And if Joe takes you back to Madelia, the Reapers will be battering down your door in no time.” He paused dramatically. “What do you say?"
"To staying here? Joe would never agree to that," she insisted.
"Are you kidding? It was your precious Joey Boy who suggested it. Look, I know how girls react to him. Sure, he keeps his head down. Flies under the radar at first. Then bam!” He pounded one fist into the other hand. “Gets you right here, doesn't he?" He touched his chest. "I've known him a long time. He's always been like that. He can steal the girls right out from under me, and that's no small task."
Sean went on. "But he's also poor as shit. He doesn’t even have a proper apartment, unless you count the attic up above the biker bar in Madelia. He told me he knows he can't take care of you like I can."
"Who says I need taking care of?" Avoiding his face, she fixed her eyes on the DVDs on the shelf, studying their titles. "The Notebook," "The Wedding Planner." Desiree liked happy endings, apparently, but the thought of a happy ending, now, just made Ruby's cheeks burn.
"See, Ruby," he said, drawing his arm around her shoulders casually in a way that seemed almost brotherly, and yet it didn't make her feel the least bit safe. "That's another thing about the Steel Jockeys that Kyle probably didn't teach you.
“We're more than friends. We’re brothers. For someone like our Joey, who barely had a family: that means something. It's important to him. And brothers share. And care. It's like that saying, everything we need to know we learned in kindergarten?" He smirked. "Let me tell you a story. Back in the day, Joey Boy and I both knew this one particular girl named Lydia. She was the cousin of our compatriot Aaron Beeson, and the daughter of one of the Jockeys' more successful associates--brains, looks, and money.
“We both wanted her, and I had had her first. But what can I say? The minute Joey came on the scene batting his eyelashes, she was gone. I was beaten by the best. Ever since, he's been looking for a way to make it up to me. So me coming here--I mean, if you're worried that your boy will be angry--don't be. He gave me his blessing."
Ruby twisted around. "His blessing? " The idea that she was some kind of toy to be passed around, like two "brothers" sharing a cigarette, made the bile in her stomach want to backwash into her throat. Not to mention she wasn’t quite ready for an allusion to Joe’s romantic past, which must have been considerable.
Sean's hand on her thigh seemed to land there like a spark from a fire. She wrenched herself away from his grip, but he grabbed her wrist. In truth, she didn't know which was more terrifying--staying here, or running out into the cold night, defenseless where everyone within shouting distance worked for Sean.
"Sean, what the fuck are you doing here?” said Joe from the doorway.
“Having a heart-to-heart.”
“Looks more like a heart-to--” he cut himself off, as if not to embarrass Ruby with whatever risque term he’d been about to use. “In any case, it’s over.”
Sean raised his arms, the picture of innocence, as he turned to face Joe, who stood looking as dangerous as Sean had when he’d arrived, if not more so. Ruby sat perfectly still, gaze fixed on him. The intensity of his eyes was almost hypnotic. “This is my dad's property, you know. Desiree just rents it from him."
"I meant what I said, Sean," said Joe, gesturing to the door, his eyes glinting like fiery opals. "Get out. Ruby and I are leaving. Give me the gun."
"Let's not be too hasty there, bro. Can't we talk about this in the morning? I'm sure we can work out a mutually beneficial arrangement. "
"My days of making arrangements with you are over. The only reason we came here is because everyone knows none of the Jockeys trusts you anymore, making this the one place we wouldn’t think to go." He turned to Ruby, who
"To staying here? Joe would never agree to that," she insisted.
"Are you kidding? It was your precious Joey Boy who suggested it. Look, I know how girls react to him. Sure, he keeps his head down. Flies under the radar at first. Then bam!” He pounded one fist into the other hand. “Gets you right here, doesn't he?" He touched his chest. "I've known him a long time. He's always been like that. He can steal the girls right out from under me, and that's no small task."
Sean went on. "But he's also poor as shit. He doesn’t even have a proper apartment, unless you count the attic up above the biker bar in Madelia. He told me he knows he can't take care of you like I can."
"Who says I need taking care of?" Avoiding his face, she fixed her eyes on the DVDs on the shelf, studying their titles. "The Notebook," "The Wedding Planner." Desiree liked happy endings, apparently, but the thought of a happy ending, now, just made Ruby's cheeks burn.
"See, Ruby," he said, drawing his arm around her shoulders casually in a way that seemed almost brotherly, and yet it didn't make her feel the least bit safe. "That's another thing about the Steel Jockeys that Kyle probably didn't teach you.
“We're more than friends. We’re brothers. For someone like our Joey, who barely had a family: that means something. It's important to him. And brothers share. And care. It's like that saying, everything we need to know we learned in kindergarten?" He smirked. "Let me tell you a story. Back in the day, Joey Boy and I both knew this one particular girl named Lydia. She was the cousin of our compatriot Aaron Beeson, and the daughter of one of the Jockeys' more successful associates--brains, looks, and money.
“We both wanted her, and I had had her first. But what can I say? The minute Joey came on the scene batting his eyelashes, she was gone. I was beaten by the best. Ever since, he's been looking for a way to make it up to me. So me coming here--I mean, if you're worried that your boy will be angry--don't be. He gave me his blessing."
Ruby twisted around. "His blessing? " The idea that she was some kind of toy to be passed around, like two "brothers" sharing a cigarette, made the bile in her stomach want to backwash into her throat. Not to mention she wasn’t quite ready for an allusion to Joe’s romantic past, which must have been considerable.
Sean's hand on her thigh seemed to land there like a spark from a fire. She wrenched herself away from his grip, but he grabbed her wrist. In truth, she didn't know which was more terrifying--staying here, or running out into the cold night, defenseless where everyone within shouting distance worked for Sean.
"Sean, what the fuck are you doing here?” said Joe from the doorway.
“Having a heart-to-heart.”
“Looks more like a heart-to--” he cut himself off, as if not to embarrass Ruby with whatever risque term he’d been about to use. “In any case, it’s over.”
Sean raised his arms, the picture of innocence, as he turned to face Joe, who stood looking as dangerous as Sean had when he’d arrived, if not more so. Ruby sat perfectly still, gaze fixed on him. The intensity of his eyes was almost hypnotic. “This is my dad's property, you know. Desiree just rents it from him."
"I meant what I said, Sean," said Joe, gesturing to the door, his eyes glinting like fiery opals. "Get out. Ruby and I are leaving. Give me the gun."
"Let's not be too hasty there, bro. Can't we talk about this in the morning? I'm sure we can work out a mutually beneficial arrangement. "
"My days of making arrangements with you are over. The only reason we came here is because everyone knows none of the Jockeys trusts you anymore, making this the one place we wouldn’t think to go." He turned to Ruby, who
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