62. Chapter 62
Graham watched the door aptly labeled Pisser, drinking his third beer—a new bottle showed up every time he set an empty down—waiting for his brother to finish dicking around outside.
Three million, Graham decided, was just enough padding to cushion the shock of his dad’s unknown history with the Desert Demons.
Billy disrespecting his mother and playing Elvis on the jukebox was fine. Narrowly escaping death at the hands of a bunch of bikers was fine. Facing another night in a tent after spending the evening in the red den, a room intended to look, sound, and smell like Hell, was fine.
Three million, if he focused on how all those tiny zeros would look in his bank account, still made everything fine, if barely.
Until a blur of dark hair and khaki shorts burst through the door of Not Your Oasis. There weren’t enough tiny zeros in the world to make it fine that another man was calling Helen’s name.
“Who the fuck is this?” the bartender asked. “Yuppies are multiplying.”
“He with you?” Billy asked.
Graham set down his drink and stood with Billy from the table they had been sharing and said, “No.”
“Helen!” the man shouted again, oblivious to the Demons assembling around the room. A University of Austin lanyard hung out of his pocket. “I know you’re here. Where are you?”
She came out of the Pisser, wiping her hands on her jeans, and paled.
“Nick?” Helen asked.
“Thank God, Hels.” The man swept her into his arms. “I’ve been calling for days. You haven’t answered any of my texts.”
Graham crept closer. Nino burst through the door carrying a broken, dripping beer bottle, followed closely by Jase, Lindsey, and the Demon in the red bandana.
“How—” Helen’s question was smothered by a kiss.
“The fuck?” Graham was at her side in a second, pulling Nick’s lips off his fiancée, who better not have been out of breath because she enjoyed it.
“Hey,” Nick exclaimed. “What’s your problem?”
“You need to leave.” Helen tried dragging him away from Graham.
“I’ve been driving for days. What are you doing out here?” Nick planted his feet and jerked his head at Graham. “And who is this guy?”
“He kidding?” Graham asked.
“We’ll talk about this later,” Helen said. It wasn’t clear which man she was referring to. “Nick, you need to get back in your car and drive away.”
“I thought yuppies were supposed to be smart. Can’t even read fucking signs,” the bartender muttered.
Helen put her arm around Nick’s shoulders and turned him to the exit, which was blocked by Nino, whose mouth and bottle were both frothing.
“I’m not leaving without you,” Nick said.
Graham kept pace with Helen and Nick. “Hels, dear, aren’t you going to introduce us?”
“Watch it,” Nick warned. “This is between me and my girlfriend.”
“Your—your girlfriend?” Graham repeated. “Interesting.”
“Graham, please,” Helen said.
“No, I’m curious to see what else your boyfriend has to say.”
“Let me take care of him,” Nino seethed. “I’m dying to put hands at the end of these arms.”
“I’d like to see what that means, personally,” Graham said.
Billy’s whistle sounded like the dropping of a bomb. “It ain’t pretty.”
Nick whirled on Graham, taking Helen’s arm. “I said watch it. Who do you think you are?”
“Graham, let me get him out of here,” Helen said. “I promise I’ll explain everything.”
He crossed his arms over the tightness in his chest he didn’t have time to deal with. “I want to hear it from Nicky.”
“Who is this asshole?” Nick asked.
“He’s—”
Helen hesitated. She actually hesitated.
“Graham.” He barely noticed his brother’s hand on his shoulder or heard Jase say, “Get them out of here. Now.”
“Fiancé is the word you’re looking for, dear,” Graham said, ignoring his brother.
“Fiancé?” Lindsey asked.
Graham forgot she was still here.
“Shit.” Jase sighed.
“Since when?” Nick searched Helen’s face. “We’ve been together since Christmas.”
“Christmas?” Graham raised his eyebrows. “Funny how you never came up.”
“Hilarious,” Helen said. “Nick, let’s go—”
Nicky didn’t go. He decked Graham in the jaw. For a guy with no obvious muscle definition, the punch sent Graham stumbling backwards into Billy, whose skeletal frame managed to keep him on his feet.
“Graham!” Helen exclaimed.
Jase swung Nick around by the shoulder and cracked him across the face. He went down hard and Jase held him to the floor.
“Look around,” he said. “Do you know where you are?”
Nick writhed, blood trickling from his nose. Graham should’ve been the one to make him bleed.
“If you want to live,” Jase growled, “get the fuck out of here or these guys will fucking kill you.”
As if seeing the Demons for the first time, Nick tipped his head in a solitary nod, and Jase released him.
Billy wrapped her arms around Graham’s shoulders. “Want us to take care of him for you, honey?”
“Please, Graham, let it go,” Helen said.
Helen, Billy, the hot pain shooting along his jaw—blips on his radar. He was focused on the man who claimed to be Helen’s boyfriend wiping his nose in the safety of Jase’s shadow.
“Just say the word,” Billy coaxed, as if Helen hadn’t spoken.
“Graham, don’t,” Helen pleaded. “Look at me.”
He finally met her eyes. It was Helen and…wasn’t. He thought she’d spent the last two years alone, pining. Instead there was a man who cared enough about her to track her down in the desert.
And she never mentioned him.
Graham shrugged out of Billy’s embrace and looked away.
“Thank you,” Helen whispered. “Just give me a few minutes.”
“Let’s go.” Jase escorted the scorned lover, under the red bandana’s protection, past Nino, and Helen followed them out the door.
“It’s not too late to change your mind. These guys have serious bloodlust today,” Billy said. “We can take care of her too if you want.”
“That’s not even funny,” Graham said, rubbing his jaw.
“She played you. Nobody wants to be the chump.”
“I’m not a fucking chump.” He turned away from Billy and nearly walked into the other woman he didn’t want to see.
“Fiancée?”
One word, then Lindsey punched him in the face.