Chapter 25 Marietta
MARIETTA
Ihave no idea when I’ll be alone with Merrick again.
Thursday is a wild round of preparation for the Lucifer’s Kin raid.
I’m beside myself with worry. They held a meeting a few hours ago.
Adam told me all about it. It only took two beers and my wearing the black push-up bra under the ripped T-shirt with a black micro-mini skirt to get him to spill.
When Adam drinks, he can’t control where his eyes go if skin is showing.
He told me that Chain and Two-Shit left ahead to draw out the members of the other club from their meth house. They figure, based on watching the place, that there are five or six of the Kin there, three guards and three who produce the drugs.
Our club will set off some pyrotechnics to scare everyone who’s inside and draw them out of the house and give chase.
Then Iron Jack, Merrick, and Fancy will go and wreck the operation while no one’s there. With the Kin raided, hopefully they’ll move on to easier territory than ours.
I only saw Merrick for ten seconds tops when he passed through the kitchen. Everybody wanted a burger and a shot before they took off on the raid.
Hoss is still here since he’s injured from the last altercation. And Stoney, of course, since Carol is several days overdue for her baby. Adam will get on the roof with his rifle once he gets the signal that things have started.
Betz and Celia are chill, like today is any other day. Carol’s been struggling with her random contractions, and the kids are being extra anxious. Too Fast Freddy has been wandering the clubhouse, maybe annoyed he wasn’t picked for anything in particular.
But I’m glad for every club member left behind. I don’t see how Lucifer’s Kin won’t retaliate.
I wash the burger trays and put them away. Adam watches me from the stool Carol normally sits on. The others are in the living room, waiting for word. Cartoons from the kids’ room filter in.
“I bet when this is all clear, Iron Jack will let me take you on a proper date,” Adam says. He can’t stop looking at my chest, my belly, and my legs. It’s getting tiring, actually.
“Mmm,” I say. I can’t encourage him, but I’m not in the position to reject him either. Merrick has to step forward for that.
But he was so caught up in whatever Iron Jack and Fancy were telling him as they assembled their pre-raid dinner that he didn’t even look my way.
I understood. He wasn’t seasoned Wild Hair like the others. They were used to doing all sorts of sketchy things on protection and intimidation gigs.
Betz wanders into the kitchen to snag a bowl of chips. “You got it all washed yet, Mouse?” She glances at Adam.
“Just drying the trays,” I tell her.
“You know, it wouldn’t hurt for the two of you to take a break in Adam’s room. We could spread the word of what was happening, get the rumors off in the wind.” She flutters her fingers.
“I need to be at my post shortly,” Adam says.
Betz huffs a laugh. “Like it’ll take more than three minutes for a kid like you.”
Adam’s face blooms red.
I focus hard on my tray. I didn’t realize ol’ ladies could talk like that to a prospect. Maybe it’s because Adam is so easy to tease. Another footnote in my thesis.
I have a meeting next week with my adviser to see what my chances are of getting the topic approved. I can’t imagine it’s been studied much, if ever. It’s exciting. I started a secret journal the minute Adam told me about Lucifer’s Kin.
I’ve left out the parts about Merrick, of course. Every moment with him is simply committed to memory.
Including how he felt, right there on the edge of me. I should have slammed down on him. If I’d been a minute faster, this would be done.
But we couldn’t have guessed the Wild Hair would circle back.
Sucks.
Betz wanders out of the kitchen toward the living room.
“I’m sorry she acts like you ought to throw yourself under me,” Adam says.
“I’m used to it.” I open the cabinet to put away the trays.
“Are the ol’ ladies making you do all the work?”
“No. Normally, it’s all of us. Maybe I do a little more, but that’s expected since I’m a mouse. But we all pitched in to cook. I think they all want to stick together while the raid is going on.”
His phone buzzes. “Well, it’s going. The fireworks went off, and Lucifer’s Kin have taken off after Two-Shit and Chain.”
“They’re on their bikes?”
“Yeah. They’ll split up eventually, leaving the trail cold in the marsh. They know the back roads better than anybody.”
I’m surprised to see my hand shaking as I close the cabinet door. “I hope it all goes perfectly.”
“It will. It’s a low-risk operation. Iron Jack plans well.” Adam hops off the stool. “I’m going up top. Text me if you need anything.”
“Okay. Good luck.”
He hesitates. “It’ll probably be pretty safe up there if you want to come up. I wouldn’t mind the company.” His gaze slides over my body again.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I tell him. “Thanks for the offer.”
He heads out the back door.
I glance around the kitchen. Most everything is handled other than the chips, which Betz wanted to keep out as snacks.
My belly quivers. I think it might be best if I changed. I feel like I’m one of those video game girls about to go into battle in a chain mail bikini, as if that’ll do a bit of good.
I head to the bunkhouse to do that when I hear a keening cry.
It’s Carol.
I turn right around and race to the living room.
Stoney is holding Carol’s arm. She’s bent over her belly, the floor wet at her feet.
Her water’s broken.
Betz looks up at me. “Don’t stand there gawking, go get some towels. Stoney will take Carol to the hospital. Baby’s on the way.” She shakes her head. “Fine night to go into labor.”
“You hush,” Stoney says. “Carol doesn’t control when it happens.”
I run to the towel closet in the hall. I know it’s all clean because I’ve been doing the laundry. I grab two towels and hurry back to the living room.
Stoney has only made it a few feet toward the door with Carol.
“I’ll take those,” Betz says. “Go tell the kids their mama’s leaving to have their baby sister.”
I pass her the towels and run again. I burst through the door of the kids’ room. They all look up from Teen Titans Go. Nice choice.
“Hey, your mama’s headed to the hospital to have the baby,” I tell her. “You want to go say bye to her before your dad loads her in the truck?”
Mary, the oldest girl, takes off, her hair streaming behind her. The two boys, Eagan and Sean, swivel their heads back to the TV.
Okay, then.
I back out of the room. When I get to the front of the house, Mary is sobbing, holding on to Carol. “Don’t die, Mommy,” she says.
Carol tries to calm her while huffing out powerful breaths. “It’s … okay … Mary. I’ll … be … fine.”
“You don’t look fine!”
Betz scoots the towel around on the fake hardwood floor with her foot. “She was little when Sean was born. Now, she’s watched too many hospital dramas.”
I blow out a breath and approach the girl. “Mary, how about we go make sure the baby’s bed is all ready and that we have enough diapers? That will help Mama when she comes back with baby Lacey.”
Mary sniffles. “Okay.” She releases Carol’s leg.
Carol smiles her thanks at me. She’s breathing normally now between contractions. She and Stoney head outside.
Stoney calls up to the roof. “Don’t shoot me, Prospect! We’re headed to the truck.” He seems in high spirits.
Betz scowls. “Nobody here is right in the head.”
I walk Mary to the rooms that belong to them, but she doesn’t go to the baby’s bed. She sits back down with her brothers.
I stand in the doorway until Betz goes by with the wet towels. “Who’s watching them?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I guess you are.”
I stare at the kids, then look down at my outfit. Still not appropriate.
As I head to the bunkhouse to put on some sweats so I can manage the kids and anything that might come up while the Wild Hair are on their mission, I realize—dang. My life looks nothing like it did a few weeks ago.
It’s intense.