Chapter 15
Two Days Before Christmas
NICK
“Nick? Nick, wake up.”
I’m staring into Cheryl’s face leaning over me, gently nudging my shoulder.
“Did you sleep out here all night?” she asks.
I push myself up on my elbows. It’s daylight, and I’m on the patio.
“You were yelling in your sleep. Something about you being alone.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I was alone in the foyer. You and Portia disappeared when I touched you.” I eye the full bottle of bourbon on the table. My wicked dreams were not alcohol-fueled. They were real, and I have to prevent my fucked-up future.
“Are you all right?” Cheryl furrows her brow.
“Yes. No.” I touch her arm, and she doesn’t disappear. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t look too good. Are you sick?”
“Are you one of the ghosts too?”
“What ghosts?” She narrows her eyes. “Are you sure you feel all right?”
I swing my legs over the cushion and stare up at her. “Who are you supposed to be?”
“I think you better go up to bed and lay down.”
“No, no, I don’t wanna sleep. Every time I sleep, I see the ghosts.”
“Nick, what are you talking about?” She rests her palm on my forehead. “It doesn’t seem like you have a fever.”
I pull her down on the couch next to me. “Last night after I came out here, I was visited by three ghosts. Samson took me back to the past when I was a kid. It was way worse than I remember. The Grim Reaper showed me my future.” I shiver. “And your father showed me what’s going on right now.”
“My father? He’s in Los Angeles.”
“I know, it wasn’t him. It was his ghost.” I drag my fingers through my hair. “I know it all sounds crazy, but it really happened.”
“Sounds like you had a nightmare.”
“It was way more than a nightmare . . . It was real, and it happened right here on the patio.”
She rests her hand on my shoulder. “Okay, just calm down.”
“I’m not fuckin’ crazy. It really happened. Like a warning.” I bolt off the couch. “Where’s Portia?”
“Upstairs in her room.”
“Are you sure? Pierce threatened to send her away.”
“Graham Pierce?”
“Everything was so fucked up. I thought I’d never see you again.” I hold her in my arms. “I’m awake, right?”
“Yes, but . . . you’re scaring me.”
“There’s no reason to be scared, ‘cause from now on, everything is going to be right. I have to talk to Portia. Tell her I’m sorry I missed her concert and all the other shit.”
“She’s fine.”
“No, she’s not. I saw her crying in her bed the other night. You were there comforting her.”
“You weren’t even home.” Cheryl’s eyes widen. “She didn’t want me to tell you. How did you know?”
“Your father, the Ghost of Christmas Present, showed me.” I turn to face her. “There’s no fuckin’ way I’m letting that bastard Graham take what’s mine just so I can end up shoving blow up my nose with hookers.”
“You’re not making any sense.” Her brow furrows. “Are you sure you don’t have a fever?” She reaches for me, but I evade her.
“Never better, babe, never better. And I’m gonna make sure no one takes my family away.” I storm into the house and wave my arms around the rooms. “The place looks great.”
Portia comes down the steps with the same look of confusion, so I meet her halfway and gather her into my arms. “From now on, I’m not missing any more things at school. I promise.”
“It’s okay, I know you’re busy and—”
I set her down on the bottom step and bend to her level. “No, it’s not okay, and I know it makes you sad.”
Portia looks to Cheryl.
“Your mother didn’t tell me anything. It’s just something I know, ‘cause I’m your dad, and I’m gonna start acting like your dad.”
I spin away from her, open the front door, and step out into the cool morning air, feeling alive and free for the first time in a long time. I wave to my neighbor on his driveway, then bolt across the street. “Hi.” I hold out my hand, and we shake. “Nick Sinclair, we live across the street.”
“Nice to meet you. I always thought Cheryl and Portia lived there alone.”
“Nope, and from now on, I’m gonna be here more often. Much more often.” I grip the guy’s shoulder, and he throws me a skeptical look. “As a matter of fact, we’re having a holiday party next week for all the neighbors, and we’d love you and your family to come.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely, everyone’s invited.”
“Okay, sure, fine.” He nods slowly. “We’ll be there.”
“Merry Christmas,” I shout over my shoulder.
I don’t know what the fuck his name is, but he gives me a confused smile then heads for his car in the driveway.
On my way back up the lawn, I see my next-door neighbor fixing his inflatable reindeer. I don’t know his fuckin’ name either, but who cares? It’s the holidays.
“Hey,” I stick out my hand, “Nick Sinclair. I live next door, and we’re having a holiday party next week. Don’t miss it. We’re inviting all the neighbors.”
“Okay.” He nods and gives me the same skeptical look as the guy across the street, then goes back to wrestling with Rudolph.
Cheryl’s waiting for me at the door. “Did I just hear you ask Jason from across the street and Mike next door to a holiday party here next week?”
“Yeah, and you better call Marcel Caterers today. And make sure we get plenty of waitstaff, ‘cause I want you to enjoy the party. Oh, and ice sculptures too.”
“Okaaaay.”
“Why are you giving me a funny look? This is what you wanted, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“The neighbors seemed a little confused too, but you can iron out all the details with them later.”
“The neighbors probably seemed confused ‘cause normally you go out of your way to ignore them. Your exact words last week were, ‘I don’t have time for these pussy-whipped guys.’”
“That’s all changed. You wanna have a party, have a party. You wanna invite seventy-five people? Shit, invite a hundred. You wanna buy another tree? Go ahead. Fill the house with trees; I don’t give a shit, as long as you and Portia are with me.”
“Yes, but you said next week will be your busiest week at the club and that—”
“Forget what I said.” I wave my arms around the foyer. “Fuck the club.”
“Nick, did you hit your head?”
I grab up her hands. “You were right all along.”
“I was?”
“Yeah, we should get to know our neighbors. After all, it’s Christmas.”
“Right.” She lifts her brow.
“Don’t look at me like I’m fuckin’ crazy.”
“I’m not; it’s just you’re usually . . .”
“Not fun, not happy, not here?” I wrap my arms around her waist and spin her around. “That’s all gonna change. You’ll see.”
I set her down, then whip out my phone and swipe Samson’s number.
After a few rings, he picks up. “Yeah?”
“We’re gonna take off Christmas Eve and Christmas.”
“Nick?”
“Who the fuck do you think it is?”
“Yesterday you said they were the two busiest nights of the year and that—”
“Forget what I said, just take the days. Give you some time to spend with Lisbeth.”
“Are you sure?”
I gaze at the tree in the foyer. “You can use a day off, right?”
“Sure, but . . .”
“I’m gonna take the days too.”
“You are?”
“Yeah, I think the place can survive two nights without us.”
“Are you feeling all right?”
“Why does everybody keep asking me that?”
“‘Cause this isn’t like you. It doesn’t even really sound like you. I mean, you sound so . . . happy.”
“That’s ‘cause I am.” I turn away from Portia and Cheryl, head to the back of the house, and lower my voice. “Listen, there’s something else—Jax was the one who sold us out to Pierce.” I grip the phone tighter. “He’s been working with that bastard for the last four months.”
“How do you know?”
“Last night I had a visit from—I just know, all right?”
“You’re sure?”
“Pierce took our weakest link and leaned on him till he snapped, but part of it was my fault.”
“Your fault?” Samson asks.
“He had some good ideas about the club. I should’ve at least listened to him. Instead, I blew him off ‘cause I was too busy.”
“How do you wanna handle it?”
“I’m gonna contact Jax and tell him I wanna see him today at my house. I want you here too. I want all this wrapped up before tomorrow, ‘cause I plan on spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with Portia and Cheryl without any bullshit.”
“What do you wanna do about Pierce?”
“Graham Pierce is another issue.”
“We gotta make sure he doesn’t follow through on his takeover,” Samson adds.
“Oh, don’t worry, that’s not gonna happen. I’m gonna make a quick call to Cobra. Nobody knows how to deal with a snake better than the Serpents MC.”
“Shit, I still can’t believe it was Jax who folded.”
“I know, that’s why I want you here too when I set him straight.”
“You think we’ll have a problem with him?”
“Nah, he not dangerous, just misguided.”
“I’m looking forward to watching that bastard Pierce squirm.”
“Don’t worry, that fucker will feel us for all the shit he tried to do, and all the shit he did to me and Cheryl in the future.”
“The future?”
“I’ll explain later, but let’s just say, we’re gonna expose him for the piece of shit he is, then we’re gonna hand him over to the Serpents. Nothing says ‘fuck you’ like an outlaw MC.”
“Can’t wait to give that fucker what he deserves.”
“It was you who saw what Pierce was about all along,” I say. “I was blinded by the money, but that’s all gonna change.”
“Just don’t change too much.”
“Nah, but thanks to your ghost last night, I was reminded of where I came from and the sacrifices we both made.”
“Ghost? Last night? How much whiskey did you drink at the Gold Mine?”
“It had nothing to do with booze.” I peek into the kitchen where Cheryl and Portia are setting out the ingredients to bake cookies.
“When should I come over?”
“Give me about an hour. I’ll contact Jax, then I’m gonna make cookies with Portia.”
“You’re gonna what?”
“You heard me.” I enter the kitchen to Portia’s smiling face. “See you in an hour.”
“Did I just hear you give Samson the next two days off?” Cheryl asks. “And tell him that you’re going to make cookies?”
“Of course, tomorrow’s Christmas Eve.”