Chapter 24
twenty-four
GREER
Jude seems impervious to the glare I throw his way. Tears start to fall down my cheeks from anger and fear. “What if she’s hurt?”
“Flinch is pulling her out before that happens,” he soothes, wiping the moisture from my face. “The best thing you can do is just stay here so there’s one less person to worry about.”
“But you could be in there helping.”
“And leave you unprotected and running straight into all that? No, Baby Doll.” Why does he have to be sweet? It’s easier to be mad when he’s being a jerk.
The touch of his forehead against mine is soothing, but I sniffle out more tears, my chest vibrating with hurt and worry. “I don’t understand. Why would P.J. insist she come to his bouts if it’s that dangerous?”
Something flickers in his eyes, “How long have they been together?”
“Since high school.”
In the distance, a door bangs against the wall. Feet scurry down waxed laminate flooring until Dr. Sully appears. My boss is almost unrecognizable with a sleeve full of colorful tattoos that are covered at the clinic. I wouldn’t recognize him if it weren’t for those eyes.
Holding the other side of the gurney is Dr. Hebert’s nurse, Debbie. She works in the Houma clinic now, but I’ve seen her a few times here and there. Bringing shaking hands to my chest, I check the body they’re carrying. It’s horrible of me, but I’m relieved to see a head of dark hair.
My shock finally wearing off, I dodge under Jude’s arm while he’s distracted by their entrance, “What do you need?”
“We’ve got this,” Sully says. “Just get your ass home. We can’t afford to be down a nurse if you get injured.”
I feel deflated, useless as I stare wide mouthed at the trio rushing down the hall.
“There you are. I’ve been so worried,” Allie’s voice screeches.
“If your phone wasn’t dead,” I lecture, already hurrying towards her for a hug.
“Are you okay?” I ask, looking her over.
“I’m fine, but Kira was knocked down and kicked in the head. They’re bringing us to the emergency room.”
“I can drive you.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m riding to the hospital with Kira so she’s not alone. Her brother can’t leave until his bout is over.”
As one of the best fighters, he can’t leave before his match. Too much money is at stake.
My shoulders slump in defeat. “Is anybody else injured? I should go help.”
“It’s only Kira. I have to rush so they don’t leave without me.”
Jude takes the other half of the stretcher from the woman, and we scoot around the back until we make a U and end up on the other side of the lot.
Flinch is waiting with a black transit van already running, the side door open.
As Jude and Sully load a still unconscious Kira, I reach into my purse and pull out the charging cord and backup battery.
Handing it to Allie, I lecture, “Use this.”
She squeezes me tight one more time, then takes the bundle from me. “Love you.”
“Love you too. Text me!”
She climbs into the van with Dr. Hebert’s nurse, and the sliding door is slammed from the inside.
If I wasn’t with Jude, would that be my job? Would I have been pulled into this world with or without him?
He grasps my hand, then squeezes it tight, “Let’s head back to your place.”
Jude wraps his arm around my waist, showing me the way around the asphalt in the dark, towards the bikes. Jude does that fist bump thing that men do with the prospect standing guard and says, “Keys,” to me.
“I can’t leave my car here.”
“I have someone bringing it to you.”
Riding with Jude sounds perfect, so I hand over the ring. Jude makes a face at my overloaded key ring. He grimaces at the assortment of fru fru stuff and says, “With all this stuff on your chain, you’ll never be able to find your mace in a hurry.”
“I like having it all close by, besides, if I didn’t need it in larger cities, do you think I’ll need it in Parran?”
Lips pursed, he shoves it at the prospect, then leads me to the bike. He helps me put on everything, then gives me a hand to sit astride before joining me. Unlike the last time we rode together, my mind whirls the entire time.
A woman was hurt. It could have just as easily been Allie or me.
I don’t love that P.J. is making money at the underground circuit. He’s gotten injured too many times. While Allie’s boyfriend might be fighting, Jude is prospecting for the club's owners.
When the police shut down the frat bros, they arrested the fighters and all of the organizers. If the casino is raided, they’ll take Jude and P.J.
The man in my life could be arrested for how he makes money.
Jude slides his motorcycle into the alleyway by my apartment.
After shrugging off all the gear, he follows me inside wordlessly.
Hank’s welcome home is its normal exuberant butt wiggles and “ra ra ra” that sounds like where you been woman.
I let him out of the metal play yard and crouched down to give him pets.
The jingle of his leash and harness sends Hank trotting straight to Jude. “You wanna go to the park while Mama’s getting changed?” My Frenchie dances in an excited circle, but stops when the leash is hooked to his harness. “Go get comfortable. When he’s settled, we’ll have our talk.”
While they’re away, I wash off my make-up and pull my hair up in an elastic. I slip on a cami with a built in bra and a pair of yoga pants. I want my cozy pajamas, but pride keeps me from wearing them in front of Jude. They’ve worn thin with time, and have holes in a couple of spots.
I’m sitting criss-cross with a cup of chamomile tea when the boys show back up, Hank zooming towards a toy the minute he’s put on the ground.
Jude’s still hanging up Hank’s belongings when I ask, “Do you sell drugs?”
His body stills for the slightest of seconds before he turns and tells me certainly, “No, and I don’t use them either, including pot. I like to be clear headed.”
“So you make your money working at the casino?”
“I told you I can’t talk about club business, but I draw a legitimate salary from White Dog Industries.”
“But that’s not your only income, is it?” Not a question really, a statement. Some things are slowly adding up in my head.
Fern’s insistence that the Dogs keep trouble away.
The danger that rolls off every Bayou Dog I’ve encountered, too deep to be a cool outer shell.
Angeliqué left with Folgers willingly, trusting him with her baby.
In an area this small, the gaming establishment has to garner some attention from local authorities, right?
The police have to know about the casino, but haven’t shut it down, either. It’s also a permanent building remodeled for their purpose, an investment that shows confidence in their dealings. It’s hidden so it’s not an embarrassment to the local authorities, but still a fixed location.
“I can practically hear the wheels churning in your head,” he says.
“I understand why you didn’t allow me to go to Allie, but I’m still upset.”
“Your safety comes before anything else with me.”
I can’t bring myself to be angry with him for long. It’s like Jude casts a spell over me, bidding me to do his will. Call it what you want…dick dazzled, resigned, infatuated, but something’s shifting inside of me.
It’s hard to ignore the pull in my chest that has nothing to do with lust. Maybe I have an unrealistic outlook on a relationship with a man like Jude. Tangle with a biker, expect brazen confidence, possessive hands on your body, and his brand forever seared on your soul.
With direct questions not working, I try a new tactic. “What can you tell me?”
“The Dogs are important to me, and it’s for life. Some women choose to stay home when their man is at club events, but I hope you love the life as much as I do. Odin, the Prez, is one of the best men I’ve ever met. He’s keeping the MC focused on what really matters in life.”
“And what is that?”
“Our families, our patches, but also having a good time.”
I nod my agreement, and it feels like I’ve sealed my fate. “I’ve not changed my mind about us taking baby steps. We need to spend time together, dating, talking. We can’t just shack up and say we’re together.”
“We can do whatever the fuck we want. Besides, I know what you sound like when you come. Nothing’s more intimate than that. We’ve skipped the small shit and jumped straight to the good part.”
“You know what I mean.”
“We still have our original date scheduled for tomorrow night. We can have dinner and a movie before I take you to Sunset Point.” The delivery is so charmingly boyish, the roguish glint in his eye twinkling with delight at the prospect that I can’t help but laugh.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“You’re gonna find out real quick because I’m spending the night. Make sure to turn the volume up on your CGM while you’re at it. If you’re tired tomorrow, I want to be the only reason for it.”