“Not much. I been callin’ who I can while you were out, but it isn’t lookin’ good, Gauge. I’ll kill that bitch for gettin’ Dez in this shit,” he says and I can see the truth in his eyes.
“Kinda hard when she’s locked up. Let’s just get over and see what’s what. Maybe the charges on Dez are different than her mom.” I sure as hell hope so for everyone’s sake.
“She’s comin’ home with us once I get her,” Sly tells me.
“Does she know that?” He shakes his head, a smirk on his face.
“Hell no, so you better be ready for a fight. I’m takin’ my bike, need to clear my head before we get there, but I can promise you she will give you shit in that truck.”
“That’s why you need me to go? So I can control your goddamn kid?” I snap.
“Yeah it is. Cause if I get her in that cage alone, I might snap her pretty little neck. I told you, her and I aren’t on the best of terms.” Fuck. I always get the ass end of these deals.
“You owe me, brother,” I tell him, pointing my finger in his chest. Sly rumbles out a laugh before nodding his head.
“If you can keep her ass under control that is,” he adds with a chuckle.
“She a big girl?”
“No. Ain’t but five foot four. You are damn near six feet, you can handle her.” I nod my head and laugh.
“Don’t mean she ain’t feisty. Look who her dad is,” I say with a chuckle. Sly’s face turns serious for a second, a lost dark look crossing his features.
“She used to be. I don’t know what we’re walkin’ into now, Gauge. I honestly don’t. Shelby’s had her claws in her for years now.”
“Let’s just get there and find out,” I say slapping my hand on his shoulder. He nods his head and climbs on his bike as I climb in the truck. I hate driving this shit. It’s too damn stuffy and I feel like I’m suffocating in normal life bullshit. I hate that this is affecting Sly though so anything I can do to help, I sure as hell will. I yawn and shake my head trying to clear the fog of another sleepless night as I start the engine. Rolling all the windows down, I turn the radio up and follow Sly out of the parking lot.
Four
Dezzy
My knee bounces up and down as I sit at the little desk picking the skin around my nails as they fill out paperwork. My dad is here but I haven’t seen him yet. I can only imagine what he must be thinking right now.
“There are stipulations in your paperwork,” the man tells me. I jerk my eyes to his and wait for him to say what the hell that means.
“What is that?” I ask when he doesn’t answer.
“The main one is you will be staying with your father until your mother goes to court.”
“What? Why? I’m an adult!” I scream pulling, attention from the other officers around us. I don’t give a shit. I shouldn’t be forced to go with him!
“It’s in the paperwork. You either follow the rules or you can remain here. I don’t care either way. You were being evicted from your apartment anyway.”
I already knew that. I sigh and sit back in the chair until he passes me a pen to sign off on everything. Once we’re finished, he stands and ushers me toward the steel door. When I step through, I don’t know what to say. My dad stands there in his leather cut, looking as menacing as the last time I saw him. That’s was almost five years ago. For a man who’s nearing fifty, you wouldn’t know it; he doesn’t look his age. He could easily pass for a man in his thirties, if that. His eyes come to meet mine but I can’t place the look in them.
“You okay? They didn’t fuck with you in there?” he asks, his gruff tone taking me back to when I was little. The way he’s looking at me, like I’m the best little girl in the world. A tear slips down my cheek as I shake my head. He doesn’t move quickly, in fact he’s a little hesitant but he reaches for me and pulls me into his arms. My head falls to his chest inhaling the scent of leather and my dad. I don’t know what I’m crying about or why but I do. I cry into his chest like a child.
“Everything’s gonna be fine. I’m fixin’ it, darlin’,” he whispers into my hair. I nod my head but keep myself steady in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him although I don’t really know what I’m apologizing for. I didn’t do anything wrong. My mom did. Shane did.
“Let’s go get your things from the apartment and head home. It’s been a long day for you I’m sure.” I nod and pull away from him. His hands come up and wipes my cheeks before tugging my hand and leading me outside. I have to say that I’m a little disappointed when I see the truck sitting there and not his bike.
“No bike?” I ask looking up at him. He chuckles and tugs me closer to the truck when I see the driver’s side door open on the other side.
“I’m on my bike. Figured you’d need the truck for your things.” I nod my head and shrug.
“Don’t really have much. Maybe a bag or two,” I admit, feeling like a fool. What twenty-five-year old has nothing? Me, that’s who. I watch the man walk around the truck looking a little pissed about being here. Join the club, buddy.
“I don’t think going with you is a good idea, Dad. I have a place here and I really don’t thin-”
His hand comes up to stop me and I stop quickly. The man has authority and I know it from when I was young, but that won’t stop me now.
“You are goin’ with me.”
“No, I’m staying here. I appreciate you coming to help me out but I’m not a little girl anymore,” I snap. The man who walked up is staring at me with big blue eyes that could melt any woman. He’s pretty good looking but he’s also wearing a cut. Which means I want nothing to do with him either.
“You ain’t a little girl yet you’re callin’ daddy to come get you from jail?” my dad snaps back at me.
“You know what? I don’t need this shit! Go back to your club whores! Mom and I will be fine,” I sneer and turn on my heel ready to walk away when a strong arm wraps around my waist. I’m dragged back, slamming into a hard body before I can think.
“Get off me!” I scream, catching more attention than I need to be.
“Calm the fuck down and don’t act stupid,” the man hisses in my ear. I let my body slowly calm before he lets me go. I turn to look at him, giving him the death glare, but he just chuckles.
“You are goin’ and Gauge here is gonna drive you. Don’t give him any shit. I had to pull a lot of fuckin’ strings to get you outta there, Dezzy.” The way he talks to me, uses my whole name, it’s like when I was little and would get in trouble for something. Like sneaking Old Barnie’s cigarettes when he was asleep.
“Fine. Drag me back to your hell if that’s what you want to do.” I shift away from the both of them and climb in the truck, slamming the door for good measure. I’m stressed, I’m still pissed, and I don’t want to move, but what choice do I have? I signed the stupid papers saying I would go with him. I glance out the window to see Dad and that guy Gauge talking and nodding right before my dad looks over at me and gives me a soft smile. I ignore it, not returning one. I still hate him to a point after all the shit he put me and mom through when we lived with him. Gauge comes around and gets in not saying a word. He fires the truck up and takes off.