“So, Jojo here was visitin’ Lick’s mom today and found out that a young lady is claiming that her baby was fathered by Lick. First, this one claimed it was Ride’s baby, but then switched her tune to Lick when Ride gave her the heave ho, ho. Jojo met up with her to talk to her, wound up looking after the baby and the bitch took off and left her sick kid with Jojo in a filthy apartment. Stole Jojo’s purse and her car.”
Edge had been shaving fresh parmesan onto his meal and he looked at me with eyebrows up at my misadventure. “No shit? This that same bitch that Shelly used to try to scare Jenna off?”
“What?” I asked.
“Yeah. When your ma got herself beat up and went to the hospital to get her arm put in a cast, she told Jenna Rider had a kid. Ain’t true, of course, and your ma likely knew it but used it to try to run Jenna off.”
I made a face of disgust. “My mother,” I grumbled.
It was just like her to try to break Rider and Jenna up. She wanted everyone to be all about her, especially her sons now that she had no one to clean up her many messes.
“Sorry to bring her up, baby cakes. Just tellin’ the story.” Edge gave me a look of regret.
I waved dismissively and pushed my hair out of my eyes before taking another mouthful of food, thinking back to when Jenna got back to the clubhouse that day. She had been upset and trying to hide it. Rider took off for a few days at that point and then those two called it quits temporarily. I’d bet money it was because of my mother using Melanie’s game to her advantage.
My mother was the opportunistic jackal in our midst always, making the fact that she’d worked with the Jackals and other enemies no surprise.
My phone buzzed with a text, so Delia unplugged it from the charger on the kitchen counter and passed it to me.
Rider: Your car’s here. Mel drove it here to me at the clubhouse. Tell me my *son’s* auntie is babysitting so she can come see me. Said she left you a note when she left, that she didn’t steal your shit. Chick’s whacked, Jojo. Fuckin wasted. Called Brice & he arrested her. Text Brice that social worker’s #.
I blew out a breath.
“Things okay?” Delia asked.
“My car is in Aberdeen. Melanie drove to Rider. One sec. Sorry…”
I dug into my pocket for the business card and forwarded a pic to our cop cousin, Brice.
Me: Done.
Ride: Got a ride back sorted or you need me to make calls?
Me: Delia’s figuring it out. I’m good. Thx. Staying with her tonight. Love you. xo
Ride: k. Love you. Dad’s with me so I’ve filled him in.
“Phew,” I said aloud to the room, sending Rider a thumbs up emoji and putting my phone down beside my wine glass.
The guys were shoveling food into their mouths and Delia was standing at the counter, refilling a sugar bowl.
“Good news. So, the baby’s safe and your car’s home. What about Melanie?”
“She got arrested for stealing my car and my bag. Ride said she was wasted. Maybe they got her on a DUI, not sure. My cousin Brice the cop took her in.”
“Probably got wasted with your money,” Delia mused. “Can you believe that shit though? Jojo goes with her after seeing she needs help with her baby and the bitch steals her shit while Jojo’s cleaning her filthy apartment.” Delia shook her head.
Christian didn’t look up from his food.
I texted Rider again.
Is my purse in the car?
He replied straight away.
Yup. Your cards were in her wallet though. Brice checked. You’ll have to get new ones as he’s taking them into evidence.”
I wrote back.
Okay, great. Thanks.
I let out a relieved breath.
“All good?” Delia asked.
“Yep,” I said and went back to working on eating my plate of pasta and drinking my second glass of wine.
I shot the breeze with Edge and Delia while Christian focused on his meal. I had no idea why they were here, but when Delia and Edge were done eating, she told me to sit and relax and forbade me from washing dishes as she took Edge to another room to give him something. This left me sitting there at the table while Christian ate and ignored me, so I got to my feet and started washing Edge’s bowl anyway, my back to him.
“Fourths?” I offered, glancing over my shoulder with a smile, seeing him sitting there staring at his empty pasta bowl.
“I’m good,” he answered.
“Hand me your bowl?”
He brought me the bowl and fork.
I looked up at him and smiled. He looked down at me and didn’t.
Aunt Delia and Edge were back.
“That was delicious, Delia.” Christian put his hand to his belly. “Never tasted sauce that fuckin’ good.”
“Thank our girl here. Jojo made it,” she corrected.
His eyes moved to me and they were hard.
What the fuck was his problem with me?
I rolled my eyes and then aimed them back on my task.
“Dessert and coffee?” Delia offered.
“Naw, stuffed, thanks.” Christian grumbled.
“Should be stuffed,” Edge told him. “I’m stuffed after two plates. You ate fuckin’ three.”
“Jojo loves her silly noodles too. I made it that first time for her when she was about two and she couldn’t say fusilli, so she called it silly noodles.”
“To this day, it’s my favorite,” I added, pulling the parchment paper off the bruschetta pan.
“Sit. Let me finish. You cooked,” Delia reprimanded me.
“That’s okay.”
“Don’t be sassy. Sit your bum down,” she ordered, tapping my bottom.
I dried my hands and then slipped out of the kitchen to use the bathroom.
When I got back, it’d already been decided it was too late to head back tonight so we were all staying the night. As it was after one thirty in the morning and almost a three-hour drive back to Aberdeen, Edge stayed in his old room, I stayed in the guest room next to Rudy and Delia’s room, and Christian would stay in another spare bedroom down in the basement.
“Need something to sleep in, sweetie?” Delia asked, handing me a new toothbrush.
“Naw, that’s alright, I’ll just sleep in my t-shirt and panties,” I told her, tying my hair up into a high ponytail with the hair band she’d given me.
Christian Forker picked that moment to walk by the wide-open bathroom door.
“I’ll throw a tracksuit on the end of the bed in case you need it. Use whatever you like from my stash, sweetness. Have good dreams.” She puckered and I gave her a kiss and hug and she left me there.
***
I went from a dead sleep to moving, fast… very fast. Dizzy and being dragged toward consciousness while bouncing because I was moving through darkness. A door slammed behind us.
What? Us? Someone was running with me in their arms.
I opened my mouth to say something, ask something, protest… but ear-piercing noise ripped through the space. Glass shattered. There was a whoosh sound followed immediately by a big bang.
We were moving forward in the pitch dark. Someone had me. Who?
Shadows moved into the hallway ahead of us. Edge and Delia? I was in Christian Forker’s arms, half wrapped in the blanket that was on the bed I’d been sleeping in, and then we were outside, on the lawn.