Chapter 30
*~* Fury *~*
Sitting in the compound watching Vortex teach Mateo more knife skills, I wonder how Mateo feels about being my project?
Is project the right word? Probably not.
Since the episode with my father, I’ve taken Mateo under my wing, like I’d said to Breaker I was going to do before that shit hit the fan. He’s a good kid, well, young man.
As luck would have it, he didn’t have to do too much to protect Jamie in the end, but he stayed close to her, and she has told me he kept her grounded while they were at Spirit’s place.
She didn’t like the bunker’s enclosed space, but he constantly distracted her thoughts away from it, and she was grateful for that.
As she pointed out, there is more to protecting someone than just the physical aspect.
Mateo has been spending a lot of his spare time at Spirit’s place.
I haven’t pushed to find out how far their relationship has developed, it’s none of my business after all, but I’ve seen a difference in him.
He was always a little more mature than the other prospects, but he’s certainly way ahead of them now. I like it in him, too.
I’m going to ask if I can go with him when he visits Spirit one time so I can see how he’s teaching her these knife skills and the hand-to-hand combat.
Jamie was impressed with what she saw, so perhaps that is something he can build on.
He was never a slouch when it came to physical fitness, but he’s definitely looking good lately.
I’ll have my usual chat with Vortex when they’re done and see how he thinks Mateo is progressing. Vortex wouldn’t be doing this unless he saw potential or improvement in him. The way Vortex handles knives is a sight to behold. He can make them sing and dance in his hands.
Jamie, being back at work and me being at a loose end again has brought normality back to our lives. The evenings, however, are far from normal, I’m pleased to say. I’m not sure what has her so worked up, but I’m not complaining. Life is good.
Saddle appears and looks a bit frazzled. Not sure what’s upset his applecart, but he doesn’t look very happy.
“Hey, Vortex. Can I borrow you for a few minutes?" Saddle calls out.
Vortex looks at me, shrugs his shoulders, and replies, “Sure thing, Saddle. Mateo, I’ll be as quick as I can. Practice some throws while I’m gone.” Vortex walks over to Saddle, and they disappear into the clubhouse.
Mateo looks at me curiously, but I can only shrug my shoulders. “Hey, Fury. Want to be my stuntman? Come stand by this tree while I practice my throws.”
“I may have done some stupid stunts in my life, but I’m not adding that to the list of them.
I have every confidence in your ability, but I have no faith that I’ll stand still when those things come whistling through the air at me.
” That’s the God’s honest truth, too. It would only take one flinch, and I could lose an ear, finger, or something more dear to my person.
I’ve seen Vortex throw at his man-size targets and how close his knives come to certain parts. Uh-huh, no thank you.
“You throw and I’ll stay back here and applaud your outstanding ability, Mateo.
” Watching how he calmly throws his knives is mesmerizing.
They leap from his fingers as though they were lightning bolts.
The thump as they hit the tree is almost hypnotic.
I dread to think what they would do to flesh and blood.
After fifteen minutes of throwing, he calls it quits and comes to sit with me. “I don’t know what that’s all about, but they’re taking their time,” he says.
“I’m sure we’ll get to find out in our own good time. Can I ask you something, Mateo? You can tell me to mind my own business.”
“We’re taking things nice and slow. I think I’m falling for Spirit, but she hasn’t had a lot of contact with people, so I don’t want to rush her.
For all I know, her Mr. Right could be just around the corner, and I don’t want to be the cause of her missing that.
I’m fairly confident that she’s the one for me, but as I say, her contact with people has been limited to shopping trips to town, occasional visitors to the cabin, nothing of a personal nature.
I can wait until she decides if we’re right for each other.
” Mateo smiles at me and I think I was right about his maturity.
“For what it’s worth, Mateo, I’m proud of you.
That’s an outstanding attitude, and you're putting Spirit before your own personal feelings. That is something special for such a young man. I hope she sees that and realizes its value. I think you’d make a wonderful couple, and I’m rooting for you.
” I punch him on the shoulder and he looks at me as though I just gave him a million dollars.
Before we get to say anything else, Vortex reappears with a serious look on his face. “Hey, Fury. Mind if I borrow Mateo for a couple of days? I have an errand to run for Saddle and I’d like to take Mateo along as my wingman.”
“Anything I can help with? He’s not had much experience as anyone’s wingman. No offense, Mateo.” I give him a nod as I don’t mean it to sound like I don’t have faith in him.
“It’s just a routine collection job, nothing untoward. Should only take us three days at most. We’ll be in an SUV, so even less risk.” Vortex doesn’t seem as though it’s anything special, so I’m good with it.
“Okay with me, but you might want to run it by Pres. He’s the man, after all.” I grin at them both.
“Already done. He was okay if you were okay. Come on, Mateo, let’s get some gear for the road.”
Mateo gives me a wink and follows Vortex into the clubhouse. A wink! I ask you, where do they come up with this shit? A wink indeed.
Picking Jamie up from work, she asks to visit Spirit.
Apparently, she has a gift for her and wants to drop it off.
Driving out there, we chat about Spirit and Mateo.
I tell Jamie what he said, and she gushes about how thoughtful he is, but she is confident that Spirit is into him just as much as he is into her.
Arriving at the cabin at the front of the property, I’m only just out of the pickup when I stop dead in my tracks. Watching me intently from only a few feet away is that damn dog, Spectre. Bruno walks over to Jamie, and they might as well be old flames the way he slobbers all over her.
I start to move around the truck but stop again when Spectre shows me his teeth. “I’ve never done anything to your dog, but he’s surely taken a dislike to me.” I say this to Spirit as she appears from the side of the cabin.
“Ain’t that the truth? He doesn’t trust you one bit. If it weren’t for the Doc here, I’d just shoot ya and bury ya on the property somewhere, away from prying eyes. He’s usually a good judge of character.”
“Maybe I’ll wait in the truck while you have your social meeting.”
“Don’t be such a baby, Fury. He’s a good boy for protecting his mistress.
You’ll be fine if you don’t move suddenly, touch me or Spirit, breath too loud, sneeze, cough, or generally show you're alive in any way, shape or form.” Jamie laughs as she says this, but I’m not so sure she isn’t far off target with her comment.
Jamie takes a bag from the truck, then links arms with Spirit, and they walk away, leaving me with Spectre.
Taking my life in my hands, I take a small step to follow them.
Another step and he stands up, watching me carefully.
I follow them, being sure to step off the trail when they do, and the few minutes it takes to reach Spirit’s home feels like days.
Sitting at the kitchen table, I watch as Jamie passes the bag to Spirit. She takes out a wrapped object that looks like it could be a photo frame. When Spirit unwraps it, it is indeed a frame, but it doesn’t contain a photo. It looks like a birthday card.
Jamie explains it to Spirit. “I found it when I was reading in the bunker. It was tucked in with some books on one of the shelves. I had a copy made of the front of the card, the picture, that’s what you see on the left.
The actual card is folded so that the writing shown on the right is your father’s true handwriting.
I couldn’t bring myself to cut the card so that it displayed properly. Do you like it?”
“Oh, Jamie. I love it. I didn’t even know it was in with the books.” A tear forms and tracks down her cheek.
“So, how are things going with you and Mateo?” Jamie asks.
“I’m not sure that he finds me attractive. I like him. I like him a lot, but he hasn’t even tried to kiss me.” This brings more tears, and I decide it’s time I braved going outside alone. Female emotions scare me far more than a Malinois that hates me.
I sit on one side of the porch, and Spectre sits on the other. He sits staring at me the whole time and doesn’t even blink when the two women appear thirty minutes later. At least they are laughing now, that’s a relief.
When Spirit mentions cooking a meal and inviting Mateo, Jamie, and me, I put my foot in my mouth, big time, when I tell her she’ll need to put it off for a few days until he gets back.
“Where has he gone?” Spirit asks immediately, and I don’t have an answer, as I don’t know.
“Pres sent him and Vortex off to do a favor for Saddle. I know it was a three-day thing, but I don’t know where or what it’s all about. I’m sorry, Spirit, I thought you’d know. It was all a rush job, so I guess he’ll let you know the first chance he gets.” Oh, crap. That’s caused more tears.
I get a filthy look from Jamie as they both disappear back inside. Worse than that, the damn dogs, yes, both of them, have picked up on Spirit’s tears and are now sitting staring at me like I’m their next meal.
When Jamie next appears, she’s alone. She gives me a stink-eye look and snaps at me to get my butt moving. Once I get back in the pickup, I don’t need the air conditioning switched on. The air is decidedly frosty.
“What the fuck, Fury? How insensitive can you get?”
“Hell, I didn’t know that he hadn’t told her.
How was I to know that he’d go charging off with Vortex and say jack shit to Spirit?
You know what? I’m not taking the blame for this.
They are young but not kids. I am not going to be lectured for saying what I said.
I said what I said, and I stand by what I said. What have you got to say about that?”
Jamie blinks at me several times. “Get us home and be damn quick about it. I like it when you’re all fired up.”
Risking a ticket, I get us home in double-quick time and enjoy the rest of our evening. The first round is on the kitchen table in a rush of sweaty bodies that invariably ends with us once again in the shower.