Boone’s mother was a member of the Everything Nice Crew. I didn’t know much about Yarrow Jones. Her husband, Blackjack Chester was the Rawlins Heretics Motorcycle Club’s VP. I hadn’t given the smaller club as much attention when I was plotting an alliance with the Crimson Guard.
“What’s scary about your mom?”
“She’s crazy,” Boone said and shrugged. “Tricky has trouble with weird women. That’s why I knew he wouldn’t work with Cher. She’s a kooky broad like her mom.”
Studying Boone, I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “What’s it like to have a crazy mother?”
“It was fun. Yarrow believed in monsters and said whatever she wanted. I knew she didn’t like most people, so the fact that she liked me so much made me feel special,” Boone said and then asked, “What’s your mom like?”
“I don’t really know. She died when I was a kid. From everything I’ve heard, though, she was a useless dipshit.”
“A whole lot of people didn’t like my mom, but I felt lucky to have her. It’s too bad you can’t say the same about your mom.”
“No loss.”
Boone cocked an eyebrow and asked, “Do you really believe that?”
“I’m not someone who cries over spilt milk. I come from shitty people. I outgrew them. I’m here. They aren’t. No reason to grab the tissues.”
“Well, maybe don’t tell that shit to Elle. Wait, have you told her that already?”
“What part?”
“That you come from shitty people. She got super weird when she was pregnant with Sutter and didn’t know about his dad. She kept worrying he would be gross in some way,” Boone said and then chuckled. “One time, she had a nightmare about her baby being super orange and hairy like an orangutan. She kept crying and studying the ultrasound pictures.”
“Well, she knows I’m not an orangutan.”
“But she might still worry. If your whole family is garbage, what are the odds this kid won’t be garbage, too?”
“Isn’t her family filled with scum?”
“Not really. The ones I know are all cool.”
I sensed Boone was fucking with me. Falling silent, I considered what he might tell Elle about my reaction to his poking. I assumed everything we said and did tonight was a test.
“What’s Nova’s deal?” Boone asked as he checked his phone.
“Define what you mean by ‘deal.’”
“Is she shy or weird or into chicks?”
“She was married to a man.”
“That means nothing. Joker’s first wife is hooked up with a lady now. Some people swing both ways depending on their mood.”
“Nova doesn’t swing at all. I doubt she was into her husband. She seems frigid.”
Boone flashed his dark eyes at me. “I heard her ex-husband was a piece of shit.”
“Wait, are you interested in her?”
“I don’t know. I’ve only seen her in passing, but she’s a looker.”
Confused now about Boone’s demeanor, I eyed him until he stopped fucking with his phone.
“Exile won’t like you sniffing around his sister.”
Boone cocked an eyebrow. “Because she got shot?”
