The Winter of Regrets (3 page)

They began to move together. She met him thrust for thrust as they built up toward their climax. Jack could feel his spine tingling and his balls drawing up as he felt Dee shuddering. He shot his cum into Dee with deep strokes. Once he finished, he lay on top of her for a few seconds.

Suddenly, he jerked up. “Shit, we didn’t use any birth control!” Jack cursed. He rolled off of her and fisted the sheet.

“No, we didn’t … but what are the chances I’ll get pregnant?” Dee wasn’t worried as she got up to go into the bathroom.

Jack didn’t reply as he lay on the bed thinking. With his luck, the chances were damn good. He had a lot on his mind and he didn’t want to think about babies.

Deidra came back and they cuddled together as she told him about finding her dress and how much fun it had been shopping with his sisters.

He nuzzled into her neck. “I have a favor to ask of you, Dee. Thorn’s wife, Tears—you’ve met her a few times—she really could use a friend.”

“I
told
you how I feel about Bound for Hell ol’ ladies,” Dee complained. “I don’t feel right around them. Your sisters are different because they’re family. What if I say the wrong thing? I don’t think it is a good idea. I hate club bullshit. If Thorn was in your club, I’d feel differently.” She pushed her blonde hair out of her face. “What aren’t you telling me, Jack?”

Mad Jack stared at the ceiling, frustrated. “You know damn well I can’t tell you club business. I’m not asking you to be friends with Tears now. I’m telling you that she
needs
a friend and … well, Thorn is my brother. Can you be that friend, Dee? Get Willie to be friends with Tears, too. Things are going on that I can’t tell you, but you don’t have to worry.”

His voice had changed. “Oh shit,” she whispered, realizing it. “Thorn’s club jumping, isn’t he?”

Jack didn’t answer, staring at the ceiling in silence. He wondered what Nailz and Veiko would have to say. The hint of a smile touched his lips; he hoped it angered the shit out of them. Thorn was like his real brother and family. No more would he let Bound for Hell fuck Thorn over. He fell asleep, content that Thorn would soon see things his way.

T
horn was already working when Mad Jack strolled into his new house they were building. It was chilly, and Thorn took a break to grab coffee from the thermos Tearney had made for him.

Jack stood looking around the inside and grinned. “It will be finished sooner than we expected. What are you gonna do after this?”

“Don’t have a clue,” admitted Thorn. “Go into my bank account again, I guess. This shit with Nailz signing off for me to use Hunter’s money is ridiculous. He knows nothing about how to run the Lodge.” Thorn sneered. “I really wonder what the fuck Hunter was thinking. I knew about Elena, but not Nailz. That makes no sense, and I’m going to talk to Edward and Peter about breaking the will. I keep going over everything in my mind and it makes no sense at all.” He cursed as he burned his lip on the coffee. He poured the rest of the cup out the door and slammed the cup on top of the thermos.

“I didn’t want to break my word to Hunter, but I gotta tell you some shit you ain’t gonna like.” Jack looked his friend in the eyes. “I knew about Hunter being sick, and so did Kima. He made us promise not to tell you. I helped him when you were busy. Drove him to the VA hospital a few times. Took him to the lawyer when he was whacked out on painkillers once. Neither my cousin Edward nor Peter were there, but some fat bitch lawyer grabbed him up and got him into her office. I don’t know what went on, but one of the secretaries put up a fuss and said only Edward and Peter were to deal with your dad. Hunter asked me to look out for you, bro. I didn’t know how to talk to you about your dad dying, man. I didn’t know what the hell to say to you.” Jack ran his hand over his face. “Say something, bro. If you’re pissed or want to hit me, do it.”

Thorn sat down on a spackle bucket. “It’s all good. Hunter did what the hell he wanted. I’m not surprised, really. He was in no shape to drive to the hospital. I wondered how he was getting there. He went so fast though, you know … I wondered why there was no letter for Kima. Hunter considered all of us his kids. Remember how we used to piss him off when we’d take the boats out and forget to fill the tanks back up? He’d piss and moan so bad, it was funny as hell. Or how about when I decided to teach Kima how to hunt? Fuck, was he pissed off at me! And it ended up saving her life. We have lots of great memories, don’t we?” He pulled out a cigarette and cupped his hand over it to light it.

“Yeah, we do,” Jack agreed, “and there’s no way you’re going to beg Nailz for money, either. You should consider jumping over to Nefarious. There’s money to be made in my club and I talked to your dad about it.” Jack pulled a pack of rolling papers and a small baggie of pot out of his jacket. He pushed some wood shavings off a worktable and began to roll a joint. He wondered how long it would take his words to get a reaction from Thorn. He looked at him, but Thorn was staring out at the water.

Jack took a deep breath. “I know a guy looking to get a commercial fishing boat to go out and grab some bricks of hash and whatever out of the pots. The drug boats drop them in the pots and you get good money picking it up. He wants it dropped off at a duck blind in Beach View over near my parent’s house. You’d never see him and I’d be paying ya. I really didn’t want to suggest it, but if you’re hurting that bad …” Jack lit the joint up, took a deep toke, then passed it to Thorn.

“If I got caught, I’d be facing losing the Lena and jail time. I love that boat; I worked on it with Hunter. I know that deal, Jack. You did it at times but you had a faster boat. I don’t want to lose everything I’ve got and my wife while I rot in jail, bro. Why would Hunter think I’d club jump?” He was curious to know what his dad had thought of that idea. He took a hit off the joint and passed it back to Jack.

Jack stood with his back to the door, the sunlight picking up the blond highlights in his hair as he ran his hand through it. “Look, I suggested it and I told him all the reasons why it was a good idea. As soon as you married Tears, I knew it wasn’t gonna work being in the same club as Nailz. I told Hunter it was never gonna work because Nailz is a know-it-all fucker and a prick. At least Veiko is more reasonable, and so is Jersey. Trust me, that’s why I went to Nefarious—same reason JJ did. Too much family in a club and shit gets personal. I’m not gonna trash your club, but it’s fucked up. I’ve never felt good about them since they let that fucker Rabid get my sister. Nailz isn’t up on his game anymore or he’d have saved my sister. Kima and I are tight and it didn’t take me long to figure out that you and Hunter helped her. She never told me details, but I’m not stupid. What the hell did Nailz do for her? Nothing!”

Thorn snorted. Jack toked on the joint before grinding the last of it into the floor.

“And get this shit,” Jack went on. “Jo calls my mother up and tells her Kima isn’t cleaning, cooking, or taking care of Josie. My mother believes that bullshit, too. When Kima finds out Jo’s backstabbing her, it’ll be a huge blow-up, mark my words. Sure as hell won’t be
me
telling her, either. Jo’s jealous my great aunt gave Kima more than half of her assets with that marina, gas station, and all that shit.” Jack grew serious as he looked at Thorn. “You know Kima is going to be pissed. Best thing Jo can do is stick close to my mother. That might save her jealous ass. Bound for Hell isn’t gonna do you any favors, bro. What have they done for you since Hunter died?” He moved into the room and began to roll another joint.

Thorn took all that in and wondered what the hell was going on with the people around him. Jealousy seemed to be a key factor lately, along with money. He had to ask, “What kinda deal did Kima get?”

Jack licked the rolling paper and ran his finger down the joint. “Anya gave my sister sixty percent of the garage, marina, gas station, house, and the general store and cottages. In return, my sister helps her live in one of the cottages for as long as she can. My dad and Veiko made a deal for a loan, but fucking Nailz got in at ten percent. He wants a place close to a garage with land to store his heavy-duty equipment he’s buying for his new business.”

Thorn whistled at that. “That so?”

Jack shrugged. “Veiko does the mechanics, so it made sense. Not to me, though. I’d have kept Nailz out of it. Shelly and I aren’t upset because Kima’s always been Anya’s favorite. However, Jo’s pissed about the whole thing. Feels it’s unfair, or some shit my mother said. Like Nailz parents don’t have enough money for her. I don’t like the way she’s acting, but my mom says it’s being pregnant or hormones or some shit. Jo’s always been jealous of Kima. You saw how they were as teenagers. It sucks, and it’s all going to blow the fuck up. Kima is blood and Jo isn’t, bottom line for me. Hormones, my ass! Dee had better not get like that when she gets knocked up. I don’t want any babies for a while. How about you and Tears?”

Thorn laughed. “No babies here either, brother. My ol’ lady wants to go to school. She’s going over to ask Nailz to help her again today. My guess is that isn’t going to happen. What about the diner and the house behind it? Who got that?” He was curious about what was going on with his new rival in Sea Woods.

Lighting the joint, Jack replied after exhaling, “Pennsylvania cousins, my crazy Aunt Nadia’s daughters. You remember, she died and we had her three daughters one summer—Dawn, Denise, and that monster Darla. Anya used to take them sometimes, and they are causing my uncles issues. My Uncle Alex decided to buy the diner and house from Anya to get them a business. I ain’t ever eating there, although I heard Dawn can cook. My mom is so happy about it, too. They’ll all be here for the wedding. I guess it will be good for the Lodge to have local food. I’m betting my mother hooks poor JJ up with one of them. As long as it isn’t the monster, I don’t care. All of them look a lot like Kima, except my sister is prettier. You know she went out shopping with Dee for a dress yesterday.”

Thorn smiled finally. “I heard. And we’re going to go over there for dinner tonight. I worry about Kima, to be honest. Never really liked her hooking up with Veiko. Something seemed wrong about their ages, but I hooked up with Tears who is young, too. Go figure. We gonna work or smoke pot all day? I’m on the clock, y’know.”

Jack lay down on the floor and laughed. “Fuck working for now. I say we smoke another joint and go get some lunch. We’ll work after lunch, and I’ll still pay you for a full day. Thorn, seriously, think about coming over to my club. It makes the most sense. I’ve asked Darko and he really wants you. He’ll work out the details with Tramp or Veiko. If you wanna talk to him, we could go over to Dirty Deeds for lunch.” Jack watched his friend’s face. Thorn wasn’t saying yes or no, but he nodded in agreement.

“Lunch on your dime at Dirty Deeds and talking to Darko? Why the fuck not. I may as well weigh my options.” Thorn held out his hand for the joint.

T
ears sat stiffly on the kitchen chair as her father Nailz and his wife Jo lectured her. The twins were napping. She looked around at the kitchen she had once thought was so wonderful in what had once been her dream home and family. It now seemed as if the walls were closing in on her. She was tired of listening to Jo go on and on about getting married too soon and too young. Her dad wouldn’t loan her money for college and her grandparents weren’t going to help either. She tried to drown both of them out by thinking of how she could make money. Kima had danced. Willie had danced too, so maybe that’s the answer. She didn’t understand why Jo had so much to say about her life and why her dad was trying to keep her from her dream of going to college.

Jo stood in front of her, finger wagging in her face. “Do you even hear us Tearney? You got yourself into this mess, so you’ll have to figure out how to get yourself out of it. You could come back home and get divorced. We’ll help you out if you do that, you know. You had no business sneaking behind our backs and marrying Thorn!”

At that, Tears stood up and shot a look at her father. “Dad, tell your wife not to put her finger in my face ever again. She’s right, I will fix this my way, and you both will stay the hell out of our lives. I’m never coming back into this house again. How dare you, Jo? You were pregnant, and without the Regans’ help and your friends, you’d have been on welfare!” She looked at Jo with disgust. “I used to love you, but with the way you’ve been acting, nobody wants to be near you. Have you even tried to help Kima?” She held her hand out, directly pointing at Jo. “I’ve had it, but you’re pregnant, so I won’t say what I really feel like saying.”

Jo sneered, looking as if she wanted to form a response, but couldn’t find the words.

Tears wouldn’t let her. She turned her glare onto Nailz, now. “I don’t know you anymore, daddy. You have your new little family now, so enjoy them. I’m going home to my
husband
, and you’re not welcome at my house. My husband and I will make it on our own. We don’t need your help.” She flipped back her long black hair and looked into their faces with a determined glare. Then she walked out the door, got into her car, and tore down the road, leaving Jo and Nailz to stare at one another.