Ash: Devil's Crucifix MC (31 page)

Chapter 7

Neil pulled his trike up to the curb in front of his parent's house Saturday morning, attempting to firmly place Shayla and Sydney out of his mind. As soon as his two blond haired, blue eyed sisters came running out of the house to greet him, they popped right back in again.

"Neil!" Jill and Sandy screamed as they ran across the grass and down to the curb.

Neil got off the trike and swooped them both up in his arms, kissing one and then the other, and setting them back down, where they giggled and bounced.

"That's a big bike Neil!" Sandy said. "Can we go for a ride?"

"I hope so," he said. "I need to talk to mom first though."

Amanda, his step-mom came out on the small porch and gave him a smile. "Come on in, I still got some coffee cake left," she offered.

"That sounds good," he agreed, giving her a smile as well.

His sisters took his hands and pulled him toward the door.

They talked and visited for close to an hour before he brought up the trike and the custom seat he had made for the girls. Amanda came out and looked it over, then decided that it looked safe enough.

"You don't want to try it out yourself?" Neil asked.

"No, I'm good. And it looks safe to me. You three have some fun. Be back for lunch though. About one?"

"Alright," he agreed and then to the girls he said, "Go get your helmets and jackets."

They screamed and ran into the house and came out running with leather jackets and airbrushed helmets his dad bought for them. Once they were on board and settled in, he started up the engine and they squealed again.

They spent the morning running up to the north coast of Miami and then back, spending most of the time on the freeway. Through his mirrors he could see they were smiling all the way, and waving to people in cars and on the sidewalks. Most of those people waved back or honked their horns for them.

They were back by twelve-thirty and Neil helped with lunch, then helped with the dishes. He talked to them about soccer practice and asked when their games were going to be, putting the dates and times into his cell phone. They both had a game next Sunday, the first of their season.

"I'll probably make that. It’ll be fun to see you two play."

"Jill is good," Sandy said solemnly. "She might get a scholarship."

"Really?" Neil asked, looking to Jill and then to mom.

Amanda nodded, "There was a scout at one of their practices who came there to see her. He talked with me afterward and asked if we planned to keep her involved in soccer. Jill says she wants to, and he told us he would be watching her through the season."

Neil smiled at Jill, "That's amazing! That would be so cool."

Jill looked a little melancholy. "Dad would have loved it."

"He still will Jill," Neil told her seriously. "Don't doubt that for a minute."

At six, after dinner, and while doing the dishes with the girls, his phone rang.

"Hey Shayla, what's up?"

"We picked out a movie and got some popcorn. Think you'll be interested in coming over? Late will be fine," Shayla offered.

"How about eight?" he offered.

"Eight would he fantastic for us, but don't rush your visit with your sisters," Shayla told him.

"It won't be. I'll see you then."

"Bring some clothes," Sydney yelled in the background.

"Will do," he laughed.

After he broke the connection Jill and Sandy were both looking at him.

"Girlfriend?" Sandy asked first.

"Ah, yeah. Girlfriend."

"Serious?" Jill asked.

"I think so, yeah," he answered.

"When do we get to meet her?" Sandy asked.

"Ah, hmm," he murmured. "Maybe a couple of weeks. See how things go first."

"You could bring her to our game," Jill proposed.

"Maybe," he offered, trying to figure out which girlfriend he would bring, or how to explain that both of them were his girlfriend.

"What's wrong?" Jill asked. "Is she black or something? There's nothing wrong with that."

"No, no, and you're right, there would be nothing wrong with that. She's actually blond, and a little young for me, but we get along good. She took some time off from college but she's going back this fall to finish up. She's a business major."

"How young?" Sandy pounced.

"She's twenty-four," Neil told her.

"Oh," Sandy said disappointedly. "That's not young. That's kind of old isn't it?"

Neil laughed and gave her a tickle, "Anything over eighteen is old to you pixie."

After hugs and kisses good-bye he started walking to his bike when Amanda caught up with him.

"Neil?"

"Mom? What's up?" he asked, seeing that the girls were inside.

"I was listening to you talk about your girlfriend. You sounded confused. You want to talk about it?" she asked.

He looked at his feet and then around the neighborhood, "Well, I am confused and I do want to talk about it. I could say something silly, like
I don't think you'll understand,
when I don't understand myself. But it's getting serious fast, and already there are deep feelings and shit."

"Try me Neil. We've always been able to talk, right? Even when you felt like you couldn't tell your dad, you talked to me," she pressed.

Neil nodded, recalling many times that had happened. So he told her about Shayla and Sydney and how they were good friends, in fact they loved each other deeply, and even had a sexual relationship between them and how they both wanted him.

When he was done, he looked up at Amanda, "So, what do you think?"

Amanda paused for a moment then looked him in the eyes, "I don't think you ever got this, you just accepted it, but your father was forty-five when he married me. I was twenty. I wasn't even old enough to drink at our wedding. My dad was furious about this man, who was close to his age, seducing his daughter. He refused to give me away. My uncle gave me away and my dad didn't talk to him for six years after that. But I loved your dad. I loved him with my whole body, and he loved me the same way. It worked too. We had wonderful years together."

"Anyway," she said. "Yes, what you got going is unusual, and some will say it's immoral. But don't be ashamed about being in love. Alright? They're both welcome here if you want to bring them over."

"You sure? I mean, with the girls —"

"You let me worry about the girls. I hope I've raised them well enough that they'll have an open mind to their big brother's love."

"Thanks mom," Neil said and kissed her. "Thanks a lot."

Chapter 8

Sydney opened the door and he came in with a large duffel bag, full of clothing, and a smile on his face. He also had a laptop case with him.

"Think you're going to have time to mix some jams, do you?" she teased.

"No," he told her after he kissed her, "I brought this one over to keep here. So, when you two have to run out to do your thing, I'll have it here to do my thing."

"Oh," she said with a surprised look. "That's a good idea. So, you're planning on hanging around a bit more? Please?"

"That was the idea, yeah," he admitted.

Shayla came over to him and kissed his lips, "So, what changed? You're different than when you left Friday afternoon. You're ... calmer, I think," she queried as she searched his eyes.

"Let me get this stuff away and I'll tell you about it," he offered.

"No, let us get this stuff away. You get a beer and then tell us about it while we're unpacking you in the bedroom," Shayla told him, taking the laptop from him and handing it to Sydney, and then dragging the duffel back toward her bedroom.

"Ah, alright," Neil shrugged.

Beer in hand he sat on the foot of the bed and watched the girls put his things in the closet and drawers.

"Well?" Sydney prompted.

"Ah, well, I talked with my mom about you two," he offered.

They both spun around. "You did?" Sydney gasped.

"What did she say?" Shayla demanded, surprise and worry in her voice.

"She said that you're both welcome to come over for dinner next week," Neil told them, taking a long drink from his beer.

"What?" Sydney panted with disbelief.

"You're not fucking with us, are you Neil? I mean, this would be cruel if you are," Shayla told him.

Neil told them the story starting with Jill and Sandy's love radar picking up Shayla on the phone. As he talked the girls sat down on the foot of the bed and he got up and started putting away his clothing. After he finished with the conversation with his mom, he said, "So, the girls have a soccer game next Sunday, and I thought dinner after would be nice."

They looked at each other, both of their mouths open, "You take us seriously enough to introduce us to your family?" Shayla asked softly.

He hung up another shirt and told her, "Yes, I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't be hanging clothing in your closet."

"Or having sex with us I'll bet," Sydney said with epiphany in her voice.

Neil nodded, and said, "Wouldn't have spent the night, that's for certain. Shayla, you told me you were all-in. Well, so am I. I figure we'll have enough problems without creating more by pussy-footing around with this. I'm into both of you, and you're into me, so..."

"So, we meet your family next week," Shayla added softly, still a little dazed with wonder. "That makes this real. I mean, it was all behind closed doors until now, but we're going to meet your mom and sisters, as a threesome. That's ... wow."

"My mom will understand," Sydney said. "But not my dad. I think he would rather me be a lesbian than one of your wives. He'll probably want to kill you. Just saying."

"I'll keep that in mind," Neil told her with a grin.

"I could give a fuck what my parents think," Shayla told him. "They're both alcoholic fucking losers. I worked my ass off to get my academic scholarship so I could get the fuck away from them. I won't be inviting them to the wedding."

"There you go mentioning marriage again," Sydney sighed.

"What? You're the one already naming babies," Shayla said, getting up from the bed. "You hungry Neil? I was thinking pizza."

"No, I'm good. Maybe a slice, but I had a lot of pot roast at dinner," Neil said.

"What did you have to say that for?" Sydney blurted.

"Well, you are! I saw you looking at the damn website," Shayla said and left the room.

Sydney turned and looked back at Neil, biting her lip, but Neil seemed unaware of their conversation. "Shayla! Fuck!" she said chasing after her lover, "Why are you always so fucking brutal?"

"Brutal? '
There you go talking about marriage again
," she quoted snidely. "How fucking brutal is that?"

"But you do! You keep bringing it up and... well... which one of us marries him? We can't both marry him!" Sydney yelled at her.

"How the fuck should I know?" Shayla yelled back at her. "I've never even been in fucking love before!" she added, tears filling her eyes. "And stop fucking cornering me!" she ordered, pushing past her out of the kitchen and going to the living room.

"I'm not cornering you! I'm trying to talk with you!"

"I don't want to talk!" Shayla screamed at her. "I want to order a pizza, and watch a movie, and snuggle on the couch and eat popcorn and then go to bed! I want to feel like I did Friday morning!"

"How was that?" Sydney asked a little softer.

"Loved!" Shayla yelled. "I don't want my parents to know about this, and I don't want your dad trying to kill Neil and the whole fucking world pointing fingers and telling me I can't feel like that with you two!"

"So, we'll have our own ceremony," Sydney told her. "And we'll just change our names to Jackson. No law against that. And if we're asked, we're married. As long as we don't say that to the IRS, who the fuck cares about anyone else?"

"Just like that?!" Shayla pounced.

"Just like that," Neil said, leading against the wall.

Shayla turned on him, and then started crying, "I'm sorry Neil! I don't know why I'm so fucking upset."

Neil took her in his arms, "Because you have something to loose, that's why."

"God damn it!" she bawled, and beat her fists feebly against his chest.

After a few minutes she calmed down, and they sat on the couch together. Shayla sat across his lap and Sydney knelt beside them on the cushion, kissing Shayla and running her fingers through her hair.

A good twenty minutes went by, and the comfort level was back to normal when Neil said, "So, baby names?"

"Meep," Sydney whimpered.

"When did this start? Friday morning?" he asked.

"Actually," Shayla told him, "we've been building up quite a romance with you for the last few weeks. You just haven't had any say in it, that's all."

"Ah," Neil said with the sound of understanding. "So, are these babies coming any time soon?" he asked Sydney.

"Um, well, actually -- no," Sydney told him. "See, we need to finish our MBA and start a business first, and then we can think about babies. Um, that’s if you want babies. Do you?"

"Not right now," he told her. "But by then, yes, I would like to have babies, with one or both of you. What's this business you are going to start?"

They started with trickling answers about the new-energy field and vague ideas, not wanting to bore him. But he listened so intently, that more details came pouring out of both of them. Soon they were sitting on the edge of the coffee table in front of him, talking about various areas of new-energy being explored and how they were following more than a dozen companies.

After than they both had their laptops open, pizza ordered and were back sitting beside him, showing him reports and prognosis.

He asked some insightful questions, but mostly he just listened to them and Sydney was feeling a warm glow inside of her as she began to believe that their dream mattered.

"You've obviously been working on this for a long time," he finally said, after nearly two hours of purging on him.

"About seven years, yeah," Sydney told him.

"You aren't ready to try it now?" he asked.

"No," Sydney said. "There's still so much we don't know about running a business Neil. We do need, and want our MBAs."

"Also," Shayla added, "it will be easier to get business loans if we have an MBA, instead of just a Bachelors. We’ll also qualify for more government grants."

"So, you aren't looking to raise money for this with cocaine," he put out there.

"Oh, hell no," Shayla told him, "I mean, we would have to launder the money before we could get it into a real business, and that's always a hassle, and sometimes it doesn't even work. No, this was just supposed to be a party time. You know, enjoy our youth and then get back to real life."

"Yeah," Sydney agreed, "we never thought it would be this big. Kilos? Seriously? We were just looking for a good time and some free coke when Jacques brought us in. In like two months we're pushing out ounces instead of eight-balls. We got a client list full of high-dollar call-girls and gigolos. We're being invited to parties where we go through a whole kilo in sales. Then we start getting the stables — guys who want one or two ounces every week. We have like sixty of those now, that's two kilos right there. They get theirs on Friday night. We have to do those. A few are on Thursday night."

"All the rest," Shayla adds, "is just party money and regulars calling in. We stick with regulars mostly. Any new client can be a narc and that's heat we don't want. Even if someone calls us and says that Joey sent him and Joey's a solid, we tell him we don't know what he's talking about and to get back with whoever Joey is. Then we call Joey and say 'not cool, thanks but no thanks."

"We never expected to be one of the top dealers," Sydney tells him.

"The top dealer," he corrects.

"What?"

"You two go through between six and eight kilos a week. Everyone else is three, max," he tells them.

"Wow," Sydney said.

"Not anymore," Shayla tells him. "We already talked this over and we're going to continue with our stables — that's two kilos — and have one for Friday night regulars. That's it. Close to the Fall semester, we'll sell our lists of stables and regulars to someone, and we're out."

"See," Sydney explains, "we fucked off a lot of money. Serious amounts of money. We want to nest egg some before we get out, but we don't want the risks any more either. It would suck to get busted at this point."

"True," Neil agrees, and he looks deep in thought.

"What's up?" Sydney asked him.

"Oh, probably nothing. I was just thinking that going from eight to three a week, might raise some ire with Anton," he mused.

"Well, fuck him," Shayla said. "If he gives us shit then we'll just quit now. We are paid up with this apartment for the next two years, and have a huge deposit on electric, same with our cable. We won't even see a bill for the next eighteen months. On top of that we have close to two hundred grand in our safe. We'll just fucking quit."

Neil nodded but still looked thoughtful.

"You think he'll hassle us about quitting?" Sydney asked.

"Hmm? Um, no. Well, not certain, but normally it would be no. Anton has been whacked out lately and saying some fairly strange shit. Like the other day he tells me that he has a job for me, and I tell him I'm not interested, which should have been the end of the conversation. I'm a patch-holder, not a prospect that has to do whatever comes his way. But he said, 'are you part of this club or not,' which was out-of-line. If I was behind in dues or owed the club money, then I could see something like that, but I don't. I'm paid up for the next two years, and I've been a member for over ten, so, what the fuck?"

"How old are you Neil?" Shayla asked.