Baby’s insides quaked. She thought he might use this time to bolt. Scared of the awkward aftermath, she didn’t know if she would object.
His voice bellowed out from the bathroom. “Don’t get any smartass ideas. I’m not leaving you here alone.”
Her stomach somersaulted. It was almost like old times. Almost, with the exception of the psycho douchebag on the loose.
***
“Hey, sleepy head.”
Baby Jade stirred. The strong aroma of black coffee teased her nose. She used the balls of her palms to rub her eyes and attempted to prop herself up in the bed.
“Shit!”
“What? Are you ok,” Lucky asked, quickly placing the coffee on the side table and rushing to her side.
She gave a sly grin. “Yes, I’m fine.” She pushed herself up further and winced in pain. “My body took a beating. It’s not like I’m complaining or anything, just a bit sore.”
“All that says to me is that you’re not getting enough of a workout.”
Baby giggled and piled her hair on top of her head, using a clip from the table to hold it in place. There was no point in trying anything else; concluding that she probably looked like she’d been on a bad bender.
“You putting in your resume to be my personal trainer?” She batted her eyelashes playfully.
“Resume hell. I’m appointing myself as your fucking trainer, coach, bodyguard, damn near your everything.”
His words were like a fan sucking the air from the room. He must have noticed the pained expression on her face.
“Hey, come on. Don’t be like that. The only thing I’ve ever wanted was to be your everything. You have to know that by now.”
Baby scanned the room for something to throw on. “I can’t do this right now.” She swaddled herself with a sheet, bunching it up in her hands as she searched for clothes.
Lucky gently seized her wrist and drew her to him. “Don’t do this, Baby.” He tugged on the sheet, but she held it firmly in place. “Why are you pulling away from me? I can feel it.”
Brushing off the question, she shook her head, sending loose, black waves cascading down her silky shoulders.
“Don’t you know that I love you?” Lucky asked in a whisper, resting his forehead against her chest.
Baby’s heart leapt into her throat. Tears welled as she cradled his head to her breasts. She didn’t trust herself to speak. She had no words. She had no answers. No expectations.
Lucky planted kisses along the sheet that she was strategically using as a shield.
“Why won’t you just let me love you?” He peered up at Baby Jade. His brow bunched, creating stress lines around his confused, chocolate eyes.
It destroyed her to see the pain she had caused him.
Lucky wrenched the sheet from her hands. She had been gripping it so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Her arms trembled as the sheer fabric fell open. She tossed her head backward with tears spilling from her eyes, wetting the soft tendrils of hair surrounding her face.
The sheet fell to the floor, and Baby’s body snapped straight. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to bolt from the room. Lucky’s fingertips lightly brushed the dip between her full cleavage, trailing down her bronze skin towards her belly.
Her insides knotted, and the little voice in her pleaded with her. Run. But she couldn’t bring herself to move, as if her feet were cemented in place. The situation combined with the strong smell of coffee and the sweltering heat of the early morning left her queasy.
The warmth of his mouth before his warm lips grazed her flesh, caused goosebumps to break out across her delicate skin. Lucky trailed soft, gentle kisses along her lower abdomen, his mouth touching her thick, jagged scar. Weak in the knees, stumbling, she wrapped her arms around Lucky’s neck. He cradled her in his lap. She buried her face in his neck, finding comfort in the depth of his heavy beard.
He caressed the sensitive, puckered skin, never saying a word. Baby wept as the tears slid down Lucky’s back, wetting the ink like rain on a stained glass window.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Lucky
Lucky’s heart shattered as he caressed Baby Jade’s scarred stomach. The vice this woman had on him was impossible to fight. He had finally figured out why she was acting so strange, wanting the lights off. Not wanting to undress in front of him.
The scar.
He wanted to kick his own ass for not thinking about the constant reminder that Baby Jade was cursed to carry around for the rest of her life. She deserved so much better, so much more. She deserved someone else.
It was obvious she wasn’t ready to talk about it. He didn’t know if she would ever be ready. She may never be able to share that part of her heartbreak with him. Not that he needed details. He just needed her to open up. To share her pain. To lean on him. He needed to take care of her.
They silently held one another for close to an hour before Baby finally spoke.
“What do we do now?”
“Well, as perfect as this is, and trust me when I say that I don’t ever want to move, but we need to make sure everyone’s safe. Like it or not, that includes you.” Lucky brushed the hair back from her face, still damp from the fresh tears, and kissed her forehead.
Baby pushed herself up from the bed, snatching Lucky’s t-shirt up from the floor and sliding it over her head. The clip holding her hair in place slipped, allowing hair to fall across her face.
Lucky’s heart skipped a beat as he gazed at her standing before him in nothing but his ratty old shirt. Stunning.
“What are you looking at?” She asked with a sly grin tugging on the corners of her delectable lips.
His fucking undoing.
“You.”
“Oh, please.” She giggled and tossed a pillow at him.
At that moment, Lucky realized he would spend the rest of his life doing everything in his power to make Baby Jade smile. Everything was right in this fucked up world when she smiled, if only for a few measly seconds. It gave him the fuel he needed to keep going, to push through the endless pile of bullshit known as his life.
She was his drug, and he was a thousand percent hooked.
“Ugh, I need to check on my mom today.” Baby rummaged through her tiny closet, tossing clothes over her shoulder and onto the bed.
“Same here. We have some decisions to make. Not to mention finding out what’s going on with all this Carrie bullshit. How ‘bout after a shower?” Lucky tiptoed up behind Baby and snaked an arm around her tiny waist.
The way she nibbled on her lip was all the answer that he needed before swooping her up into his arms and headed down the dark hallway.
***
“You’re looking better, Mother. They must be minding their p’s and q’s around here.” Lucky found way too much pleasure in needling Tilly Gauthier. She made it easy.
“Oh, these dimwits have no idea what they’re talking about. You need to take me home, today.”
He leaned in and gave her expectant cheek a quick peck. “Sorry, not happening. Doctor’s orders. Gotta get that blood pressure regulated before you can leave.”
“Told you so,” Joyce snickered from the reclining chair in the corner.
Tilly gave a loud humph before turning her attention to her son. “Have you found out anything new?” She asked as she propped herself up against her gigantic stack of pillows.
Lucky leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. He could still smell the scent of Baby’s shower gel on his skin. The jasmine scent hovered in the air making it difficult to concentrate.
“I have to admit, my interest has been piqued.”
“So you’ll step in and take your father’s seat on the board?”
He rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. His mother was worried about Gauthier, but it was so much bigger than either of them had imagined. It wasn’t the time to fill her in. He had to look at the whole picture.
“Not sure yet.”
<
br /> Tilly arched her perfectly manicured eyebrow.
“Come on, mother. Don’t look at me like that. I have a lot on my plate. All I can promise at this point is that I’ll take care of everything. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“Oh please. Your father used to make the same promise. You see where that got me.” She lifted her frail arm in the air.
“It’s not like he up and died on purpose. Get a grip, mother.”
The annoying sounds from the machine hooked up to Tilly started beeping faster. Joyce jumped up from her seat where she had been pretending to mind her own business.
“Ok, you two. That’s enough. You’re never going to get to go home if you don’t knock off this nonsense.”
“She’s right,” Lucky directed towards his mother. “I have some things to take care of, and you need to get your rest.”
“You’ll keep me informed?”
“Of course.” Lucky gave Tilly a peck on the cheek and hugged Joyce on his way out. “Keep her in line,” he whispered. The older woman rolled her eyes. They both knew what a chore it was to keep Tilly Gauthier in line.
***
Lucky pulled out of the parking garage, surprised to see the sun fading. The day flew by since waking up next to Baby Jade. It seemed like a lifetime ago. They had spent the morning talking and making love, pretending like everything was normal. As normal as it could be. The image of her scar had been burned on his heart. It was obvious she was trying to hide it, but he thought she was even more beautiful, as if that were even possible.
Baby was the strongest person he had ever known. But her strength was buried deep inside, taking root in her tender core. Seeing the scar made her strength tangible. Real.
He cruised along the street without a plan. He had no way to get in touch with Baby, so he decided to drive by her apartment. By the looks of it, she was gone, and Ma’Linn hadn’t been home all day either. Her front porch looked the same with dead herbs and snuffed out candles. No sign of anyone coming or going.
Baby’s porch light was on, leaving a slight shimmer among the dark complex. Lucky thought about waiting around, that is until he spotted a car parked around the corner. It wouldn’t have caught his attention if it hadn’t been for the fancy car in the middle of a bad area.
He hopped off his bike and marched toward the car. As soon as he rounded the corner, the headlights of the black Mustang blinded him causing him to stumble off the curb. As he stumbled toward the car, it roared past him.
His ankle throbbed as he ran back to his bike. He cranked it up and took off after the car, trying to make out the taillights on the bustling street. The thunder of the Roush engine made it easy to spot in the crowd. He shadowed the car before seeing it turn down a side road. Lucky zigzagged in and out of traffic trying to catch up. He drew close until he turned the corner, running smack in the middle of a parade. The street was lined with floats and people, hundreds of people.
The black Mustang was gone, vanished among the festivities.
Fuck!
Lucky had to find Baby Jade. There was some serious shit brewing, and he was making it his personal mission to find out who the hell was behind it. And if he took down that bitch Carrie in the process, fucking icing on the cake.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Baby Jade
“Don’t ya be worryin’ yo’self ‘bout yo momma, girl. You know dat she be havin’ a rough time for ‘while now. Tis not yo fault. ‘Bout time yo be getting’ dat t’rough yo head.”
Baby leaned against Ma’Linn’s plump shoulder as she listened to the heartbreaking account of the night before. After the mysterious person broke in, Rozalie became hysterical. She destroyed her room, ripping up books and sketches. There was no getting through to her. She had to be restrained after becoming violent with the staff and threatening to hurt herself again. Within a matter of minutes, she was dosed and unconscious.
“It’s never been this bad before. She’s in danger. So are you, and that is my fault.” Her stomach lurched into her throat. The thought of putting the few people she loved in danger made her physically sick.
Ma’Linn gave a hearty chuckle. “Girl, yo don’t be t’inkin’ scared of dem little boys, do yo?”
Baby peered at her friend. She often wished she had even a single ounce of Ma’Linn’s strength, but sometimes the old woman was too damn hard headed to have the common sense to be scared.
“Ma’Linn, you need to take this seriously. We don’t know who’s pulling the strings. And if it’s Slade, he has a lot of people working for him. You know what I’m saying, and I need you to take it seriously and be safe.”
Ma’Linn lowered her head. Her heavy shoulders sagged. “Hmph, I got what yo be sayin’. Me boy. Phillipe’s workin for dat sack o’ muscle. He be gettin’ his soon. Tis comin’.”
“Dammit, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. You can’t go off half cocked.”
Her friend turned toward her and grasped her hands, pulling them to her round lap. “I can be sayin’ da same t’ing to ya, girl. Now, do yo know what I be sayin’?”
Baby Jade nodded. Her friend knew her well. Too well.
“Ok, I’ve got to get going. I have a late shift at the club.” Baby stood and smoothed her hands over her frazzled hair.
Ma’Linn snapped her head back as she wrinkled her nose. “Yo not t’inkin’ ‘bout goin’ back to dat snake pit?”
Baby sighed. She knew Ma’Linn would worry, but she had no choice. She was dead broke. She had to keep her job. Digging into her bag, she pulled out a plastic bottle of Barq’s root beer.
“Just let her know I was here.”
“Okey, tifi. Yo take care yo’self. Don’t make me be havin’ to come bustin’ down dat door ‘cause I be bringin’ back up!”
“Yes, ma’am.” Baby stifled a chuckle as she kissed her friend’s dark cheek. She didn’t know whether to run and hide or count her blessings with Ma’Linn acting as her protector. At least it was something to smile about for one fleeting moment.
Thinking of her mother caused Baby’s heart to crumble. Rozalie still refused to see her. Even in the middle of the crazy chaos, her many breakdowns, and having to be sedated, she had enough wit about her to know she didn’t want anything to do with her daughter. It not only devastated Baby, it pissed her off.
How long was she going to have to pay for the sins of her mother’s past?
***
“Glad to see you graced us with your presence tonight, Baby.” Mickey stood behind the bar with both hands planted on the sticky counter top. Three men in suits huddled up to the bar sneering in her direction.
She was surprised that Mickey didn’t sound angry. It was almost as if he was giving the group a heads up. There was something nasty in the air, and she wanted no part of it. She smiled to the suspicious group of men and went about her business.
Baby attempted to change without being noticed, but no such luck. As she worked to conceal her C-section scar with pricey foundation and powder, as she did every shift, Barbie plopped down next to Baby’s vanity.
“Gross. That is one nasty looking scar.”
Baby Jade closed her eyes and started counting. She had a low tolerance but tried to focus on the fact that she needed the shitty job. Mind over matter. Survival.
“Can’t something be done about it? Plastic surgery? Seriously, the makeup’s not cutting it.” Barbie snickered in disgust.
She fought the impending bubble of rage welling up in her chest. She knew the bitch was just trying to goad her into a fight. Not tonight, street whore. Baby couldn’t help but think about her scar. Her battle wound. The exit point for her heart and her entire reason for existing.
She hated having to cover it up as if she was ashamed. Actually, it was the exact opposite. The connection with the scar was hers. It belonged to her and no one else.
“You know, that thing’s gonna get saggy over time. Speaking of which, you’re looking a little flabby lately. No time to work out wit
h that busy schedule of yours, saving the world and all?” Barbie tried to run her fingers through her platinum blond rat’s nest only to get her fingers stuck in the plastered tangle of webs.
Baby finished clipping her thigh highs to her garters before planting her hands on her hips and leveling her gaze. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Just curious. Heard from Lolli lately?” Barbie curled her lips into a twisted grin.
Baby’s insides pitched, and rage soared through her veins. She took a step closer to the leathered hag, causing Barbie to flinch. As she readied herself to force the woman to give up what she knew, Baby was caught off guard by voices echoing from the stairwell.
“Hey, girls. Heads up, Tara’s out,” Velvet said as she made her way down the steps, followed by a young, Hispanic girl. “We have a new chica to take her spot. Say hola to Willow.”
She was stunning, similar to Velvet with a few differences. Her black hair was cut short into a pixie style, allowing her Latino features to stand out. Thick lashes accentuated her large, round eyes. Her high cheekbones were sharp, her lips red and full.
Willow’s body wasn’t nearly as curvaceous as Velvet’s. On the contrary, she appeared to be underdeveloped. Thin. Young. You would think that would be a bad thing for this line of work, but with most guys, the thinner, the better. Pigs.
“Well, another babysitting gig. Isn’t that just fucking fantastic?” Barbie crossed the room while taking a long drag from her dangling cigarette, blowing the smoke in Willow’s direction before heading upstairs.
Baby Jade pulled a clip from her bag and piled the mound of loose tendrils onto her head, allowing a few locks to fall around her face. Taking her hair down on stage had proven to be good for tips. “Don’t mind her. All that Aquanet makes her cranky.” She smiled attempting to put the young girl at ease. “I’m sure Velvet’s giving you the grand tour.”
The girl nodded and Velvet beamed. “Yeah, getting her a vanity set up.”
Baby nodded. “Good.” She peered closer at Willow. “You have gorgeous skin. How old are you?”
Bourbon Street Royalty: Jaded Series, Book Two Page 11