Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
Selkie
Eight looks like he’s been to hell and back as the guys come out of the meeting room.
“What happened?” I ask.
“Nothin’,” he replies. “I told Hangman you and I were together permanently and he shrugged it off.”
I lift the corner of my lip. “That’s bullshit. You should get that room soundproofed. A deaf person could’ve heard him shouting.”
Hash shoots Selkie a narrow glance then walks outside.
“I think he’s afraid of you,” I murmur.
The kids, who arrived while Eight was in church, are eyeing us with varying expressions of curiosity.
Eight looks at them, then me. “We should go, get them home. Henri and Oscar probably need to pass out.”
It’s true. They’re both sitting on the couch, Brielle between them, quiet as rocks. Henri yawns.
“Yeah,” I agree. I look at my watch. “Fuck, we didn’t get my car out of impound. And now it’s closed.”
Eight shrugs. “We’ll get it out tomorrow.”
I feel my frustration rising. “And how am I going to get home?”
Eight looks at me like I’ve grown an extra head. “You’ll stay with me for the night.”
My head, heart, and loins say yes, but the idiot inside my mouth says, “Henri needs her own bed.”
Eight takes a long look at me, like I’ve somehow betrayed him, then nods. “I’ll give you a ride home.”
“I’m tired of you giving me rides everywhere. I don’t like being so dependent.”
“Mom,” Henri calls from the couch. “Could we just go home.”
Oscar pipes up. “You could take us home, dad. You got the bike, so we can go where we need to. Selkie can borrow the truck.”
I’m about to protest, but Henri says, “Good idea.”
So instead, I murmur, “Jesus Christ, they’re agreeing with each other.”
“Yeah,” Eight replies. “Let’s get moving before they realize it.”
After Eight and Oscar are dropped off, I head home. Henri is sitting beside me quiet and half-asleep.
I need her alert so when I tell mom about the tattoo, I’ll be able to hide behind the kid. “I had to use your toothbrush. Sorry about that.”
It works. “You used my toothbrush! That is the grossest thing ever.”
“I didn’t have one and I was at Eight’s.”
She slaps her head and groans. “Why didn’t you use Eight’s?”
“Eventually, maybe. But too soon in the relationship to swap spit that way.”
“And speaking of that, of all the men you could choose, why did you have to decide that Oscar’s dad was your boyfriend. It’s gonna be horrible.”
“It’s not gonna be horrible,” I protest. “Think of all the fun we’ll have. Going camping. Chasing bad guys. Eating at buffets. Sneaking around in the middle of the night.”
She covers her face. “I can’t. I just can’t,” her voice cracks.
“Sorry, my little porcupine, but you’re gonna have to.”
“You’re not getting married, are you?”
I shake my head. “Maybe in a couple of years. Thinking we’ll move in together first.”
“When?” she croaks like I’m threatening to kill her.
“Not right away. Six months or so. We all gotta get comfortable with each other.”
Henri cross her arms and looks out the window. “I will never get comfortable.”
That’s probably true. We lapse into silence and stay that way until we get home.
When we get inside, Brambles comes roaring up to us, bypassing me and slobbering kisses all over Henri. She kneels down and squeezes him against her. “I’ve just got the horriblest news. You’re not gonna like it either, Brambles.”
I roll my eyes as mom comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “What’s wrong with you two? Close the door.”
Henri slams it shut and stalks into the kitchen. “Gramma, mom has something to tell you.”
I follow her, go to the fridge, grab a beer, open it and guzzle half of it as I lean against the counter. I let out a burp.
Mom doesn’t call me on it because she’s distracted by Henri. “What are you wearing?”
“Don’t you mean, who?” I joke.
Mom gives me a mad mom look.
I sigh. “She’s wearing a gangbanger’s shirt.”
Mom overlooks where the shirt came from and asks, “Why?”
Henri smirks at me then pulls up the sleeve and sticks out her arms. “Because I got inked.”
I roll my eyes. “My little girl is growing up to be her own little gangbanger.”
Mom grabs Henri’s arms and inspects the tattoo, then turns to me. “It’s pretty good. Who did it?”
Henri’s face falls because she expected a horrified reaction out of mom. She tries again. “A gangbanger did it.”
Mom’s mouth drops open and she twists around and glares at me. “You let a gangbanger give Henri a tattoo. What’s wrong with you?”
I polish off my beer. “Now you’re pissed off? Because of who gave her the tat? Don’t you think maybe she shouldn’t have gotten inked at all?”
Mom seems like she’s torn between the nice artwork and the truth of my statement. “So why did you let her?” she snaps at me.
“Wait a sec. I’m still thirsty.” I grab another beer and take a long swallow. I’m starting to feel woozy from the alcohol and lack of sleep. I decide to sit down before I fall over.
“Quit drinking my beer.”
I glance at the bottle. “You don’t drink beer.”
“No, but Trevor does.”
I’m afraid to ask, but I do anyway. “And who is Trevor?”
“Trevor,” mom says with a smile, “Is the new bouncer at the club.”
Groan. “You’re dating another bouncer?”
“Are we gonna have to pretend I’m your niece again, Gramma?” Henri says, thinking the conversation is well and truly deflected.
“Maybe,” mom says. “We’re not a couple but I plan to invite him over and make a nice meal and give him a beer. See where it goes.” She frowns at me, then Henri. “And quit distracting me.”
I don’t point out that she was the one who distracted herself.
Henri yawns like she hasn’t yawned in years. “I should go to bed. I’m so tired.”
“Sit down!” mom and I say together.
Henri pouts and sits.
“Tell her, Henri. Everything. Especially why you went to gramma’s bar and ratted her out to Tyler.” Yes, I’m not above throwing the kid under the bus.
Henri sucks in her breath as she kicks me in the shin. She’s losing her touch. It barely hurt.
Mom sits down and taps her fingers on the table as she looks at Henri expectantly. “Yes, I’m interested in knowing how you conned Tyler into giving you a ride to Reno.”
“And don’t forget pickpocketing from mom’s regulars.” I smirk at Henri. She glares at me.
Mom sighs. “You know, it was never gonna work out with Tyler anyway. I don’t I think could trust him enough to be with him permanently.”
I roll my eyes. “Says the woman who lied about her age and her relationship with her daughter and granddaughter.”
Mom doesn’t acknowledge me. “And my regulars were pretty happy when Eight paid them back. He gave them a lot more money than Henri stole.”
“I didn’t steal the money,” Henri exclaims. “Oscar did!”
“I like Oscar,” mom says, dismissing the fact that Oscar has criminal tendencies. “When he was here, you’re mom and I debated over whether we should keep him.”
Henri’s eyes widen. “You did not!”
“Well, I had to talk some sense into your mom. I made her go get you.”
“Not true. I was already going to get you.”
“You were lazing in bed when I talked to you.”
“Yeah, yeah. But there was no rush.”
Mom turns her attention to Henri. “Thief, tattoo, gangbanger. Go.”
Henri does, explaining her adventures, what happened and why. I add a few details especially when she gets precariously close to blaming me for the events.
Mom listens without interrupting which means Henri’s a good storyteller or Mom’s zoned out.
Henri finishes with, “And now mom and Eight are together. He even let her drive us home in his truck.”
“Where’s your car?”
“Impound,” I say.
“Are you moving out then?” Mom asks with a bit too much anticipation in her voice.
“Not yet. We’re taking it slow.”
She looks disappointed. “How long do you think that will be?”
I’ve been living with mom since Henri was born. No one wants me to move out more than me, except for mom. “Eight and I think we should give Henri and Oscar time to adjust to the idea of living together under the same roof.”
“I will never adjust!” Henri shouts.
Mom says to me, “You aren’t leaving her here.”
There goes plan A.