Poppies and Silk by Tanya Fischer

Author:Tanya Fischer [Fischer, Tanya]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dogwood Grove Press LLC
Published: 2023-07-27T22:00:00+00:00

“WHERE THE HELL is Isa?”

Sol looked up from Poppy’s worried blue eyes to Junior’s furious ones. They stood outside, but Isa had disappeared. Poppy was moments away from explaining why Isa wanted to go home when Junior stormed through the open doorway.

“We were just about to find her.” Sol’s tone revealed a bit of surprise at Junior’s anger, and he observed his friend carefully shield some of the burning emotion in his eyes.

“You told me to look out for her, now she’s gone.” Junior said it as though it were Sol’s fault.

“She’s sixteen years old,” Sol laughed. “Not six. She’ll be all right. She knows well enough not to walk to the hotel alone.”

With a growl of frustration, Junior turned on his heel and strode along the building, watching people in one doorway, frustration tautening his posture, before moving to the next.

Junior was more of a scold than his own pa. A small hand on his arm broke Sol’s amused stare.

“Sol,” Poppy began, urging Sol to follow Junior. “I think we ought to find Isa before he does.”

“Why do you say that?”

What the hell had happened while he was grabbing his suit jacket?

“Because I think Isa is going to do something to purposefully anger Junior—”

“You son of a bitch!” Junior shouted, followed by a shriek and the smack of flesh hitting flesh.

“Shit,” Sol muttered, bursting into motion toward the black gloom of the alley. Junior was a dark gray smear straddling someone on the ground while Isa shoved at him.

“Get off him, Junior!” Isa’s voice was shrill and outraged.

“Damn it, Isa, watch out.” Sol grunted, pulling her away in order to hook Junior’s biceps with his arms, dragging him off the thrashing figure from the ground.

Damn, he’s strong!

“Are you hurt?” Isa asked, helping what turned out to be Mr. Glen’s grandson from the dirt in the alley. “I’m so sorry, Gareth!”

“It’s okay,” the boy replied, panting. He spat in the dirt, a shaft of light across his and Isa’s youthful faces. Gareth grinned at Isa. “It was worth it.”

Junior strained against his friend’s hold. Sol grunted and said, not unkindly to the boy, “You’d better clear out before he breaks loose.”

After a challenging glance at Junior, who muttered threats at Gareth, Poppy managed to gently send the young man on his way toward the other end of the building. Isa waited until he was out of earshot before she rushed forward, shoving Junior hard on his chest, nearly knocking Sol over.

“How could you?”

“That little bastard had his hands all over you,” Junior spat, shrugging Sol’s arms off.

“He did not! We were just kissing.”

“And why the hell were you kissing some boy in the dark, huh?” Junior’s voice throbbed with anger, and Sol steadied him.

“Let’s just calm down—”

Isa blew up. “Oh, you can kiss all over Hattie Fowler’s hand, but I can’t kiss a boy who has only ever been nice to me? You’re such a hypocrite.”

“Watch what you’re callin’ me,” Junior warned, pointing a finger at her.

She slapped it out of her face.

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