Broken Memphis (9 page)

I need to give everything to Lula, so I'll swallow my pride to remain in this house. Pax can fuck the entire city, and I'll pretend I don't care. Despite my happy face, my heart will be broken, and I'm not ready for the pain yet.

Tonight, Pax only enjoys a kiss. His hand holds the back of my head, preventing me from changing my mind. His lips on mine are hot and hungry. His tongue wants everything. He sucks at my bottom lip before nipping at the top one.

My nails dig into the flesh on his arms, wanting more, keeping him close like his hand in my hair does for me. I moan when his lips relent and he returns to suck at my tongue. My aching pussy is on fire, and I want him inside me so badly that I can barely stand. I arch my back, pressing my tits against his chest, enjoying the way the hard nipples feel against his harder body.

Finally, we pry ourselves apart and struggle with the heat our bodies radiate.

"You weren't kidding about my panties," I mumble, running a hand between my legs to settle the screaming flesh.

"Don't do that in front of me, or I'll fuck you right here on the floor."

His tone is angry, yet I know he's fighting to control his lust. We could fuck so easily. Lula is asleep. The house is quiet. Our bodies don't even need a single minute of foreplay to be ready. I could drop my pajama bottoms, pull his cock free from his jeans, and ride him until we're both exhausted.

Instead, I step back and sigh. "I'm a fast healer."

Pax studies me before smiling. "Your face looks so red. I can't wait to see what you look like when you come. Do you moan or whimper when you come, Bebe?"

"I don't know. I've never come with a guy. By myself, I just sigh."

Tugging at his hair with both hands, Pax closes his eyes. "Why did I ask? Now I'm going to come in my pants."

"I'm taking a shower up here while you take a shower downstairs. We'll stay the hell away from each other until my eye is healed. Once I look better, we won't stay the hell away from each other. Then we'll test out what sounds I make, okay?"

Peering at me from half open eyes, Pax grins. "Night, Bebe."

"Night, Pax."

"If I join you in bed later, it's just because I got danger on the brain, not fucking, okay?"

I nod then back away from him and hurry to the bathroom. I don't even let the water warm before jumping under the stream. The cold hurts, but distracts from the need clawing at me. The hunger between my legs cools as my body chills. By the time I turn off the water, my teeth chatter and I feel frozen.

Under the covers, I relax. I'm neither cold or hot anymore. Looking at Lula keeps my thoughts from veering back to Pax and his lips on mine. I doze off imagining Christmas shopping rather than Pax's bed.

An hour later, he joins us in bed. I wake just enough to feel him pulling the covers over himself. I think I hear Folgers in the room too. We're all together again, and I let myself pretend this is how we'll always be.

14

Pax

Who Did What Now?

My bad dream isn't anything as dramatic as the massacre of my brother and friends. I only dream of losing Bebe in a card game to Madden, who slimes her up with his rich boy cooties. By the time I get her back, she's ruined.

When I wake up, Bebe is still perfect. I watch her and Lula sleep with matching expressions on their faces. In fact, I can almost forget that Wolfman helped create the child next to me. She's nothing like her old man. Not hairy or nasty or mean. She wouldn't steal from old ladies, beat up women, or pimp out little kids. Lula is an angel, and I plan to keep her that way even if I spend the rest of my life burying people who threaten her innocence.

I'm so focused on thoughts of killing high school boys that I don't notice Bebe's awake and watching me. Her eyes are amused. I glare at her for mentally laughing at me. She smiles at my anger then reaches over and pokes me in the gut. I look down at her hand and think it needs to be just a few inches lower.

Bebe doesn't need me to say the words. She sees where my gaze goes and rolls her eyes. We remain in bed, watching each other. Occasionally, I reach over and cop a feel of her left tit. The nipple is hard, so I know it likes the attention.

Bebe doesn't react when I touch her. She waits until my hand leaves then reaches over and flicks my chin. We do this about a dozen times before Lula wakes up to throw more cold water on the flirting.

"You had a bad dream," she says to me, sitting up.

"I dreamed I hugged your mom and she gave me cooties."

Lula laughs then crawls out of the bed to use the bathroom. Bebe goes with her, and Folgers follows close behind. I remain in bed for a while longer. Ford plowed many chicks in this room. This visual grosses me out enough to force me from the bed. I take my gun and walk downstairs to my level.

I want to have breakfast with the girls, but they've already promised to spend the day with Darby and Shay. Once they leave, I lounge for a few hours then join Ford at the shooting range. We're just wasting time until the secret meeting with Madden.

The elementary school is a dump and has been for a long time. Ford and I attended it for a few months during Mom's drug-free period. This was long before a rat problem caused the school to temporary close. Years later, the school remains shut down to deal with the hairy fuckers.

I don't spot Madden's Harley when we arrive, but he's already inside. We find him in an old kindergarten class. Lucky and Taco walk in first, looking for trouble. Joker and Bull enter next, with Ford and me keeping an eye on the hallway.

"Dad's put killing you on the back burner for the next few weeks," Madden tells Joker. "I convinced him this Taz thing could create a nice distraction. When he takes you out, the club can point the finger at the growing chaos in Little Memphis."

If Joker minds hearing about his impending death, he doesn't show it. Standing at the doorway, I size up Madden again. His darker skin is something he got from his Mexican mom. He's pretty like her too, but the mean-ass look on his face is all Trigger. Makes me feel like I'm looking into the eyes of my enemy.

"Where does Trigger think you are?" Joker asks, peering out of the dirty window.

"Fucking a chick at the Meadow Brooks trailer parks."

Ford passes me casually, giving my arm a nudge to tell me to stay focused. I want to smack him for thinking I'd daydream during a meeting with Trigger's kid.

"Let's get on with it," Madden says, brushing his wavy bangs away from those pretty brown eyes. "I know who took out Taz and his shitheads."

Joker sighs. "Don't tell me it's Ginger Snaps."

"If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck…"

"Your dad said he killed her."

"He lied. The bastard does that a lot. I'd think you'd know that by now, since he's lied about making you president for months now."

"You know for sure?" Ford asks Madden.

"Yeah. She came back to Little Memphis when Dad had his heart attack. She smelled blood in the water from a state away and did what all predators do."

"Why is she talking to you?" Lucky asks, looking suspicious.

"She knows killing Trigger isn't enough to get her power back in Little Memphis. She needs to make a deal."

"And we're the dealmakers?" Joker asks.

"Seems that way."

"Why did she kill Taz?" I ask, still pissed at my missed revenge.

"I don't know. He was moving into Paro's territory, and Paro was her bitch. All I know is she wants her territory back, and the easiest way to make a deal is to ensure the club's management is friendly. That means she supports President Joker over here."

"When do we meet her?" Joker says. "I'm assuming you've talked to her face to face, right?"

"Yeah, but she's not ready for a meet and greet. Last time she trusted the club, Trigger tried to kill her. Ginger has trust issues, but she did leave a peace offering for Pax."

Hearing my name tenses me. "Why me?"

"How would I know? Ginger and I aren't girlfriends, and she doesn't share her game plans with me. She just gave me the address and number to a storage unit where she left you a gift."

I scratch at my beard and glance at Ford. He isn't happy either. Ginger Snaps is an unknown. Like we didn't already have enough fucking moving parts to stress.

"Give me the address."

Madden ignores me and focuses on Joker. "Dad is nervous about the Taz shit. He knows someone is making moves. He also claims he doesn't know who. Of course, he's lying. He's knows he didn't kill Ginger. She's one of only a few fuckers willing to mess with him over the years."

"Are you sure he isn't suspicious of you?" Bull asks, having found his voice.

Madden smiles in a way that makes me wonder if he's evil. I see a bit of his cousin Zombie in that smile.

"He's too arrogant to believe anyone doesn't bow to him. I don't really blame him. He's spent most of his life calling the shots and having his ass kissed. The idea of me or anyone else turning on him likely never crosses his mind."

"So what happens next?" Joker asks.

"Ginger Snaps is making moves on the West Side. I'll work on getting a face-to-face meeting with you. I think I've sold her on you being a different kind of leader, instead of a shit talker like my dad. Once she's a go, we can see about making our move. Even if Dad isn't suspicious, he's let Zombie loose. Dad wouldn't mind more chaos."

Madden struts to me and shoves a piece of paper into my hands. "Gifts from a sociopath are fun."

When I glare at him, he stares back unaffected. He claims Ginger Snaps is a sociopath, but he looks like one to me right then. Despite my dislike for Trigger's oldest boy, I'm really only curious about what's in the storage unit.

As soon as he leaves, I'm roaring down the road with Ford and the guys behind me. I don't know what a chick pimp would leave for me, but she stole my chance at revenge against Taz.
Her gift better be fucking amazing.

The code for the facility's front gate is on the paper Madden gave me. We park outside then make our move past row after row of units. The last door on the end is the one we want. I put my ear to the door but hear nothing since we're close to the highway.

"Could be a trap," Taco says, glancing around the dark night.

Joker shakes his head. "Killing us at the school would've been easier."

"Let's do this," I grunt, working the combination lock with the numbers from the note.

Ford and Lucky point their guns at the unit while I shove up the door. Not knowing what to expect, a moment passes before I realize what I'm seeing.

On the wall in blood are words. Ford likely suspects I can't understand them all, so he reads out loud, "I am the monster who beat a woman and terrified a child. I deserve to be punished. Please kill me, Pax."

On the ground, a man struggles against his restraints. Part of his Mohawk is hacked off, and one eye is swollen shut, but he sees me and knows who I am.

"I think this might be the best gift anyone's ever given me," I say to Ford, who grins.

"Have at it, Homerun."

Before I swing my bat, I take a picture of the fucker on the ground. I don't care if it's dumb to have my victim's mug on my phone. I need to show Bebe and let her know this man is dead.

I shove the phone in my back pocket then smile at Ford.

"You're like a kid sometimes," he says, grinning at me.

"It's Christmas morning, turd."

The first blow takes out his kneecap, and I relish the sound of crunching bones. When he screams, I tap the bat on the wall next to the words.

"You did this," I tell him. "You brought us to this moment. I want you to remember that woman and her kid. Think about them when you want the pain to end."

The guy's eyes focus hard on mine, and I know he feels no shame. A man like him is past caring about others. He'd likely kill his own mom for a few smokes and a beer. I'm a firm believer in evil. I see it in the mirror sometimes. Some men can live with the evil inside them and never let it destroy someone like Bebe and Lula. This fucker gave into his evil long ago, and I'll do the same thing this very moment with my bat.

15

Bebe

Too Long Waiting

Hearing Pax enter the house, I sneak out of bed. Lula never stirs as I leave the room. Pax isn't in the kitchen or living room, so I walk downstairs looking for him. A part of me again worries he's brought home a woman.

The shower is running, so I decide to wait at the stairs for him to finish. In my hand is a baby monitor to allow me to hear if Lula wakes. Upstairs, Folgers stares at me through the railing. I watch him until the bathroom door opens.

Wet hair slicked back, Pax wears only a towel around his waist. His tats are bright against his tanned skin. I don't even pretend I'm not impressed by the sight of him.

"I thought you were asleep," he says, looking irritated.

"I was waiting for you."

Pax's frown eases a little. "What's that?"

"A baby monitor, so I can hear Lula."

"Are you planning to hang around long?"

"Why are you P I S S E D at me?"

Pax blinks hard then frowns. "I'm not. Why would I be?"

"You seem grumpy. If you're not mad at me, why are you P I S S E D?"

Instead of answering, he reaches out and strokes my cheek. His fingers slide down my neck then tease my cleavage.

"I wanted to fuck you the first time we met," he says in a husky voice. "Charmed you right off the bat too."

Thinking about how rude he was the first night, I smile casually. Yet my breathing betrays my cool exterior.
Hell, my whole body betrays me.

"Why are you upset?" I ask.

Pax grabs his phone off the dresser and looks for something on it.

"I found the guy who made Lula drink the beer."

His words erase my arousal, returning me to the pain of failing Lula. Pax breaks through the memories of that night by showing me a picture of a bloodied man. I'm not sure he's the one who hurt me and Lula though. All of Taz's idiots looked the same.