"Okay. I'll do my best not to rip his eyes out as long as he stays far away from me." Cole, who has been standing beside Hold in complete shock this entire time, decides to break down cackling.
"Damn, girl! You are crazy like Old Man." He's not lying. This girl would fit in just fine with our little group of couillons.
Chapter Five: Clint
Hot damn! Judy knows how to make a mean burger. I'm just sitting there, minding my own business when the door slings open, the air went out, and my breath catches in my chest. She is my teenage dream come to life, and everything my mom would hate. Blue hair, piercings, and tattoos everywhere. I thought for sure my taste had changed over the last ten years, but the tightness in my pants tells me I've been very wrong.
I'm even more surprised when my best friends basically brothers file in behind her like the teacher had reprimanded them. Now that they are getting closer, I can tell Hold looks like a UFC fighter knocked him the fuck out.
"What the hell happened? Did y'all go on a job without telling anyone?"
“Little Miss Attitude” is giving me a strange almost ravenous look. Kind of how I looked at my hamburger when the waitress brought it out. "Hold doesn't know how to bite his tongue and figured out pretty quick Baby Girl here has a mean right hook." Cole looks damn happy about the whole situation. Hold looks ready to commit murder. Poor Fletcher caught in between. I know right away I'm going to like this girl.
It's easy to figure out who she is. These guys don't take girls to lunch, or anywhere for that matter. So, this has to be Old Man's daughter. She has her pop’s mean look. Its laser aimed at Hold now. They are just staring at each other like two dogs about to lock up in a fight. Whatever he did must have been pretty bad.
"So, you must be Ayida. How’s it being back home?" She looks a little shocked, but gives me a small smile.
"It was going pretty good till him." She throws her thumb over her shoulder toward Hold.
"Oh, he is always surly this time of the year. It's the heat. Poor guy can't handle the humidity." That pulls a laugh from everyone but said person.
"You must be Clint. I think we'll get along fine. Now Fletch, what were you saying about a beer?" Fletcher smirks while throwing an arm over her shoulders and leads her to the front to order. Cole and Holder take their seats; Holder sitting way back, legs crossed, with his hands folded in his lap, and looking very closed off from any potential conversation.
"So, what the fuck did you do, man? Don't you know better than to piss Old Man's daughter off on the first day?" He looks up from his lap to give me a scathing glare.
"She has been getting on my nerves all day. Well, there were those few minutes in the office where I thought I could like her, but that didn't last long."
All I can do is shake my head. Holder won't ever open up to anyone. Dude seriously thinks having any kind of feelings, or getting serious with a girl, makes him weak- a liability. It has to be from his fucked-up mom and dad. I mean, my family is fucked up too, but in a whole different way. My mom just wants me to settle down with a calm, easily managed girl. Fitting in with the rest of the Family. Dad doesn't care as long as Mom is happy. He really does love her and has set a good example of how to love a woman even when she is bat shit crazy. Mom was one of the many reasons I enlisted in the Navy. Old Man was another. He gave me the push I needed. I got away and became my own man.
Hold’s mom and dad, both of them, are fucked in the head. They couldn't stand each other and didn't do anything to hide it. They cheated every chance they could. His mom stayed gone most of the time, and his dad wasn't much better. Hold was usually at one of our houses growing up; he did the best he could with what he had.
We sit in silence until Fletcher shows back up with Ayida carrying trays of food. After everyone starts digging in, I start my questioning. "So, Ayida, that's an interesting name... What's it means?" She swallows a fried oyster and nods her head.
"I don't know a ton about it, but she is a Loa, a goddess or spirit in Louisiana and Haitian Vodou. The rainbow and snake represent her. She also has a lot to do with fertility in the culture." She takes a breath before finishing like she has to work up the nerve to say what she has to say. "My mom had several miscarriages before me. She didn't think she would ever have kids. She was religious, but desperate. She saw a Vodou lady before she got pregnant with me. The lady gave my mom some stuff to drink and boom I was there nine months later. So, my mom named me after the goddess the lady said gave me to her."
I didn't see that coming. "That's awesome. I just got named after my dad's favorite actor. I bet you can guess who that is." She's giggling now.
"I have a rather good idea. I like Clint, though. It's unique." She resumes her meal, making little slurping sounds as she drinks her beer. From the looks of the other guys, well all of us besides Hold, we all like her sounds.
"How is living back with Old Man? Is he as scary as he seems, or is he a big softy?"
She doesn't even look up from her food to answer. "He is my dad, so of course he isn't scary to me. Now, y’all he would gut before you could blink. He might be old, but he is mean as they come. If he doesn't like you, you might as well move out of Louisiana. He is gonna make your life miserable." I guess I'm one lucky fucker. Old Man likes that I'm ex-Navy like him.
"Good to know. What about you? Are you as mean as you look?" Smirking, she cuts her eyes over to me.
"Oh, I'm much worse than I look." Message received loud and clear. Don't fuck with the rainbow.
"Is everyone done, chit-chatting? Let's get Princess here back home. We have business to discuss." That guy is just burying himself deeper and deeper. She just rolls her eyes and pushes up from the table. I guess Q and A is over then. I didn't even get to the good stuff yet. Damn you, Holder.
Chapter Six: Ayida
"This heat is gonna kill me." I like my air conditioning. Just walking out of Judy's into the humid Louisiana summer heat is pure, fucking torture. I’m sweating like a whore in church. At least I did get my belly full and learned a little about the guys I'm now surrounded by. Three of the four hotties seem like guys I could definitely enjoy spending lots of time with. Hold can kiss my sweet white ass.
I don't know what made him dislike me so much, or presume I am a bitch, but I'm about to handle the situation. I didn't leave the hell hole I was in to get talked down to, and I certainly won’t lower my standards for anyone like Holder.
"If y'all don't mind dropping me off at home, I have some stuff to take care of." I need to do some recon and make sure my ex is staying his ass in Tennessee and the hell away from me. I know Old Man will keep me safe, but I would rather not bring the fight to his front door. If it comes down to it, I'll take care of him before he causes problems. Having access to weapons, and unlimited swamp land to hide bodies, makes me feel a little more empowered.
"You still with us, Blue?" I blink back to reality. Clint, leaning against the SUV, is smiling at me with laughter in his gorgeous stormy blue eyes. He is shorter than Cole, but still around 6'2”. His caramel-colored hair is short and combed to the side. He has an old school style. He looks muscled up, and you can tell he takes pride in staying in shape. His handsome face is covered in a dusting of hair. I want to feel the stubble on my thighs.