Chapter 20
KALANI
“I’m bored,” I told Sugar the next morning. We were stuck inside because of the storm, and I was feeling antsy. “Can we play a game?”
“I don’t have any games.”
“There are plenty of games you can play that don’t require anything other than people.”
“Such as?”
“Hide and Seek, Tag, Twenty Questions, Truth or Dare,” I rattled off. “And that one where you take turns asking questions. I don’t know what it’s called.”
“The last one seems safest.”
I grinned. “Challenge accepted.”
“I quit.”
“Okay. I’ll find other ways to annoy you, I mean entertain myself.”
Glancing at the time, he got up and grabbed a bottle of rum from the kitchen. “Fuck it. If I’m stuck with you all day, I’m drinking.”
“What kind of drunk are you?”
“I’m not violent, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said. “But I’ll allow you to clarify since I didn’t understand your first question.”
“That wasn’t my first question! We haven’t started playing yet!”
“Who said you were in charge?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Your list of transgressions grows.”
“Do you need to clarify your question?”
“I guess not. I just wanted to know if I might have to stab you later. You know, because one murder at a time and all.”
He waved his hand dismissively. “I’m not worried about it. You didn’t kill me the last time you stabbed me.”
“I wasn’t trying to kill you!” I yelled, throwing my hands in the air.
Leaning back on the couch, he laughed until his eyes were watering. “Oh,” he breathed. “I get it now. That was hilarious.”
“Get what now?”
“You don’t get to ask another question until it’s your turn.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared at him and seethed while I tried to remember exactly what we’d said.
He wiped the tears from underneath his eyes. “I get why you annoy the fuck out of people. Your face turned so red.”
“Non-violent jackass while drinking. Noted.”
“I haven’t been drinking.”
“Jackass while sober. Noted.”
“Shall we continue?”
“Yes,” I answered with a wide smile. “By my count, it’s my turn, and I get to ask two questions to get us back on track.”
“How is that?”
“You asked who put me in charge, if I needed to clarify my question, and if we could continue. Plus the question you just asked. So, three for me.”
He took a large swig from the bottle of rum. “I don’t even care anymore. Ask your questions.”
“Why did you go to Hawaii when you were released from prison?”
“To join the Kings of Anarchy.”
“Did you and Bean join the club together?”
“No. Bean’s one of the original members.”
He leaned forward and extended his hand with the bottle of rum.
“Thanks, but I don’t drink.”
“I saw you drinking at the bar two nights ago.”
“Okay, the first drink had alcohol in it,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t count because it was for work. I don’t drink during my free time.”
He gave me a skeptical look but gestured for me to continue. “Next question.”
“Hold on. I’m thinking.” I was trying to figure out what to ask next when an idea hit me.
“Will you tell me the entire story from when you met Bean to when you joined the club immediately after you answer yes to this question in order to help me uphold my new one murder at a time mantra because I might kill you if you say no?”
“Yes, but only if you agree to smoke a fucking joint without trying to turn this very clear statement into a question.”
“I’m going to agree without asking why because I don’t want to waste a question on an answer I know will offend me.”
“You’re tense. Fuck me for noticing.”
I exhaled heavily. “You’re right. If you roll it, I’ll smoke it.”
Without giving me an ounce of shit, he rolled a joint at the kitchen table while he told me about Bean.
“I’d been in prison for five weeks when Bean arrived.
I’d seen him but hadn’t talked to him because I didn’t like his cellmate.
A week later, which was also the day after Joshua’s visit, I saw that fucker headed for Bean with a shiv in his hand.
Bean was showering with his back turned.
I don’t know, I guess because I’d just been stabbed in the back by my brother, I snapped and called his name.
When he turned and locked his knee, I kicked it as hard as I could.
His leg bent at a weird angle, and he fell to the ground screaming.
His buddy saw what happened and jumped on me.
The guards broke it up, and I ended up in solitary for a few days.
When I got out, I had a new cellmate—Bean. ”
He paused, lit the joint, and passed it to me. I looked at the rain pummeling the sliding glass door to the balcony and wondered if I should open it, but I didn’t want to waste a question.
He chuckled. “Stand in the bathroom with the fan on.”
“I won’t be able to hear you.”
“You are a relentless pain in the ass. Go. I’m coming.”
I did as he said and made myself comfortable in the tub.
“Yeah, I thought that’s where you’d be. Here,” he said, handing me a pillow.
“Thanks.” I took the pillow and refrained from commenting on his thoughtfulness because I wanted to hear the rest of the story.
He sat on the closed toilet lid and continued.
“Bean got out before me. He’d told me about the Kings and invited me to come prospect for the club after my release.
It wasn’t a hard decision. They guaranteed me a place to live and a job.
I said yes, and Bean was waiting for me outside the gates when I was released.
We flew to Hawaii that night, and I patched in the next day. ”
“Patched in,” I said carefully.
“Yeah. Cooter knew about all the shit I did for Bean. He said I’d proven my loyalty during the years we were in prison together and waived my prospect period.” He paused and took a swig from his bottle. “My turn.”
“Go ahead.”
“Have you killed anyone other than the two I know about?”
I laughed. “No. Not even close. Must be something about Hawaii.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.”
“It’s true,” I insisted. “I’d never had the urge to kill anyone until I killed my uncle. It didn’t happen again until Matthew.”
“And Ashley, and my brother,” he reminded me.
“Those are suggestions.”
“You had a plan for Ashley!”
“She counts as part of Matthew’s murder. It was a group urge, maybe cluster. Like puking. Do you count each upheaval individually? Or collectively as a group?” I realized what I’d done the second I closed my mouth. “And I will—”
“Relax, killer. I’m not gonna answer them so those two don’t count.”
“I hope you know I’m not gonna play nice just because you are.”
“I had no doubt.”
After several moments of silence, he said, “It’s your turn.”
“Oh, right. Why are Cooter and Pocket in prison?”
“That’s club business.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “If that’s supposed to mean something to me, it doesn’t.”
“Club business isn’t discussed with anyone other than the members of the club.”
“I see. It’s biker-speak for mind your own business, which translates to taking the fifth in this game, so I get another question.”
“You don’t play well with others.”
“I never said I did. Now hush while I think of another question.” I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds from the storm raging outside, but I fell asleep before I came up with another question.