MC: Moniz: Book 9 (11 page)

What the fuck? I turn over and see the terror on her face. Her eyes are open but she’s not awake. She’s fighting the air and trying to make noise, but it’s barely sounds coming out. I sit up and lift her. She’s got a fuckin’ mean left. I hold her hands and pull her back against my front. “Just me Marty. No one is here. No one can hurt you. Aubrey is safe, you’re safe.” I keep repeating it and she calms. I kiss her head and loosen my hold on her. Half Pint is watching. Marty didn’t make enough sound to wake her so it had to be me. Again. “I woke you again Half Pint. I’ll work on that.” She smiles but looks at Marty and flashes a big guy holding her down. Fuckin’ flashes. “The same thing that happened to you happened to her. It’s not something you need to keep going back to baby. Push it away and keep focusing on the good. Yeah?”

She nods. “That’s what Jeremy said.”

I smile, “Jeremy talked to you?” I know he hasn’t said more than two words together in front of her.

“In my head he says that and Marty is my mother. He says I can look at her and you’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt again.”

“I will Aubrey. I’ll keep you both safe,” I tell her. She doesn’t believe me, I see it as clear as day on her face. “Did I lie to you?” She shakes her head no. “Why do you think I’m lying now?”

She pushes herself up to sitting. I can see she has pain but the kid won’t say it. “She gets hurt again. I saw her crying.”

“Every fuckin’ day she cries Half Pint. Usually over you.” I smile at her.

She watches me and I wait. “I hurt her?”

Fuck! “You can see what I’m thinking sometimes right?” She nods. “Even though you don’t believe it she loves you more than anyone else in the world. Even me. You were taken away from her and it crushed her. She did what she could to try and keep you safe, even got hurt like you. When she finally got you back you didn’t know her. That hurts her but she keeps trying and keeps doing what she can for you. She keeps showing you love, but you won’t look. She won’t give up. That’s how I know she loves you. She watches out for you all the time and every day. Maybe you should try to see what she thinks so you can see that love from her.”

She lays back down. “She can get hurt. I don’t want to hurt her anymore Geek. She got hurt ‘cause I saw her.”

Fuckin’ pussies! They must have drilled it into her. I watch her close her eyes and think I can try again tomorrow. I lift the bed up and lean back with Marty still asleep in my arms.

I love everything about my job but this moron right here. I work part time and he seems to think it’s okay to spend that time chatting at me. He doesn’t sign so I wrote,
I need to get to work
, and hold the same sign up every damn day. Today I’ve had it. I write a new sign,
Please leave
, and hold that up.

“You don’t really mean that,” he says moving closer. I don’t think so! When he’s close to me I slap the sign on his chest. He laughs. Asshole.

He jumps back and I see him fall. “Maybe you didn’t get the memo Brother. Stay the fuck away!” Geek bends and punches him in the face. He is out! I wonder if a fist pump would be out of line. Then I don’t give a shit and do it anyway. He laughs. I pick up the sign on the floor and stuff it in his shirt. Asshole. “What does it say?”

‘Please Leave.’

He looks at my desk and sees the,
I need to get to work sign
. “He’s been bothering you?” I nod and tell him today he wouldn’t stop. “I’ll be right back. It’s time to go get your shit together.”

Shit. I look at the time and close out my windows. Josh said I can work from home so I pack the folders in my bag. I clear my desk and push my chair in just as moron starts moving. I walk to the other side of the desk and toward the door. “You’re a cock tease you stupid bitch!” I stop in my tracks. Did I not tell him to leave? Did I not tell him I need to work? I never said a damn word to him other than brush offs and I’m a cock tease?

He steps closer and every bit of rage that’s been held in check for three damn years flows right out of me as I’m pounding on his face and chest. He tries to grab my arm and I bite his hand. I am so sick of men thinking they can take from me. I’m not letting him touch me.

“What the fuck?” Geek yells and I freeze with my hand up. I was ready to hit him again. Moron flies into the wall then slides down it. He’s bloody and I’m glad. “What the hell happened?”

‘I was just walking to the door and he called me a cock tease. The only thing I ever wrote is need to work and leave. I can’t even talk. How the hell am I teasing him?’

He laughs. “You did that to him because he called you a cock tease?” He hugs me.

‘He was going to stop me from leaving. I decided I wasn’t stopping. That’s why I hit him.’

Josh laughs from the doorway. Oh shit! I look at him and shrug. It was a nice job while it lasted. “You should have told me he was bothering you. You didn’t need my help, but it would be good to know who to watch out for.”

‘Today was the first day he wouldn’t leave me alone. He usually leaves.’

“The old ladies took you shopping,” he says but I don’t see what the hell that has to do with anything. I look down and see I’m completely covered. He laughs again. “I’m not touching this one Geek. She beat the shit out of him.” He points to moron. I don’t even know the guy’s name.

Geek laughs. “Let’s go, I’ll tell you on the way.” He grabs my hand and I smile. I always feel like we’re really together when he does. I wait for him to get on the bike then slide on behind him. He tells me my new clothes are sexy as fuck. I smile the whole five minutes home. He thinks they’re sexy. He’s been so nice and doing things just for me. It’s been really nice to have that attention from him. Even after Aubrey is in bed he works in the office on the side of me until I’m done. Every night he gets a beer and leads me to the porch. Sometimes we just sit sometimes we talk, well, he talks I sign. It has been great.

When we get in the house he pulls me to the sink. I pull my bag off and put it on the counter wondering what he’s doing. He reaches under the sink and pulls out a first aid kit. I smile thinking he’s a funny guy keeping the first aid kit in the kitchen. He washes my hand and puts band aids on me. I thank him and kiss his cheek. He’s shocked and I wonder if I did the right thing. “I was hoping for more than that,” he says smiling. He’s teasing me. I pull his shirt and kiss his lips. He growls and lifts me with his lips on mine. When I take a breath his tongue is touching mine. He puts me down and holds my face. Kissing my lips he tells me, “Half Pint is home,” then walks away. To say I’m a little dazed is an understatement. Shit. I take a breath then drink some water.

When I walk into the living room Brenda and Lilly are pitching a tent. Since I’ve been here strange things happen all the time. I have to say this is one of the strangest. Geek laughs. “They planned a slumber party.”

‘In a tent?’

“Everything about my life lately has been right out of a different realm in the universe. I don’t even question it anymore,” he says and I see he’s completely serious. I laugh. He just watches me with a smile. “The Officers are at the Club tonight. Go get changed and we’ll go for a ride, eat, then up to the Club. Amanda was asking if you’d be there.”

Brenda comes out of the tent. “First time at the Club. I’ll help you dress.” I sign that they got me ‘Club’ clothes. She nods pulling me up the stairs. I guess she’s helping me dress. Maybe this is what they do.

I’m sitting because I’m hard as a rock. She’s getting dressed for the Club, shit, it’s going to be worse than the work clothes the old ladies got for her. Fuck. “Daddy, Lilly got
Frozen
for me look!” Daddy? I lift her before she falls wondering where the hell daddy came from. “You’re my dad and everyone calls their dad Daddy right?” I can’t talk so I nod. Fuckin’ kids. “Lilly got me
Frozen
so I can watch it all the time.” Great. I kiss her head. Daddy.

“That’s not something you see every day,” Lilly says with a smile as she wipes her eyes.

“Yeah.” I squeeze Half Pint and put her down. “You need me to do anything for you before we leave?”

“No. Sam’s sending a special sister dinner and we know how to take care of her brace for bed.”

She’s got a plastic mold for bed and it’s easy to put on so I’m not worried. We haven’t left her before and we’re minutes away if she needs us, but I’m uneasy about leaving her. “My sisters take good care of me,” she says turning away from the DVD player.

“Get the fuck out of my head,” I tell her smiling. She laughs at me and I walk away. The kid has me wrapped. She’s a good kid and I’m willing to give her whatever the fuck she wants–which isn’t much. She doesn’t watch regular TV. CJ says it made Jeremy crazy wanting to help everyone he saw. We only play movies for her so she doesn’t see the commercials for anything. Pres said none of the kids watch regular TV so she’s not missing anything that her friends are getting.

I change my shirt thinking about the kiss in the kitchen. I had to get away from her before I went too far. Patches’ list is pretty explicit and maps everything out as if I was a kid. Since this isn’t my normal I guess I need it, but fuck, it isn’t going to be easy.

I button my shirt and slide my cut back on walking back to the living room. Jesus. She’s in skin tight jeans and a button down shirt that shows her tiny waist and full fuckin’ rack. I groan and they all look at me with smiles. I look down and she’s even got the boots. “You fuckin’ women are killing me here.”

Half Pint starts running and falls forward again. “Daddy, Sam made us sister food.”

I catch her and lift her up. Once I get past the ‘Daddy’ I kiss her head. “You need to stop running before you fall and I’m not here to catch you.”

She has tears in her eyes. Shit! “You’ll always catch me. Right?”

“When I’m here I’ll catch you, if I’m at work I can’t catch you if you’re running in the house.”

She nods. “I don’t run when you’re not here. No one else knows to catch me.”

She cracks me up. “Half Pint I have nothing to say to that. It makes perfect sense to me.” I kiss her cheek and she puts her hands on my cheeks. I look in her eyes and my breath catches. “You’ve always been mine haven’t you?”

She giggles and kisses my lips. “Yes Daddy.” I close my eyes and hug her. She’s mine. She wiggles to get down and I let her.

When I straighten up the women are all looking the other way. Thank fuck. I wipe my hands down my face and walk toward the door. “We need to leave before Tiny shows with a box of tampons.” They laugh still wiping their eyes. Marty takes my hand, but looks back at Aubrey. She surprises all of us waving to her mother. She’s not looking at her, but she waves. I pull Marty out to the garage and just hold her. “Fuckin’ kid.” I feel her shaking and look down. She’s laughing. I kiss her head and get on the bike before I drag her back in.

I’m watching her with the old ladies and smile. She’s laughing at something Tess said. “She fits right in Brother,” Patches says on the side of me.

“Yeah.” I look back at the table and everyone is talking.

“Need to get with the kids. They have some plans for the Club in Rhode Island,” VP says.

“We have the feeds going up,” I tell him.

Pres and Danny look over. “Little Ben says they’re going right through the town and no one has said a word,” Pres says.

I laugh. “Yeah. They’re going up and down the roads like they own them and haven’t heard fuck from anyone.”

He nods. “Do we have any problems from Jessie’s cut?”

Rich laughs. “The Brothers are afraid he’ll shoot them. They’re not saying a word Pres.” Danny laughs and Pres gives him a look.

“They pick a name yet?” Tiny asks. We all look at each other. “Guess not.”

Cloud sits on the side of me. “How’s Aubrey doing?”

I think about her calling me daddy. “Good. She’s running in the house.”

“Fuck isn’t she supposed to be taking it easy?” Pres asks.

Cloud laughs. “Jeremy sees her every day. I swear we need to start looking at a full time assistant for him. Between going to the Baxters for Rayne, Kevin and Carolina and seeing Aubrey he’s wearing us out.” Everyone laughs. “Mitch told me she made the robotic for Aubrey to handle her being five. I guess that’s what she meant. If she can run she’s going to without it hurting her foot.”

“She’s still falling, but I catch her when she does,” I say smiling. Fuckin’ Half Pint.

Pres looks at me like I’m off. “You’re not with her all the time anymore.”

I laugh. “She says she don’t run when I’m not there because no one else knows to catch her.”

The table erupts in laughter. “Fuckin’ kids,” VP says making us laugh more.

“How is she doing in the Center?” Danny asks.

“Good since Brenda is there she’s fine. She’s taken to them like they’ve known each other for years.”

Pres nods. “That’s good Brother. It’s brought them back where they need to be. Is she still avoiding Marty?”

I think about that. “She isn’t as bad. She looks at her then looks away. Tonight she waved bye to her but wouldn’t look at her.”

“Kate says Marty is handling it better than she expected. She’s giving her time. These women amaze the hell out of me. What did the doctor say about her throat or voice?” It’s her larynx but I don’t correct him.

I look over at her. She’s laughing again. She doesn’t make much sound so no one would hear it but she looks happy and doesn’t seem to care if they hear her or not. I look back at him. “There’s nothing they can do. Mitch says it was a primitive procedure they did and it caused more damage than they had hoped.” I get a lump in my throat and I’m fuckin’ glad no one says anything more.

Rich starts talking about shit coming down from the Baxters. I’m only halfway paying attention when a Club chick comes up to me. What the fuck? Everyone knows to stay away from the Officers table.

“I need to talk to you,” she says with an attitude.

Rich stands up. “Yeah I think we do.” He pulls his phone and she follows him as he’s talking to someone. I shrug and follow her.

When we get to the side hall by the meeting room he stops. She turns to me without the attitude. “I’m pregnant.”

I laugh at her. “Okay. How does this concern me?”

She jumps right back to bitch. “You fucked me at the party a couple of months ago.”

I’m smiling at her. “Yep, covered. Was the guy you fucked after me covered?”

She starts yelling about not fuckin’ anyone else. Rich shuts her up. “I have the video. Geek is covered and you fucked three other guys, two weren’t.” He hands her his phone. “Can’t bag an Officer that easy. They’re recorded from the minute they walk in the building.” She makes to throw his phone. “Do it and you’re not only out for pulling this shit but I’ll have you missing in a fuckin’ heartbeat.” Her face turns white and she hands him the phone. “Get the fuck out and don’t even think of coming back. You fuck anything with a dick and try to throw your drama around you have no business here.” She starts crying and I’m out. I am not dealing with the bitch’s tears. I have my own girls to worry about.

When I turn around I see one of them and her fuckin’ tears. Tess is holding her hand and not letting her leave. I walk right up to her. I am not letting this fuck with me. “It isn’t true and you were not part of my life when this party happened. I have not been with anyone since you’ve been part of my life.” She looks at me for a full minute then looks at Tess.

“It’s true Marty,” Tess tells her.

I’m pissed. “I don’t need anyone verifying what I say. I won’t lie to you. If I’m someone you don’t trust then you shouldn’t be with me.” I start walking by them. Fuck this.

“You’re not being fair Brother. She can’t talk and you’re not giving her a chance to say anything to stop you,” Rich says from behind me.

I stop. “Fuck I’m a dick,” I say to myself. I take a breath and turn. She’s just watching me. ‘I’m a dick. I wouldn’t lie and I’m pissed you’d just believe it. You don’t know me enough to know that.’

‘I do. I was seeing her as something that comes between us, but not for what you are thinking. You had a life before me I am not an idiot. A baby with someone else would not be easy, but it’s not impossible. Because she’s a bitch she would make it miserable. That’s why I was upset. I looked at Tess because I have never felt like this and need help getting through the shit in my head. She tends to make that easy for me.’ She stops and waits for me to answer.

She wasn’t doubting me, but worrying over the attitude the chick was throwing. ‘Okay so that just leaves I’m a dick.’ I sign walking back to her. Rich laughs and pulls Tess away.

‘I’m okay with that.’ She smiles.

Since I’m this close and bouncing like a ping pong ball, I bend and kiss her. She opens right away and I’m fuckin’ lost. Shit.

When I find myself, and before I fuck her against the wall, I walk her to the ladies room and wait trying to calm my fuckin’ heart and hard-on. Jesus, first the kid now her. Tiny comes up with Nancy. He waits with me and I realize she’s been in there for a while. Nancy comes to the door. “Geek, Tiny.” We walk in and see the Club chick against the wall. I want to laugh but think I might get more shit for it so I lift Marty and turn her away from the bitch.

The bitch starts yelling and Nancy spins around and has her back against the wall in a heartbeat. “Missing is a terrible place to be.” She says so calm I’m clenching my jaw tight. Tiny turns around smiling. “When I came in she was talking about the scar. Marty put her against the wall and I asked her not to kill her until I got you.” Fuckin’ Nancy is determined to cause me shit tonight. I nod and look at Marty trying to keep my expression blank.

‘Talk for me.’ She’s pissed so I nod. ‘The scar is from a man that was raping me. He choked me so hard it ruptured my larynx. A guy came in and did a laryngectomy to keep me from choking on my own blood. They took it out with a steak knife and butterfly stitched the skin back together. I am not the woman you throw your shit on. Two things you should know. One, I am a survivor and I have survived way worse than your high school drama. Two, I don’t give a shit what you think about my scar, life or boyfriend. Get the hell over yourself and grow up. People have real problems and you are
not
one of mine.’

Tiny laughs hugging Marty. Nancy lets the bitch go. “Get the fuck out of the Club before I find Shelly to sell your ass to the Club out west,” Tiny tells her.

I pull Marty away from Tiny as the bitch leaves. “Really a steak knife?”

She laughs. ‘I was sleeping. I don’t know. Mitch’s doctor said that, but it might have been a joke.’ Nancy cracks up. ‘Tell me you don’t sell women to Clubs out west.’

I laugh. “The Club hasn’t dealt in flesh since Ben became President. He got it clean, now we build women and kids up, not sell them.”

‘I was hoping you’d say that,’ she signs and pulls me out the door. All I can do is laugh.

We dance then sit with CJ and Cloud. He’s watching Rayne. “The robotic really walks for him?” I ask thinking of Half Pints robotic brace.

“She’s unbelievable. She makes these things to help her friends and it changes the world. She’s got him walking when his vertebrae were crushed. Thank God it didn’t sever his spinal cord.”

“He’s dancing not just walking.” I laugh because he dances better than some of the Brothers here.

He smiles looking over at me. “Yeah. He can dance too, he won’t be down long. I think it will be less than six months and he’ll be walking without the robotics.”

Danny throws money. “I’ll take that bet at two months.” Tiny and VP throw money so I do too putting one finger up. I have no idea what the bet is but it keeps them off my back.

“Got the Club chick straight?” Danny asks. His look is intense. Shit.

“Yeah, she fucked four guys two uncovered. I wasn’t one of them. Thanks Rich for the feeds.” He nods.

Tiny laughs telling them about the bathroom. “Marty didn’t take any shit from her either. Had her against the wall for throwing drama on her. When Geek pulled her off she had him translate. She’s fuckin’ funny and won’t back down. Told the bitch people have real problems and she wasn’t one of hers.” They all laugh.

“Fuckin’ Nancy told her missing was a bad place to be.” We all laugh again drawing attention. I pull my little slugger up and tell them I’m out.

Rich stops me. “Josh called me. Had me watch the feed from Marty’s office.” Marty hides her face on my chest. I just smile. I’m not saying a word. “He’s gone as of when he woke up.” I nod and turn us to go. I know they bet on whether I would say it.

“Fuckin’ Brother lost me two hundred!” Danny says. I laugh walking out.