All We Are (8th Sin Book 2) (16 page)

I stare at my ceiling. “You never explained what you meant about what you do for work.” After all the sex and drama I had almost forgotten about that conversation.

Nash has his arm behind his head. He looks over at me. “I was a bouncer at a few bars. After a few years of working there I was the go to guy whenever anyone had a problem. And a lot of people have problems.”

“So you started beating people up for a living instead of bouncing?”

“At first it was favors. And then it became a way to make a living. Someone had a problem and I could take care of it. It was never anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

I nod. “I can’t say that I totally understand but I think I get that you believe you are doing something good.”

“It is good. If I can eliminate a problem for someone that doesn’t deserve to deal with one, I’m all for it.”

I wonder if that’s what he thinks he is doing for me. “Sort of like a super hero.”

“Sort of like karma.” He rolls to his side staring me down.

“Is that what is happening here with us?”

He searches my eyes for a meaning behind my question. “This has nothing to do with what is happening here.”

He seems almost mad I asked. “Okay. Good.”

“Why is that good?”

I pause thinking about an answer. “Because it would suck to think that’s all that was happening between us.”

He touches my face. “That’s not what’s happening. I don’t know what is happening but that’s not it.”

“I don’t know what is happening either,” I admit.

I press my forehead against him. He pulls me on top of him, closing his arms around me. I give a sigh of relief, enjoying the protection.

“It can be whatever we want it to be. This doesn’t have to be anything complicated.”

I stroke his face, enjoying the feel of the scruff on his chin. “That’s what they all say.” Ryker, Jackson—now Nash.

“What, you want me to tell you if you ever let another guy touch you again I’ll kill them?” He strokes my hair, letting out a chuckle. “I can do that.”

“And the scary part about that is that excites me.”

“What does?”

I lift my head, staring into his eyes. “The thought that you could feel that way about me.”

“What? That I could want you for myself? Who wouldn’t want that from you?” He takes me by the back of the head and kisses me.

I could get used to this.

Another night of work.

The only good part of work is when Nash comes through the doors. I’m not so happy to see Ike but at least I can see him.

“Hey,” I say with a smile, switching the tray to my other hand so I can wrap an arm around him. “I was hoping you would show up.”

He surveys the bar. “I told you I’m not letting you go out of here alone anymore. Not after what happened the other night.”

Ike comes up behind us squeezing Nash’s shoulder. “I see you found her in one piece.”

I smile, raising an eyebrow and giving a wave in his direction. “Hello, Ike.”

“Call me Issac, all the girls do.” He plucks a shot from my tray downing it and starts searching the room for someone to hit on.

“Call him Ike,” Nash says.

I nod. “Well, I got to see what Murphy wants.” I give a wave and hurry back behind the bar.

Murphy slings the bar towel over his shoulder. “We have a big business meeting showing in ten. I need you and the other two on it.”

“Alright. Is there anything I can do before they get here?”

He nods, tossing something at me. I catch it.

“Seating. I need you to place these around the big conference table.”

He leaves me to the task at hand. I sense he is on edge. It’s not often business meetings are held in his bar.

I glance over at Nash in passing. He barely smiles but it’s enough of one for me. He’s happy to see me. I give a small wave and open the doors to the giant conference area.

I start dropping the tiny white names at each seat. Not really paying much attention until I come across one in particular. I lift it up, bringing it in closer to make sure I am reading it right.

Jackson Luckman.

I’m not sure how I feel about seeing Jackson now that I know what I know. I don’t even know what I would say to him.

It’s not long before the men for the meeting show up and we have to escort them to their seats. I try to stay out of the way and let the other girls do the introductions because I am worried about running into Jackson.

I straighten the tables and make sure the menus are fixed in the middle of the tables. And just like that he’s behind me, a little too close for comfort, a hand on my lower back.

I turn around.

“Those shorts look good on you, Savy.” He adjusts his tie and gives a few nods to the other men filing into the room.

“What brought you here?” I ask innocently enough. “More property negotiations?”

“That’s about all I do anymore.” He won’t take his eyes away from me.

I move away from his hands. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’ll have a scotch.” He looks over to another guy. “Hey, Al. You want anything to drink?”

I look at Al, he looks like he’s been through the ringer—a black eye, busted up nose. The guy looks like he seen one too many fist.

I back away, right into another one of the businessmen when I realize who Al is. Jackson and Al both give me weird looks confused by my sudden clumsiness.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having,” he says to me, giving me a grin.

I shake my head. “I’m not drinking tonight.”

“Oh come on, Savy. One drink for my good buddy. It’s his birthday,” Jackson grins, slapping Al on the back.

“Yeah, last month.” They both laugh.

I go over to the tray of shots and silently will myself to get my shit together. And then I turn back around bringing them over to Al. I pull out two and Al loops his arm with mine and we both throw them back at the same time.

“Jackson, this girl is a party.”

Jackson only nods, taking his seat.

“I’ll be back with your drinks,” I tell them both and leave. The nasty party shot still lingers in my mouth.

I give my order to the bar and wait. Nash is behind me. “Out of all the places for a business meeting.”

“Right,” I reply, watching the men through the glass doors of the conference room.

“Here’s your opportunity.”

I nod. “Al was the guy you went to find that night isn’t he?”

Nash looks past me. “I take it you saw my handiwork.”

“What if he saw you?” I raise an eyebrow, the thought of Al telling Jackson what Nash did scares me a little.

“Believe me, he’s not going to say a thing.”

“How do you possibly know that?” I search his eyes for any answer that makes sense.

“Because I always make sure of that. The guy’s been taking money from Jackson’s company for years. He knows he better keep his mouth shut.”

I’m impressed. “And how in the hell did you find that out?”

“Fuzz is a lot more impressive than most people give him credit for. Anything you want to know, ask Fuzz.”

“So what should I say to him?” I know I can’t come right out and ask Jackson if he is working with my dad. I’m not stupid.

“You do what a girl like you does best,” he says. “You use your
charm
to make him tell you anything you want to hear.”

I scoff. “I don’t have charm. Do you know how hard it is to lie to someone?”

“Believe me I know how bad you are at it,” he smirks.

I slap him and take the tray with two whiskeys on it.

Nash stops me before I leave. “Play on his emotions. The guy was into you. That’s not something that goes away.”

I give a nod and hurry back to the meeting. The men are busy talking when I come back inside. So I quietly place their drinks in front of them and take a spot by the door next to the other girls in case they need something.

Almost an hour goes by and I am fighting falling asleep standing. I don’t know how anyone can talk numbers.

Hands are shook and drinks are passed around and after coming to some sort of agreement it’s over just like that.

I start cleaning up.

Jackson finds me on the way out.

“This is for all your hard work tonight,” he stuffs a few bills into my hand. Instead of letting him pass, I give his hand a little extra squeeze and smile.

He melts like putty. “How you been, Savy?”

I go about my business wiping down the table. “Alright. I went through that box of Lee’s stuff. Made me miss him.” I look at him.

He slips his hands into the pockets of his slacks and steps a little closer. “He’s in a better place.”

“Yeah, I know. I just wish got to know him better,” I tell him. “And my mother.”

“That’s understandable.”

“It’s a shame such a bad thing had to happen to her,” I frown, taking a few seconds before I make eye contact with him. “What kind of monster kills a young mother?”

He touches my arm. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

I sniffle, laying it on thick. “Jackson I am sorry about the way that I treated you. I guess there was just a little part of me that was worried you were hiding something from me. After what my dad did, it’s hard to trust anyone.”

He swallows.

“You were always honest with me right?”

A hand slips through his hair, and his blue eyes tense up. But he plasters on a smile, and touches my cheek. “Of course. I only ever wanted the best for you.”

“Thanks, Jackson.” I start putting glasses on my tray.

“Oh and Savy,” Jackson says from the doorway.

“You tell Nash hello for me.”

I look up, agitation showing in his expression now.

I sigh. I guess Jackson is a lot smarter than I took him for.

I wait until he is gone to find Nash.

“He didn’t fall for it.”

Nash raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“He played along and then said say hello to Nash for me. He knows I was trying to dig. He wasn’t budging. I could see it in his eyes, he knows something, he just isn’t willing to tell me what that is.”

Nash kisses me on the forehead and then plants another kiss on my collarbone. “Goodnight.”

I touch his face, glad he agreed to stay over—again. “Night, Nash.”

I click off the lamp next to my bed.

“Do you think she was scared?”

Nash rolls over. “Who? Your mother?”

“Yeah.” Did she know that day that something was going to happen to her. Did she think she was going to see me again?

What did she see in my father?

“I don’t know, Savy.” He drapes an arm around me. And I instinctively grab him. “I do remember a little about her.”

“What’s that?” The room is dark, too dark to take in his features as he explains my mother to me.

“She was a beautiful woman. With a big heart.” He presses a kiss into my forehead. “My dad said she was stubborn and fought tooth and nail on every damn thing.”

That makes me smile. And now that I am smiling, I can fall asleep.

***

I shoot out of bed when Sophie is pounding on my door. I unlock it and throw it open.

“There’s a younger guy at the door demanding I bring Nash.” She looks past me. “Is he even here? And should I call the police?”

Nash jumps out of bed because we both know there is only one person who could know where he is—Fuzz.

I grab my robe off the door and secure it mid stride down the hallway.

“What’s going on?” he asks, when he throws the door open.

Fuzz looks worried.  It’s etched in his features.

“I tried calling an ambulance but that fucker wouldn’t let me. He’s refusing to go to the hospital. I didn’t know what to do.”

Nash rubs the top of his head. “Where is he?”

Fuzz doesn’t want to tell him.

Nash books it past me back to my room and he is dressed and coming back down the hallway a minute later. I hardly get a glance at Fuzz before he has him by the shirt collar.

“Why would you leave him?” He yells, knocking Fuzz against the frame of the door.

“Nash.” I grab his arm, he’s tense. “I’m sure he tried. Right, Fuzz?”

Fuzz nods. “I didn’t leave him at home. He’s outside in my car. He wanted to see you. He didn’t want to go to the hospital. You know how he is.”

They take off outside and I hurry to my room to get dressed.

Sophie is in the doorway. “Are you going to tell me what is going on?”

I nod, stuffing a foot into my sneaker. “His dad is sick. And he’s trying to get him treatment.”

“What is going on with you two? Are you dating him?” That’s Sophie, worrying more about my dating status than an emergency.

“I’m not sure what to call what we are doing. But I am going to make sure he is okay,” I assure her that everything is fine.

When I get in the hallway, Fuzz is standing there. He scratches his head and looks down. “Nash told me to come up here and get you. He wants you to ride along.”

“Of course I’ll come.” I follow him out of the apartment and pull it together. I don’t know what I am going to see when I get down there.

“Thanks for keeping him from kicking my ass,” Fuzz tells me, taking the steps in a hurry. “Because he would have kicked it. And I would have never lived it down if something happened to his pops.”

“He’s not mad at you. He’s just worried about his dad.” I give a small smile that he doesn’t return.

Nash is in the backseat with his father. We share knowing glances and I climb in front with Fuzz.

“Which hospital?”

“Riverview. He’s not going to go to St. Epses.” Nash tells him, irritation in his voice. “And the next time this happens you drag him to the hospital and find me after.”

Fuzz runs a hand down the back of his neck. “If you had a phone on you I could have just called you.”

Silence.

I look back at Nash’s dad. His eyes are closed but he’s breathing—heavily. And then I look at Nash. He’s worried and this makes me sad.

“Maybe we should give Fuzz my number, that way the next time he can get a hold of you,” I offer.

This gets his dad moving. He chuckles. “That sounds like serious business. Have you managed to hook my kid?”

Fuzz grins and concentrates on the road.

“Why don’t we worry about you coughing up blood back at the house and cracking your head?” Nash interjects, he rolls his window down. “Or why you’re such a stubborn asshole.”

“My health, my issues. If I want to see a doctor, I’ll see a god damn doctor.” He starts coughing, and this only adds even more stress going on in the car.

Fuzz looks in the mirror and speeds up, running a stop sign. “Let’s hope the cops didn’t see that.”

I touch my seatbelt. I hope Fuzz knows what he is doing.

“St. Espses botched Sarah’s entire autopsy. If it wasn’t for them pricks they would have known what happened to her.”

I look back at Nash. He stares me down and settles back into his seat. None of us say anything, we just listen to Nash’s dad go on and on about my mother and how everyone who could have helped her failed.

Fuzz manages to make it into the emergency room parking lot in one piece. But getting Nash’s dad out of the car is another story. He doesn’t think he needs medical attention and he is not backing down.

The guy manages to swing at both Nash and Fuzz every time they try to get near him.

Nash finally walks away.

“Maybe we should get a wheelchair,” I suggest. “Sometimes people don’t want to admit they need help. Maybe we should just go get him one.”

Nash shakes his head. “There’s no way that man is going to sit his ass in a wheelchair.”

I touch his arm, wishing there was something I could do. We can’t force a grown man to seek medical attention. “We’ll figure this out.”

We watch Fuzz duck another swing he makes at his head. And suddenly I am on the move. I figure what do I have to lose. I don’t think his father would swing at me.

“Hey.” I step in front of Fuzz. “We’re all worried about you. Will you please stop being so stubborn and just go inside and have them take a look?” I cross my arms and wait.

He stares me down and so far his fists are resting at his sides.

“Those doctor’s don’t know shit about anything that is going on with me,” he starts.

“Fine. Let’s say you’re right and they are idiots. Why can’t you just put us all at ease and then we can go home?”

He sighs, standing up. “Fine. But if they try to keep me, I’m burning the place down.”

“Fine. Fair enough.” I try to help him but he grunts warning me to let him be.

He starts toward the hospital. We all stay behind him; afraid one wrong move might send him back to the car, or worse swinging his fist again.

“I don’t think I have ever been more impressed by you than right now,” Nash says.

I smile, an inner sense of confidence taking over.

***

I’m curled up on the loveseat in the family waiting room waiting for Nash to come back. I didn’t want to impede on his father’s personal space so I stayed with Fuzz and waited.

It’s miserably cold and I wish so badly I had a blanket and a pillow. But my own arm has to suffice.

“You did good, kid,” Fuzz tells me once he knows I am awake.

I sigh, sitting up. “Thanks. I’m just glad he’s getting checked out. Maybe it will put us all at ease.”

“You sound like you’re getting invested,” he looks at me and back to his phone.

“Would it be so bad if I was?” I run a hand through my hair, smoothing it out. I can see my reflection in the big windows and I look a mess.

“I don’t think so…Nash needs a person.” He falls silent.

“What about you, Fuzz. You seem like a nice guy. Do you have a life outside of taking care of everyone else’s?”

He looks down and back up. “Are you kidding me? Do you think a girl actually wants to deal with this face all day?” He runs a hand across his head, blowing me off.

“Yeah I do. I see a lot of potential in a guy like you,” I smile. “And I think you know it too.” He’s by no means of the word unattractive. He’s got blue eyes, a playful grin and this good way about him. I can’t put my finger on it but I can tell Fuzz has been through a lot.

He’s young but he is not stupid.

“That’s what they say,” he says, leaning back in his seat. He goes back to his phone. He doesn’t want to hear anymore kind things said about him.

“How long have you known Nash?”

“All my life.”

“He’s a good guy right?”

“One of the best.”

“Are you just saying that? Would you tell me if he wasn’t?”

“Of course, kid. No reason not to.”

I nestle up against the arm of the loveseat. “What’s with calling me kid?”

“I call everyone kid. It’s a bad habit. But consider it a compliment.”