by Jayne Blue
“No, but you should know I fucking hate mustard. Hate it.”
“Got it.”
He made me smile. I liked Sarge a whole hell of a lot. Maybe this scary haunted castle just needed a little TLC. Maybe these people just needed the same.
“There’s a really nice suite off the kitchen. I think you’ll like it there, but if not, pick any other of the million rooms in the place. But you are going to want to avoid the third floor.”
“Any reason? If you say you have mice, well, I need that heads up because I’ll lose it.”
“Well, we probably do, but Maddox spends his time there, that’s why. And he’s an asshole. It’s best to let him be an asshole on his own and stay out of his way. There’s no cleaning up after that monster, anyway.”
I was a bit perplexed. The Maddox I’d met was tough, and had that sexy biker dangerous vibe, like Harlow’s boyfriend Kade, but I didn’t think he was an ass at all when I’d met him before.
“Duly noted. He’ll just have to stay out of MY way. I’m a buck-ten of badass. Trust me.”
“I like you and I don’t doubt it.”
I helped Sarge to his chair. He had a bathroom off his sitting area. I found a glass and got him some more water. I placed it on the end table next to him, making sure it was close enough to reach. He rewarded me with a smile.
I left him to rest and decided my best plan would be to start in the kitchen.
Whatever was in the fridge needed to be pitched.
There were a million jobs to do. And I wondered again about why everyone thought Maddox was such a beast. But I didn’t have time to think much about it. There was a kitchen to clean and I was determined.
Sarge was right. This place needed sunlight and I was going to find a way to let it in.
Maddox didn’t scare me.
5
Maddox
The Devil’s Hawks.
They were sworn enemies to The Dark Saints. Not too long ago I helped Kade and his old lady get rid of two of Hawks – permanently. They weren’t the first and wouldn’t be the last.
Beefs with The Hawks had turned into blood war in my Dad’s day. There had been some sort of evil truce ever since.
A truce that was breaking on both sides with every day that passed.
It was over for Kade, I knew that. And it was over for me.
The minute they targeted my baby sister, they were all dead to me. One way or another, I was going to kill them. If I didn’t figure out exactly who did it soon, it would be too bad for all of the nearby Hawks. I wouldn’t discriminate.
The old man was trying to stop me. I knew that. Even though he sat next to Olivia every day and he saw what they did. He still wasn’t on my side. He didn’t want what happened to our family to be the thing that started an open war.
So he held me back and gave me bullshit advice to stay calm.
In the end, it didn’t matter if Sarge or the club was with me. I’d probably die doing it. And I didn’t mind one fucking bit.
Anytime they showed their faces in Port Az, we ran them out. That was still in full force. But I knew they spent time at The Wayside just outside of town and just outside Saints territory.
The Hawks were encroaching more each day.
I was going to go bird watching.
I sat in a booth at The Wayside, in a dark corner. The bar was pretty much all dark corners.
I nursed a beer and watched their mangy asses toss around a working girl. They treated her like shit and she seemed to like it. One Hawk grabbed her by the hair and the other squeezed her ass. In between times she was running whiskey shots back and forth.
It looked like a shitty way to earn a living. I would have stepped in, tried to save her, except it didn’t look like she wanted saving.
I wasn’t going to get into it. I was there to learn names and see if there were any faces I hadn’t made yet.
And there was. His patch said Jonesy C. I made a mental note of it. The waitress came over and I asked.
“Hey darling, who’s that new Hawk? Never saw him here before.”
“Oh yeah, Jonesy. He was in the joint. Went in six months ago, supposed to do a year I heard. But his lawyers sprung him. Big party tonight. Can I get you a refill?”
“Yeah.”
She left and headed back to the bar. I watched Jonesy C.
I’d never seen him before and didn’t know a damn thing about him.
Could it be him? The timing was right. Maybe he went inside after doing the job on my sister? Hell, maybe that was the best getaway. Get locked up for a while so no one comes looking for you.
I decided I needed to find out a lot more about this Jonesy C.
The waitress brought over my second beer. I fished out some cash. All The Saints operated on a cash basis. It was the best way to avoid a digital trail.
I’d finish this one and start calling around on this fucker. Right now, it was better than my other leads, in that it was something. Up to now it was one goose chase after another that just led away from Olivia, instead of to her. I’d been chasing the exhaust of a hundred Devil’s Hawk bikes and my anger had nowhere to land.
I made my way out of The Wayside and I took a mental picture of Jonesy C.
Before I could leave, a little dude with a patch that said Peck, bumped me on the shoulder.
“You’re a little far away from home, Saint,” Peck said to me. The guy reminded me of a gnat, just a buzzing mosquito designed to annoy the piss out of people.
“Fuck you,” was my answer to Peck. It was less than diplomatic and it was all it took. Apparently Peck had something to prove. He took a swing and me and I dodged it. Then I swung back. The fight was fast and bloody. And Pecker, which was a better name for this ass, was no match. I didn’t fucking care that I was causing a commotion or that I’d attracted attention.
I didn’t care about much these days and the fight felt good.
Pecker was down and I kicked him once for good measure. The rest of The Hawks didn’t do a damn thing to protect their brother. Fuckers.
This was a random grouping of low-level Hawks, except for one. He was an officer for The Hawks. He was on my list: Tusker Dunigan.
“This big dumb animal needs a fucking lesson.” One of the only Hawks that was my size showed his face from one of the shitty corners of the bar. He was ready for the next ass kicking I supposed.
“No, we’re not doing this.” Tusker was the highest-ranking Hawk in the place at the moment and the rest of them listened to him.
I stood there ready to take ‘em all. I wanted to. Hurting things was the only time I forgot about the pain my sister was in. Maybe they’d beat me to a pulp. That was okay too, since that helped me focus on a different pain instead of the ache I felt day and night.
Either way I win. I didn’t need this Tusker to step in. And I didn’t want it.
“What the fuck, Tusker?”
“Get the fuck out of here Saint. Tell Bear he owes me one. And future reference? The Wayside is a Hawk’s bar now. Tell the rest of the cunts.”
I spat on the floor of the shitty bar and turned around. I didn’t care that they all wanted a piece of me. I hoped they all tried it.
I had what I needed from tonight. A new name of a possible target, Jonesy C. Plus, I’d beat the shit out of at least one Hawk.
It was what substituted for happiness in my life.
And I was okay with that.
The ride home fueled my rage. I meandered. I got coffee. I stayed away from the house until the sun came up. I didn’t want to be home because it wasn’t home anymore.
It was a place Sarge held vigil over my sister. He never prayed a day in his life but now he prayed all the time.
It was my job now to be sure that no one took advantage of Sarge’s old age and to be sure the nursing care for Olivia was what she deserved. If she had even a moment of pain or discomfort, there would be hell to pay.
When I got back, the nurse’s vehicle was in the front of the house
. Like it always was these days.
I would check on Olivia later. For now, I was headed to my office to run down the real name of Jonesy C. And to see where he was the day my sister was shot.
I always came in through the old service entrance and used the back stairs to the kitchen. The rest of the rundown place was a reminder that my mother was now gone too. My Dad and I would rot here, and we deserved it.
I walked into the kitchen and was immediately aware of something different.
The windows were open and there was a breeze in the room. This room had been fetid for days. The lights were on. Hell, some of the bulbs that had burnt out were replaced with new ones.
And Bella wasn’t coming out to greet me. My dog had found greener pastures somewhere in my house, with someone else it seemed.
And there was music playing. It was bullshit music. And it was out of place.
I stomped into the kitchen, looking for the source. Dad had mentioned a new live-in was starting today. Apparently, this person thought this was their place to do as they pleased.
They better understand that we needed it quiet for Olivia. And to stay out of my way.
The floor was slick, and I slid forward. I grabbed the countertop to stop me from crashing down. What the shit had this new employee done? It had been less than a morning and I hated them already.
“Whoa! I need those orange cones it looks like! I’m so sorry, you just came in so fast!” The most beautiful girl I’d ever seen was on her hands and knees in the hallway that led to The Castle’s massive formal kitchen.
Except she wasn’t just any girl … she was familiar.
I’d seen her dark hair, those rosebud shaped lips, and those impossibly big blue eyes before but I couldn’t remember where.
She looked like a Snow White drawing come to life. That’s what she fucking looked like. A modern Snow White in a tiny white t-shirt, rolled up jeans, and I swear, a vintage apron. If I didn’t know better I would have thought I was high, or drunk. I blinked and she was still there. Fucking smiling at me.
“Let me help you get across this skating rink. It’ll dry quickly with these windows open.” She stood up. I spotted Bella around the corner, cozying right up to this familiar stranger in my kitchen.
“If you track this up, no treats for you!” she said and bent down again to nuzzle the top of Bella’s head. I was staring and I was dumbstruck.
Something about the way she handled Bella started to ring a bell in my head.
“Maddox, I’m Tracy Plumb, I’m the new employee here. I used to work at Ruff Life. Remember, we met?” She put out her hand. She was wearing one of those yellow cleaning gloves. I didn’t make a move to shake it.
“Oops, duh, sorry.” She took off her glove and put out her hand again. I didn’t respond.
I wanted out of there. There was nothing about my smoke stench, road-hardened, self that should be anywhere near her. I cursed my Dad for letting her in here.
I also wanted to be sure she didn’t get the idea that I had interest in talking to her, or anyone, at all. Ever. She could take that cheerful shit somewhere else.
“Just keep it down in here. My sister doesn’t need to be disturbed and neither do I, Miss Plumb.”
I turned and took the back stairs two at a time. I made sure to slam the door behind me.
There was no place for Tracy Plumb in this house.
Her pretty eyes flashed through my mind, unbidden, and I forced that image out.
There was no place for Tracy Plumb in my life.
6
Tracy
He towered over me, he blocked out the light, and he tracked up my floor. Samuel Maddox Junior was an imposing, grouchy, mean, gruff, sexy man. Shit. How did the word sexy get in there?
I jumped when he slammed the door and Bella whimpered.
“I know right? He’s worried about noise that might disturb his sister and he slams the door like that? Total hypocrite.” Bella whimpered again and put her head down next to me.
I was used to a loud and boisterous work environment from my days at Ruff Life. We had puppies, kids, Harlow Hayes. It was a riot of life and vitality.
The Castle was more like a mausoleum. There were four people in this house right now but barely a sign of life. Bitterness and decay came from the top down and now I had seen the top. Maddox was scary as hell.
I did the floor again to remove the giant footprints of dirt he’d tracked in.
The kitchen smelled a lot better and was looking bright and cheery. That was a step forward. Even if Maddox was enraged by it. I’ve made a difference already, darn it!
What was his problem? I didn’t to dwell on the answer to that question. I’d promised Sarge some lunch. There wasn’t much in the pantry, but there was soup, and bread, and cheese. Today would be grilled cheese, but I started a list of things I’d need to stock here to provide Sarge with nutritious meals. I’d had a print out of his dietary needs from the agency and I aimed to take the list and make it as tasty as I could for Sarge.
I didn’t know what I could realistically do for Olivia, other than making this space more positive, but I did know that her father, Sarge, desperately needed good food, sunlight, and clearly a counterpoint to his volatile housemate and son.
As I got busy making a tray for him for lunch, the door opened again.
This time a lot less intimidating figure entered the kitchen. He looked my age, or a little younger. He was tall and gangly and wore leather similar to Maddox and Kade wore, but it hung off him.
One of his patches said ‘Probie’ and the other said ‘Fitzie’.
“Hello. I’m Fitzie.”
“Hi. Tracy Plumb, I’m the new housekeeper. Can I help you?”
“I’m the courier for The Dark Saints. I’ve got stuff for Maddox, I usually leave it here, on the table.”
“Okay, I’ll be sure he knows it’s here.”
Fitzie laid a manila envelope on the counter. He smiled broadly.
“Um, I also like to visit Olivia. Sarge says it’s okay.”
I was touched. This was one of the first positive developments of the day.
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Then you know the way?”
“Sure do. And Miss Plumb?”
“Tracy.”
“Uh, Tracy, the kitchen looks much better.”
“Thank you! I think a squirrel, or something had died in here, but we’re getting there.”
“Ha, yeah, it was getting gross. I’m glad they hired you. The last one was lazy. Maddox keeps firing them.”
“Well, no chance of that. I’m small but mighty.” Fitzie laughed and it restored my faith in the universe.
“I’m sure you are. Nice to meet you.”
He was young, and high strung, and as twitchy as the squirrel I envisioned ransacked this kitchen, but he wasn’t barking at me, so I called it a win. I needed all the allies I could get for this new job.
“You too, Fitzie. Have a nice visit.”
I finished making food for Sarge and processed all I’d taken in during one busy morning. This place needed me. That was the good news. The more concerning issue was the question of whether I could I stick it out if Maddox decided to give me the boot.
I needed this paycheck. My parents needed this paycheck. I resolved that the only way to survive was to do my best, go above and beyond, and hopefully the beast upstairs could be overruled by the Teddy Bear that I suspected was inside Sarge.
Sarge was overly thankful for the lunch. I arranged his tray near him and assessed his room. It needed attention.
“Sarge, I need to clean in here, too.”
“Oh, no, worry about Olivia and the rest of the house.”
“I will. But you’re not going to escape my dusting and organizing wrath.”
“Oh, Christ. You sound like my wife used to. And grilled cheese? How did you know?” Sarge ate the lunch I’d prepared like he’d never eaten before.
“I just wondered, how you’d like me to go about gettin
g you stocked up with things here?”
“I’d say buy whatever you need. But of course, the final say goes to the kid, Maddox the Younger, unfortunately. My wife, left this place to Olivia and him, provided I always had a place to stay. It was fine before Olivia’s situation, but now, well … Maddox, he’s got the cash these days.”
“Got it. I’ll propose a weekly food budget. I’ll need a list of your favorites.”
“Right now?” Sarge’s wheels were turning.
“I’ve got a pen and paper ready to go.”
Sarge described his favorite foods. I was pretty sure I actually saw his eyes light up. I mentally reconstituted ways to get him healthier versions. I wondered how long it had been since he’d eaten a consistently healthy diet.
Before I knew it, an hour had passed.
“My goodness! I need to get back to work. I don’t want to be slacking my first day.”
“It’s okay. This is the nicest meal I’ve had in a long time. I am getting tired, and it’s time to sit with Olivia.”
“I’ll go in and check on her, how about that? You take your rest. Don’t worry.”
I made list after list in my head. Sarge’s room needed dusting, organizing, and clean sheets. I wondered where all the linens were for this place. Another thing to put on the list.
I left Sarge to his post-lunch nap, dropped off his lunch tray in the kitchen, and then made my way back to Olivia’s.
I peaked in. Fitzie had come and gone. The nurse was still in her same place.
“How is she?”
“She’s no different today than she was yesterday or the day before that.”
The nurse was a bitch.
I ignored her and turned my complete focus on Olivia.
“Hi there.”
I felt it was best to just start talking. I knew she probably couldn’t hear me, but I had been hired to do this. I was getting paid an excellent salary. I owed my new bosses, Maddox Senior or Junior, everything I had. And right now, Sarge was resting easier knowing Olivia had company.
“So, your Daddy, Fitzie, now me? Are we driving you crazy with visitors?”