Respectable Riot

by Karen Renee

  “Go, son. Draggin’ your feet ain’t gonna help any,” his father said.

  He blinked and sighed. Then he got to his feet.

  The bedroom was a fancy suite. His Grand-mere looked even smaller than when he saw her at Thanksgiving, which he never would have thought possible. When she caught sight of him, she gave him a bright but feeble grin.

  “My sweet David. Come here.”

  Beast shut the door, and planted his ass in a chair next to her bed. He took her outstretched hand and tried not to think about it being the last time he would hold her hand. His Gran was a touchy-feely type. She always found ways to grab his hand or stroke his cheek.

  “Azalea,” she murmured.

  “What?” he croaked in confusion. He should’ve asked Liar if she’d just had medicine or something.

  “Your cousin’s fallen in love. Both my boys had rough roads with love, but I’ve prayed, Lord, how I’ve prayed, you and your cousin would not have that same fate. It seems he might buck the trend.”

  Gran had always been a romantic. He saw how it tore her up when his parents split, and he was never certain what was worse: watching his parents suffer through divorce or watching Gran cling to a baseless hope the two would reconcile. It didn’t surprise him she was pleased Liar had a woman, but Beast wasn’t so sure about Liar bucking the Huntley man trend. Liar had taken more than his fair share of hard knocks from the women before Andrea, but Gran didn’t need to know about any of that.

  He shook his head. “What’s that got to do with flowers, Gran?”

  She grinned. “Not flowers. A song. Louie and Duke Ellington got together and recorded that song. You need to take it to heart.”

  “Grand-mere, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Find a blossom who’s fair.”

  “Pretty sure bit—, uh, ladies don’t like to be referred to as blossoms, Gran.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s the message of the song, Davy. He has to find her because with her he could never be a failure. Not to say having a girl makes you a success, but you need a good woman by your side, dear.”

  To say Beast was feeling gun-shy of women these days was a vast understatement. He couldn’t share that with his Gran right then. So, he smiled at her.

  “I won’t stop looking, Gran. I promise.”

  Her smile said that she knew he did not lack female companionship. “I know you will. But, please, Davy, make sure you’re looking in the right places. Women are easy to find, especially for Huntley men, but you need to find a strong woman.”

  He squeezed her hand. “They don’t make ‘em as strong as you, Gran.”

  She wheezed out a laugh. “Sure they do. You’ve been lookin’ in the wrong places. Perhaps Jim’s girl has a friend.”

  Beast grinned. “Sure she does, Gran, but she’s probably taken.”

  “I love you, David.”

  “I love you Gran.”

  “I know, and I’m proud to say the woman who wins your love will be very lucky. I may not get to meet her, but I’ll be watching.”

  His throat tingled, and he swallowed past the emotion.

  “Know you will, Gran. I wish–”

  “You know what I say about wishes.”

  That was true. His entire childhood, when he or Liar would say they wished, she spouted, “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” It was an old saying, and it never made much sense to him, but she still disabused them of wishing for things to be different. That was when he heard it in her voice; this was taking it out of her.

  “I don’t have to tell you this, Gran, but you’re the best Grand-mere I could ever have had. I love you, and I’m gonna miss you something fierce.”

  She was trying to lift her hand, so he raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I love you more, Davy. Go get your Daddy.”

  Present day...

  Beast had no idea why that memory with his Gran filled his mind. He had listened to that old song after his Gran passed. Janie’s ability to face this head-on hit him hard. She was strong, even as she was fair and delicate.

  Following Janie’s lead, he launched right into the shit Palmer mentioned at the restaurant. “It was my idea to take Stephanie to the club last night. She was able to get more information out of those other women than I ever could have. Unfortunately, when it was time to go, I took her to the dance floor and she believed we had to ‘sell it.’ So, yeah, she kissed me, but she didn’t get in.”

  She cocked her head. “‘Didn’t get in?’”

  He gave her a look, but said, “No tongues.”

  “Oh,” she whispered. “I mean, it really isn’t any of my business I suppose. It’s not like we’re–”

  “Don’t finish that,” he interrupted.

  Her eyes flared with surprise. “What? It’s like I said back in Sarasota, it’s really shitty timing.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t you hide behind that sorry excuse. That asshole’s got as much on us as he’s gonna get, if I have anything to say about it.”

  Her front teeth made a show as she bit down on her lower lip. “I don’t mean to be obtuse, but are you saying–”

  His eyes glittered and he nodded. “Yeah. There’s an ‘us’, babe. And that asshole isn’t gonna do shit to us.”

  She opened her mouth to say more, but a teenager behind the counter yelled out a number, and she pushed away from the table. He stood before she could.

  “You stay here. I’ll get your sandwich.”

  “Thanks,” she muttered.

  He came back to the table with the red basket holding her food. “You didn’t get pastrami,” he said when he put it in front of her.

  “No. This is the first I’ve eaten all day. I felt like I needed more than just beef.”

  He nodded and watched as she bit into the sub. He leaned back and crossed his arms on his chest. “Tell me why you need Grind’s given name.”

  She looked comical with her mouth full and eyes wide with surprise. He hoped she didn’t choke, but he had wanted to take her by surprise for some reason. It took a while before she swallowed her food.

  “This is not likely to make you or any of your brethren happy, but my lawyer insisted I file charges against Grind for assault.”

  He kept his face blank, but his jaw clenched. “Why?”

  “A crime was committed, and it ties back to Trent. Frankly, he’s pulled strings to get our case heard by a judge he knows. Luckily, my lawyer put in to have the judge recuse himself. The police report is going to hit the media, the problem is a matter of when. But, it’ll be easier to navigate the minefield of the media when you know it’s coming. God willing, this will blindside Trent.”

  He sipped from his cup. The ice had melted so that he was sipping a watery-soda mixture, but he hardly tasted it. He swallowed. “And you’re cool with press bein’ up in your business?”

  Her body jerked with a silent chuckle. “It’s never cool when the press is up in my business, but I knew it would get to this point. I just had no idea how messy it would be when it did.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “I don’t either, but that’s life sometimes. So, what’s the story with you? Andrea said you’re trying to get your name removed from the birth certificate. I didn’t listen to more than that because I’d rather hear it from you.”

  He stood while jiggling his cup. “I’ll answer that when I get back.”

  When he turned from the soda machine, he felt the bad vibe in the room even before the thirty-something bitch hit the table where Janie was eating.

  Janie

  I was trying my best to finish as much of my sandwich as I could before Beast returned. The chimes rang and I looked to the door to see Terri Knapton walking inside. If this wasn’t the cherry on top of my shit day, I didn’t know what was. When I left Craig at the park, I had a niggling feeling we forgot to cover something, and now I knew exactly what we didn’t cover. I had no idea if I needed to keep it quiet that I knew about Trent’s in
discretions or if I could let it out of the bag. In many ways this went to my main dilemma, should I take the high road with this colossal bitch or not?

  Her gaze was fixed on the menu high above the counter, so I turned my head down to the pile of chips in my wax-paper-lined basket. From the corner of my eye, I sensed her shift her gaze. I looked up to see her eyeing Beast, and then she saw me. Rather than move to the counter, she made her way straight to me.

  “Well, well. Not only were you not able to hang onto Trent, appears you had to go slumming.”

  I leaned back in my seat, and crossed my legs and my arms. “You don’t know everything, Terri. Most importantly–”

  She leaned toward me and I noticed her teeth were uneven, she was that close.

  “I know enough. He’s a thug, and so are all the rest of ‘em,” she said with a head jerk toward Beast, who was at the soda fountain.

  Insulting me, I could deal with, but insulting any of the Riot MC men, who I knew were more upstanding than Trent and all of his cronies...no. Hell, no. I shot out of my seat, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Jabar stiffen behind the counter.

  I leaned toward her, and even wearing flats I had three inches on her. “You don’t know shit. You think Trent’s the prize in this scenario, have at him.”

  I had to bite my lip to keep from telling her I knew she already had had Trent. She didn’t need to know I knew that yet. “But, here’s one petty thing you damn sure don’t know, Terri. Trent doesn’t allow his wife to eat here, or any other sub sandwich shop. Processed meats are bad for your figure, or so he says. Maybe your ex-husband was just as controlling, maybe you’ve been single so long you think you can deal with Trent. But, I assure you, controlling where you eat and what you eat is the tip of the iceberg with Trent’s controlling ways. It’s damn clear you want him. You think he’s worth putting up with that level of control-freakishness, have at it!”

  My eyes were boring into Terri’s, and I felt my limbs trembling with my anger. I prayed those strong trembles were not visible to the naked eye. A sudden feeling of heat at my back took my attention away from Terri, and I realized Beast must have stepped in very close behind me.

  “You’ve said all you need to say to Janie. Go get your sandwich, or get the fuck out of here,” Beast grumbled.

  From the other side of the room, I heard Jabar’s baritone voice shout, “She ain’t gettin’ a sandwich, givin’ Miss Janie shit. I don’t care if I get fired for that or not.”

  I fought a giggle because I knew that would send Terri right over the edge.

  She narrowed her eyes at Beast, and turned around to leave. After the door fully closed behind her, I burst in to gales of laughter.

  When I could speak, I looked to Jabar, “I love you! I hope you know that.”

  He grinned while thumping his fist on his chest over his heart. He knew that.

  BEAST WATCHED ME DOWN the last bite of my sandwich and decreed we were headed to the RoadWay. I gave him my big eyes, but he shut me down.

  “I don’t care what argument you got for me. No way. I just watched you take down a bitch, and while it was verbally, it was still a damn take-down and I need a fuckin’ drink. Want to feel you on the back of my bike, but something tells me we need to take your rental. The sooner the fuckin’ better. So let’s go.”

  Here I sat, at the RoadWay with Beast, again. This time though, I was debating the merits of an amaretto sour or a glass of wine. Little did I know, my debates were to no effort.

  The tank-top clad bartender approached us, but her eyes were on Beast. “What can I get you?”

  “Crown, neat, and a Di Saronno, also neat.”

  She nodded and turned back to the bottles behind her. I turned to Beast. “I don’t think I’ve ever had straight amaretto.”

  His grin was sly. “I don’t think I’ve ever watched a woman cut another woman verbally the way you did, so there’s a first time for everything, Janie. Doubt you’ve forgotten it, but I didn’t forget the question you had for me. You want those answers, I need a little fortification.”

  I nodded slowly, but before I could say anything further two glasses were set down on the bar. Beast raised his, and I followed suit.

  “Salud,” he said.

  I repeated the toast and tipped the liquid back, downing half the glass. It was harsh, but sweet as it went down my throat. The glass made a satisfying thunk as I set it down. I exhaled and blinked. My eyes opened to see Beast’s eyes dancing over my face.

  I dipped my chin. “So, what’s the story with you? I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I mean for a woman to tell you, you’re her baby-daddy when she knew there was even a slight chance that wasn’t true. No. That’s wrong on so damn many levels.”

  His eyes stopped dancing, and the look in them was sheer admiration if I wasn’t mistaken.

  “Yeah,” he said, his voice husky. Though if I’d had straight Crown, my voice might be husky too.

  He grabbed my hand, which had been resting on the bar, and pulled it toward him. “Back when I was in charge of the nightclub, I’d prowl the floor. Mainly to see how people were doing. Also to make sure dealers and their lackeys weren’t selling their wares out on our floor. I mean, dealers are gonna get customers, but transactions didn’t need to be taking place on our dance floor. Anyway, Brianne, she was...well, she wasn’t drunk but she had the best of the party girl vibe. Not gonna lie, she was dressed right, looked right, and found me at the right time. When she came on to me, I didn’t say no.”

  He tipped the remainder of his liquor down his throat, and signaled for another. His beautiful eyes hit mine and I could see the pain in them. “I should’ve been clearer in the head, but I wasn’t. It was late on a Saturday night.”

  He stopped, turned his head away, and hissed, “Fuck.”

  Since he still had hold of my hand, I squeezed his hand. “What? I don’t understand.”

  He turned back to me. “Everything I’ve said is a fuckin’ excuse, Janie. I shouldn’t have engaged with her. I shouldn’t have had the first drink in the office that night. And I damn sure shouldn’t have had Brianne without protection.”

  My body went rigid and I couldn’t have helped it if I tried. He sensed it and let go of my hand. I reached toward his arm, but he pulled away.

  “Beast. Obviously, you weren’t the only man, she—”

  He leaned toward me. “No, I’m not the only man she had unprotected sex with, you’re right. Doesn’t change shit.” He turned from me for a moment. When he turned back his eyes were tortured. “I’ve never asked, and for that matter, I haven’t had the balls to ask her this, but it doesn’t change the fact that if she was lookin’ for someone to pin her baby on, I made one helluva mark, now, didn’t I?”

  My eyes widened. “You think she...what? Premeditated the whole thing?”

  He lifted his brows at me. “Can you not see that?”

  Oh boy. This was disconcerting and revealing all at the same time. Did he think every woman operated on such a diabolical level? No wonder he didn’t trust easily or have any desire to commit. I wasn’t sure if he realized it or not, but around me he had let go of some of that distrust. Little did I know at the time, but I was breaking through his hardened shell of cynicism.

  “Now that you point it out, I suppose so, but as a fellow woman, that is awful hard for me to believe.”

  He leaned toward me, his expression hard. “Believe it. Duping me isn’t what bothers me, Janie. Pulling that shit, and the ramifications it has on Katherine is what seriously pisses me off.”

  My eyes softened, and I knew my broken heart was written on my face. “Oh, honey.”

  His hand gripped me behind my head, and he stared into my eyes. “Yeah. That right there, that look in your gorgeous green eyes is how I know you’re worth it.”

  I felt my heart swelling in my chest as I took in a deep breath. His hand stopped me from shaking my head at him.

  “This isn’t the Crown talking. My Gran, she was som
ethin’, no two ways about it, but she mentioned a song before she died. I’ve listened to it since she passed. You aren’t from the bayou or any place near New Orleans, but I know now, you’re what she was talking about when she mentioned ‘Azalea.’ Louie sings about how you can’t be a failure with Azalea, and seeing you right now. I know you’re the azalea Gran wanted for me.”

  “David,” I whispered, because no way I could speak. I was amazed I wasn’t crying outright.

  He leaned his forehead against mine, and those crisp blue eyes held mine. It seemed like forever, then his hand pulled my face to his and the gentle kiss he laid on my lips was the sweetest kiss I had ever had.

  When he broke the kiss he looked like he was going to say something, but his phone rang, diverting his attention.

  CHAPTER 22

  Beast

  IT HIT HIM LIKE A HAMMER. He loved Janie. It wasn’t any one thing that did it, it was all of the things she did, and sometimes didn’t do that forced him to realize it. Telling her this in the middle of a bar was not the way he wanted to tell her, but he needed to get it off his chest.

  His phone rang, and knowing Trent, or one of his people, had been following him the night before, he couldn’t ignore it.

  The screen indicated Devin was calling, which was strange.

  “Devin, is Katherine all right?”

  “Yeah, man. She’s good. Uh, she’s not why I’m calling.”

  “All right,” Beast drawled.

  “You know a man named Paul Shapiro?”

  He was losing patience with this, but he could hear distress in Devin’s voice, which was strange. “N–,” he cut his gut answer short to ask, “Why do you ask?”

  “Look, I got a younger brother, he isn’t stable in the head. Momma rarely leaves him alone, but yesterday was her day to get her hair done. She came home, Alphonse was gone. He sometimes walks around the neighborhood, she didn’t think anything of it. Only he didn’t come back yesterday evening, we can’t reach him, and there’s a business card from a man named Paul Shapiro and his phone number has an area code in Jacksonville.”