While I’m wondering whether Trixie’s just giving her the facts of life, or issuing a cleverly subtle warning, Toni bites her bottom lip, and after a moment says, “That must be wonderful. I can appreciate that, because, apart from Ace, I’ve no family left.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
FREAK
“What the fuck did you think you were doing?” I corner Trixie in the kitchen, after Toni’s said her goodbyes for the night and has left, and I’d taken Ace back to his grandmother’s, having to listen to him gushing about his aunt the entire way. “You’re a club fuckin’ girl, not an ol’ lady. You’re nothing to this club, yet you insinuated yourself between my son and his aunt, and told her things she might be better off not knowing.”
She should be scared, yet she stands her ground. “Didn’t you notice her reaction, Freak? When I alluded to that TV series, and said the Kings were worse?”
Trying to remember,I don’t hit women -well, only the once, but that was unintentional, I clench my hands to prevent them from shaking her. “She had no reaction.”
She looks at me quizzically. “Didn’t you think that was odd?”
“No,” I snarl. “She probably thought you were exaggerating. And you came fuckin’ close to telling her club business, that even you shouldn’t even know.”
Instead of stepping down, she gets up in my face. “I don’t like her, Freak. There’s something there that we’re missing.”
“We?” I bellow. “We?” Incensed, I repeat myself. “When the fuck was it a whore’s business to get in between a member and his family? You’re a fuckin’ cum dumpster. Nothing more. You don’t interfere, you got it?”
Her face goes tight. “Yeah, I got it, Freak. I’ll stay the fuck away from your cosy little family.”
I stare at her for a moment, testing her sincerity. But as she doesn’t say anything else, I think she’s understood.
When I exit the kitchen, Bullseye and Saint are deep in conversation by the bar. When Prez sees me, he crooks his finger, so I walk over to join them.
“So how did it go with the woman?”
Raising my chin to Saint, I tell them, “Pippa did a deep dive on her, once she had her place of residence and her job.” I chuckle softly. “She’s a fuckin’ librarian. Have to laugh, but that was my first thought once I saw how she was dressed.”
“And how was she with the kid?”
“Great,” I answer my prez. “They clicked immediately. She didn’t talk down to him, and he even got her playing his games. He let her win.”
“Obviously.” Saint smirks. “Not even you can beat him.”
I give him a sideways look.Sometimes I do.Not often, I’ll admit.“Have to say I couldn’t find a damn thing wrong with her, even though I was on the lookout.” I don’t mention Trixie’s warning. What does she know? She’s only a whore.
“She’s a fine-looking woman,” Saint informs Bullseye. Then, to me, he asks, “She really look like your ex?”
“If I imagine Josie a few years older, then it’s like looking at a fuckin’ mirror image. But that’s where the resemblance stops. Character-wise, they couldn’t be more different. Even if you leave her bipolar disorder aside, there was an edge to Josie,something I was beginning to dislike. I can’t really put my finger on it, perhaps insincerity? Like she was going through the motions, probably to keep a man like me in her life.” I shake my head. “Didn’t get that vibe from Toni.”
“But you didn’t at first with Josie,” Prez points out.
“True,” I admit. “But then I was blinded by lust.”
Saint turns to place his empty bottle on the bar, then sits his ass on a stool. “If they look so alike, she got the same assets that attracted you to her twin?”
It’s my turn to smirk. “I wouldn’t kick her out of bed. But she’s much more refined than Josie, who was upfront about her wants. I didn’t have to work hard to get her naked. She had her clothes off before I asked. Toni? I suspect she’d be different. She’s quite reserved.” I grin. “She was completely unaware that most of the brothers were assessing her like a piece of meat. Acted no differently, didn’t preen or flirt.”
“She sticking around?”
Addressing Saint who’d asked, I respond, “She’s got a leave of absence from her job for another five days. She’s got to get back to Flagstaff after that.”
“I take it, Ace likes her?”
Fixing my gaze on Prez, I shake my head. “Like? Fuckin’ adores her is more accurate. He couldn’t stop going on about her when I drove him back to Ma’s. I should have taken the bike. Then I wouldn’t have had to listen to him talking my ear off, extolling her merits.”
“Must be nice for the boy to find he has another relative.” While speaking, Saint raps the bar to get the attention of Dum/Dee. “Want a beer, Freak?”
