At the mention of an apology, without even know to whom, Jack set off a storm of profanity. I moved into position, but he jumped to the side before I could smack him.
“You fucking touch me, Reilly, and so help me I will kick you in the taint and zap everyone else here so we’re all equally fucked. Can’t believe you shanghaied me away from a night of carnal pleasure to come back to these God-forsaken chunks of rock. On top of it, I’m supposed to apologize to some chick I’ve never fucking met. No. Fuck off.” He pointed to each of us in turn. “Fuck you, and fuck you, and fuck you, and f—”
He cut off as Kate’s fist of wind took him in the solar plexis, knowing him flat. On most people, that would know the wind out of them. Jack rubbed his chest and let out a slightly strained “You fucking c—”
“Okay, I think we get it, Jack!” Nat yelled at him slamming a bar of wind in his mouth. She let it go after a moment, but Jack took the hint and settled into grumbles.
Anna Maria squatted next to him, her tone equal parts understanding and scolding.
“Sorry he’s not sorry,” I said to Melissa. “But, um, can you explain a little more. I’m fuzzy on who I need to apologize to.”
Melissa looked to Jack, down to me, then over to Kate. “You sure they’re worth it?”
“He’s definitely not, but since this thing can kind of spread to others, we need him fixed, too.”
“Wait,” Nat stepped closer. “Kate, how much did you tell her about us?”
“All of it,” she said, without missing a beat. “I tried holding back, at first, but wasn’t getting anywhere. Finally, I asked Matt for advice, and he told me to come clean, completely. He said something about First Nations’ people being treated poorly, and to just get it all out there. Oh, and I agreed that all of you would make a hefty donation to stop the exploitation of their land.”
Nat looked back and forth between Melissa and Kate, not liking this news.
“No problem,” I said. “You got a casino nearby, too? I can routinely drop some money in there, and I promise I won’t visit the all-you-can-eat buffet.”
“Why would you avoid the buffet?” Melissa asked.
“He eats a lot,” Kate answered. “We all do. We burn calories like you wouldn’t believe. We’ve actually driven restaurants out of business by going to the buffet.”
A chorus of affirmatives came from everyone else.