“I could watch her,” he offers.
“What?”
Smiling, he leans his arm over the back of the chair and turns his body toward me. “I can come hang out with her. Maybe lether get her kitty fix for an hour, and then we’ll watch a movie or something here until it’s time for her to go to sleep.”
“You’d do that?”
“I never deprive a woman from getting the release she craves. And no offense, Misty, but you look like you could really use it.”
I want to slap him. Throw something at him. Anything. Instead, I just laugh. “Fuck you.”
“Only if you ask real nice.”
Oh, how I’m tempted.
Chapter Fourteen
Zeppelin
“Gotta make this quick. I got plans tonight,” I say as Pacino and Rooster follow me into Velvet Desire.
The number of undercover cops showing up at the brothel has increased since starting the fire at Officer Vold’s house. Pacino has a facial recognition program that runs every client’s face when they walk in the door to compare against photos of cops in three counties.
Trying to take down the only place that can and will give him any action is a stupid decision by Vold, but he’s clearly a stupid man.
“Hot date?” Pacino asks.
It’s clear he suspects Chanel’s coming over, but he has to know that she never lets me know ahead of time. She just shows up. Somehow knows when I’m not on a run.
“Babysitting.”
His head snaps to look at me with so much force I worry he gave himself whiplash. “Say that again?”
“I’m babysitting,” I say, the disbelieving stare annoying me. “It’s Gloria’s granddaughter’s kid. I’m helping her out.”
“You’re… babysitting?”
“Really,I’m just hanging out with the kid. Bernie was supposed to be with her grandparents after school today, but they can’t come until tomorrow. Misty has plans, so I offered to hang out with Bernie. It’s not a big deal.”
“Someone trusts you to watch their child?” Rooster asks with a chuckle. “Does shelikeher child?”
Pushing him against the wall by the office, I point my finger in his face. “Don’t be surprised to wake up to a wild turkey in your fucking bed.”
Hands up, he shakes his head. “I was just asking. You know… because you’re only good for the practicing to make kids.”
That part is true. I’m really fucking good at that. “Look, Bernie and I are friends.”
“Bernie Reynolds?” Pacino asks. “Isn’t she the one with…”
He trails off, and I understand Misty’s reaction now. “Down Syndrome. Yeah, but that’s not who she is. Just like that scar on your face isn’t who you are.”
“I wasn’t saying anything bad,” he says, his hands up.
I know he wasn’t, but it’s hard not to get defensive of Bernie. She’s the first person who showed me true friendship without expecting anything in return outside of the club. And she didn’t run away screaming when she saw my leather like most people would.
“She’s a fucking genius,” I say.
Rooster tilts his head, a smirk still on his face. “Compared to you…? Because I get—”
