Chapter 9 Morris
MORRIS
While Alice lays out the sandwiches and gets Zoey set up to eat, Leo and I stand together in my small kitchen, trying to figure out what to do about Alice’s car.
“You want me to haul it back to the yard?” Leo asks. “You give me three to four days and the cash I need to buy whatever parts I don’t have, and she’ll be good to go.”
“How much you thinking?” I ask. “Didn’t you strip the shop of everything that wasn’t nailed down?”
I’m giving him a hard time, but it’s also a real question. I can imagine a repair like that won’t be cheap. And I think three days is optimistic, especially for a kid working alone.
“Well, that depends,” Leo says. He meets my eyes and explains that the power’s been off, so he can’t technically put the car up in a bay for a full diagnostic.
“You get the power back on, I’ll know much faster what the car needs.
And”—he looks embarrassed as he admits it—“if I have the parts back at my house, I won’t have to buy ’em. ”
“You need a job? You’ll do the work? Can I trust you?” I motion to the bruise forming on his face. “A couple hours ago, you and me… We weren’t on such friendly terms.”
Leo rubs the spot on his face and shrugs. “I won’t hold a grudge if you won’t.”
I consider the kid for a minute. I’m not long on trust, but unless I want to fork over more cash to a stranger and spend more time getting Alice’s car towed, Leo working off his debt to me seems to make good sense.
I watch Leo’s face as I explain the deal.
“Here’s how this is gonna go. I’ll get the power back on at your brother’s old shop.
You fix Alice’s car with what parts you have.
Anything you need, and I mean anything, you come to me.
I’ll buy it and bring it to you. No cash, no funny business.
You donate the labor, and I’ll buy the parts to get your granddaddy’s car working so you can drive it off my lot. ”
I calculate in my head how much we’re probably talking. It’s a fair deal for the kid, actually. More than fair. But I ask him to be sure, more of a statement than a question.
“Fair?” I say.
“I don’t know.” Leo shakes his head. “That truck could need two, three grand in parts, Morris. I don’t think it’s gonna cost that much in time and inventory to get Alice’s car running. I’m gonna owe you. And I don’t know how I’ll be able to pay you back that kind of cash.”
I’m real proud of the boy in this moment. He is laying it to me straight. Not trying to manipulate or abuse the situation. A lesser man would have known he was getting the better end of the deal and kept his trap shut. But Leo’s clearly not a lesser man.
“You’re working off your debt to me,” I explain. “And, in turn, you’re gonna help me get that yellow hunk of junk off my property. Sounds like a real fair deal to me. I don’t think I need numbers to jive this. I’m good, so…we good?”
I give a half smirk to let him know I’m not really insulting his granddaddy’s truck.
“Now, come on,” I say. “We got sandwiches waiting.”
Leo stares at me for a moment, like he’s not sure whether to hug me or slug me. I clap him on the shoulder and open the refrigerator on instinct, hoping for some cold beer to wash down lunch. I moan at what I see. I’m gonna need to do some shopping.
It takes some convincing before Alice lets Leo haul her car away. She’s clinging to that dead hunk of junk like it’s her last lifeline to freedom.
And it probably is, but at this point, it’s not going to get her anywhere. This little bird’s broken a wing, and without it, she ain’t flying.
Before Leo leaves, I give the kid explicit instructions to move my bike into the building to secure it overnight. He really wanted the keys, offered at least six different times to ride it back here to me, but there was no way I was letting any man’s ass on my ride.
I trusted he could lock it in the repair bay, since it turned out Leo had a master set of keys for every door in the strip mall anyway. We exchanged numbers, and I told him I’d be by the shop tomorrow to get my bike. I figured I’d have Tiny or one of the Disciples drive me over.
For a couple bucks in gas, shit, I could get Midge to drive me. Although, knowing Midge, she’ll wanna throw in a BJ as part of the deal. She works over at the compound doing anything and anyone that needs doing.
Although I wouldn’t consider letting Midge near my dick on a good day, with Alice nearby, I won’t even entertain the idea for fun.
I can’t explain the way I react to her.
Alice is beautiful, sure. Her body is firm and yet soft, her ass plush and enticing in a way that makes me want to bend her over any available surface and taste her skin with my teeth.
But there’s something else there. Something more.
The ease I feel with her and Zoey isn’t something I’m used to. Hell, it’s not something I ever thought possible.
I’ve never been that guy.
Never wanted to be tied down to people.
I love coming home to my room.
My shit.
The satisfying crack of the tab on a beer as I have a drink after a long ride. There’s no room at the compound for a kid, for family. And I have no desire to ever leave the club.
I have everything I’ve ever wanted. Freedom. All the fun I can stand. And a place to call home—my room at the compound.
But having Alice and Zoey here, I realize this place could be more than a crash pad.
It could be someone’s home.
Alice is clearing away the mess from our meal, opening and closing the cabinets, looking for the trash bin and cleaning supplies. She is making herself at home, busying herself and stealing little looks at me.
I just watch her. I lean back in my chair and cross my arms. Zoey is finishing the last bite of her chips. Alice looks flustered as she sweeps the crumbs from in front of Leo’s place.
“Mama,” Zoey asks quietly. “May I be excused?”
Alice faces her daughter, but she looks tired. Too tired. “Yeah, baby, of course. You gonna finish that movie?”
Zoey nods and leaps excitedly from the chair.
“Zoey?” Alice stops her with a gentle tone. A reminder. “Morris treated us today. Did you forget to say thank you?”
Zoey spins on her little blue socks and races up to me. “Thank you so much for that sandwich, Morris,” she says. “It was really good!” She holds her hand up for a high five, and I lightly lift my palm to meet hers.
“My pleasure, princess,” I say. “Now, go have some fun.”
Alice is watching me with a look on her face I can’t read. She doesn’t look angry or unhappy, but more…uncertain.
“So,” I say after Zoey is settled on the couch. “Leo’s going to take care of your car.”
“Morris…” Alice sighs. “I can’t afford to get it fixed. I can’t…”
I shake my head and motion for her to sit. “I didn’t say anything about paying for it, sweetheart.”
Alice’s face falls even more. She drops down into the chair beside me, hunches her shoulders over, and rests her face in her hands.
“I had a plan…” she explains. “I prepared for every possibility. Months,” she says, sounding more and more defeated.
“And the one thing I didn’t expect is the one thing that’s going to ruin everything.
” She trails off into silence and closes her eyes.
“I can never repay you for what you’ve already done.
I don’t think I can ever repay Leo and you for what you’re about to do. ”
“Baby,” I say, reaching a hand across the table.
I scoot my chair a little closer to hers.
Our knees brush under my kitchen table and I notice she doesn’t move away, but she flinches a little, as if surprised at first, and then she relaxes.
The warmth of her thigh suddenly lines up against mine, and I feel her heat in my cock.
“What’s this plan? It’s time you level with me. ”
Alice draws a shaky breath and shakes her head. “I don’t want to involve you any more than I already have. I can’t—”
“Alice.” I clap my hand over her knee under the table.
I give her a gentle squeeze and leave my hand there.
If she looks uncomfortable, I’ll take it away, but right now, I need her focused on me.
On telling me everything I need to know.
“Who are you running from?” I ask. “Husband, boyfriend? Baby daddy?”
Alice shakes her head and clamps her mouth shut.
“Alice.”
I look behind us into the living room, making sure that Zoey’s watching TV. The little princess is totally preoccupied by a cartoon princess kicking some ass against a squad of bad guys with a dagger. Is this what kids watch these days?
“Alice,” I repeat, bringing my attention back to the beauty beside me. But this time, I lift her chin with my hand.
If she’s going to ignore me, she’s going to have to do it looking me dead in the eye.
I raise her chin, and she flicks her eyes to meet mine.
But once I have her skin under my fingers, I can’t help myself.
Her sugary scent draws me closer, and I stroke the ridge of her chin softly with my thumb.
My dick reacts to that light touch, and I have to release her before I go full animal on her.
Jesus, what this woman does to me.
I want to sucker-punch the fucker who put those shadows under her caramel eyes. The light purple bags make her look tired and lonely. Like she’s been running a long, long time.
If I could pull her close and shred the assholes in her world like that TV princess, I’d do it with my bare hands. No dagger required. But first, I need to know what the fuck she’s dealing with.
“My husband,” she admits. “He’s…an asshole,” she supplies.
I drop my hand from her skin, which draws both of us out of the sensual haze.
“Zoey’s dad?” I ask.
The answer to that one simple question will make everything either a hell of a lot harder or a hell of a lot simpler.
She shakes her head. “No. I think that’s why all this is so fucking triggering,” she explains.
“When I met Jerry, I was working as a waitress, a single mom with a four-year-old. He owned the car dealership across the street, and for months, he worked me over. Coming in, waiting to sit at one of my tables, leaving really big tips.”
Alice sighs, her shoulders sagging even lower. She plays with the ends of her hair and avoids my eyes like she’s embarrassed or ashamed.
“In my eyes, sweetheart.” I lift her chin again. I can’t stand to see the fear worrying her face.
“I didn’t want to date him. I really didn’t.” She meets my eyes and laughs, a frustrated, ironic laugh. “He had that slightly slimy vibe, you know?”
She sighs.
“But he was charming too, and he was really persistent. Begged me to just let him take me to dinner. And eventually, I caved. One dinner led to two, and within three months, he gave me a huge ring.”
She holds up her unadorned left hand. She chuckles a wry laugh. “I sold the ring to buy that fucking car,” she laughed. “I should have known.”
“Jesus.” I can’t help myself. “You traded in an engagement ring for a whole goddamned car?”
She sighs. “Jerry was all sparkle, no substance. Just like our marriage. Just like that car. I got taken for a ride yet again.”
“And let me guess, the blush was off the rose by what, the end of the honeymoon?” I ask. “When did the mask come off?”
“Well, we didn’t go on a honeymoon,” Alice says.
“I had Zoey to think about. He made me quit the job as soon as he proposed. He didn’t like how it would look to his clients and business partners if his wife worked in a greasy diner.
I’m qualified to do other things,” Alice says, her voice suddenly small.
“I didn’t finish college, but I have an associate’s in business. I just… Well, that’s another failure.”
“You’re not a failure,” I snap, a little more harshly than I planned.
She looks surprised by the tone of my voice, but she continues.
“Oh, wait,” she says, half bitter, half ironic.
“I am. My college boyfriend left me when I got pregnant. That’s how I ended up waitressing with a four-year-old.
He ended up with a scholarship from a university out west. He said a kid and no degree weren’t in the cards for him.
He knew I was pregnant, but he just transferred.
And since he was out of state and I was broke, pregnant, and twenty-two, I just didn’t have the money to pursue him. He’s never even met Zoey.”
“And this Jerry character? He married you but didn’t adopt Zoey?”
I can’t imagine what kind of piece of shit gives his wife a sparkler worth as much as a car but who doesn’t adopt the child he is responsible for helping to raise.
“That was never on the table,” she says simply.
“I mean, it literally never came up. I think in the back of Jerry’s mind, Zoey would always be just mine, my problem, my responsibility.
In fact, the older she got, the worse things became between us.
When she was four and was in day care all day while I worked and while we dated, I think he was able to pretend I didn’t really have a kid. But once we moved in to his house…”
I clench my fists, bracing for what comes next. “Did he—”
The color must be flooding my face because suddenly, I feel a soft hand on my bicep.
“No, Morris. Not Zoey. He never laid a hand on her.” Alice’s voice is so, so small. I can’t comprehend what it feels like to have a child, to be responsible for a beautiful little life like Zoey’s, and to be beholden to anyone to provide for her.
“I would hunt him down and kill him right on that goddamn showroom floor if he did.” I can picture it now, the image of this fuckwad’s jaw when my fist hits it freeing a little bit of the rage building up in my chest. “You sure?” I press. “You’d tell me.”
She blinks fast and smiles. “I would tell you. I trust you,” she says.
And somehow, it feels like an invitation. One that I know I won’t refuse.
But then as quick as the light came on, it goes out. “But there are so many ways to hurt a woman,” she adds quietly.
The heat explodes in my chest again as I throttle back the rage her words bring. I know guys like this. Shit, had my circumstances been different, I might have been a guy like that. But my mother died of breast cancer when I was young, and my old man was a miserable prick.
I spent my teenage years taking care of things no kid should ever have to care for. It’s not something I linger on, but it occurs to me now that maybe that’s why I never wanted to have a family of my own.
“He’s not going to hurt you ever again,” I say quietly under my breath.
“Morris,” she says, shaking her head. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“If you think that, darlin’, then you don’t know what I’m capable of.”