All This Time (22 page)

Chapter
Forty-One

The
remainder of this week has been hell. I’ve had to remind myself so many times
about tolerating all of the
bullshit that this fucked
up world requires
me to do and say things that make me want to vomit. I
must stay focused and finish this job soon because I am getting sick of hearing
my internal voice.

It
all started when I returned Russ’ call.

“Hey,”
Russ says calmly answering his phone.

“I’m
not going to like this one bit am I?” I whisper rushing into my bathroom and
turning on the shower to mute out my voice.

“Are
you okay?” he asks diverting the topic quickly. That usually means he is
softening me up for a bad blow.

I
sigh, knowing that I might as well tell him what’s happened on my end first.
“Not really, no. I had an incident.”

“Yeah,
the city worked the accident and one of the guys got word back to me. I’m
really glad you weren’t hurt any worse than you are.” Pause. “Sam, I’m sorry
that I couldn’t be at the hospital.” His voice is thick with emotion. As much
shit as we give each other on the job and at home, I know that Russ cares
deeply for me. If the situation was reversed I know I would have freaked the
fuck out.

“It
wasn’t an accident,” I say, sitting on the edge of the tub. His quick intake of
air tells me that he wasn’t expecting that bit of information.

“Who?”he
barks angrily. In the background it
sounds like he just slammed his fist through the wall.

“Russ,”
I start. “Calm the fuck down before you beat the shit out of the house.”

“Tell
me what the hell you know because I’m going to kill the bastards…” he continues
on for a while so I pull the phone away from my ear until I hear him calling my
name.

“Russ,
if you’re finished I’ll tell you what’s going on.” He grunts his disdain and I
explain. “I truly don’t know who did it, but I can tell you that the fucker
forced me off the road. I remember that it was a newer white luxury SUV.” I
scrub my hand along the spot at the back of my neck and rub away the chills
that flash across my skin remembering the details of that night. “I’m not sure
if they will see the inside of a jail cell any time soon. Apparently Decks
believes it was a retaliation hit in order to pass a message along to him.”

“Sam?”
His tone is sharp and it makes me uneasy, adding to my stress. “There was a hit
on Juan’s family. Someone caught his nephew after closing hours two nights ago.
They put a bullet through the back of his head and left him hanging in the meat
cooler inside the restaurant.”

“Son of a bitch!”
I say a little too loudly. “Shit
hold on. Decks may have heard me yell.” I sit quietly waiting for him to pound
on my door. After a minute the room remains quiet so I continue speaking.

“Russ,
it was Decks. Well, not him personally…I don’t think, but he ordered it. He all
but confessed it to me earlier. Now we’re being watched by the
Hijos
de la Sangre.”

“What
game is he playing with them? He would never cross the sons before.”

“I
wish I knew. Decks has ordered me to stay at his side at all times, which means
that I’m going to be joining him on these trips to the east coast soon.
Hopefully I’ll discover just who is behind the manufacturing of Ryske. I’ve
seen the effects this shit is having on some of the people here. It has to
go…like now.” I growl. “If I get something interesting I’ll let you know.”

We
end our conversation soon after and because I’m so caught up in the gory
details of the hit I forget to call back Kris and Marcus. A day later I get a
text from Marcus reminding me that I need to call him, but I put it off again.
Right now my focus must be on the X’kapz. Refereeing between my two brothers or
offering Marcus advice just can’t be a priority right now. Nothing matters more
at this moment than shutting down X‘kapz.

At
the end of the week, Decks takes me to a new trap house where they are making
bank on weed and coke. Minder called Decks complaining about a customer so we
make a special trip. If my week wasn’t already shitty with the guilt of
someone’s life being vanquished because of me, seeing Chelsea, the young girl
who I sent to the hospital after a Ryske trip, sitting on the front steps
patiently waiting when we arrive fucking flushed all of that bullshit away.

“Holy shit, Angel?”
Chelsea gasps standing up and meeting
me.

I
cut my eyes to Decks who has a frown tipping down his mouth. “We recently met
at the TatHouse.” I explain.

He
climbs the steps, but turns around before entering the house. “Angel, you need
to come with me,” he says in a kind voice. He isn’t throwing his weight around
on this order so I invite Chelsea in with me.

“What
are you doing here?” I ask following behind Decks.

“I’m
here with my friend.” She says pointing inside the house. “He’s working with
your guy.” She offers me a knowing wink and I give her my fake smile.

“Oh really?
I had no idea. I haven’t been around much
lately,” I say holding up my cast covered arm and continue, “I couldn’t tell
you who all is working here now.”

“He
doesn’t work here exactly. The way he explained it to me is Decks offered him
some type of subcontracting gig.” She shrugs and I’m just as confused thinking
about how you get a gig like that here.

We
walk down the hallway leading toward a back room in the house. Passing through
the doorway, my feet stumble when I look up and see Mad Hatter watching me with
Chelsea. The look he flashes is total disgust. I don’t know what this guy’s
problem is with me, but from the looks he continues to give me I believe that
he hates me almost as much as I hate him.

“
Chels
, come,” he snaps and she obeys without hesitation. He
wraps her in his arms possessively and that’s when it hits me. Mark Hatfield is
Chelsea’s boyfriend and her Ryske supplier.
Motherfucker
!

Minder’s
voice is unusually loud for someone always so laid back. “He comes in here
making demands on me, throwing your name around and telling me that my ass is
on the line if I don’t do as he instructs. What the hell Decks? Is this crazy
fuck in charge of the house now?” He points directly at Mad.

“No,
but he is to be treated as a guest when he visits and our guests get to sample
some of the goods. If that’s all that he wants just give it to him Minder.”

“I
don’t give two shits about him sampling, but I’ll be damned if his sick ass
will come up in here tossing out threats to me. Now, either he goes or I go.”
He gestures toward Decks. “Your call boss, I’m square with either way you want
to play it.” Minder’s jaw ticks as he glares at Mad Hatter. It makes me wonder
what the hell Minder knows about the creep besides his history of child labor.

“Alright,”
Decks says calmly spinning around toward Mad Hatter. “When I told you to come
by and help yourself to the goodies I didn’t expect you to uproot my whole
organization.” He insists before flashing a cute smile toward me.

“Ah
fuck him and his whiny shit,” Mad Hatter laughs with an obnoxious tone. He is
truly repulsive. I hate watching his nearly black eyes slithering like a
reptile in the swamp as they scan over Chelsea and then toward me. “He’s acting
like one of these bitches, maybe he needs to pull his panties out of his ass
and chill.”

Decks
charges at him like a raging bull taunted by a red cloak. “I’m in no fucking
mood to play your psycho bullshit games.” He grabs Mad Hatter’s collar and
pulls him close to his face when he snarls, “If you ever talk about Angel that
way again I will fucking rip your sack off and shove it up your shithole
personally. Now get the fuck out of my house.”

Mad
Hatter’s glare is venomous. When he walks passed me I can practically see the
wheels turning with something nasty to say, but surprisingly he keeps his ideas
to himself. Chelsea tells him that she’s going to catch a ride back later and
he nearly losses his shit on the spot. I can’t believe that she actually let
him leave in that mood. It makes me nervous about what she is going to go back
home to after her public defiance. She tells me that she was moving out
tomorrow anyway and she doesn’t care what he has to say about it. Even though I
know we haven’t heard the last of him it is still the best damn way to end a
shitty week.

Chapter
Forty-Two

“You
look better. How are you feeling?” Natalie asks pouring me a tall glass of
sweet tea and dropping a thin wedge of lemon on the rim.

“Thank
you honey,” I take a sip. “I feel much better, but I am ready to get this itchy
ass thing off.” I rap my knuckles on the plaster.

“Ugh,
I bet. It would drive me nuts to be so restricted.” She sips her tea and slides
the plate of toasted pound cake toward me. I shake my head, refusing the offer.
“Your loss,” She shrugs her shoulder, takes a piece and pops it in her mouth.
“Tell me what’s new. Where are the little Princess and the Minion?” I crane my
neck. I’ve really grown to like Natalie and Wise’s two children Dean and
Simone. I just can’t let her know it.

“They’re
over at a neighbor’s house. They have two children their ages. Boy, it can be a
lifesaver having another family in the neighborhood.”

“Cool,”
I say not really sure what else to say to her statement. Chewing on another
piece of cake, Natalie watches me suspiciously. I look down thinking there may
be something on my shirt and then sweep my hand across my face. “Why are you
staring at me?” She shrugs like it’s nothing, but her eyes tell a different
story. “Natalie, just say it.”

“Well
first I want to ask a favor,” she smiles sweetly.

“
Okaaaayyy
?”

“I
need a babysitter for the weekend of that damn football game,” she watches me
and I know my face is stone cold because I’m waiting for her to ask me who to
recommend, but she doesn’t ask that question. Nope. She hits me with something
utterly unexpected. “Will you stay here with the kids? It’s just two nights.
We’ll be home before you know it and they are both pretty much self-sufficient.
Except at bath time you can just let them do their own thing.” She takes a breath
and stares expectantly.

“What?”
I choke, blink rapidly and run my one sweaty hand over the top of my pant leg,
clearly suffering from an anxiety attack. “No, no, please tell me you’re
kidding.”

She
shakes her head, “I need you Angel.”

“What
about the lifesaver family?” I say with what feels like the last bit of breath
left in my lungs. I take a deep breath and debate the hell out of her idea.
“Wouldn’t they be a better choice? I mean they are already working with similar
models, and it would make more sense to let them stay with their friends
instead of me.
Right?
Besides, I’m injured and on
serious pain medication. I’m not even allowed to operate heavy equipment so
dealing with living things is probably forbidden too. It isn’t good parenting
to let someone like me watch your precious little minions…um children. Wait,” I
gasp. “What if there was some freak accident? I can’t handle puke or other
gross bodily functions.” she busts out laughing while I slip into full blown
paranoia. “The apocalypse could hit and then what? You’ve left your children
with me. I will lose my shit Natalie and they will become zombie food.”

“Calm
down,” she says stifling her laugh and pulling a serious look.

“Okay,
but don’t freak me out like that again.” I say wild-eyed and feeling the soft
skin under my eye twitching.

“We
may be moving soon,” she says changing the subject.
Thank goodness
.

“Really?”
I say pressing a finger to the skin under my left
eye trying to make it stop jumping. “Like to a new house or away?”

She
smiles before saying, “Back to Baltimore.”

“Oh,”
I’m shocked by this answer. “I thought Wise was never going back there again.”

“He
told me that he wants to move the kids back to a good neighborhood. The school
system here is okay, but he wants the kids to have a better education and back
home they set higher quality standards on their students. I agree with him, but
I’m just so happy about the idea that I couldn’t care less what the reason is
for going home.”

Feeling
relieved about them leaving this dark world behind I exhale loudly. “If that’s
what will make you happy then I’m all for the idea of you going back home. You
know I’ve never been north of Virginia.” I smirk when her eyes light up. “Maybe
I’ll visit.”

“I
would love that. And I know the kids would too.” She stands to put her dish
away and refill her glass.

The
back door bursts open and in comes a crying Simone with Dean holding her hand.
“Mommy,” she cries at a level that only dogs can hear. “Mommy I got
a boo
boo
.” Dean releases her hand
and she runs into her mommy’s open arms.

“What
happened to her Dean?” Natalie asks, running her hands over Simone’s hair and
down her face, whipping away the tears.

Dean
shrugs, completely uninterested in the details of why his little sister is so
upset. “She was playing over by the tree house and just started screaming. She
pointed to her leg and cried so I brought her back home.”

Natalie
reaches down to Simone’s leg, finding a large dark red bump. “Did something
bite you Sweetie?”

“A
spider,” Simone shrills, burying her face into Natalie’s chest. I slap my free
hand over one ear and press my other against my shoulder hard, trying to stop
the ringing in my head.

“Get
my keys,” she says calmly to Dean. “I need to take her to the doctor. Do you
want to ride with us?” she asks me.

“Uh
no,” I snap, shaking my head furiously. “I don’t do doctors. Another reason why
I’m not the one to keep your kids, Natalie,” I point out, grabbing my cell,
sending Decks a message to come get me now.

“Okay,
I think you’re overreacting a bit.”

“Exactly,”
I demand with a wild head bob and pointing a finger toward myself. “Major
over-reactor
here,
and
not
a good role model
for those.” I gesture toward the two kids staring all wild-eyed at me during my
freak out.

“Okay,
fine. Just lock up when you leave,” she huffs, carrying Simone out to their SUV
with a very disappointed Dean dragging his feet behind them. “Let’s go son.”

They
leave me standing at the front door staring out at the empty street. No response
from Decks after twenty minutes so I call for a taxi to pick me up. Twenty
minutes later I lock up the Kingston residence and give the driver the address
to Decks place.

“It’s
a little cool back here. Would you mind turning up the heat?” I ask the middle
age man driving the cab.

“Sure
thang,” he drawls with a heavy southern accent. “You let me know if ya
git
too hot back yonder.”

“I
will. Thank you.”

When
we arrive at Decks house I remember that my keys are lying on the nightstand
beside my bed and Decks isn’t home. It’s freezing outside now that the sun is
dropping over the horizon and my teeth are beginning to chatter already.

I
glance over at Blues house and sigh, “I can’t do it.” I tell myself. “I need to
stay away from him so that I can stay focused, convince Decks that he needs to
work with me and then get the hell away from this life.”

I
send another text to Decks and wait for his response. Fifteen minutes later I
have my hand poised at the front door of Blues mansion when the door opens before
I have a chance to knock.

“I
was wondering if you were going to be stubborn and stand out in the freezing
weather all night or come over here,” Blues says with a fiery determination
glowing in his sapphire eyes and a sexy as hell smile tugging at the corners of
his sublime lips.

“You
saw me?”

He
nods. “Saw when the taxi dropped you off and watched as you debated something
before you finally decided to walk over.” He steps back, holding the door open
for me. “Come on. Let’s get you warmed up.” After closing the door he reaches
over and wraps his hand tenderly around my forearm and draws me against him.
“God I’ve missed you, Doll,” he confesses seconds before lowering his mouth to
mine.

My
body sways into him naturally, like an object being drawn by a gravitational
pull toward the center of the earth, so utterly impossible to stop. He kisses
me breathless before slipping his warm lips across my jaw line and down my
neck. He releases my forearm, wrapping me into a strong embrace and hugs me
carefully. My heart plummets into my gut completely consumed and weighed down
by his tender affections. His lips softly move along my neck as he nuzzles into
my hair.

What
Blues is doing to me right now is breaking down every bit of strength I have
worked so hard on lately. I have kept my mind focused and my body away from him
intentionally so that I am not preoccupied with kinky sex scenarios that I
really
want to experiment with him. This though is something so much worse than
physics and the law of attraction. Blues is reaching into my soul and making me
care for him and that fucking sucks.