21. Gigi
21
GIGI
W hen I wake up, I’m alone except for Tedward. But before I have time to wonder where Mack is, the doorknob turns and he comes walking in.
“Hey. You’re awake.” He smiles at me, and it’s like a warm hug. I remember the words he said to me earlier. I love you. For just a moment, I let myself feel what it could be like if they’re really true.
“Yea, I’m awake. What time is it?”
“About dinnertime. You hungry?”
“Not really.” I wait for Mack to come join me on the bed, but he’s standing in the middle of the room, looking like he has something to tell me. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Not wrong. We’ve got a course of action. Need to talk to you about it.”
“Okay.” I sit up and pull Ted into my lap. “What’s up?”
Mack starts to pace slowly back and forth. “So, I’m having some of the men check out your bus. They’re gonna go over it with a fine-toothed comb. Check for tracking devices. Once it’s clean, we’re gonna hide it somewhere, since it’s identifiable. We’re gonna shut down your phone, since Blaze has your contact info. We’ll get you a new one, with a new number. And we’re gonna take you to Choppa and Reenie’s. We’re gonna bring you there for safekeeping until everything is taken care of.”
Tedward jumps from my lap onto the floor and goes over to Mack. He brushes up against his leg, winding in slow figure eights and purring. I watch my cat, amazed as always at how instantly he took to this big, scary biker.
“What do you mean, taken care of?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure I already know.
Mack avoids my question. “We can’t have you here at the clubhouse right now,” he continues. “While we’re dealing with Blaze and the Scorpion problem, this place is potentially dangerous. We need to put you someplace they don’t know about. My parents’ house is perfect for that. And Reenie is excited to have you.”
“You’ve already talked to her?”
“Yeah. She’s making up the guest room for you. She said Ted can come with you. She likes cats.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say, she won’t like Tedward . But maybe being a cat whisperer runs in Mack’s family.
It doesn’t take long to pack my stuff. Before I know it, we’re at Reenie and Choppa’s place, cat carrier and all. Mack doesn’t ring the doorbell, but just walks right inside. I follow, feeling a little sheepish Reenie comes out of the kitchen, dish towel in hand, and immediately envelopes me in a warm embrace. She smells like she always does, like baby powder and hair spray.
“You are a sight for sore eyes!” she exclaims, as though I’m here for a social visit.
“It’s so nice of you and Choppa to have me, Reenie.”
“You’re always welcome in our home, Gigi. You always have been. It’s been too long.” Her eyes twinkle. “Mack told me a little bit about what’s going on, so I won’t say I’m happy about the circumstances that brought you, but I sure am glad you’re here. And who’s this?” she asks, kneeling down to the carrier.
“That’s Tedward. He’s not —”
But before I can finish warning her, Reenie has opened the carrier and Ted comes strutting out. She holds out a hand, and he inspects it for a second, then rubs his face against it.
“How are you all doing that?” I mutter to Mack. He just grins.
“Choppa will be home in a little while,” Mack tells his mom, then turns to me. “I need to go do some stuff yet tonight. You’re in good hands now.”
“You come for dinner tomorrow,” Reenie says. “I’ll make one of your favorites.”
“I’ll try,” Mack promises. “I’ll text you if it looks like I won’t make it.”
“I think I’ll go unpack,” I say. “Is that okay?”
“Sure is. Your room is the last one on the right. It’s all made up for you.”
I start down the hallway. Reenie and Choppa’s home looks exactly the way I remembered it. It’s like a time capsule in here. As I disappear into my room, I hear Mack saying goodbye to his mom. “You take care of her, you hear me?”
“She’ll be fine,” Reenie tells him. “That girl needs some rest and some home cooking. She’s looking a little thin.”
The next morning when I wake up, I’m still full from dinner the night before. Reenie wasn’t kidding about trying to fatten me up. If I stay here too long, I’ll need to go shopping for some bigger clothes.
The house is quiet when I get up, and I soon see why. In the kitchen, I find a note from Reenie, saying she’s gone out grocery shopping. She leaves instructions for the coffee maker, and I gratefully make myself half a carafe.
Settling in with my coffee for a few minutes of social media scrolling, I’m trying to decide what to do with my day when I get a text from an unknown number.
Hey, Gigi, my name is Ryan Johnson. I’m a friend of Kelli Wartburg’s. I’m a tattoo artist, but I’m getting out of the business. Kelli said you might be interested in buying some of my equipment for a good price.
Huh. Kelli Wartburg? That’s sort of strange. I haven’t talked to her in quite a while. Still, I am always on the lookout for good opportunities to upgrade what I have. I type in a reply with one thumb.
Hey! What do you have available?
Ryan lists a few items and tells me how much he’s hoping to sell them for. It just so happens that one of them is a really cool collapsible table that I’ve been hoping to get my hands on for a while. At the price he’s offering, it’s a steal if it’s in good condition. I agree to meet him, and he gives me a time and a place.
It’s only after I’ve confirmed the appointment that I remember I’m theoretically not supposed to leave the house without protection. It’s only be a quick errand, though. Mack wouldn’t have to even know about it.
But then I remember that I don’t actually have transportation. My bus has been confiscated by the Royal Bastards, and my car is at home in my garage.
Feeling guilty that I was considering deceiving him, I call Mack and tell him about my predicament. He sounds preoccupied, but says he’ll send a prospect over with a vehicle big enough to hold the equipment in case I decide to buy anything. Half an hour later, the doorbell rings. I check the peephole. A youngish, scruffy-looking guy who matches the photo Mack sent me waits on the doorstep.
“Hi, I’m Tramp,” he says when I open the door. “Mack sent me.”
I bite my lip, amused at how much the nickname fits him. But he seems nice enough. In the car, Tramp asks me for the address, and says Mack wants me to text it to him as well. I do so while he drives.
When we get to the address, it turns out to be not a house like I expected, but an industrial-looking building. “Maybe it’s artist lofts or something,” I say to Tramp. He shrugs. A couple of cars are in the parking lot on the far side of the building, but they’ve both got a coating of dust on them that makes it look like they’ve been there for a while. Tramp and I get out and start walking toward our best guess at the main entrance. I text the guy we’re supposed to be meeting, saying that we’re here. He doesn’t answer.
“Maybe he’s running late,” Tramp suggests just as he pulls open the front door.
“Or maybe this is…”
Behind us, there’s a loud boom.
We jump and turn around just in time to see Tramp’s car explode.
“Ambush!” he yells. “Run!”
We sprint toward the building. Once we’re in the door I take off running as fast as I can, not looking back to see if Tramp is following me. Pushing open a fire door to a stairwell, I duck inside. The door slams behind me as I run up two flights. I peer through the narrow window of the door onto the third floor, which looks empty. I push through, being careful not to let this door make any noise this time. I tiptoe onto the floor, breathing as quietly as I can. The building seems deserted. But just then, loud noises from below tell me someone has arrived.
And I’m pretty sure I know who it is.
I race through the third floor, trying doors, but every one is locked, until finally I find a women’s restroom that isn’t. I push inside, rushing into a far stall and locking the door behind me. Panting, I send a text to Mack:
Its an ambush blaze is coming for us help
I press send, hoping desperately that Mack will see the text in time.
Footsteps sound outside in the corridor. I climb up on the toilet, hold my breath, and start to pray.
The footsteps stop. The door opens.
“Imagine that.” Blaze’s amused voice cuts through the silence. “All this time, I’ve been trying to get to you. And in the end, you come right to me.”