Page 48 of Chill

I winced as I absorbed the blow, but whatever pain Poet caused was worth it. My baby was safe. I breathed her in, and the tension I’d unknowingly been feeling seeped away. My kids were here, alive and happy. That’s all that mattered. I’d never understand how Gerard had left us, but that was his problem. Not mine.

He was the one missing out and, fuck him. It was on his head, and I couldn’t care less. What saddened me was that the kids wouldn’t have a dad. But I swore, there and then, I’d be the best mom and dad they’d ever want.

Chapter Ten.

Chill

“Two more bodies have dropped. This time in Sturgis. Both executed with a bullet to the head after being beaten to a pulp. One was a college kid aged twenty, the other a thirty-year-old man with a baby due. They’d been missing a fortnight. Cops believe they were forced to fight each other but refused to kill one another. The organisers shot them both,” Tiny said.

“Fuck,” I snarled down the phone. “Has Locke provided any updates?”

“No. But I’ve a lead on Pickman. There’s an underground poker night in Deadwood, Pickman is rumoured to have a seat.”

“Can we get in?”

“No. High-class rollers only. Scum like us ain’t wanted.” Tiny chuckled.

“We’re gonna need Locke. Washington’s still out of the country.”

“Yeah. Guess I better phone the bastard. The next game is a week from tomorrow. Locke’ll take us as guards.”

“Well, Rider’s of Vengeance is known to run with him. Having us at Locke’s back won’t cause concern,” I stated.

“Don’t really wanna be linked to the asshole, but don’t have a lot of choice. If Washington were home, we’d have access,” Tiny replied.

“Reach out and let me know the plan,” I said, and Tiny agreed before cutting the call.

Who the hell was behind this? I couldn’t find a single name other than the one Tony had given us. Would we be able to shut it down before someone else got hurt? This needed stopping, and we’d have to work with Locke to succeed. The pressure was huge to find and end this shit.

Meadow

I bit my tongue as Nanci led me over to the hairdresser’s. Three days had passed since I’d been released, and Nanci was being a pain in my ass. The woman simply didn’t understand no. The club was still paying me as the cook, so I suggested helping prepare food, and she’d nearly bitten my head off.

Rather rudely, Nanci pointed out I’d mega money now and didn’t need to work. And just as bluntly back, I declared it wasn’t Nanci’s decision if I worked or not. If I wanted to set a good example for my kids, who the hell was she to argue?

At that moment, Inglorious fled. Nanci had conceded that point but got her own way in that I couldn’t return until healthy.

Arguing with the damn woman wore me out. But whenever I disagreed, Nanci’s eyes lit up, and I finally understood what she was doing. If I could hold my ground with her, I could with anyone, because Nanci was a ballbuster. Nobody won a fight with her when she set her mind to it; she’d argue a donkey into submission. And that included Daisy-Duke, who was just as opinionated as Nanci. But both women had a heart of gold, and their capacity for love was unparalleled. Neither took betrayal well, and they loved deeply.

Right now, Nanci was standing behind me, discussing what to do with my mane of hair. Clearly, my opinion didn’t matter. I allowed them to push me around, as I admitted it was nice to take care of myself again. The truth was, I had let myself go because I couldn’t afford the costs of manicures and hairdressers.

“Come shopping with me?” I said to Nanci, who looked surprised.

“What?”

“After this. Let’s hit the mall. Would a prospect mind collecting the kids from school if we ain’t back in time?”

“Honey, they are anyway. We’ll need a couple of guys on us, okay?”

“Sure. Let’s do my hair, and then we can go. The nail salon—can you make me an appointment for tomorrow?” I asked.

“Definitely!” Nanci looked beside herself with glee.

I tried not to laugh. “Nanci, I used to do this fortnightly; this is nothing new.”

“Shut up! Let me bask in the glory of having converted you,” Nanci retorted.

“Fine!” I said, sitting carefully back in the chair. I still hurt, but the sharp stabbing pains had gone. Still, I took things easy; I didn’t want to push too hard and injure myself. As my hair was shampooed, I relaxed; it was so good!