Christian sat back down. “That settles that.”
Blue snickered from the bench across from him. She seemed different today, and I wasn’t sure if it was Christian’s blood, the alcohol, or getting a second chance at life. In any case, she was drinking in more than the alcohol.
“Boy, you should have heard what Sambah said to me,” she said, eyebrows arched high.
I lurched over the table and lowered my voice. “What? I thought you left right after us.”
“I did.” Blue reached for a container of baked beans and dipped her spoon in. “But while I was on the phone with Viktor, Sambah came out, thinking something was wrong. We got to talking, and I asked about you-know-who.”
She meant Graham, but we weren’t going to mention him by name in present company.
I glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “What did he say?”
She finished eating a spoonful of beans, a half grin lingering. “He didn’t tell me what they did to him or how he died. All I know is that they buried him on the property.”
“That’s surprising because?”
“They made his grave a permanent outdoor urinal.”
Christian choked on his potato salad.
“I think they put flowers or a bush or something on his grave,” she went on, barely bottling her laughter. “So the only way they’re allowed to water the flowers is to piss on him.”
I had to credit Sambah for his creativity. I sat back in my seat and nibbled the last good meat off the bone before pushing my plate away.
“Are you going to waste that?” Christian asked. “There are starving children in the world, and there’s still meat on those bones.”
“I don’t like fat and gristle.”
Ren reached over, took my plate, and stripped the meat clean off the bone, making me grimace.
“Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph.Is that your da?”
I turned toward the sound of a motorcycle rumbling on the street to my right. Crush was facing us at the stop sign, and I actually stood to get a better look over the rosebushes. “Holy shit. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“What?” Ren launched to his feet to see what had grabbed everyone’s attention. “That motherfucker actually did it. Sorry, Raven. I can’t promise what my boys will do to him.”
My dad sat on his big Harley, a black bandana tied over his head like a cap and his black shades on. He looked proud as hell, which wasn’t unusual whenever he rode his bike around. But whatwasunusual was the sidecar with the dog inside.
Blue sputtered with laughter. “Ohfates. Is that dog wearing goggles? What do they call those? Doggles?” She reached for her beer, still laughing.
Crush spotted us and waved as he turned the corner to park out front.
I sat, a stunned feeling sweeping over me. Crush had unwillingly accepted a pet and then taken it to another level.
I patted the table in front of Ren, who had also sat back down. “Does everyone know he has a pet?”
“They do now.”
After another minute, Crush sauntered onto the patio and took off his shades. “Everyone, this is Harley. He’s my partner.”
Someone wolf whistled.
Crush snapped his fingers. “I’ll remember that the next time you bring in that piece-of-shit Kawasaki for me to fix again,Leonard.”
“It’s Lenny, you asshole,” the man yelled back over all the laughter.
Harley should have been tempted by the smell of delicious meat, but he looked up to Crush with anticipation and seemed to read his body language. Crush didn’t give him any commands. Instead, he rounded the table and I stood to give him a hug. It seemed like each time we hugged, it was as if we hadn’t seen each other in years. And I loved it.
