Chapter Nine
Grizz
A door closing wakes me. My eyes pop open, and I make out Snapper through the dim lighting, so I sit up.
He must’ve just gotten out of the shower…
That’s his routine. As soon as he comes in, he goes right into the bathroom down here to wash up.
I’m kind of mad I didn’t hear him come in—that’s dangerous. Next time I’ll just have to stay awake.
“Hey, Snapper.”
“Did your house burn down?” he asks.
“Nah. Just like knowing she’s safe.”
“I have a security system,” he snaps, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.
“That ain’t gonna stop someone from shooting her,” I say defensively as I stand.
He can’t really think that measly alarm system is going to save her life.
All it’s going to do is alert him that they’re here.
None of us would make it here in time to save her.
I scratch the back of my neck, nerves making my stomach heavy.
I’ve been thinking about telling him this for a while, and Anastacia and I have even talked about it. “You, uh… should let her stay with me.”
“Excuse me?” he seethes, his voice low and deep. You’d think I just insulted his mama.
“I think she’ll be safer.”
“How the fuck does that make sense?”
If I don’t give him all the reasons why this is a good idea, he’s going to lose his shit and not hear me out at all.
“Well, for one, I’m not the one who walked out of there with her. You’ll be the first one they go after to find her.”
“They haven’t come here,” he argues with a shake of his head.
I say nothing to that, and instead, add more to my case.
“I also have my brother and sister-in-law living with me now. So she’d never be alone.”
His frown is deep. “When the fuck did that happen?”
He seems genuinely confused, but I know I told him about this.
“About a month ago. I told everyone about it at Church because Tommy was thinking about joining.”
“He’s a cop,” he spits out.
“He was a cop,” I correct. “He’s retired.”
Snapper shakes his head. He doesn’t want to hear anything I have to say.
When he stays quiet for a while, I throw my last bomb, knowing I may have to run for cover.
“She said she wants to.”
I watch his face change from annoyance to fury.
“Why the fuck would she want that?” he hisses, stepping closer to me. For a moment, I think he and I are going to duke it out right here in his living room, with him only in a towel.
That would be… interesting.
I hold my hands up, letting him know I’m not trying to fight with him or anything.
“She didn’t wanna tell you, but she doesn’t like being here in the middle of the woods by herself while you’re gone all day. She’s scared.”
“The whole town is in the middle of the woods,” he spits out, taking another step closer.
I knew Snapper would get mad about this. He doesn’t like when things are changed or when responsibilities are taken from him. It’s like he’s offended and thinks it means he fucked up or something.
“You don’t have to get upset, Snapper. You didn’t do anything wrong,” I tell him.
His eyes widen. “Fuck you.”
I sigh. This is going nowhere. He’s never going to agree, but at least he knows. So when I come back tomorrow to collect her things and take her to my house, he won’t be surprised. Maybe he’ll have accepted it by then.
“Look, we’re trying to do the same thing here, okay? Do you, uh… like her or something?”
Honestly, I’m not really sure why I ask that question.
I mean, I know why I ask—because I want to know. But that’s not the sort of question you ask Snapper.
He holds my gaze, then he starts to laugh.
And I know I’m really in trouble. Him laughing? It ain’t like normal people laughing. He doesn’t do funny…
“Do I like her?” he repeats, then laughs again. “Do I like her?”
“It’s just a question, man,” I say, ready to defend myself. I don’t want to fight him. He’s smaller than me, but he’s crazy. I put nothing past him.
He steps all the way to me, and I try like hell not to flinch.
It’s not that I’m scared of him, but I don’t want to do anything to make him think I want this.
I don’t. I don’t want to fight with him.
We are on the same side. We’re doing the same thing.
We can work as a team. He saved her, and that’s huge, but maybe that’s the part he was supposed to play in this, and now he’s done.
“No, Grizz. I don’t fucking like her,” he says in a low voice. “Wanna know why?” he adds, which confuses the fuck out of me. Is there something wrong with her? “I like cock.”
I don’t mean to react the way I do, but damn… that’s not the bomb I was expecting to be dropped on me tonight.
Snapper… likes men?
I’m surprised, is all. Really surprised. It’s the last thing I ever expected him to say.
“Uh,” is what finally comes out of my mouth. When I realize how awkward that is, I try to cover it up with a cough and add, “That’s cool.”
He laughs again, shaking his head.
“Fuck you,” he mutters, giving me his back.
“Why do you have to be like that, Snapper?” I ask. “I didn’t even do anything. You’re fucking mean all the time and for no reason.”
“We’re all mean, Grizz. Quit being such a bitch,” he says over his shoulder.
“No, we’re all assholes, Snapper. You’re a fucking dick.
” My anger is getting the best of me now.
I’ve been nice this whole time. I’m trying to help and be a team player, and he just has to be so goddamn mean.
“You’re mean for no reason. You treat everyone like shit, then get mad when we do it back. ”
He stops on the bottom step and looks over at me.
I add, “Yeah, we can be mean to each other, but deep down, we all care about each other. We’re a family, man.”
“You got your period or something?” he spits out.
This wall he has up? Impenetrable.
I’ve never met anyone who can hurt you with their words the way Snapper can. He knows the exact tone to use to make you feel like shit, and the exact words to pair it with for maximum damage.
I ignore the way his comment hurts, remembering why I don’t let out the nice side in front of people. They always have something to say about it. Like because I’m some big scary dude in a motorcycle club, I can’t have feelings?
Anastacia doesn’t do that.
No the fuck she doesn’t. Which makes her even more perfect.
“Whatever. I was just trying to help.” I head toward the door but stop before I get too far and turn back to him.
I expect him to be up the stairs already, so I’m a little surprised to find him there watching me.
I’m glad he is though, because I want him to hear what I have to say.
“I don’t care who you like, Snapper, but I do care about you.
And maybe that’s stupid to say because I’m supposed to be this big tough motorcycle club guy who kills people or some shit, but it’s important to know people care about you.
” Stereotypes are for the birds. I pause for just a moment, then add, “I’ll be by tomorrow to get Anastacia. ”
I make sure the door is locked when I leave.