Broken Memphis (19 page)

"Anything?"

"What is this guy supposed to know?"

"About Tiny Dick."

"Every time we say 'dick,' he giggles, and I'm forced to hit him again."

"Life is all kinds of difficult for you, isn't it, Homerun?" Lucky teases.

"Why is everyone picking on me?"

"Easy target."

The four of us look down at Ricie, waiting for his brain to click on.

"Why, man?" he asks finally. "I don't even know you bros."

I glance at Joker. "See what he's like?"

"Ask him what he saw at the quarry."

Behind us, Madden leans against the door pane. He's wearing a hat over his dark, wavy hair like he's undercover.

"What about the quarry?" Ford asks, kicking Ricie's foot.

"Oh, man, I don't want to think about that."

"Save the drama bullshit and spill what you know, or I'm having him pound on you again."

Ricie looks at me then nods. "I saw them fucking up this guy. They were cutting him all up. He was screaming, so they shoved dirt in his mouth. No, it was gravel. He couldn't breathe, and maybe that killed him. I think he was gonna die anyway when they cut open his chest."

Madden steps into the room. "He doesn't know the guy they killed, but I bet he knows the ones who did it."

"Who killed him?" Ford asks, since Ricie apparently can't hear Madden a few feet away.

"Ah, man, he won't like no one talking about his business. He always says he don't like people ratting on him. How he hates that and it makes him take out his knife. I don't want him taking out his knife on me."

"Sounds like half of the guys in Little Memphis," I mutter.

Ford leans on Ricie's foot again. "Say the name, or we'll take out our knives."

The guy's eyes go in two different directions, and I wonder if he might be having a seizure. Realizing he's just thinking, I feel smarter just by being near him.

"Zombie."

The room goes quiet like we all stopped breathing for a few minutes. I look at Ford, who shows nothing on his face. Joker is always cool. Lucky though looks like someone punched him.

"What the fuck?" he says to Madden.

"Not in front of the dipshit."

"What do we do with him?"

"He can't leave or else he'll snitch. If it makes killing him easier, I heard he beats his elderly mom and steals her Social Security checks."

Madden walks out, probably too soft to see the violence. Before I glance back at Ricie, Ford has brought down his bat. I hear a crack, and the guy stops twitching.

"Does this feel like a setup?" I ask Ford.

"Yeah, but what's the point?"

We follow Joker down the hallway and find Madden a few rooms down. He isn't alone.

Ginger looks smaller in the light of day. Her hair is hidden under a hat, but I don't think it's red like I assumed. She's wearing a jacket and jeans. In her lap rests a pistol, but her focus is on the lollipop in her mouth.

"Big Dick didn't think taking out Joker was a good idea," Madden says when we walk in. "He thought the club needed an older president if Dad died. He didn't think I was ready."

"So Trigger killed his kid?" Joker asks, seeming unconvinced.

Ginger pulls the lollipop from her lips. "Tiny Dick was a loser. He couldn't control shit on the West Side. Pimps pushed him around. Dealers paid late. No one respected him. He thought he was in love with a teen hooker and spent most of his time following her around to make sure she was safe. It was cute until she actually got roughed up by a couple of competing girls. When he stepped in, they kicked his ass. The guy was big, but he fought for shit."

Joker rubs the back of his neck. "So Trigger kills a weak link and gets his buddy Big Dick on board in one move."

"Why not just fucking tell us this?" Ford asks Ginger and Madden.

Ginger smiles from behind her mirrored glasses. "No one ever believes me. If I say Zombie killed Tiny Dick, you'd think I was fucking with you. Now you know I'm not."

"When did you know?" Joker asks.

Madden crosses his arms and glances at Ginger, who smiles again.

"Ricie wasn't the only one with a view of the festivities. I've had eyes on Zombie since my crew arrived in Little Memphis. Everyone knows he's an evil fucker and gets his power from Trigger."

"Zombie is on the loose now. When do we take him out?" I ask.

"To keep the death count low," Madden says, pulling off his hat and running a hand through his hair, "we need to take out the main guys all at once. We don't let them know they're fucked until we've got them bent over."

Joker fiddles with his cigarette, but doesn't light it. "Trigger claims he's coming for me after New Year. We should hit them sooner. If you have people you need out of town, get them gone before December 27. Anything later and we chance Trigger going early."

"So we hit him. Then what?" Lucky asks.

Ginger stands up and looks outside. "I figure there's ten solid guys in Trigger's camp. All loyal fuckers. Big Dick and his nephew Wino gotta go too. Oh, and his bitch wife too."

"Are we killing old ladies?" Lucky asks.

"No," Ginger says, looking back at us. "Just Big Dick's wife. She's a cunt, and I want her dead. The rest can keep breathing."

"What about your stepmom?" Ford asks Madden. "And your brother?"

"Ryder can't stay in Little Memphis. He won't be loyal, and he'll start trouble. He needs time to accept shit. His mom raised me, and I'm not killing her. If she pulls a gun on someone, shit happens, but I don't want her dead. I'd like to give her and Ryder a chance to get the hell out of town once Dad is dead. If they don't take that chance, I have no problem pulling the trigger myself."

"Why Big Dick's wife?" I ask, suspicious.

Ginger grins. "You're a curious little fella, aren't you?"

Suspecting she heard the other guys messing with me earlier, I roll my eyes and say nothing.

"Linda brings young women into the house as live-in maids. Soon, they're indentured servants, and she won't pay them. She beats them and pimps them out occasionally too. When they try to escape, they end up in the quarry. If they start trouble, quarry. If she thinks they're getting too close to Big Dick, quarry. Time for the bitch to end up there herself."

"As good a reason as I've ever heard."

Ginger shoves the gun into her jacket. "You boys are always fun, but get your shit in place, because I'm done killing lowlife nobodies. I'm ready to take out the big guys and change club management. All this waiting around is giving me hives."

Walking out of the room, Ginger disappears down the hall. We all focus on Madden, who waits for us to get to the point.

"Are you really going to kill your dad?" Ford asks when no one else does.

"When I was a kid, my mom took off for Mexico to see family. She never came back. As I got older, Dad told me she ditched me and started a new family. I believed him until I was fifteen and heard what happens to people the club doesn't want around. I knew then my mom wasn't in Mexico, but in the quarry. I've been waiting for years to put him there too."

"Why not just kill him when you found out?"

"I kill him. Then one of his guys kill me. I'm not a suicidal guy. When he had his heart attack, I figured he'd be dead soon. Instead, he makes his plans to kill Joker, and I see a chance to kill him and take what he worked for all these years. I also get to live and hand the club over to someone Dad resents for being a better manager. Dad is great at killing people, but he's got no eye for talent or brain for planning. Joker was good enough to use, but not to move up. Well, we're going to change that shit in a few weeks."

Madden's reason for wanting Trigger dead works for me. If someone killed Ford, I'd want revenge too. Spilling blood over a loved one makes me respect the pretty boy. Trust him, maybe not so much, but I no longer want to punch him in the face.

35

Bebe

Tit for Tat

Pax arrives home from his work errand in a weird mood. He forces me into a hug then kisses me hard. I shove him away before I lose the will to punish him for a bit longer.
Pax is sorry, but he isn't sorry enough.

Leaving Tallulah to watch cartoons, Pax pulls me into the kitchen and explains his plans for us to leave town. I don't argue or ask questions. Darby once told me that she never had a problem with the ugly side of Joker's life because she never looked at it. Ignorance is bliss, she said, giving me a wink.

Now I embrace how Pax can't tell me what's happening in the club. He isn't in the position to explain why everything needs to remain a secret. Or why I can't even tell Darby. Just keep it between Ford, Shay, and us.

"We're family," he whispers. "Joker, Darby, and the rest are club family. It's different. You need to think about keeping Tallulah safe."

"I'll pack our things and hide the bags."

"Good."

"Will we come back, or will you come to be with us?" I ask, unable to help myself.

Pax cups my cheek with his rough hand. "There are only two things that'll keep me from you and Tallulah. Jail and that ain't an issue in Little Memphis most days. You know the other thing, but I won't say it and upset you."

Caressing my lips with his thumb, Pax studies my face. "Lucky and Joker have plans. They know how to keep their people safe. Taco and the others too. I can't get into more, and I can't have you telling anyone. Like I said before, trust is a tricky thing these days."

"I understand."

"Yeah, you do," he says, leaning over and kissing me again.

Like a dope, I let him press his lips against mine. Heat rushes over me, and I wish we could make up tonight. Just roll around in his bed for a few hours then cuddle up in mine until Tallulah wakes up. Forgiving him would be so easy.

"Stop," I say, standing up and forcing space between us.

"Why?"

"Because you F U C K E D up, and I'm not over that yet."

Giving me a grumpy frown, he whines, "It feels like you've been mad a long time."

"That's because you have the attention span of a toddler," I say, tugging at his blond hair. "It's only been a few days, and I need more time to rebuild trust. I gave into you too fast last time. This time around, I'm playing it smarter."

When Pax moves towards me too quickly, I grab a frying pan from the clean side of the sink.

"Are you going to hit me?" he asks, grinning.

"Yeah," I say, struggling not to laugh. "I'm going to go A P E S H I T crazy on you. Prepare for the beat down."

Pax steps closer. "Go ahead and hit me. All I want is one more kiss before bed."

"I'll kiss you, but only because I'm trying to forgive you. A kiss might help."

"Then kiss me now."

"No," I mumble, setting down the frying pan.

"Why?"

"You messed with my heart. Now I'm messing with yours. Soon we'll be even. You're welcome."

I hurry past him before he forces a kiss on me. If he keeps trying, eventually I won't deny my hunger any longer.

Tallulah and Pax goof around in the backyard while I pack up our clothes. We'll live out of a suitcase until it's time to leave.

By the time I join them outside, they've decided we need to eat out at Burger King. Since this means I don't have to cook, I happily grab my coat. We spend the evening out like a family. The urge to give into Pax gets harder with every smile we share.

At dinner, we wear Burger King crowns. Pax looks silliest in his, but Tallulah thinks he's perfection. Seeing him with that crown on his head, I get the urge to climb over the table and into his lap. I imagine how his arms will wrap around me and I'll be free. The fantasy lies, but I don't give in. Not yet.

"Problem?" Pax growls at a guy checking me out. "Do you want to talk outside?"

Grin disappearing, the guy stares at his food while praying Pax won't push the topic.

A frowning Tallulah doesn't understand what is happening.

Noticing the expression on her little face, Pax fixes her crown. "I don't like men looking at your pretty mommy. If someone tries, I want to smack them around."

Smiling, Tallulah shakes her head. "Hitting people is wrong."

"What if they hit you first?"

"Then it's okay."

"I'll let that guy hit me first. Then I'll shove him into the trashcan."

Tallulah laughs at him. "He's too big for the trashcan."

"Oh, I bet I could get him to fit."

The topic then turns to meeting Santa. Tallulah is immediately terrified, and Pax says she's smart to be scared of sitting on a stranger's lap. By the time we arrive home, Tallulah is talking about drawing a picture for everyone for Christmas. She is especially excited about the one for Folgers.

Once Tallulah is in bed by eight, I know the kiss is coming. Shocked by how flustered I am, I clean the kitchen. Pax appears from downstairs and walks to Tallulah's bedroom to check on her.

When he returns, I casually glance at him and put on a fake smile. He doesn't return it. Taking the sponge from my hand, he tosses it in the sink. Pax wraps me in his arms, and his lips glue to mine.

Not in the mood for a peck before bed, Pax kisses me like this is only the first step before we head downstairs.

My mind swims from the intensity of the kiss. Gripping his shirt, I relish the heat of his embrace. Everything is so damn perfect.

Suddenly, he pulls his lips away and licks them. Stepping back, Pax sighs.

"Night, baby."

Pax leaves the room as quickly as he entered. Suddenly, I'm standing in the kitchen with a bad case of horny, and no one to help me alleviate the need.

Cleaning no longer soothes me. I consider calling Shay for help, but know she's probably getting her brothers in bed for the night. Darby is likely in the same position with the kids in her house.

I finally take a shower in the desperate hope that enough cold water will take away my hunger for Pax.

When this plan doesn't work, I turn to warm water and decide to pleasure myself. My body doesn't need much help to find an orgasm. Leaning against the wall, I caress my clit with one hand and my nipples with the other.