“Boy, do that again and see if I don’t cut your hand off,” she grumbled, handing me my plate.
“Sure you will,” I replied, setting the plate on the bar. If I had a dollar for every time Mama had threatened to maim me, I wouldn’t need to work at all. Despite all her talk, she was a five-foot-five softie. Two years ago, I’d shown up on her doorstep holding a one-year-old I’d just found out was mine and a crazy-ass story about the people looking for us. Mama hadn’t hesitated to quit her job, cut all ties, and head across the country with me and my daughter.
“You hear about this college admissions scam?” she asked, gesturing wildly at the television with her spatula.
I shrugged. “It shouldn’t surprise you, Mama. The wealthy have been paying their way through the government and institutions for years. If they wanted a guarantee that their child would make enrollment, the parents should have paid for a school wing like they did in the old days.”
She shook her head. “It’s a damn shame. All that money, and they still can’t afford to pay attention. If they really wanted their kids to prosper, they’d teach them how to listen and learn. People need to close their pocketbooks and open their ears for once. Maybe then we wouldn’t have so many entitled little shits running around. Our Hailey will be different. That girl will learn the value of listening and learning.”
“Yes ma’am,” I agreed. Agreeing was the only possible course of action when she went off on one of her rants.
“That girl’s gonna earn everything she gets.”
“Oh?” I asked. “I take it you’ve been working with her about picking up her toys.”
Mama dropped her gaze. “She’s only three. We can let her be a baby for a little while longer.”
“I’m sure you had me cleaning up my own toys at three.”
“That’s different. You’re my son. She’s my grandbaby. I needed you to get your lazy ass out of bed and contribute. All Hailey has to do is smile at me, and that’s contribution enough.”
I chuckled. “That’s really messed up, you know that, right?”
She shrugged. “I’m just being real with you, baby.”
As if summoned by our discussion, my now three-year-old, curly-haired whirlwind came blowing into the kitchen wearing a long pink nightgown with her hair sticking up in all directions, looking like a pocket-sized Tina Turner from the 80’s. “Daddy!” she shouted, clinging to my leg like my own personal sock monkey.
I dipped down and picked her up. “Mornin’ sweetheart,” I said before blowing raspberries against her cheek until she giggled and squirmed out of my arms. “I have a surprise for you and Mama.”
Her eyes grew almost as big as her smile. “A supwise? What is it?”
“A trip to Wolf Water Park.”
She squealed in delight before settling down enough to demand, “You come too.”
“No, baby. I can’t this time. I have to work. But you and Mama are gonna have a blast. I want to hear all about it when you get home.”
“How many days do you need us to stay at the lodge?” Mama asked, not missing a beat. I wasn’t sure whether she fully grasped how dangerous the people from my past were, or if she thought it was only in my mind—hell, sometimes I wondered ifI’dmade everything up—but she was always quick to follow my instructions without question. I hadn’t sent her and Hailey away since we’d moved to Seattle, but we’d planned out several nearby places they could flee to just in case. She also knew where she could find a lockbox with my club president’s number, fake passports, and enough money to set her and Hailey up somewhere safe.
There was a fine line between prepared and paranoid, and I skated that motherfucker every single day.
“I’m gonna need your help with a face tomorrow evening. Plan to leave right after that and stay through the weekend. I’ll let you know if plans change.”
Mama served me a plate of breakfast and a pointed look, but she didn’t ask for details. I’d once told her that the less she knew the better, and whether she believed me or was humoring me, she bought in. “Be careful, Alex.”
“I’m always careful. Besides, this is just a precaution while I work some shit out.”
“Daddy, don’t say shit,” Hailey chided.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, baby, but you don’t say it either.” I picked her up and settled her on the booster seat strapped to the bar stool beside me as Mama added two more plates to the bar. “Deal?”
“Deaw,” Hailey replied, grinning up at me, her big brown eyes full of mischief and wonder. “I’m goin’ down the big swide.” She picked up her fork and started tapping it against the table, singing about slides, unicorns, and bathing suits.
Hailey was the only pure thing in my life, and I would do anything to keep her that way. She was my everything, the reason I kept going day after day. Watching her tap and sing without a care in the world, I had to fight the desire to grab her and run, to get the hell out of Seattle and let the Dead Presidents handle their own shit.
But deep down, I knew Hailey and I couldn’t run forever, and the club was our best bet for a safe, stationary life. If anything happened to me, Link would be pissed that I hadn’t told him about my daughter, but he’d do everything in his power to protect her.
“Be careful with that big slide,” I said, brushing her bangs away to kiss her forehead. “I love you more than anything in the world, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
