Nine

Chapter 13. You Just Messed With the Wrong Pride

Three and half years ago, Trig took me to prom, where we had mind-blowing sex in the back of a limo. Nine months later, life delivered us a little surprise named Mya, and she is exactly like her father.

“Mommy, did you meet Daddy on the beach?”

“No, baby. I didn’t.”

“Did you meet him in a restaurant?”

“No.”

“Where then?”

Her curious brown eyes look up from her coloring book. She blinks at me with those long black eyelashes as she waits for me to answer. A series of life events flashes through my mind and I can’t even answer her. I look over at Trig for help. He just shrugs as if to say, you’re on your own. I take a deep breath and pace myself.

“I was staying at a hotel, and I fell really hard and hurt myself. I was in so much pain that I was yelling. I didn’t think anyone would ever come. I thought I might die laying there. That’s when Daddy rushed over and saved me. That’s it. That’s how we met.”

She looks at me wide eyed. I see the crayon in her hand fall to the table.

“Wow, you must have really hurt yourself. You should be more careful next time.”

She pushes her chair back and jumps down to the floor, but not before grabbing her coloring book and crayons. I look back to Trig who has his hand over his mouth.

“She’s a spitting image of you,” he says.

“She sure didn’t get my personality though. That’s all you. She’s too calm to be a three-year-old. She’s always handing out grown-people advice. It’s crazy. Last night she told a man at the grocery store to avert his eyes, because her mother was taken.”

Trig chuckles. “That’s my girl. She’s just looking out for you like I do.”

“Great. I get two watchdogs for the price of one.”

Trig walks up and snarls into my neck. I giggle and try to pull away.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said last night, and I think you’re right, maybe we should just do it.”

“Do it, as in get hitched?” he asks.

“Mya is getting older. She’s starting to ask a hell of a lot of questions. I feel bad for lying about half of the stuff I do. I want to make it legit. She can be part of the wedding. I really feel like I might be ready.” I pause. “Are you?” I ask nervously.

Trig rolls his eyes.

“Baby, I’ve been ready. I’ve been waiting on you.”

“I know. I just don’t want to be like my parents.”

He puts his hands on my shoulders.

“You’re nothing like them. Look at you. Look at Mya. You’re a great mom, and that little girl is happy. There’s no comparison. ”

I blow out a gust of air in an attempt to stop the mom waterworks that I can feel building up. Trig has managed to open up the tender part of me since I met him, and Mya, well she just tore a big-ass hole through my heart. I never knew I could love someone the way I love my daughter. When I found out I was pregnant, I cried for a week straight. I was terrified that I would ruin her. I didn’t think I could be a good mother, but the minute she was born, I couldn’t put her down. I barely let Trig hold the baby, that’s how much I was in love with her. Everything came natural and my goal as a new mom was to give her the best life possible. I would give her the one I never had growing up, and with the money we make from Krackle Photos, it wouldn’t be hard.

The business has been booming since we opened it three years ago. I’ve been focusing more on boudoir photos and my work can be seen in magazines, on book covers, and across the world. Trig likes simple photo shoots at gatherings, and together we kill it. We have jobs coming in left and right. Apparently, we’re the best around, and the people who hire us are primarily rich tourists that the locals suggest. The locals recommend us because Trig and I do a lot of charity work and community service. What better way to put some of that old blood money to good use, right? We made so much cash the first year from photo shoots that we took some illegal money and mixed it with some legit money and purchased a family home off the beach and a black Lexus SUV. Things couldn’t be better.

I’m stuck in thought when I feel something pulling on my hand. I look down to see Trig on one knee. I shake my head, because I’m not sure if what I’m seeing is happening.

“I don’t have a ring, but we can immediately take you down to the jeweler and get one.”

I clamp my lips in excitement.

“Will you marry me, and we can officially be Mr. and Mrs. Krackle?”

Suddenly Mya pokes her head in the kitchen door.

“Do it,” she whispers, and then disappears behind the wall.

I laugh.

“Marry me. Love me. Consume me, baby.”

Mya pokes her head out again.

“Do it,” she whispers louder. This time she throws a crayon at me to get her point across. “You don’t want me to throw another,” she shouts.

I give her the mom stare. She challenges me with her eyes. This girl does not back down. Maybe she does have a little of me in her. I look back at Trig.

“Yes!”

He springs up and grabs me in his arms. He twirls me around and kisses my cheek.

“Mommy said yes, Mya,” Trig shouts.

“It’s about time,” Mya says from somewhere in another room.

We both chuckle.

“We’re getting married,” I say, super excited. “This is crazy.”

“It’s too late to change your mind. Mya heard you say yes.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

I look at him unsure of what steps I need to take.

“Do I buy you something? I don’t really know how this works. That sounds so bad.”

“We can pick out rings at the same time.”

Trig grabs both of my hands and kisses the top of them.

“We do this together. We always have and we always will.”

Mya marches in with her pink purse slung over her shoulder.

“Are we going shopping or not? I just put my shoes on and I’m ready for the mall. I have a date at Build-A-Bear. A unicorn is waiting for me. We can’t be late.”

I look down to see that she has both of her shoes on the wrong feet. I walk over and bend down to fix them.

“Don’t you think you have enough stuffed animals?”

“But Mom, this one isreallyspecial. He’s purple and has polka dots everywhere. He’s magical,” she whispers.

“Every time you buy one, it’smagical,” I whisper back.

“This is a celebration. Let the poor girl have a purple and polka dotted unicorn,” Trig says, while tossing popcorn in his mouth.

“Yay,” she shouts, and jumps up and down. She runs over to him. He swoops her up in his arms.

“But first we have to go buy Mom something magical.”

He kisses her on her forehead and sets her down.

“Okay,” she yells, and runs for the door.

I roll my eyes at him. He gives that girl everything she wants. To use the wordspoiledwould be an understatement.

“What? You heard Mya. He’s magical.”

“Yeah. Okay. You spoil her, you know that?”

“She’s Daddy’s girl. What else would you have me do, babe?”

I shake my head and grab my keys. Trig and I walk toward the door to see Mya standing impatiently next to it. You would almost think she had to pee the way she was squirming to get out. Trig grabs her hand and out we walk. I look back at our beautiful house, and for just a slight second I remember everything it took to get here. Trig looks at me.

“Are you ready?” He nods to the car.

“Yeah. I am.”

We get into the car and Mya immediately asks for my phone and ear buds. These little kids today can work electronics like no tomorrow, but they sure don’t know how to do the dishes. I hand it to her and within seconds, I can hear Sponge Bob blasting through the earbuds, so I know she can’t hear me.

“Trig,” I say.

“Yeah?”

His eyes are focused on the road.

“I don’t want to lie to her anymore. She keeps asking me, if your name’s Mike and my name’s Angelina, then why do we call each other Trig and Nine. Every time she sees the scar on my side or the scar on your arm, she wonders what happened. I just feel like I’m always lying to her about something. I don’t like it.”

“You’re protecting her.”

“I’m still lying.”

I look back at Mya. Her eyes are glued to the screen with not a care in the world.

“One day she’s going to be a woman, and one day she’ll understand, but right now the only thing she wants is a polka dot unicorn and her mom and dad to be happy.”

He reaches over and squeezes my hand.

“You’re right,” I say.

“I know I’m right, and I know you probably better than you know yourself. This is just nerves. Mya is fine. Stop stressing.”

“This is why I’m marrying you. You’re like my own personal therapist.”

“I thought you were marrying me because of my good looks and my big—”

I throw my hand over his mouth. He laughs.

“There is a child in the car,Mike.”

I use his secondary name, which makes him laugh even more.

“I was going to saybig heart. What did you think I was going to say?”

“Oh, I know what you were going to say, and it wasn’t heart.” I smirk.

We pull up to the mall, park, and go inside. Mya is dying to get over to Build-A-Bear, but I know once we go in, it’s going to be hours before we come out. We find the closest jeweler and enter the shop.

“Good morning. Can I help you find something?” a sales clerk says.

“Engagement ring,” Trig replies. “I’ve proposed about ten times, and she finally said yes today. Winning!”

I elbow him in the side, while I keep a smile on my face. The woman chuckles.

“Well, congratulations. Let me show you our rings.”

“My mom likes diamonds,” Mya adds.

“Well, then she’ll love these over here.” The woman points to a select area.

We trail behind her and stop at a glass counter, where she makes her way around to the other side.

“That one is gorgeous,” I say, leaning over the glass.

“Which one,” Trig questions.

I point to it, and then let my eyes bounce around to the different styles. I still keep drifting back to that one ring. It’s a three-stone princess cut diamond ring that has me sold already.

“I really like that one, baby,” I say.

“Get it then,” Trig responds.

“Would you like to try it on first?” the sales clerk asks me.

“Yeah. Can I ask the price first?”

She reaches in and grabs the ring. I hold my breath while she pulls the little white tag out from inside it. Oh how the tides have changed. I used to spend money like nothing when I escorted, and now I find myself watching how we spend our income. This is family life though.

“This one is eight thousand.”

She hands it to me, and I slide it on my finger. It’s a little loose, but damn, it’s pretty.

I look at Trig and I expect him to make a comment about the price, but he doesn’t.

“Ring it up,” he says instead.

“Did you not hear the price?” I whisper, as I take it off and hand it back to the woman.

He ignores me and stares at the sales clerk.

“Would this be all?” she says to him, completely ignoring me.

I feel like I’m not even here now. What is happening?

“I like this men’s band, but I’ll be back closer to the wedding date to get it.”

I lean into Trig. “Eight grand! That ring is really expensive.”

We make good money, but not even I’m comfortable spending that much on jewelry.

“Do you like it?” he questions.

“I love it.”

“Then don’t worry about it.”

He turns to the woman, and they start talking about some upcoming sales that are happening in the next few weeks, and how the band he wants will be half off then. I turn to Mya.

“I think Daddy has lost his mind.”

“Maybe that’s what love does to men,” Mya says and looks away.

I chuckle and grab her hand.

“Baby, come here. She needs to size the ring, send it out and then we can pick it up in about a week.”

I walk over with Mya in hand. The sales clerk is holding a giant ring with a bunch of smaller rings attached to it. She looks at a few sizes and then holds one up. I slide my finger in, and it’s a perfect fit.

“Size 6. I know my fingers,” she says with a smile.

We fill out some paperwork and I see that the final balance says five thousand dollars. I’m thinking there must be a mistake, but who am I to correct her.

“Thank you for your deposit. You can pay the remainder when you pick it up. We’ll give you a call when it’s ready.”

We exit the store, and as soon as we turn the corner, I ask him about the receipt. “That ring was eight thousand dollars. The balance said five thousand. That’s got to be a mistake, right?”

“I offered up three engagement photo shoots for her to giveaway to customers, if she took off three grand. I said she could use it as an incentive to get shoppers to spend a little extra money. She loved the idea.”

“You are brilliant,” I say, and kiss him. “I almost passed out in there when I heard the price.”

“It’s just money; we can’t take it with us when we die. You might as well have the things you enjoy on this earth while you’re here.”

“I have you, and Mya, and that’s really all I need.”

“So you don’t want the shiny diamond ring I saw you drooling over?”

“I didn’t say that I didn’t want it.” I smile.

Mya pulls us toward Build-A-Bear. Her little legs are going fast and hard to get there. She stops when she comes head to head with the purple polka dot magical unicorn model at the front of the store.

“It’s you,” she whispers.

Trig and I stare down and watch as the craziness unfolds. She reaches into the box and grabs a flat clothed unicorn out. She holds it up to her heart and talks to it.

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring you to life, little guy.”

She takes off to the stuffing guy while me and Trig sit down to watch her. I look at him staring at his daughter and it’s beautiful. He watches her like a lion does a cub, and I know he’d kill anyone that got near her. I take this moment to break some interesting news to him.

“Trig, I’m late,” I say.

“Late for what? We don’t have any appointments or events today.”

“No. I mean, I’m like late, late.”

He slowly moves his body around and looks at me. I can see the wheels in his head finally turning.

“Like…missed your period late?”

I nod.

“More like missed two periods.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“You’ve been busy, and I’ve been busy. I thought it was stress at first, and then when the second month passed by I knew something was up.”

“Do you feel sick?”

“No. Just tired mostly, but that’s from work.”

“Did you take one of those pee tests?”

“I bought one, but I haven’t taken it yet. I thought we could do it together. Just don’t tell Mya until we know for sure. You know how she’s always saying she wants a little sister. I wouldn’t want to disappoint her if I’m not.”

“It must have been that night with the champagne,” he says. “I’m gonna be honest with you. You had that leather outfit on with those red pumps, and that collar around your neck, and I didn’t pull out on time. It was feeling too good. You were sucking me and riding me and…”

I look around the store to make sure no one is listening.

“Stop. I get it.” I interrupt him. “So this is all your fault.” I grin.

“No. This is your fault for coming into the bedroom dressed like that.”

He stares at me.

“All jokes aside, this is good news. I’m happy,” he adds.

“I’m holding in my excitement until I take the test, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing to add another Krackle to the family. Mya would have a playmate, and she’s old enough to help me out a little bit.”

Mya runs over with her stuffed unicorn. He’s decked out in a glitter shirt, some neon shorts, and a pair of rainbow boots. She’s topped him off with a rainbow headband and matching necklace.

“He’s ready to go home, Mom.”

“What’s his name?” Trig asks.

“Frankenstein,” she replies.

“He’s very…colorful. Are you sure you don’t need just a few more accessories,” I joke.

Mya squints her eyes at me.

“Frankenstein does not appreciate your sarcasm.”

I stare at Mya and then over to Trig.

“See? That’s what I’m talking about, right there.”

He laughs and grabs Mya’s face in his hands.

“Mommy’s just mad that she doesn’t have a unicorn.” Trig winks at her.

He stands up and grabs my hand. He pulls me up from my seat.

We pay, make our exit out of the mall, and head for the car. I’m tucking Mya into her car seat when I remember she has a carnival at her preschool tomorrow.

“Can we stop by the bank? I need some cash for Mya’s carnival.”

“When is it?” Trig says.

“Tomorrow.” I laugh.

“We have plenty of cash at home.”

“There’s only hundred dollar bills in the closet. I already looked. It’s better to have smaller bills at these school events. I also need to deposit this funky cashier’s check from that store where we bought the bad applesauce.”

We jump into the car and head for the bank.

“I have to pee,” Mya says.

“How bad?” I question.

I look back to see her wiggling in her seat.

“Why didn’t you go when we were at the mall, little lady?”

“I didn’t have to go then.”

I roll my eyes.

“Let’s just all go inside. If Stacy’s working, she’ll let Mya go back and use the restroom.”

We park the car and enter the bank. I look around for Stacy, and I don’t see her. Stacy is a teller that has worked here for years. She usually handles our big deposits and loves it when I bring Mya in. She’s let her use the employee restroom before, but not everyone there is as nice as she is.

“There’s no line. I’m going to go deposit this. See if someone else will let you take Mya back to the bathroom. I’d do it but that stupid cashier’s check is in my name.”

I hurry up to the counter. I can hear Trig behind me talking to the girl at customer service about Mya.

“No. Sorry, sir. The bathroom inside is for employees only. It’s too close to the vault to let customers back there.”

“She’s three. What do you think she’s going to do? She just needs to pee.”

“Sorry, sir. I can’t allow that.”

I’m talking to the teller when Trig brings Mya up to me.

“They won’t let her. I’ll just run her over to the gas station across the street.”

“Okay.”

Just as Trig turns around all hell breaks loose.

“Get down on the ground! This is a robbery!” a man yells.

I swing around to see a man with a shotgun. He looks like he’s out of it. His face reminds me of how my parents used to look when they would be high. His hands are twitchy and his eyes are red. The bank employees out on the floor immediately duck down. A customer standing close to me makes a run for it. The robber turns and fires off a shot into the back of the man. Blood burst through his chest and he collapses just inches from the door. Several people gasp and whimper.

“See what happens when you don’t fucking listen?” he screams.

I grab Mya and tuck her behind me. She’s crying and holding onto my leg. I glance over at Trig who hasn’t moved a muscle. The robber turns and looks at us.

“I said; get the fuck down on the ground. What are you, deaf?”

We toss our hands up and slowly drop to our knees.

“Except you,” he points to me. “Come here, blondie.” He snorts.

Trig steps up on one knee to intervene. The robber turns his gun on Trig.

“Don’t you make a single move or I’ll blow your brains out right here.”

I stand up and remove Mya who has now attached herself to my back. She’s reaching out for me and sobbing.

“Baby, I need you to go with Daddy.”

“Mommy, no,” she cries out.

“Somebody shut that brat up,” the robber says.

Trig pulls her into his arms. The robber storms toward me and grabs me in a gun chokehold.

“I want all the money this bank has to offer in a bag, or this bitch dies.”

He backs up and looks around the bank.

“You. Money. Now.” He points to a teller.

I can see her tossing cash into a plastic bag. I squirm to get loose.

He grabs me by the hair and pushes me down to the ground. I can feel the barrel of the shotgun against the back of my head. I start to cry. I don’t want Mya to see me die this way. I lift my head up to look at Trig. His chest is rising and falling fast, and his eyes are dark.

“I love you,” I mouth.

Trig takes Mya close to him, and whispers something in her ear.

“I don’t see you moving fast enough,” the robber yells over to the teller.

Right in that small time frame, Trig jumps up and comes running full speed at the robber. I see Mya take off toward a desk for cover. Trig grabs the shotgun and pushes the base of it hard into the guy’s face a few times. The gun drops and slides next to me. Trig wrestles with the man until both of them are on the floor. I can see fists flying and elbows dropping. I pick up the shotgun and stand up. I walk over to them and cock the gun. Trig has his hand around the man’s throat, cutting off his air supply. He’s choking and gagging and I just know Trig is seeing red. He’ll kill the guy. The sound makes both of them look up. I keep my eyes targeted in on the man.

“We are animals, and we will fuck you up. You just messed with the wrong pride,” I say.

Trig delivers one last punch and knocks the guy clean out.

Tellers come out from behind the glass, and the other employees slowly rise up from the floor. I see a few of them dash over to the man who was shot. They start checking for a pulse, and everyone whips out their cell phones.

“Cops are already on their way. Is everybody okay?” the branch manager asks.

Trig stands up. His knuckles are bloody and he’s breathing hard.

“I’m good,” I reply. I lean over to catch my breath.

Trig walks over and grabs my arm. He pulls me up.

“Are you alright? You look a little pale.”

“I’m just dizzy. That’s all.”

“Go sit down.”

He walks me over and we both take a seat. I turn and look at him.

“That was pretty bad-ass. You are one tough photographer.”

“I could say the same for you. You got all gangster out there.”

He puts his bloody hand on top of mine. I look around.

“Where’s Mya?” I ask with panic. I go to stand, but Trig stops me.

“Relax. She’s fine. I just saw a bank teller take her back to pee. I think it’s the very least they can do after what happened.”

We hear sirens and see police lights. Trig stands up and looks over at the robber on the floor.

“We will fuck you up,”he mimics me. “You’re hardcore, ya know that?”

I smile as he turns and walks toward the police that are running in with their guns drawn.

***

I turn off the light in Mya’s room. She’s tucked safely in her bed. The doors and windows are locked, and I can’t help but think about the bank robbery today. Mya’s eyes are just about to close as she yawns. I walk over to her bed and sit down.

“What did Daddy say to you at the bank in your ear?”

“He said that fear is the enemy and not to be scared. He told me he loved me and that I needed to run and hide where no one could see me, and then he said go.”

I take a deep breath.

“Daddy is very brave isn’t he?”

“You both are. You looked like superheroes out there.”

I kiss her on the forehead before I leave her room. I walk back to our room where Trig is sitting in front of the TV.

“We’re on every channel. It’s crazy. Thank God they blurred out our faces.”

“Well, the day’s not over yet. Are you ready for some more crazy?”

He turns and looks at me. I pull a pregnancy test out from my bag. I nod toward the bathroom and we both trail over. Trig leans up against the door frame and stares forward. I delicately pull the test out of the wrapping and adjust myself on the toilet.

“I’m pretty sure you have to pee on it to get a result, babe.”

“I know. Just stop rushing me.”

I stand up, push my pants down, and sit on the toilet again. Trig is almost gawking at me. I motion my hands for him to turn away.

“Really?” he says, and turns around. “There’s not an inch on your body I haven’t seen already.”

“Trig!” I bark.

I relax and pee on the stick. I then place the cap back on it, and set it on the edge of the sink counter top. I flush the toilet and then wash my hands. Trig turns around.

“It takes a few minutes,” I say.

He walks past me and then he takes a peek at the test. I stare at him nervously, waiting for him to say something.

“How many lines is it supposed to show if you are?”

“Two.”

He looks back to the test and then to me. I see a smile come across his face.

“Looks like we have another cub to protect.”

“Oh my gosh! Really? Keeping one alive is hard enough.”

I grab at my chest and exhale. He strolls over and grabs me.

“We got this. Just remember. ‘We are animals and we will fuck you up,’” he mimics me again. I smile.

“You’re not going to let me live that one down, are you?”

“Hell no. It was kind of sexy the way you said it too. You almost had bigger balls than me.”

I laugh and turn my head. He places his hands on both sides of my face.

“You, me, our daughter, and that little bun in there, it’s us to the end.”

“It always has been and it always will be,” I add.

Trig leans down and kisses me. “Until the wheels fall off, baby.”

“I’m not even sure I want to bring another baby into this world after today. I thought we were safe up here. The fear I saw in Mya’s eyes today at the bank wrecked me.”

He lifts my chin up.

“It’s the same fear I saw in your eyes that night at the hotel with Victor. I will never let anything happen to my girls, ever. Trust me on that.” He takes my hand. “I want to show you something. Just don’t get mad.”

“I can’t promise you that.” I raise my eyebrow.

He leads me over to an extra-large painting of this hideous cat on our wall. He picked it up years ago, and it matches absolutely nothing in this house. He liked it so much that he put it in our bedroom. I stand there and stare at the horrid thing.

“I don’t understand. We’re looking at an ugly cat. What gives?”

He pulls his hand away from mine, and then he lifts the picture off the wall. I see a latched door just slightly smaller than the picture underneath.

“You said you want safety, right? You got it.”

“Trig, what’s behind that door?” I say worried.

I have a feeling, but I’m not going to jump to conclusions just yet.

He unlatches the door and pulls it open. My mouth drops and then I stare at Trig, and then back inside the wall.

“What can I say? Old habits die hard.” He pauses. “Before you speak, just know that I need to feel like I can protect my family at any given moment. These things here provide that. It doesn’t matter where we go. There are bad people lurking in every corner of this earth, and I’ll be damned if I lose another person that I love. This is me watching over my pride, and today, if I was strapped I would have protected them a lot quicker.”

I step forward to get a better look. There has to be at least ten to twelve different weapons in this hideaway closet. They range from smaller handguns, to shotguns, and everything in between.

“When did you build this?” I ask, still in shock.

“The day we brought Mya home from the hospital. I quit smoking and started up a new hobby. I’ve been slowly adding contents to it since then.”

I stare at the silencers, bullets, and guns and my head starts to hurt. I walk over and sit on the edge of the bed. I’m filled with mixed emotions.

“Jesus, Trig,” I say.

I cover my nose and mouth with both of my hands. After today’s events, I think the whole ‘we’re supposed to be changed people’ speech would be ridiculous.

“He had a shotgun to the back of your head. He could have killed you, me, and Mya.”

“Trig, I know. I was there.”

He comes and sits down next to me. I look over at him.

“Mya must never know about this. I mean never. God!” I say into my hands.

He nods just once.

“So you’re not upset? Yell or scream at me or something, but don’t just sit there.”

“No. I can”t be mad. Not after seeing that man killed at the bank. I know you do what you do for us. Please just don’t keep secrets from me. I can’t handle it.”

He reaches over and grabs my hand.

“I love you,” he says.

“I know you do and I love you, too.”

I look up at the wall where the hidden compartment is. I can’t believe it’s been there for years without me knowing. I place my hand over my stomach and look down.

“This baby I’m carrying, it could be a girl. What are we going to do with two girls, Trig?”

I hear him take a deep breath and then exhale. “Buy a bigger gun.”