diamond.” I laughed. She rested her head on my chest and I slowly felt those damn emotions flood back. Marriage. My mother, God rest her soul, would be so proud.
Jackie
“ W ait , a damn second now. You’re what?” Bruce said, practically spinning with confusion. He was tugging at his beard, thinking hard about all of this.
“We’re gettin’ married, boss.” Rust announced to Bruce. “I know it sounds kind of crazy, but things have really changed in the past few days.” Bruce shook his head and pulled him aside, as if I couldn’t hear them speaking. It was so embarrassing.
“I’m not too sure that’s a good idea, boy. Now I know you. You do some impulsive shit. But marriage? That ain’t something you can get out of easy. Take it from me. My ex-wife still comes after my money. Maybe you should think this through.”
Rust shook his head. “I know what I’m doing, Bruce. I promise you.”
“I know you think you know, but you don’t. Look, I don’t want to cause any alarm or fuss, so keep this between you and me.” He nodded, glancing over at me. “Things are a bit shaky right now with the two families. I think we all just need to lay low for a bit. Until things smooth over. I’m afraid if you two get hitched, both sides will think something weird is goin’ on.”
“I know. I saw it in the boys at the hospital the other night. Bruce, I’m gonna put all my cards on the table. If we lay low, things are just going to escalate. We saw some shit the other night that made my stomach turn…”
“What kind of shit are you talking about, boy?” Bruce asked with a worried expression on his face.
I stepped in, saying, “A member of the Hell’s Wheels, Don. He’s gone completely insane ever since my father passed. He’s taken over the crew, leaving me with no other options.”
“So what’s your plan?” he asked. “You get married? How the hell will that help?”
“We have an idea of what could happen. We expand Hell’s Wheels territory and smooth things out within my ranks first.”
“And then what? My men sure as hell won’t be happy with your men on their streets. You’re treading into some dark water, you two. I don’t think you know what you’re doing. Beware. That’s all I have to say.”
“Well it’s better than sitting around and hoping for the best. And it sure as hell is better than launching a full out war.” Rust said. “I know you’re the boss of this gang. And I have all the respect for you in the world. I would never want to take your place or decide what’s right for this crew. But I think this is the best shot we have. I really do.”
Bruce turned to me, finally, and asked, “And what about you, little lady? You think the same thing?”
“I think it’s the only chance we really have. It’s that or total war. The best we can do is team up together, push our men into their territory launch a full offensive strike against the Darkhorse gang. If we get our men together on this, we can take them down and expand both our businesses. After all, that’s what this is all about, right? Both sides can see results.”
It was our best chance. It had to work. I looked over at Rust and he looked back at me. I could tell he thought Bruce was going to approve of our plan. If he didn’t, it was back to square one.
Bruce sat down and mulled it over. He was getting older. Things weren’t as set in stone as they used to be. Territories were changing and new lines were being drawn. This was the punishment of history’s gains. “I ain’t never taken ‘military’ advice from a woman before. I just don’t know…” He scratched at his long, unkempt beard.
“It’s a new world.” I said. “Better get used to it or pay the price.” This wasn’t some feminist stance. I couldn’t give two shits about any of that. This was reality. And if he wasn’t going to embrace it, he was going to be left in the dust. “Leaders come and go. The only thing that remains is the
Jackie
“ W ait , a damn second now. You’re what?” Bruce said, practically spinning with confusion. He was tugging at his beard, thinking hard about all of this.
“We’re gettin’ married, boss.” Rust announced to Bruce. “I know it sounds kind of crazy, but things have really changed in the past few days.” Bruce shook his head and pulled him aside, as if I couldn’t hear them speaking. It was so embarrassing.
“I’m not too sure that’s a good idea, boy. Now I know you. You do some impulsive shit. But marriage? That ain’t something you can get out of easy. Take it from me. My ex-wife still comes after my money. Maybe you should think this through.”
Rust shook his head. “I know what I’m doing, Bruce. I promise you.”
“I know you think you know, but you don’t. Look, I don’t want to cause any alarm or fuss, so keep this between you and me.” He nodded, glancing over at me. “Things are a bit shaky right now with the two families. I think we all just need to lay low for a bit. Until things smooth over. I’m afraid if you two get hitched, both sides will think something weird is goin’ on.”
“I know. I saw it in the boys at the hospital the other night. Bruce, I’m gonna put all my cards on the table. If we lay low, things are just going to escalate. We saw some shit the other night that made my stomach turn…”
“What kind of shit are you talking about, boy?” Bruce asked with a worried expression on his face.
I stepped in, saying, “A member of the Hell’s Wheels, Don. He’s gone completely insane ever since my father passed. He’s taken over the crew, leaving me with no other options.”
“So what’s your plan?” he asked. “You get married? How the hell will that help?”
“We have an idea of what could happen. We expand Hell’s Wheels territory and smooth things out within my ranks first.”
“And then what? My men sure as hell won’t be happy with your men on their streets. You’re treading into some dark water, you two. I don’t think you know what you’re doing. Beware. That’s all I have to say.”
“Well it’s better than sitting around and hoping for the best. And it sure as hell is better than launching a full out war.” Rust said. “I know you’re the boss of this gang. And I have all the respect for you in the world. I would never want to take your place or decide what’s right for this crew. But I think this is the best shot we have. I really do.”
Bruce turned to me, finally, and asked, “And what about you, little lady? You think the same thing?”
“I think it’s the only chance we really have. It’s that or total war. The best we can do is team up together, push our men into their territory launch a full offensive strike against the Darkhorse gang. If we get our men together on this, we can take them down and expand both our businesses. After all, that’s what this is all about, right? Both sides can see results.”
It was our best chance. It had to work. I looked over at Rust and he looked back at me. I could tell he thought Bruce was going to approve of our plan. If he didn’t, it was back to square one.
Bruce sat down and mulled it over. He was getting older. Things weren’t as set in stone as they used to be. Territories were changing and new lines were being drawn. This was the punishment of history’s gains. “I ain’t never taken ‘military’ advice from a woman before. I just don’t know…” He scratched at his long, unkempt beard.
“It’s a new world.” I said. “Better get used to it or pay the price.” This wasn’t some feminist stance. I couldn’t give two shits about any of that. This was reality. And if he wasn’t going to embrace it, he was going to be left in the dust. “Leaders come and go. The only thing that remains is the
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