Fuck.
“How thorough were you?” Joker pushed.
“How thorough are we usually?”
He had everything.
“I know he and his wife lost a baby eight years ago. Wanna know where that led.”
“They’re still married.”
“Need more, Lee,” Joker said quietly. Having walked through the building, he was pushing through the front door to the Compound.
“Retained enough to report to Tack. Don’t know specifics of the file. I’m out of the office. Hang on, I’ll patch in Shirleen.”
Shirleen was Nightingale’s receptionist, and Shirleen used to be one half of a formidable aunt and nephew team that dealt dope in Denver. Shirleen and her nephew pulling out of that shit years ago opened it up for Valenzuela to wreak havoc.
Regardless of the consequences, it took balls, huge ones, for Shirleen to do that. He’d met her. He liked her. Because of that and because she was fucking hilarious, said it like it was, and had been a cold-as-ice drug dealer that hid a heart of gold, a heart she let shine now, it was impossible not to like her.
Suddenly Shirleen piped in. “This better be good. My nails are wet.”
“Shirleen. Got Joker on the line. Need you to pull up the Robinson file,” Lee ordered.
“You’re lucky clickin’ on my mouse don’t mess up my new manicure,” she muttered.
Joker stopped by his bike and grinned at his boots.
“File up, need direction,” Shirleen stated.
“Medical records. The wife,” Lee told her.
“What am I lookin’ for?” she asked.
“Babies,” Joker told her.
“Scanned the file already, son. Man’s got no babies,” Shirleen confirmed unnecessarily.
“Attempts at getting them,” Joker clarified.
“Oh. Right. Hang on.”
Joker waited.
Lee waited.
Shirleen came back. “Three miscarriages. A stillborn, which breaks my heart. Another miscarriage. More of Shirleen’s heart breakin’. Looks like after that, they gave up. Hang on again.”
Joker hung on, but he did it feeling his entire chest squeeze.
“Another file. Luke just added it this mornin’,” Shirleen said. “They adopted. Momma pulled a fast one, took their money to keep her all good during the pregnancy. Handed over the baby, they had him ten days and she changed her mind. I’m scannin’ as I’m talkin’ but what I see, seemed the girl was legit. She was young and scared. Took one look at her baby, changed her mind. Her prerogative. Still breaks my heart yet again for your guy and his woman.”
“Jesus Christ,” Joker hissed.
“That what you need?” Lee joined in.
It was. It wasn’t what he wanted, though.
“Yeah.”
“You wanna share with us why you want that shit on this guy?” Lee asked, and Joker knew it wasn’t a request. He also knew Lee wasn’t big on sharing in-depth information about a man that was good on paper with a random curious biker.
“He was my high school teacher. He looked out for me. Last time I saw him was at the hospital after his wife lost their stillborn. I’m lookin’ to reconnect, wanted to be sure he was good before I did that.”
“Well, my guess is, he’s not,” Shirleen gave her opinion.
Joker stared at his bike as the thought came to his mind at the same time his lips moved. “I’ll pay, owe a marker, don’t give a shit, but need you and your boys on another one.”
“That would be?” Lee asked.
“Whore. Named Heidi. Last name is Smith, which means her last name ain’t Smith. She was in Valenzuela’s stable. She dropped off radar a few days ago. I need her found.”
“This through Tack?” Lee asked carefully.
He asked carefully because he knew the Club had issues with Valenzuela. He also knew that Tack and his brothers were working it alongside the crew of brothers Tack had outside the Club. Namely Hawk and two cops named Mitch Lawson and Brock Lucas. The Nightingale boys were not in that, and Joker knew by the way he asked the question that Lee didn’t want them to be.
“This is me,” Joker answered.
“Need you to explain, man,” Lee told him so Joker explained.
“Heidi Smith dropped off radar a few days ago because she’s knocked up, Valenzuela would rough her up if he knew, and she wants to be healthy because she’s lookin’ for a buyer for her baby.”
“Oh Lordy,” Shirleen breathed.
Lee said nothing.
“You’ll get on that?” Joker prompted.
“I get you, Joke,” Lee said quietly. “Says a lot about you what you’re lookin’ to do for this man. But he and his wife have been through hell. They don’t need a prostitute lookin’ for a payday fuckin’ with their lives.”
“Some young girl might change her mind one look at her baby, Lee, but do you think a bitch like Heidi would take Chaos for a ride?”
Lee was silent a beat before he said, “I get you.”
“You’ll find her?”
“Fuck yeah, we’ll find her,” Shirleen agreed for Lee.
“Jesus,” Lee muttered.
“I’ll give it to Luke. No, Vance. Whatever. We’re on it,” Shirleen declared.
“You heard her,” Lee added, sounding pained.
“Keep tabs, send me an invoice. Or accept a marker. Whatever, it’s done,” Joker told them.
“We’ll sort it out,” Lee replied.
“Right. Great. Thanks.” Joker swung his leg over his bike and finished with “Later.”
He got their laters, disconnected, and was about to put his phone in his back pocket when it rang in his hand.
He brought it back around, looked at the screen and smiled at his bike grip.
He put it to his ear. “Yo, Butterfly.”
“Hey, Joker,” Carissa replied, but her voice sounded funny.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Uh… I just got a call from Angie.”
Fuck.
“Your ex?” he prompted when she didn’t continue.
“No, though she did share that Aaron’s attorney reached out to her to set up a meeting.”
“You gonna take that?”
“Angie advises I should. Test the waters. So she’s doing it.”
She said no more.
“Okay, then what’s the problem?” he asked.
“Well, she also told me that she contacted my landlord and demanded he fax a copy of my lease to her.”
Good.
Joker had called Angie’s assistant the day before. He was glad she didn’t delay.
“And?” Joker pushed.
“Well, I haven’t had the time to dig out my rental agreement, but Angie took a look at it. Apparently, my memory isn’t faulty and I was right. Notice is just a week.”
Thank fuck.
“She then called him to ask why he gave me erroneous information,” she went on. “He told her the terms of the agreement had changed and I’d been informed of that in writing. She asked for my signed acceptance of that change and when he said he was having trouble locating it, she told him I’d be out at the end of the month. She also explained I’d have photo evidence to the state I left the apartment in, and if there was any issue with the return of my deposit, I’d see him one last time. In court.”
Joker was glad about this too, but he was cautiously glad since he couldn’t get a read on her tone.
So he asked, “This is good, am I right?”
“Considering I was gearing up to take the crushing blow that I had to inform Tyra and Tack that they should put their place on the market because I didn’t think it was fair they had to wait a month with no rent and I couldn’t give them a month’s rent and pay for this place, yes. It’s good.”
Joker laid it out, “Not sure I’m readin’ good from you, Carrie.”
“Then you’re not reading me,” she replied quietly. “This was you.”
“It was,” he confirmed, still
cautious.
“You looking out for Travis and me.”
Joker said nothing because he finally got his read.
You man up for her and her kid, you’ll be the rest.
Yeah. High was right.
Carissa continued, “I don’t know whether to cry or do cartwheels, but I can’t do either because I’m at work and I can’t mess up my mascara because I didn’t bring the tube with me and they might get mad at me because I’m pretty sure cartwheels are a health and safety violation.”
“It’s not that big of a deal. My take, your landlord wanted to take you for a ride. He didn’t. You probably woulda eventually looked at your lease and questioned it. It would be a headache, but my Butterfly doesn’t take shit. You woulda got in his face. Just saved you that hassle, Carrie.”
“You did,” she agreed. “I appreciate it and I don’t know how to express that appreciation.”
He knew how she could do it but that would wait until after they went out on their date next week.
“I could wash your bike,” she suggested.
“The only thing you have to do with this bike is when I put your ass on the back of it. You don’t wash it. You also don’t do payback. It isn’t necessary. We’re new, but if we wanna do this right, this is how we start, Carissa. You’re in the position I gotta take your back. We get beyond new, there’ll be a time you return the favor. It’s just what it is. Roll with it.”
That bought him nothing.
So he called, “Carrie?”
“I wanna cry and do cartwheels again,” she told him, voice clogged.
He grinned and said nothing.
He heard her clear her throat before she went on, “That’s all the good news. The bad news is, I’ve lost important days of packing so I need to get on that pronto. And to top that, we have two cashiers down with the flu. Sharon needs me to take a shift tomorrow.”
He didn’t want her to take a shift tomorrow. He wanted to have another day with her and her boy, this time packing boxes.
But he figured she needed that shift. She probably got paid dick but more was better than less, even if it was more of practically nothing.
“Right. Dinner and me helpin’ you pack boxes tomorrow?”
“Yes,” she said quietly.
She wanted that.
Fuck yes.
“I’ll bring shit and I’ll cook.”
“I hope you won’t be cooking shit.”
He started chuckling at the first cuss word he’d heard from her ever.
“It’ll be good shit,” he said through his laughter.
“Whatever,” she said, sounding amused.
“Okay, Butterfly. Give Travis a cuddle from me, yeah?”
A soft, quiet, “Yeah, sweetie.”
Sweetie.
No old lady called her old man sweetie.
Joker fucking loved it from Carrie.
“Right, tomorrow,” he said.
“Tomorrow, Joker. Can’t wait.”
And he fucking loved that she gave him that. No bullshit. She couldn’t wait and she told him so.
He shared his feelings about that by dipping his voice when he said, “Later, baby.”
“’Bye.”
He waited for her disconnect before he shoved his phone in his back pocket, started his bike, backed it out, and took off.
* * *
“I had hoped you’d visit a barber before you showed for a family dinner,” Mrs. Heely said after Linus’s wife, Kamryn, opened the door to their house and Joker had walked in.
“I think you look wonderful,” Kam said quietly, coming up to his side, touching his hand lightly, then reaching up and kissing his bearded cheek.
He looked down at her and caught the soft smile in her gorgeous face. Linus was a good-looking man, but he still scored with Kamryn Washington.
“You’re an enabler,” Mrs. Heely sighed.
“Pipe down, woman, and give me a hug,” Joker ordered.
Her eyes lit, her face lost its fake irritation, and she moved to him and into his arms.
He closed those arms around her and bent to kiss the top of her head.
She smelled like she always smelled, a few days ago and way back when she brought him dinner.
He wondered if her son liked her smell and figured the guy had never thought of it. He also figured if he thought he’d lose it, he’d think of it and like it.
Like Joker.
“Buddy!” Linus boomed.
Mrs. Heely pulled out of his arms but Joker didn’t let her get far. He kept her close with one arm around her shoulders.
“This menace is Jackson,” Linus stated, his hand on the head of a kid who was studying Joker curiously, until his father gently swiveled his head around and he started grinning and rolling his eyes back to get a look at his dad. “This is Tyler.” Linus let his boy go and bent deep to touch the head of a little one sitting on a step, eating from a bowl of grapes. “And this,” Linus went on, twisting and hefting up a pretty little girl who was hiding behind her daddy. “Is Candace. My little Candy.” He looked into her face and ordered, “Say hi to Daddy’s friend, Joker.”
She did a quick wave then tucked herself closer to her father.
“Joker? Like Batman?” Jackson asked.
“No, son, he’s a good guy,” Linus answered.
Jackson had a look on his face that said he didn’t comprehend this but he was trying.
It was funny and Joker wanted to crack up watching him.
But he didn’t.
Because he was taking it all in.
The house was a newish build, on a small lot, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t huge. It was also nice. Clean. Decorated. All about Kam’s colorful, stylish personality… and family. And Linus, with his beautiful wife, his three healthy, cute kids, the man of the family standing among all he built, the most important things in life. Woman. Kids. And the home you could give them.
He took this in glad as fuck Linus had it.
But he took it in thinking for the first time in his life that he wanted this.
Just this.
Gorgeous woman. Cute kids. Clean home decorated in the warmth his woman wanted to give their family.
“You gonna stand there starin’ at me, or you gonna take off your jacket and drink some of your old friend’s beer?” Linus asked.
Joker let Mrs. Heely go to shrug off his jacket, answering, “Beer.”
“Now that introductions are complete, Linus, would you like to share how you feel about Car… Joker’s lack of grooming?” Mrs. Heely asked.
Linus turned laughing eyes to the woman. “Respect, Mrs. Heely, but even when he was a kid, he was good-lookin’. He could have hippie hair and still be that way.”
This said a lot coming from Linus, who might work in a garage but right then he was dressed well. He’d always cropped his hair close to his head with clean lines razor-sharp all around and straight up took care of himself.
“I disagree,” Mrs. Heely snapped.
“He’d be cuter with shorter hair,” Candace piped up shyly.
“There’s a girl with taste,” Mrs. Heely declared, moving forward and arriving at Linus in a way it was impossible to misunderstand what she wanted.
Linus didn’t misunderstand it. He put his daughter down and Mrs. Heely claimed her immediately.
Taking her hand, she moved her up the steps from the living room that led toward the back of the house and a big, open kitchen, saying, “We girls gotta stick together, Candy. Now, let’s go help Mommy with dinner.”
“Okay, Momma Heely,” Candace replied.
“That’s my cue,” Kamryn muttered and he looked to her. “So glad you’re here, Carson.”
He nodded.
She moved into the house.
“Bud,” Linus called. “Beer.”
“Yeah,” Joker replied and moved toward him thinking next time, he’d bring Carissa and Travis.
That being after he told her he was Carson and he could quit dicking aroun
d and give it all to her so she knew what she was getting, the man he was, how he came to be that man.
And then they’d see.
* * *
After dinner with his friends, Joker was walking into the Compound when his phone rang.
He looked right, saw some of his brothers hanging out with beer, shot glasses, and a bottle of vodka. He headed that way while he pulled out his phone.
“Beer or shot?” Rush called.
“Beer,” Joker muttered, looking at his phone.
He didn’t know why he took the call. He didn’t want to talk to the man, and he no longer had any reason to talk to him.
But in the end he was glad he did even if it was the beginning of an uncertain end.
It started with him putting the phone to his ear and saying, “No reason for you to call me.”
To which Monk replied, “Got my fighters, a basement full of bloodthirsty motherfuckers, and bets taken on my main draw. A main draw whose ass is not here.”
“Told you when you texted me days ago, Monk, I’m out.”
He had told Monk that. He got Monk’s text about the next fight the day he decided to make his play with Carissa.
The money he made on fights was good. Good enough he had a whack and could buy a truck with cash without hardly making a dent in it.
But he also got paid a brother’s cut of Ride, which wouldn’t make him a millionaire, but it was substantial. He didn’t need to fight anymore.
Not to mention, any good fighter knew when to quit. Bare fists, if he was lucky, he might have a couple more years in him. But if he had a woman like Carissa in his life, he had no business taking those punches.
“You can’t just be out,” Monk replied as Joker stopped by his brothers at the bar.
“Fuck me. Apologies. Did we sign a contract and I forgot?” he asked.
“No, Joke, but you’re my main fuckin’ draw. You can’t just pull out,” Monk returned.
That was a lie. Monk had two monsters who always fought after Joker. They played that crowd like the pros they were, total carnage.
And Joker never threw a fight, as Monk had asked him to do repeatedly so they could both cash in on it. This meant Joker was a sure thing. Since entering the circuit in Denver, he was undefeated.
So he was nowhere near Monk’s main draw. What he was was a fighter who people liked to watch, and bet on, and win, and Monk put up with that because they won on Joker, so they had money to bet on the monsters who came up after him, fights on which they could lose their cash.