Chapter 9
Jules
“ D o we need any more men on the ground?” Gus asks.
“Marx and Lovely will be at the Happy Values main office. Their interview with Candice Rogers is at 11am. Sniper, Savage and Switch will be shadowing them, leaving Rhodie, Judge, Tank and Rider to sit tight in the diner. We have Wire and Remy working offsite surveillance. Dayz will be onsite in the van. We have access to all CCTV coming in and out of town, and the security cameras on the buildings surrounding the diner,” Tav answers, staring down at his tablet. “Moss has commandeered four parking spaces for “road works” to keep them clear until our surveillance vehicles park there tomorrow.”
“Fox and Nitro will be working the port as Roman’s employees,” I add, looking at my own tablet, checking off my to do list. It may sound lame as hell but I like routine, schedules and deadlines.
We run things as tight as we can. Any lapse or holes in our surveillance could be the difference between getting those kids out of there and never finding them, which is not a fucking option.
“Good. Ana had Dayz and Wire go through earlier. Roman wasn’t happy about having some of his trucks wired up, but he’d rather that than have the port shut down due to trafficking. It’s already on thin ice with the amount of drugs that have been found passing through. Innocent kids would shut down the whole operation,” Gus says, staring at his computer. “Who have we got placing trackers on the truck once it comes in?”
Tav and I look at each other. So far I haven’t pulled in my team yet. These guys are all ex-military, but prefer to stay on the right side of the law. This particular job is happening off the books, and my siblings and I would like to keep it that way.
“Dex and Flack will be on hand to place the trackers. TumTum and Chef will be ‘working’ in the kitchen, so will be on hand if we need them,” Dayz answers, her eyes not leaving her laptop screen.
“How the fuck did the MC pull that off?” Gus asks.
Dayz shrugs, “Easy. Paid her to let TumTum and Chef hang out in her kitchen, and the rest of the MC sit at her tables all day.”
“She’s a nice lady. Has a couple of kids, bought the diner with an inheritance from her grandmother or something,” Tav says.
“Works well for us. Have we got any other intel?” Gus settles back into his office chair, the leather creaking under his weight.
“Wire’s following a money trail. He can’t be too sure but he thinks Happy Values is working with someone within organised crime. He just doesn’t know who,” Dayz answers.
I chew this over. It can’t be the cartel, Roman took care of them. Savage’s old club aren’t up to fuck all these days so that rules them out. Maybe we have a new player or one of the many Louisiana crime families are dipping their toes in our waters? Regardless of who it is, it looks like we’re going to have to get the information the old fashioned way - information gathering, undercover work and maybe checking in with some of my contacts on the street. Most people look at street folk and see them as pests, I look at them and see them as the eyes and ears of the city. They know shit no one else knows.
“Good. Looks like we’ve got this covered. I’m meeting with Dansen tonight. I’ll give him a progress report.” Gus always does the FBI meetings. He’s better at staying cool under pressure. I’ve dealt with Dansen once before and I wanted to punch his face in. “Now fuck off and go do some work,” Gus grins, effectively kicking us out.
I don’t really give two shits. I’ve been distracted since Violet and Juno came to visit me at lunch. It wasn’t a surprise as Vi had let me know they would be leaving the house and where they were going, but still. It was nice to sit and talk over sandwiches while Juno stared and frowned and then slept in her carseat. Having watched my siblings do the same thing with their families I never really saw the appeal. But once I had a taste of it I wanted more. Now we have lunch every time Vi and Juno run errands.
Heading back to my office I settle into my chair and let my devices sync. My siblings think my lists and spreadsheets are over the top but I don’t give a shit. Opening my desk drawer I take out my burner phone and send a mass text to my street contacts letting them know we’re running an operation tomorrow at the diner. Giving them a heads up not only lets them know to stay away, so as not to get caught in any shit if things were to take a turn, but it also puts them on alert to keep their eyes and ears open. I know that if anything looks fucked up they’ll let me know in real time.
I know the MC often wonders how I made these contacts in the first place. I’m an unapproachable bastard at the best of times but this was a case of right time, right place. Turns out all it takes to gain trust is to listen and treat them as people. Probably helps that I’ve set up tabs at the diner, the medical center, a motel in town and the grocery store so they can have access to everything they need. I once tried to offer them permanent accommodation but they all refused, preferring to be free to come and go as they please. I’ll never know what it’s like to live with that level of freedom. I need rules, routines. Predictability.
Unfortunately since Juno and Vi entered my life I’ve had less and less of what I crave. And yet, I don’t feel out of control or like I’m spiraling. I feel … I don’t know how I feel. Shit. Maybe I’m just tired and overthinking. I’ve been up almost 24hours, the couch was hard as a fucking rock so even after Violet went to bed last night, I couldn’t get much shut eye. Letting out a long breath I shut down my laptop, grab my shit and make my way into the elevator, not looking back.
It’s crazy but with our operation tomorrow I’m actually looking forward to going home. Even if Violet still seemed a little bummed this morning when we got Juno up and ready for the day. She looked like she’d been crying too, and I don’t know what it is, but I swear to god if I see that Josh guy I’m going to make him pay. Violet is more than her background. She’s beautiful and fierce and strong. She’s no fucking angel, stubborn as hell, unafraid and unapologetic, but she’s still someone that deserves respect and not a fucking dickhead like Josh .
Shaking off the thought I head out the door. I got two people I wanna see.
Violet
“And then little missy, do you know what he said? He said that I, I, was not classy. Like what the actual?” Juno frowns up at me and it makes my lips twitch, “I know! That’s what I thought too!” I scoop her up out of her little bouncy seat and jiggle her in my arms, dancing around a little, just being silly gooses.
After waking up this morning wrapped up in Jules’ very grey bedding, and his panty melting scent, I remembered that Josh was a dick and I was a wimp and then I had another cry. I know that Jules could tell I was upset over lunch, and I’m glad he decided to try and ignore my red puffy eyes. He frowned a lot everytime he looked at me, but I spend all day with his frowny daughter so it didn’t faze me too much.
“It’s just that I guess I built this whole life up in my head, you know what I mean?” Juno, in fact, does not know what I mean. “Looking back I can see now that what I thought was him being career focused, was actually him not wanting to hang out with me. Unless he had a dinner party or drinks where he wanted to parade me around. I don’t even know why I’m so cut up! We were together for six months and most weeks we only saw each other once, maybe twice if I was lucky. What the hell possessed me to date a ham sandwich of a man and not recognise a relationship that had the expiration date of old milk?” Juno looks up at me with her dark brows pinched before letting out a little sigh and I’m damn sure she rolled her eyes at me too. “Rude,” I whisper to her before dropping a kiss to the top of her head.
I move Juno to my hip, pick up the remote and then fiddle with it to bring up some latin music on Spotify. Nothing makes a girl feel better than bitching to her friends, in this case Juno, and then dancing out the sad with some good beats. Or so Mom says. It’s something she would do when we were kids if we had a rough day. She always knew when something was up with us, so as a family we’d all surround the dining table, hash out what was going on, and then dance the rest away.
I crank the music up as loud as I think little ears can safely listen to, take one of her chubby hands in mine and dance us around the living room salsa style. There’s hip swiveling and booty shaking, a little shoulder shimmy that makes Juno smile wide. I do it again and she throws her head back and lets out a squeal and a breathless honking noise.
“Holy shit! Did she just laugh?” A deep voice booms out over the music, making me spin toward the door and almost crap my pants in unison. Before I can yell at Jules for scaring the shit out of me he drops his stuff on the floor, strides up to us and eyes wide in wonder, whispers, “Do it again.”
I hold Juno to my chest, one little hand in mine as I shoulder shimmy and dip her slightly. Her head tips back, dark hair flying as she grins wide and lets out another squeal and a breathless honk. I bring her back to upright and her baby chuckles have Jules and I sharing wide grins, both of us marvelling at little Miss Grumpy Pants’ laughter.
He clears his throat and before he can back out I hand her over to him, his large hands brushing against mine as we exchange the little girl from my arms to his. As soon as Juno is wrapped up in his strong embrace she buries her face in the space between his collarbone and jaw, twisting her head this way and that, as if she’s trying to burrow into him. He looks at me as if to ask how to get her to laugh, so I roll my eyes, take one of his hands in mine and start dancing, wiggling my hips, shuffling my feet in the salsa dance frame. Before long I have Jules shuffling this way and that with me, his body a little looser.
“Now shimmy, Jules!” I yell, shaking my shoulders, leaning forward and back.
He glances down at the little girl in his arms, staring at him as if he hung the moon and he shimmies. Well, kinda rocks and wiggles before making the same motion and tipping Juno slightly. As expected she throws her head back and squeals before breaking out into peels of laughter.
I laugh along with her then throw my hands up in the air, letting the music and joy flow through me. Flora was right, this beats moping around over an unsweetened oatmeal man.
“Shit, I didn’t know we were having a dance party!” Pops’ voice booms as he pulls Mama Debs through the door with him by the hand, and starts wiggling in front of her as if he was trying to get out of a sleeping bag without using his arms.
Jules and I share a wide-eyed look as Pops starts shaking very close and very low to Mama Debs before wiggling his way back to standing. He grips her ample ass with both hands and then pulls her into him, Lambada style. A snort escapes me, then a little giggle and I try to cover it with a cough but it’s too late. Jules has already seen and rolls his lips between his teeth. His shoulders are shaking and he buries his face in Juno’s shoulder, trying to hide his giggles.
The song comes to an end and Pops dips Debs low, before kissing her. Well, more like devouring her, both of them finally breaking the kiss, a little breathless.
“Thank you for the dance, my love.”
“Sid Tombs, you are a silly man,” Mama Debs says, hitting him on the shoulder as he pulls her to standing, looking a little flushed. “Anyway,” she says looking around the room. “We came over to take Juno back to ours for a sleepover. We have Jr, Cove, Elio and Sage tonight, so figured grandkiddo sleepover it is. Is that OK with you, Jules? You can get some rest for your big job tomorrow.”
My eyes flick to Jules at the thought of him going on a job. I don’t know why or when it happened, but over the past few months the thought of him going out to make things safer for others, and being hurt causes me to worry. My stomach clenches thinking about Juno and what would happen to her if Jules was hurt or worse. She already has a mom who isn’t around. I can’t imagine her not having a dad as well.
“Um yeah, sounds good. I’ll get her things ready,” he says, tightening his arms around her a little.
“No need, I’ll do it,” I offer.
“Just the stuff she’ll need for tonight, Violet, we have a crib and spare diapers and things. We’ll just need her PJs and whatever else she likes to have in the evening,” Mama Debs adds.
I make my way to Juno’s room and smile at the changes that have happened over the time I’ve worked for Jules Tombs. When I first arrived Juno’s room was as expected when a kid turns up randomly out of the blue. The furniture is plain white, the crib and changing table matching the dresser and a big, blue, soft rocking chair in the corner. But that’s not what makes it a room for a loved little girl. There have been plushies turning up out of the blue every now and then. I know it’s Jules buying them because there’s no theme or rhyme or reason. They’re just things I think he sees and thinks Juno will like. He loves his little girl but I’m unsure if he knows this.
He never refers to her as his daughter, or anything really other than her name or “the baby”. He has started talking to her a little more, but it’s more a commentary of what he’s doing as he’s doing it. No baby talk or high pitched voice, just the man communicating with a baby that has stolen his heart.
I live for the day when it finally dawns on him. It’s one of the reasons I like to hang around for a while when he gets home. When I first met him I thought he was a cold asshole, but much like Chewy, they feel deep. They’re just not sure how to get it out.
Gus and Ana’s voices add to the voices in the living room so I double check that Juno has everything and take it out to a waiting Pops and Mama Debs. I mean, it won’t be the end of the world if I’ve forgotten anything, it’s not like Pops can’t come next door for it.
“Hey Vi!” Ana in her accent says cheerily, looking more than excited for a night without Jr. From our conversations he isn’t the best sleeper even though he’s around seven months now. They’ve taken to co-sleeping and I just know that Ana is more than ready to spend a full night in bed with her man and no Jr in there with them.
“Big plans for tonight then?” I ask with a smirk.
She throws her head back and lets out a belly laugh before dropping a kiss on first Pops’ cheek, then her mom’s, and then 20 kisses for Jr before taking Gus by the hand and dragging him out the door without a word.
I laugh at the sight and then start to pack my things while Jules begrudgingly hands over Juno .
“Vi, when you arrive tomorrow just come straight to the big house, we can have breakfast before you and Juno start your day, ne, kotiro ?”
I smile at Mama Debs and give her a quick hug as she and Pops head out the door. I pick up the overnight bag I brought with me last night and head toward the door until Jules’ deep voice stops me in my tracks.
“Please stay.”