive truths he was sure Felicia could explain.
“I’m happy being like everyone else,” he said.
He couldn’t go back. Couldn’t pick up a gun and kill again. There wasn’t enough left inside. The damage was permanent and his pretense at normal tissue-thin. He wanted a sameness to his days. He wanted ordinary.
“We’ve got plenty of work,” Angel said. “Ford’s been selling the hell out of the company, and we’re getting corporations signing up. I’ve been talking to the big security companies, and they want us to do their training. Easier and cheaper for them. We could use the help.”
“No, thanks.”
“You’ll change your mind,” Angel insisted.
“I won’t. Just like you won’t go back into the field.”
Angel’s mouth twisted. “I’ve seen enough death to last me a lifetime.”
And he’d come close to losing it all, Gideon thought, his gaze drifting to his buddy’s scar. The one on his neck. He only knew pieces of that story, but he was sure Angel’s life had been spared by mere seconds.
Gideon’s decision to walk away had come over time. He’d had nearly two years of being held captive and tortured to think about what he would do if he ever got out. The problem was being physically released hadn’t changed the fact that his head was still in their control. He’d felt trapped. Recovering from that was harder. He doubted the nightmares would ever disappear.
“I heard a rumor that you’d bought two stations,” Angel said.
“The rumors are true. AM and FM. Plenty of talk and local news on the AM station and music on FM. At night, it’s all oldies, all the time.”
Angel raised his head, listening to the music. “What is this stuff? It’s what? A hundred years old.”
“Very funny. My show is all ’60s. 1960s for those of you who have trouble with math.”
“Try something from this century.”
“No, thanks. I was born about forty years too late.” He thought about Felicia. “For the music, anyway.”
Angel shook his head. “You’re a strange one, bro.”
“Tell me about it.”
CHAPTER FOUR
FELICIA SWIRLED THE milk to form a stylized leaf at the top of the coffee, then passed the large mug to the customer.
“Have a good day,” she said with a smile.
The woman, a tourist with her husband, glanced at the design. “Oh, that’s so lovely. I almost don’t want to drink it.”
The leaves were very popular, as were hearts. Felicia had tried to get people excited about the symbol for pi or a couple of constellations, but no one had been interested and she’d gone back to the simpler designs.
This was her final shift at Brew-haha. She’d been working part-time to help out Patience and to give herself something to do. Getting the bodyguard school up and running wasn’t very time-consuming. The business programs were easily mastered, and it wasn’t as if the guys needed her to do any of the physical stuff like stocking shelves or moving furniture.
Her new job would demand more of her time, and she was looking forward to that. She’d spoken with the mayor the day before, officially accepting the position with the city. She’d filled out piles of paperwork and had thought about explaining how they could streamline the hiring process. In the end, she’d decided not to frighten anyone too soon. She could talk to the human resources department in a few weeks. When she wasn’t the new girl.
The store was quiet, with only a few customers sitting at tables. Felicia took advantage of the lull and washed out the milk carafes and spoons. The front door opened, and she turned to see Charlie Dixon walking in.
Charlie was one of the town’s firefighters. She was tall and physically strong, with a practical and pragmatic approach to life. Felicia enjoyed her company and always looked forward to their visits.
“Your usual?” Felicia asked.
Charlie nodded. She drank a large latte, to go. No fat-free milk for her, no flavors. Nothing with frills, Felicia thought, smiling as she pressed the button to grind the right amount of beans.
“I wanted to let you know I got a note from Helen,” Charlie said. “The woman whose husband was abusing her.”
“Right.” The couple had come into Brew-haha shortly after Felicia had arrived in town.
