I woke up from a nightmare.

In it, I was back at the gasworks in the standoff with Lou. He had his gun to Fiona’s head – but instead of pulling his gun away from her head, he shot her. Then, as I screamed, he shot me.

As I lay there dying in the sand, he came over and smiled.

Stupid motherfucker, he said. You never saw it comin’, did ya.

Then he raised his gun, pointed it at my head –

That’s when I woke up, drenched in sweat.

I looked over at Fiona. Early morning sunshine peeked in around the closed curtains and bathed her in rosy light. I thought about just a few hours earlier, and I wanted to reach out to her. To help me forget the dream.

But her beautiful face was so peaceful, I let her sleep instead.

I got a drink of water from the bathroom and checked my phone. It was 8AM –

And there was a message from a Phoenix area code.

Sloane.

With my bandaged hands, I clumsily pulled on my jeans. The shirt was going to be too much of a problem, so I just left it on the floor and stepped outside the room into the open air of the second-floor walkway.

A passing maid gawked at me standing there bare-chested, but I ignored her as I listened to the voicemail.

“Hey, sweet cheeks, just wanted to make sure you made it. I’m gonna assume you did, but… if you don’t mind… I’d like to hear your voice again. Call me.”

I hit ‘Call Back,’ and she answered almost immediately. “Thank GOD.”

“Bad news,” I said.

“What?!” she asked breathlessly.

“Lou shot off my dick.”

“Do NOT even joke about that. What the fuck happened?”

I told her everything. After it was all over, she whistled. “Damn, when you go caveman, Jack, you go fuckin’ caveman.”

“I guess.”

“You got any regrets?”

I guessed she was talking about the MC and the choices I’d made with the DEA. Instead, my mind wandered to Ali, and how I’d underestimated Lou all along.

“A lot of them. But about last night? No.”

“Any of those regrets include me?”

I knew what she was after – some sort of ‘let’s make up and fuck’ banter – but I wasn’t going down that road. Instead I said, “If I’d never met you, Sloane, I’d be dead right now. Thank you – for everything.”

She took the hint. “Thank YOU. I’m gonna be a multi, multi-millionaire ‘cause of you, Jack.”

“Yeah, that reminds me of something – ”

“What, you wanna get a cut of the action?”

“No, it’s all yours – but be careful. The DEA is going to be watching every bit of the Santa Muertes’ old territory for the next crew that moves in.”

“No offense, but we both know I got a better head for this shit than you do. I didn’t get to where I am by bein’ a dumb blonde.”

“I know, I know, just – keep an eye out, alright? And don’t take any stupid chances.”

“Honey, we both know I let other people take the stupid chances. I just take the money.”

“Considering last night, I guess you’re right.”

Suddenly she switched gears, and her voice grew softer. “You ever think about me, Jack?”

I was a little uncomfortable with this, but I answered, “Of course.”

“No, I mean… you ever think about US.”

More uncomfortable. “I guess.”

She didn’t sound too happy with that answer. “Mm. Say – where the hell is Little Miss Perky Tits? Is she listenin’ in?”

“No, she’s inside sleeping.” I tried to lighten the mood. “And I’d say you’re Little Miss Perky Tits yourself, after that operation.”

“No, I’m Miss HUGE Perky Tits, and don’t you forget it. What’s gonna happen with you two now?”

“She’ll get up, take a shower, we’ll probably grab some breakfast at IHOP – ”

“You know what I mean. Quit tryin’ to duck the question.”

I smiled as I realized the answer: “I’m going to go up north, and I’m going to ask her to go with me.”

“You’re gonna leave Richards?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re gonna take her with you?”

“If she’ll go with me, yeah.”

There was a long pause.

“…you ever think about making another go of it? You and me?”

I tried to be diplomatic. “We want different things.”

“I don’t know that they’re ALL that different…”

“You want to rule an empire and make a shit-ton of money, Sloane. I want to live on the right side of the law, and that’s about it.”

“…okay, we want different things.”

That was the understatement of the year.

“But… hypothetically… say I was willing to give all that up… would you… ever think about it?”

I remembered the freedom-loving, badass chick I’d fallen in love with, not the money- and power-hungry woman I’d divorced.

But even if I could have had her back the way she was the first day I’d met her, the idea no longer appealed to me.

My heart belonged to somebody else now.

“I’m in love with Fiona,” I said quietly.

I knew Sloane was hurt, but she tried to play it off. “Well, pff, YEAH – cause you’re a DUMBASS.”

I played along to let her save face. “Maybe.”

“Besides, it was just a hypothetical question.”

“I know.”

It wasn’t.

I guess we’d gotten too close to uncomfortable truths, because she abruptly said, “Alright… you take care of yourself, Jack.”

“You too, Sloane.”

Then she surprised me: “And… good luck with her. She doesn’t know how good she’s got it.”

“Thanks, Sloane. For everything.”

“You’re welcome. Bye.”

“Goodbye.”

I hung up the phone and put it in my pocket.

It felt good to leave that piece of the past behind me.

I imagined another piece of the past in my mind’s eye – the face of Lou Shaw, bloody and angry, his eyes staring at me.

That piece was behind me now, too.

“Burn in hell, you son of a bitch,” I muttered.

Then I went back inside, peeled off my jeans, and got back in bed.

This time I couldn’t resist getting right up next to that gorgeous body.

“Mmm,” she murmured sleepily, eyes closed, and smiled as I spooned her. “Where’d you go…?”

“Just stepped out for a second… but I’m not going anywhere else,” I whispered in her ear. “I’m staying right here.”

Her hand slipped down below my waist and lightly grabbed my cock… which began to immediately get hard.

“Good,” she purred.