I smile, thinking of the relationship between my son and Short’s. There’s nearly eight years between them in age, but their commonality is that they’re both on the spectrum. And while Ace is far different to Trip, they seem to understand each other on a different level to us other beings. From the day Trip first met Ace, they just seemed to click. Just one more thing for me to be proud of, it’s not often a teenager can be bothered to play with a much younger kid.
While Star hadn’t done more than sit on my bed, I straighten it, old Army habits dying hard, I make it so it would pass inspection. Then check the sheets on Ace’s cot, smoothing them out until I’m satisfied with them. Frowning, I realise him sleeping on a cot by my bed can’t go on much longer.
Maybe it is time that I built that house on the compound. It doesn’t have to be substantial, it’s just for the two of us, with room to accommodate Ma should she ever need it. I’m thinking out the logistics of whether I can get it built at the same time as Short’s, when Ace barges in.
He throws himself on his cot, then narrows his eyes at me. “You interrupted ‘Call of Duty’.”
“I’m so sorry,” I tell him, insincerely. Then shake my head. “I turn a blind eye to you playing it, and I can see Short’s point of view, but I can’t understand Short letting Trip, can’t you get into anything more age appropriate?”
I can tell Ace is giving my words consideration. When Trip first came to the compound, he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, speak. Ace was one of the first to get any reaction from him. And that myson is reaching maturity is proven when he says, “I’ll look into it.” Then his eyes narrow. “Where’s Trixie?”
Shaking my head fast like a dog just in from the rain, my brow furrows. “What the fuck do you mean?”
He shrugs. “After last night, I thought she might be staying with us.” I’m just about to ask why the fuck he would think that, when his face crumples. “Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on Toni.”
No fucking chance of that. Even if I had the inclination.“Toni’s gone,” I tell him. “She’s not coming back.”
He sits up sharply. “You swear on that?”
“Fuckin’ right, I do.”
He lowers his head into his hands. “I know I was all over her. I thought, through her, I’d learn about my mom. But she tricked us both, Dad. I knew as soon as I saw Candyman’s MDMC patch that she’d betrayed us. I saw you kill Candyman and Oscar…”
“Son, I’m so fuckin’ sorry you had to see that.”
“Dad!” he states with exasperation. “It was them or us. I’m a club brat, remember? I know what goes on. Nobody fucks with the Kings.”
My jaw drops. I obviously thought I’d sheltered him more than I had.
“My point is,” he continues, “Toni saw that as well. You can’t let her loose. She could go to the CPS, even the Feds. She thinks she’s got rights to me.” He’s starting to get agitated.
“She won’t,” I say firmly and quickly, trying to calm him down. “I made sure of that.”
He suddenly stands and comes up right in front of me. His fists are clenched. “I was so scared, Dad. I thought I’d never see you again. She’s a damaged, sick woman. Tell me I’ll never see her again. And make it so I can believe it. Else the nightmares won’t stop.”
I stubbornly repeat, “She won’t be a problem anymore.”
He stands up to me. His body is tight with challenge. “You killed her?”
“What? Fuck no.” My hands sweep my hair back from my face. “As I said, I sent her away. She’s not going to cause trouble for us, Ace, I made sure of it. We’ll have Kings watching her.” Behind my back I cross my fingers,that’s as long as she tells me where she ends up.“And she’s not allowed to contact you, she knows if she does, all gloves come off.” I soften my voice. “If you ever have a change of heart, after you’re eighteen, you can get in touch with her. But I assure you, that’s up to you, not her.”
He stares into my face for a moment, then takes his phone from his pocket. “I’ve blocked her number. And as for the rest, I’ll have to just trust you, won’t I?”
Yeah, him and the rest of the club. It would have been easier to take her out of the picture all together. But when it came down to that, however she’d wronged me, I couldn’t pull that trigger. One step out of line though, that’s all it will take. And wherever she’s gone, whatever state she lands in, there’ll be a chapter of Kings ready to rectify what would have been my mistake.
He sinks back down onto his cot. His legs are splayed, his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers are linked on steepled hands. I suddenly realize Ace is starting to resemble a man instead of a boy.
“Trixie’s great, isn’t she?”
The abrupt change of subject catches me on the wrong foot for a second, but it’s par for the course with my son. Once a topic is deemed over, it’s done and he moves on. When I catch up, I inhale a deep breath. “What she did for us is something I’ll never be able to repay.”
He lifts his eyes and stares at me. “But you could, Dad. She’s pretty, kind, and so fucking brave. She’s intelligent and attractive, and you and she seemed to be getting along better. Nowshewould make a good old lady.”
I’m gobsmacked. For a moment, no response comes to mind, but then I bark a laugh. “There’s more to choosing an ol’ lady then looks and whether she’s sexy. You’ve got a lot to learn, kid.”
His eyes narrow as he says snidely, “It didn’t take much for you to fall for Toni, and she wasn’t half the woman Trixie is.”
“You liked Toni pretty well yourself,” I point out, feeling a little peeved he’s putting it all on me.
