“She’s a very smart woman. Perceptive.”
“I think she’s jealous because she knows you and I used to fuck.”
“Bullshit! I’d never betray her with another woman. Maybe, her problem isyou. You probably come across as phony. She’d know if you were handing her bullshit.”
“I wasn’t. I’m not. I haven’t,” she amended. “Buy me the purse and consider it a gift to an old friend. Kendall has your cock on lockdown. Does she have your wallet chained up too?”
“I’m telling you this once, Gypsy. Because of our history and because of Derby. Don’t fuck with my wife. What I do for her is not your fucking business. Don’t ever make the fucking mistake of thinking that it is.”
“Of course it isn’t my business, John Boy, and I apologize if I came across that way. I’m just in a shitty mood. My sidepiece and I had a falling out. He was a kid, so he didn’t have much money but enough for hair products and little things.”
Johnnie couldn’t imagine a “kid” wasting his time on a harpy like Gypsy. At certain angles, she was still kind of pretty. Mostly—no. “How old is your kid? Twenty-three? Twenty-four?”
Her disingenuous smile annoyed Johnnie. “A little younger.”
“Twenty?”
She shook her head.
“You’re fucking an eighteen-year-old?” he asked, knowing she’d never look at an underaged kid. She’d never been stupid. Just a little pathetic. But even sad sacks like her knew better than to break the fucking law. “You’re going to get that boy killed.”
“Derby knows and doesn’t care.”
Stuffing more fries into his mouth, Johnnie chewed thoughtfully. Her request that he buy her a purse made more sense now. “He’d care if you sucked my cock, wouldn’t he?” he asked once he swallowed the food.
“The only way I’ll know is if it happened.”
Johnnie couldn’t dredge up anger toward her. It was more charitable to pity her than expend energy on fury. Besides, he just didn’t give enough of a fuck about hertocare. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Gypsy.”
“I love Derby. The purse I want is in the gift shop. I can’t afford it.”
“Do you want Derby to die?”
She snapped her brows together.
“If I bought the purse, which I already told you I won’t and I’m not changing my mind, you’d beeline to Derby and tell him. He’d confront me over stupid shit. My patience is worn fucking thin. I’d fuck him up.”
“Suppose I swear not to tell him?”
“I’m still not buying it, Gypsy. If you want it that bad, call Kendall or Megan.” He got to his feet and snatched Kendall’spresent, so he could get to the gourmet grocery store. He’d call De Smet and the florist from his car. “I’ve done enough to my wife to last a fucking lifetime. The one thing I’mnotdoing is ever giving another woman money.”
No one would disagree that he was leagues better than Christopher in that regard.
Molly Harris had been found alive.
In all the weeks of her disappearance, Harley Banks never considered what that occasion would be like. At first, she’d just been relieved the other girl was gone and no longer a threat to Harley’s relationship with CJ Caldwell, the boy she’d loved her entire life. Then, she didn’t care one way or the other. Harley just saw it as one less thing to worry about.Everyonewas against her. If Molly had been around, she would’ve pretended concern or stupidity orwhateverand made Harley’s life even more miserable.
Now, as she stood at the foot of Molly’s bed, Harley felt as much relief as she did worry. It relieved her that Molly was alive but she worried about her condition. It was grave. When Aunt Zoann said she was bad off, Harley hadn’t realized to what extent. Molly was hooked to all kinds of machines with glowing screens, and numerous medicine bags connected to her IV line, like tangled ivy vines. She was still unconscious, unaware of the incessant beeping of the heart monitor, the whooshing of the ventilator and the humming of equipment Harley couldn’t identify.
Aunt Zoann had allowed Harley a day off from school, since she’d had such a late night.
A rare occurrence in the Taylor household. As her guardians, Aunt Zoann and Uncle Val rarely allowed her to stay home. This might’ve been the first time since Mommie andDaddy made Harley leave.
Once again, she could only feel grateful. Aunt Zoann didn’t know most of what Harley endured yesterday and she’d still taken mercy on her.
When Ryan asked Uncle Val to bring him to see Molly after Aunt Zoann left for work, Harley asked to tag along. Immediately, Ryan said no, but Uncle Val gave her a chance to explain why she’d want to see Molly. Her explanation sufficed. Against Ryan’s wishes, Uncle Val allowed Harley to go. He’d even stopped at a florist like she’d asked.
Uncle Val and Ryan discovered Molly was on a regular unit and left Harley with her while they went to the hospital administrator, to demand an explanation about why Molly wasn’t in the club’s private wing. Swallowing, Harley finally moved from the foot of Molly’s bed and set the bouquet of flowers she’d been holding on the side table. Hospitals were so depressing, Harley had wanted to cheer up Molly.
