by J. L. Drake
“Just wanted to ask if you didn’t find it odd that your father went so quiet after we took out all those men. I wanted your thoughts on what you think he might be up to.”
I rubbed my head and tried to push the freshly stirred rage out of the way. “If I knew the answer to that, wouldn’t I have brought it to your attention by now?”
“I don’t know, would you?”
I snapped my head up and glared. “What did you say?”
He raised his hands in apology. “You’re not yourself right now, Trig. I wasn’t sure if maybe you forgot to share something with us.”
Careful…
His phone rang, and he pulled it from his jeans. He quickly responded while I waited in obvious impatience.
“Whenever you’re done.”
“It’s Brick.”
“And?” I grew even more annoyed.
“He’s dropping off the grid with Minnie tonight.”
“Where’s Tess?”
His gaze moved to mine, and he squinted his question. “What do you mean?”
“Where is Tess?” I repeated each word slowly.
“I thought you had her somewhere with the boys?”
I dropped the phone from my hand, and in two strides snatched his phone to read the text.
Brick: Headin’ out with Minnie tonight, no cell service where we’ll be. I’ll be back tomorrow a.m. to check in.
“You want to call Brick, see if he can get hold of her?”
“No. Don’t say a word to anyone.”
I’ll deal with her myself.
“You sure?”
I tossed his phone at him, grabbed mine, and left.
“Morgan,” I barked and heard Cooper scratch the pool table with a yelp.
“Yeah, boss,” he called from down the hallway. “I’m in the storage closest.”
I picked up my keys on the way over to him. “Have you heard from Mike yet about the boys?”
“Yeah, he called about an hour ago. They’re settled in at the safe house, Savannah has ’em making cookies and shit.”
Good.
“Why the hell do I have to go?” Denton snapped from his bed.
“Get your shit packed.”
“What if Tess needs me?” Fin joined in and made my head spin. “You don’t do a good enough job.”
“I never asked for your opinion.”
“Maybe you should.”
I glared at the little shit, and his face changed from pissed to nervous. Fuck me.
“Here.” I reached into his closet and pulled a box from the shelf. I knocked off the top and dug to the bottom then shoved the gangly stuffed animal in his hands.
“A bunny?”
“A rabbit.” I corrected without thinking.
“Was it yours?” Why did kids have to ask so many questions?
“Get packed, Fin.” I walked out.
I shook my head clear. “You see Tess tonight?”
He set the box he was about to put on the shelf on the table and looked at me. “She left a little while ago with Brick and Minnie.”
What the fuck was she pulling here?
“She say anything else to you?”
“Tess hasn’t been herself since Gus, really. She’s still messed up over it.” He stopped himself. “She was on the phone with someone earlier, and she did seem pissed off.”
“You got a name?”
“No, but Cray was there. I’ll give him a call, see if he remembers. Anything I should be doing to help you out right now?”
Morgan’s way of asking was a lot less fucking annoying than Rail’s.
“Watch the club for me.”
“Yeah, if you need anything…”
“Yeah.”
I headed for my room and packed my bag, grabbed my weapons, and headed out to my bike.
Trigger: Did Tess call Savannah tonight?
Mike: Not sure, let me see what I can find out.
“Trigger?” I heard a female’s meek voice behind me. The soft tone of it made it through my crazy head. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
No.
“Not now.”
She took a cautious step forward and tucked her purse under her arm. Her tense shoulders and rigid movement gave away her nervousness. She appeared slimmer than the last time I saw her in the courtroom, and her face was pale against her dark hair.
“When would be a better time, then?”
I pulled the strap and fastened the buckle on my bag. “Thirty-seven years ago.”
“I deserved that.”
I flipped my hair out of my face and tugged on my helmet.
“I truly thought I was doing the right thing.”
“I’m sure you did,” I said, not wanting this conversation right now…or ever.
“Oh, hey, there.” Rail tossed the trash and joined us. “Where are you staying?”
“Motel 6 down the road.”
I didn’t wait to listen; I peeled off. I needed space to think.
***
Punch.
Punch.
Punch.
Sweat dripped down my face and coated my skin in a thin layer. My knuckles screamed at me to stop, but the demons had other plans. The moment I’d take a break, they flipped out and screamed in their high-pitched chant. I was slipping further and further away from the surface, and the energy it took to stay something close to normal was dwindling fast.
I saw my phone screen light up, so I dropped my gloves on the ground and snatched it up.
“Hello,” I panted before my head took over.
“Hey.”
Her voice drew me up from somewhere deep, and I knew I wanted to play this carefully. Something was up, and I needed to hear what she had to say. I twisted to sit on the ledge and took in the early city lights that stretched along the PCH for miles.
“How’s it going?”
“Good.”
“Where’s Brick?”
There was a pause before she cleared her throat. “Off with Minnie somewhere.”
I closed my eyes and fought against the urge to lash out.
“When will you be back?”
“Um, Monday, I hope.”
Hope?
“Anything you want to tell me?”
“No…” Her voice trailed off. “I just wanted to call and see how the boys settled in and to say goodnight and hear your voice.”
“They’re fine.”
“Good. Okay, well, goodnight.”
I glanced at the time. It was 3:30 a.m.
“Night.”
As soon as the call disconnected, the wild things went into savage mode.
***
Tess
“Troubles in paradise?” Shantee hummed over my shoulder. She loved that I had decided to come back with her. Although what she thought I was going to do once I was there was very far from my actual purpose. Some things are best left unsaid.
“You okay?”
“Yup.”
She fiddled with the air conditioning before she set it back to where it was. “Damn hot flashes.”
I smiled. She was a trip. She loved her transformation, but her hormone shots were a little intense, especially if you did them as often as she did. Shantee was determined to be as female as possible.
“You know, it’s been pretty damn great not having Clark around.” She paused as she changed lanes, totally cutting off someone, and they gave her the finger. “Sure hope he doesn’t return home anytime soon.”
I felt my neck heat, but I pushed it aside. I didn’t feel bad for killing Clark. He deserved it. He had taken too many people from me in this life for me to care a damn about taking his.
“A few years ago, I had a problem with one of my brother’s friends.” Her tone changed. “He didn’t like me, didn’t agree with my decision to change over, and he became a real problem. I couldn’t even go out to the store without him causing a scene. Night clubs became scary, then one night he took it too far, and him and his friends jumped me in a par
king lot.” She pulled into the Arizona Charlie’s hotel and parked near the front door. “Broke two teeth, fractured a few ribs, broke my nose. I was in rough shape.”
“I’m sorry.” I turned to face her. She deserved my attention. She’d never shared anything like this before.
“I was too, at first.” She blinked her long, fake eyelashes, but I caught the hurt that flashed across her face. “But three years later, after he was released from jail, I saw him in a club, and all the hate and fear came rushing back.” She pulled her huge Louis Vuitton bag onto her lap. “Some go to a therapist, and others,” she pulled out a bottle, “take matters into their own hands.” She handed it to me but wrapped her fingers around my wrist when I took it. “I don’t know what’s running through that pretty little head of yours, but know if you ever need anything, I’m a phone call away.”
I leaned forward and hugged her, then I grabbed my bag and went inside without a word. She understood.
I didn’t like sleeping alone. I missed Trigger’s warm body and his smell of whiskey and smoke. I set my bag on the bed and slumped down next to it. I hated to be alone at all now.
By morning, I didn’t think I slept for even a moment, but as it turned out, staring at the wallpaper for six hours was really quite relaxing. I showered twice for something to do and made an attempt to text Trigger as I had at least million times during the night, but I didn’t know what to say. I was convinced he knew I wasn’t with Brick, but he hadn’t let on. That was odd in itself. Surely by now Brick had checked in, and Trigger would have asked about me, but things were different now. Trigger was different. I hated it, but I had no idea how to get him back. However, it was good timing. He would never have let me do this alone, and I needed to handle this for myself. It was time.
I dried my hands free of sweat and dialed her number.
“He better not be with you, Tessa.” My mother’s voice cut through the silence.
“Hello, Mother.” My tone was clipped. “If Clark was with me, you’d know already. I’m sure you have plenty of people watching me.”
“Where is he, Tessa?”
“Meet me for lunch, and I’ll explain.”
“Come to the house at twelve-thirty.”
“No.” I cut her off. “I will not walk into the snake’s pit. If I’m going to tell you about Clark, it will be on my terms.”
There was a long stretch of silence before she huffed in her usual annoyed way.
“Fine. Where, then?”
I pulled the brochure from my purse. “Mary’s Tea Garden.”
“Tessa, that’s almost an hour from me. Why there?”
“You took me there for my tenth birthday. Guess it meant something to me, but obviously not to you.”
“I don’t remember that, but whatever. I’ll see you there at noon.”
I hung up, grabbed my keys, and rushed out of the hotel room. The cabby was too chatty for my liking, so I tuned him out and counted the seconds until we arrived.
The tea room was just as I remembered, old fashioned chairs in big flower prints, mini throw pillows everywhere, and finger-sized pastries that would melt in your mouth.
“How many today?” the receptionist asked.
“Actually, there will be two of us. It’s a special occasion, and we’d like somewhere private, if at all possible.”
The woman dragged her finger down the iPad and chose a table.
“Ah, yes.” She picked up two menus and pointed over her shoulder. “Right this way.”
I followed her down a long path and ducked under lush ivy. The entire place was an overgrown garden with every color rose imaginable. Nothing was left undone. It was a treat for the eye, and a heavenly scent floated in the air, depending on which room you were in. I loved this place, but after today, I would not be returning.
“Here you go, your own private terrace.” I made sure I sat to face the door, so I could see her when she arrived.
“Can I get you anything?”
“Yes, I’ll order the tea for us both now. La Cour Tisane iced, please, one blueberry and one orange caprice.”
Her smile spread across her lips. “Lovely choice. So, you know our teas.”
“Yes, you could say that.”
The drinks arrived in attractive iced glasses decorated with fruit, just as I remembered. I sat and relaxed as I waited for my mother, who I knew always had to be fashionably late. Sure enough, about ten minutes later, she strolled in with two men. Her security. I smirked to myself. Of course she thought this was a trap. Little did she know it was just me here with her.
I rolled my eyes at her light pink skirt and matching blouse. She was a poser, and because of the venue I had chosen, she couldn’t wear what she normally would. That was my point. I wanted to take her out of her comfort zone. I enjoyed her obvious discomfort in the surroundings. It seemed fitting, under the circumstances.
“Hello, dear.” Her greeting was formal as she handed the hostess her jacket. “You come alone?” She looked over her shoulder then down the other hallway.
“Unlike you, yes, I did.”
She shot me a glare before she eased into her seat and folded her napkin over her lap in a very conscious, ladylike manner. “Don’t start, Tessa.”
I dropped my head back with a throaty laugh. “That’s rich, coming from you.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’ve sent how many of your guard dogs to see if Clark was with me?”
She glanced around carefully again, and she lowered her voice. “Was he?”
Oh, how I wanted to lie through my teeth, but I thought the truth would be the best of all.
“I left because I found my happiness.”
“Oh, please, with your outlaw biker?”
“Yes.” I sipped my tea and savored the moment. “But Clark did come and visit me.”
Her head shot up, and her eyes widened.
“And?”
“And he wanted me back.”
Her throat contracted. “I suppose he was confused. He was thrown by Bret’s sudden death.”
I held my composure as I studied her reaction. Leon had promised me Felicia had never seen the tape, so she had no idea what really happened.
“You ladies ready to order?” The waitress broke our moment.
“Cheesecake for me, please.” I gave her a warm smile, but I let it drop as I saw my mother rub her stomach like she might get fat just from the damn air around her.
“Angel food cake and no whipped cream.”
Sounds yummy.
“Confused or not, Mother, there was still a part of Clark that wanted me over you.” I felt a sense of victory skip up my spine. “Yes, he came to visit me.” I couldn’t help but continue with my story. “It was so pathetic to watch a grown man grovel at my feet.”
“Enough.”
“He wanted me, Mother, not you.”
Her fists banged down on the table, rattling our glasses. A few people on the other terrace looked in our direction, but they couldn’t see us that well through all the flowers.
“I said enough, Tessa. You say that again, and I’ll—"
“You’ll what?” I leaned back in my chair and studied the pretty glass in my hand.
“I’ll…” She stumbled on her words and reached for her glass, took a sip, and swallowed. “I’ll have my men take you back to the house.”
“Well, you were the one who wanted to know about Clark, Mother.”
I dabbed the corners of my mouth and thought about my next play.
“After I killed Bret, I met Clark in the hallway and stole the flash drive.”
Her head snapped over to me, and some color drained from her face.
“What?”
“I found something rather interesting.”
She downed the rest of her tea and slammed the glass down. She drew in a long breath and went to say something, but I held up my hand to stop her.
“Seems our Clark had the skeleton key to the city. Well, n
ot just our city, but a few others as well.” I reached for the paperwork in my purse and shifted gear. “You will be happy to know, Mother, that he signed over his share of the club to me a while back. Love can be a real bitch at times, hey?” I winked.
“Naturally. We are married, after all. I already knew that.” She tried to smile but seemed to know I had more.
“Well, did you also know that if anything happened to you, your share of the house and The Dirty Demons Club goes into my name?”
Her eyes bugged out, and I was pleased to see how much my news affected her.
I spread the paperwork out on her placemat. “The terms clearly state that if anything happens to you, or if you so graciously sign over your shares, I get the house, the club, and the cars.”
“What makes you think I would,” she cleared her throat again, “hand my hard-earned business over to you?”
“What choice do you have?”
“Over my dead body will you ever own—” She grabbed my water and tried to drink it. I smiled at her.
I sat perfectly still and watched her world crumble all around her.
“What did you do?” Her eyes were wild, and her hands flew to her chest.
“I had many fantasies of how I wanted you to die, Mother. A shot to the head, or perhaps a pair of weasels to feast on your stomach, a baseball bat.” I smirked almost more to myself than to her. “But I realized having the last word and forcing you to hear me without interruption would be the best way of all.”
Her pupils dilated, and the vein in her neck ticked.
“It’s not that hard to get. You just need to know the right people.” She started to turn blue, and her body was slowly becoming paralyzed. “It’s called belladonna.” My mother’s face looked waxy. I could see she realized she could no longer move. “In Latin, it means beautiful woman, which I found to be pretty ironic. It is also called the Devil’s Berry. See how the names are so perfectly suited to the situation?”
One of her men, who stood a little way from us, took a step closer, so I reached over and covered her hand with mine and gave her a smile as I talked. He seemed to buy it and went back to his post. I felt a little movement in her fingers underneath mine.