“Why are we getting all, you know, touchy-feely?”
“You want to be my friend. Friends listen.”
“Since the fuck when?”
“Since forever. You want to be BFFs, this is what a BFF does. We listen to each other.”
“Can I change the dynamic of our friendship?”
“You could be my bitch.” Preacher laughed. “Fuck, what have we become?”
“I’ve worn you down. So, you’ve never felt fear?” Dog lit a new cigarette.
“No, not until recently, have you?”
“Yes, all the fucking time,” Dog said. He pointed at his face. “Let’s face it, I didn’t have an easy childhood. Where other kids were asking Santa for toys and shit, I was begging to be found, to find someone who would care about me and not hurt me. If you ever tell another living soul, I will fucking gut you, got it?”
“I’d like to see you try, but if you think I’d admit to anyone I got all touchy-feely for you, I’d deny it.”
“So we’re both good on denying everything. Good to know. I’ve known fear as a boy. I can’t walk away from who I was or what I’ve become. I used to think fear made me weak, but it doesn’t. Fear pushes us. It drives us. It makes us the men we are and it makes us strong.”
Dog pointed down at his men. “All of them can tell you a story. Some worse than mine, some better. All of them are monsters and have been created because of circumstances. It’s never going to change who they are. They are what we’ve been made. Fear makes us. It forces us to make decisions we didn’t know we were even capable of making.”
“I’m scared I’m not going to be able to protect her,” he said.
“Do you have another enemy lurking in the shadows?”
“No. I have plenty of enemies. Most of them are dead.” Preacher ran a hand down his face. “She’s afraid.”
“Then be there for her. Don’t be talking to me about shit when the true person you should be talking to is your woman. Robin, she wants you right now, I’m guessing.”
“I feel my life is really fucked up when I’m taking advice from you.”
“I give great advice. You should take it. I do know what I’m talking about.”
“It’s counted,” one of the men down below said, yelling up to be heard.
“Good.”
“It’s time for us to split.”
“If you ever need backup, or to deal with your boys, let me know.”
“Will do, but one thing I can promise you, fear or not, I know how to take care of myself.” They made their way downstairs. Preacher took their cut and made their way outside to find Bear staring up at the sun.
“What do you think about women staying with cheating assholes?” Bear asked as he moved closer.
“Are we talking about Rebecca?” Preacher asked.
“No. Why the fuck would you think that?”
“You were a cheating asshole.”
“No, I’m talking about Anne.”
“Anne? Robin’s Anne?”
“Who else would I be talking about?”