Keep It Sexy (KIS Series Book 3) (9 page)

I managed to get the door open without sounding off the alarm. My hands became sweaty, causing me to accidentally drop the putty knife I was using to wedge the window open. The metal seemed to echo loudly in the yard. I watched as the knife rolled down the driveway a few feet before stopping. I stilled, waiting for someone to come outside, but it stayed silent. Only the fading noises of cars driving blocks away from us. I heard the dragging of Roman’s feet against the concrete as he shuffled toward me.

“We gotta go!” he yelled.

I stood with the knife in my hands. Roman scrambled inside the car, started it, and took off. I tried to run after him, but he sped faster, losing control. I watched, horrified, as he swerved right to left before crashing into a metal pole. I stopped for a brief second before taking off again in his direction. The car looked like a tin can crushed against metal. The hood was arched as steam spewed upward. I jerked the door open, looking frantically at my brother to make sure he was still alive.

“Rome? Roman?” I cried. His bloody hand curled over mine.

“Take this,” he said, hardly breathing. I heard the faint sirens of police cars.

“No, man, come on. I’m getting you out.” I pulled on his body, but stopped after he cried out.

“No! Chris…you have to take this…and get the fuck out of here.” Roman produced a plastic baggie filled with white powder. Son of a bitch. My teeth gritted as I glared up at my brother. He looked down again. “Go.”

We heard the sirens growing louder. I shook my head, gripping the baggie, and took off in the direction of my truck. Inside, I was furious. How dare he put our mother in danger, all for the name of greed? He was willing to risk our freedom because he figured we’d sell the Escalade to Ratchet, pay off his debt to Marquis, then pocket the money from the coke he’d stolen. He probably wanted to start his own coke business. He was playing me all along.

In a rage, I punched the steering wheel until it cracked and my knuckles split open. I drove in a daze to Marquis’s empty crack house where he ran his business. One of the two guard men who stood outside the front door nodded in greeting before letting me in.

Marquis sat at a table playing a card game with three other guys. Surveying a front window was another man with an AK in his hands, and another right next to the door.

“What’s up, man?” Marquis asked, taking a puff from his roach. I took the baggie out of my pocket and set it on the table. Everyone looked at me, confused.

“I’m making good on Roman’s debt,” I explained. Marquis grunted while taking another drag.

“So I see.” He leaned back on his chair. “But your brother not only stole from me, he kept a lot of my customers waiting for my product.”

“Right, and he got an ass kicking for it. Now you have your product back. All is good.” I turned to leave, but stopped when one of the men stepped in front of me, brandishing a rifle.

“Come on, Christian, we both know it doesn’t work like that.”

I turned back around to look at him. His eyes were lifeless and his smile was everything nightmares were made of. I pulled off my hoodie, setting it on the floor along with my keys and cell phone.

“All right, man, you do what you gotta do. But I’m not going down without a fight.”

Chapter Twelve

Billie

Christian walked me to my bike when we closed, and after an awkward wave goodbye he jumped inside his SUV while I geared up. I saluted him when I pulled out of the parking lot, turning left as he turned right. I made it to Harden in ten minutes flat. The streets were dark, but I knew my way around like it was a map carved in my brain. It was two-thirty in the morning and I was running on fumes. I was exhausted, but I also knew Don wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.

I parked the bike outside the small bricked home, not bothering to take off my gear, only my helmet. The wooden door was open and only the screen door closed. From the outside I could see through the house as my dad, brothers, and Connor laughed and played cards around the small plastic circular table. I let myself in, setting my things right outside the door. Don was the first to turn to see me. He stood suddenly, holding my stare and smiled like he had found his way home. My heart instantly squeezed with sensations I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was like I was little again and he was my daddy, not a criminal mastermind.

“My wee girl.” His voice was always rough and it vibrated through my chest. He stepped to me like he was going to hug me, something we hadn’t done since I was that little girl, but he thought against it and dropped his arms. We stood there for a few awkward seconds before LCD entered the small living room.

“You actually came.” Lincoln spoke first.

“I told you I would.” We all shifted uncomfortably for a few silent moments.

“Are you hungry?” Don asked.

“No, thank you. I had dinner at work.”

Donnie scoffed, shifting his hands over his crooked smile. “Yeah, I bet her belly’s full, thanks to that wetback.” I felt my skin begin to prickle with anger. I was used to his crude comments but his racial slurs were something new.

“What the fuck is your problem? Since when do you use those words?”

Donnie dropped his hands and glared at me. “Since they started taking over Harden.”

“Please, Donnie, we’re two feet away from Denver. It’s one of the most diverse cities in Colorado.”

“Yeah, you
would
know.”

Yeah, great comeback. I grunted, directing my attention back to Don. Donnie wasn’t worth my energy.

“I came, Da. What did you need to talk about?”

Don stretched his hand, silently asking me to sit down. When my back was to them, I heard a smack behind me. Don had backhanded Donnie. Once they were all sitting, they picked up where they’d left off, and I sat watching them for a while. They would never ask me to play because I could kick their asses with my eyes closed.

“You took all of that boy’s money?” Don asked, referring to Joey.

“Yup. He owed me.”

He placed his cards on the table. “I just wanted to see you, Billie. I missed you.
We
missed you.” I didn’t miss Donnie trying to hide his grunt, clearly disagreeing with our father.

“Really? Was that what the visit to Jade’s house and my job was about? Because you missed me?”

Don looked confused, then glared at the guys. “What did you three do?”

“Nothing, boss, we just wanted to visit Billie,” Connor answered. “It was a friendly visit.”

“It doesn’t happen again, understand?” He pointed directly at Lincoln. Linc lifted his hands in defeat.

“Yes, sir.” Something felt off. I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t feel like Don had control over his crew anymore, and it made me wonder which one was trying to replace him. Which of the three wanted to overthrow the king? I left shortly after that, crashing on my bed with a strange feeling settling in my stomach.

The sky was murky and thick with moisture. I felt the heaviness all around me as the lightning struck the heavens, illuminating the rain filled clouds. They stirred rapidly above me, the wind jerking them back and forth. I was mesmerized by their movement. It felt…unnatural.

Lightning struck again, followed by the loud rumbling noise of thunder. This time the light remained and I was finally able to see my surroundings. I stood in the middle of a dirt road with endless green pastures on each side and a great willow tree to my left. It was bare with its dried up leaves circling it like a halo. I shivered at the sight, suddenly cold. I looked down at my tattered jeans and scraps of a shirt that barely hung over my shoulders.

There was a small blast behind me with the smell of burning rubber. I turned my head, looking over my shoulder to find my Frog on its side in flames as the back tire still spun. A small part of me wanted to turn around, but I was pulled forward, something yanking on my wrists. Glancing down, I saw and felt metal shackles biting at my skin. The chain attached to my cuffs ran miles away from me.

Squinting my eyes, I watched as four silhouettes formed at the end of the desolate road. I knew instantly it was my brothers, along with Don and Connor. Connor’s shadow leaned down to whisper something to my dad. Abruptly I was pulled forward with added force. I wasn’t resisting, but at the same time I was taking my time to get there. I had the urge to fall down on my knees and pray for something to break me from my restraints, but I didn’t.

Connor placed his hand on my dad’s shoulder. Instantly I was pulled harder, thrusted forward so roughly I almost fell. The sky above me began to crackle louder, almost like it was angry. I began to hear whispering behind me, but when I tried to turn, my cuffs tightened. I tried to focus on the words but the thunder got louder and louder. Once again, I felt a tug, but not from the chains. It was from deep inside. I yanked on my restraints and turned. But when I did I was immersed in pitch-black smoke.

I could feel myself waking up. I fought to stay asleep to hear what was being whispered. And right before I woke, I heard it.

Judas.

***

I woke gasping for air and covered in cold sweat, hazily remembering my dream. My heart felt like it was pumping ice and hot blood through my body. I had an uneasy feeling, like my skin was crawling with ants. I’d had this feeling since coming home from my dad’s house. He hadn’t asked me to do a job with him—
big
surprise there. I was surprised Don didn’t know about the boys harassing me at Jade’s, and at work, but he assured me that wouldn’t happen anymore. The whole thing felt off, like something big was going on, but nobody wanted to tell me, or at least it felt like Don was holding onto something big. I left feeling more anxious than ever.

Jumping off the bed, I started doing pushups, hoping it would release this tense energy that was radiating from my stomach. After a while, I stood with shaky legs and burning arm muscles, more wired than ever. I was drenched in sweat; my baggy green
Kiss Me I’m Irish
shirt clung to my back and around my chest. I had to figure out a way to simmer the fuck down. Jade loved drinking tea, so I knew she had some sort of sleepy tea I could drink. Quietly, I shuffled upstairs, careful not to wake Pete and Jade. Setting the full kettle on the stove, I slumped on the chair, waiting for it to whistle. I stared blankly into the air as Jade came into the small kitchen.

“Billie?” she whispered as she sat down across from me. “Billie, baby, what are you doing?” There was concern in her voice. My stare was trained into nothing but I couldn’t blink to look her way.

“I’m waiting for the water to be ready.” I wasn’t sure why I sounded so detached. Billie took in a sharp breath before I felt the warmth of her hands wrapping around mine.

“You’re working for Don again, aren’t you?” That seemed to snap me out. I turned to look at her worried face.

“What are you talking about?”

“You have the same look you used to get when you were going to do a job.”

My eyebrows furrowed before I blinked the expression I didn’t know I had away. “No, Jade, I’m not working for Don. I’m done with all that, remember?” I felt a little insulted. But at the same time I didn’t blame her.

“Then what’s going on?” Before I could answer, the kettle began to steam and spout, making us both jump.

Jade dropped my hand and rushed over to the stove. She assumed I needed something to help me sleep because I wasn’t a fan of hot beverages, and I watched as she unwrapped a chamomile tea bag from the tea drawer. She stood with her back to me until the bag had steeped for the desired time, which was about five minutes. The longest five minutes of my life. I suddenly had the feeling I was in for a heart to heart. I studied my chipped fingernails as I heard her toss the used tea bags into the trash. I didn’t look up until the hot mug pushed against my hand.

“I had a bad dream,” I said as I blew the steam off the mug. “I can’t really remember it, but I woke up feeling like I was being pulled in two.”

Jade frowned, and I continued, “The thing is, it wasn’t the first time I’ve had a dream like that, but tonight at work LCD showed up. And when they stood, the barstools fell…and I…you know I’m not superstitious, but it feels like all this ties in together.”

Jade gently pushed her mug aside and held my hand. “Bil, that’s just an old Irish wives’ tale. It’s all just coincidence,
not
an omen.” She squeezed my hand before getting up and heading toward the half bathroom next to the stairs. She dug through the medicine cabinet before coming out with a small pill bottle. “Here,” she said, with a little white pill in her hand. “It’ll help you sleep.” I eyed her curiously. Jade wasn’t the type to take pills. She sat down, taking the mug back into her hands. “Sometimes when I hear the engine of a motorcycle being revved up, I can’t sleep. So I take those pills.” Jade watched her tea, embarrassed. I knew what she meant, and I knew it wasn’t the sound of my Frog that bothered her. It was the sound of a Harley that kept her up. My heart constricted for her. I hated that she still feared him, even though he was buried miles and miles away from here.

“Does Pete know?”

Jade sniffled. “No. I saw what it did to my dad when he walked in on it. I’m not going to destroy another man I love by giving him that sort of knowledge.”

“Sweetheart, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t destroy your father, that…
animal
did.”

“Then why did he leave? Huh, Billie, why did he leave…me?” Jade choked on her sob as she tried to contain it. Pushing my chair back, I got on bended knee in front of her, grabbing her face with my hands.

“Because he blames himself, Jade. If it weren’t for his lifestyle, if he wasn’t the president of a biker gang, then that danger would have never been at your doorstep. He left to protect you. It was the hardest thing he’s ever done, but he did it out of love. And he’s so proud of you for not falling into the same path. Instead, you married a man who thinks you walk on water. Did you know that, Jade? He loves Pete. He knows you chose the right man for you.” Her tears ran down her cheeks and onto my hands.

“He said that?”

“Yeah, hon, he did. And I’m sure one day he’ll grow some balls and tell you himself.”

Jade chuckled as she wrapped her fingers over my hands. She pulled them down, got on her knees, and hugged me. “Are we okay, Bil?” she asked, and I knew what she meant. Ever since I had seen the Facebook pictures, I’d grown a little distant toward her, but now all that seemed trivial. We weren’t just friends, we were sisters, and no matter how many friends she had or how much our lives changed, we would always be family.

“Yeah. We’re perfect,” I said against her hair, squeezing her tighter.

We spent hours after that lying on the cold kitchen floor side by side as we remembered our childhood. And the times we would get busted for stealing candy from the vending machine at school or gambling on Jade’s softball games. We would get out of it by taunting the teacher into letting us go if I beat them at a game of poker. Of course, I would always win. That worked until the teachers picked up on it and started suspending me. Usually, I’d only be out for a day until the school got a phone call from Don and I’d be let back in. After a while, the teachers would turn a blind eye on the shenanigans Jade and I got into. It was almost always the new teachers who tried to suspend me, but they always learned fast that it was a bad idea.