by Bijou Hunter
Fifty One - Bonn
After Clara Hallstead’s marriage to Mojo Rutgers went down in flames, she hooked up with a former Special Forces badass. They had a son named Hudson who likes to shoot things and study people as if wondering the quickest ways to kill them.
On the back of her property, her new husband, Erik, set up a shooting range. He also put together various obstacle courses, so their boy could grow up to be a better badass.
Over the years, Camden and Dayton invited me to their mom’s place for shooting practice. I wasn’t great with a gun, but I could hit someone dead square in the center mass.
“You’ll die in a zombie apocalypse,” Dayton warns me while lying in the grass nearby. “Probably best to die early on since you lack a killer instinct.”
“Big talk from a man who missed the target,” I grumble, throwing him a dirty look.
Hiding behind his mirrored glasses and under a ball cap, Dayton shows no reaction, and I suspect his eyes are closed.
“Drunk-ass aim is what’s ailing him,” Camden says and fires at his target. “I don’t think I’ve seen him sober in a month.”
When Dayton doesn’t react, we assume he’s asleep and redirect the conversation.
“How is marriage treating you?” I ask Camden while sixteen-year-old Hudson ignores us and practices his already perfect aim.
“Daisy’s got me on a diet. I’m eating healthy, no longer drinking alcohol, and even sleeping more. She’s been a helluva good influence on me.”
“Really?” I ask since he’s downed two beers since we got here.
“No,” Camden says, grinning as he takes a shot and misses. “Poor Bourbon Babe hasn’t stood a chance against my bad influence. I have her drinking more, eating more, sleeping late on the weekends, and don’t even get me started on the dirty games we play.”
“If she’s happy, I’m sure it’s fine.”
“You sound like Ruby. I forgot how you act when she holds your balls in her grip.”
“I dare you to say that to her face,” I say, smirking at the thought of Ruby nailing him in the crotch.
Camden shakes his head. “I still can’t believe she’s working for my mom. The entire pissing match between my parents boggles my fucking mind.”
“People often forget that about Hickory Creek. The Brotherhood’s got the tats and the muscles and they make a lot of noise on their Harleys, but the Hallsteads run this town too,” I say, hitting another target in the chest. “You piss them off, and there’ll be hell to pay. Your dad just got a refresher course on that fact.”
“Your dad too. You don’t think my new cousin got the idea to play with matches around De Campo’s on his own, do you?”
“I never considered much about it.”
“You should. Rumor has it JJ was seen sniffing around the new restaurant.”
My finger lingers on the trigger. Camden’s words hint at a threat from a man who is my brother by blood and a dangerous stranger in every other way.
“Is there talk of JJ getting patched into the club?” I ask.
“Why, are you thinking of killing him and want to know if it’ll cause a war?” Camden says, trying not to laugh.
“If I kill him, you’ll never know it was me.”
“Good point. His list of enemies grows every day. Hell, last week, he was making googly eyes at Rat’s old lady. When he got called on it, he claimed he’d never want such a chunky bitch. Let’s say that didn’t go over well with the club, even if Howler tried to blow it off as a joke.”
“What’s his deal with Howler’s love affair with JJ?”
Camden shrugs. “He’s old and losing his fucking mind. That’s my theory anyway.”
“He’s not that old.”
Camden glances back at his sleeping brother who doesn’t stir. “Howler and Mojo called a club meeting the other day and then canceled it at the last minute and claimed they meant to have a club party. It was weird.”
“They’ve pissed off people who are now hitting them back. It’s likely happened before and it’ll no doubt happen again. I bet it even happens when you’re running shit in the future.”
“Sounds simple, but my mom’s never taken on the Brotherhood in such an obvious way. Like why make such a big deal out of a pizza place that I doubt she ever stepped foot inside?”
“She told the Brotherhood to leave the place alone,” Hudson says, startling me since he hadn’t spoken in over an hour. “They burned it down. What’s so complicated?”
“If she has concerns, she ought to bring them to the club, not go behind our back,” Camden tells Hudson.
“Did you tell her that?”
The brothers share a steely glare, somehow on two sides of a fight neither started. Dayton turns over on the ground and finds another position. His disturbed sleep is enough to distract Camden and Hudson from their brotherly irritation.
Taking a shot and hitting the target’s chest, I sigh. “Things are changing around here. Better to have it happen before you take over for Mojo, right?”
“No telling how things will be in ten years. Who will run what and what alliances will remain?”
“If you’re looking for reassurance, keep looking. I don’t know what I’m doing next month, let alone in a year.”
“I never took you as a spontaneous kind of asshole.”
“Well, then you weren’t fucking paying the fuck attention, fucker.”
Camden laughs loudly, nearly waking Dayton. “Listen to that filthy mouth. You’ve clearly spent too much time around Hayes. I hope Ruby shoves a bar of soap in your mouth.”
“Is that one of the kinky things you taught Daisy?”
Camden shakes his beer and tries to douse me with the squirting suds, but I’m already on the run. He chases me for a few minutes. Unfortunately, he’s slowed down after eating junk food, drinking lots of booze, and sleeping at odd hours. I laugh at him from a safe distance while he catches his breath and tosses the bottle in my direction.
While I don’t know if we’ll always be friends, I can hope I’ll always remain a few steps ahead of him.
Fifty Two - Ruby
Our weekly karaoke night hasn’t held up well since Daisy moved to the condo. We used to get together every Friday while the kids stayed with Mom. Nowadays, we’re lucky to get Daisy for an hour before Camden starts texting questions. When would she be done? Was she thinking of him? Should he order a corn beef or roast beef sandwich? Was she done yet?
“He’s a spoiled child,” I tell Daisy when she checks her phone again.
“We’re newlyweds.”
“What did I tell you about being annoying?”
Daisy waves off my attitude. “I can’t control whether he misses me or not.”
“Whatever. Let’s make drinks and start singing before he shows up wanting you to change his diaper.”
Three peach mojitos later, Harmony sings Time After Time in her raspy voice. Depression clings to her, and I feel it infecting Daisy too. If I weren’t so tense lately, I’d likely be in tears by the end of the song.
“I warned you my song choices wouldn’t be happy,” she says, resting her head against Daisy’s shoulder.
Daisy wraps an arm around her. “You sing whatever you feel like singing.”
“I can’t dig my way out of feeling like everything is doomed.”
Daisy and I share a worried look. Harmony is always happy, sometimes overly so. Now her depressed words set off every alarm. I don’t know how to help her with her grief, but Daisy proves faster on the draw.
“Will Ruby singing Puttin' On The Ritz improve your mood?” Daisy asks.
Harmony grins slightly. “Only if she dances too.”
Shaking my head, I frown at Daisy, but I’d never tell Harmony no. Besides, I don’t hate the song nearly as much as my sisters.
I find a summer hat to help with my performance, really giving it all the pizzazz I can manage if only to make Harmony smile. My lame routine does the trick, and she’s soon dancing wi
th me.
When we catch Daisy messing with her phone and likely answering Camden, we force her to join us.
“Enough of him for at least an hour.”
Daisy nods, but it takes the Safety Dance to get her mind off Camden for even five seconds. We follow up the song with You Spin Me Round (Like a Record), ensuring Harmony will sing at the top of her lungs. The girl has no filter when she hears a certain song.
We’re on our third replay of the song when I hear a knock and nearly tumble in surprise.
“Who could it be?” Daisy asks paranoid.
Everyone in Lush Gardens knows not to disturb karaoke night. I grab my broom as a weapon and gesture for Harmony to answer. She opens the door, startling Camden and Bonn standing outside.
“What the hell?” Camden asks.
“Stalker!” I cry and try to shut the door on him.
Daisy uses her body to keep the door open. “What are you doing?” she asks, stepping out of the trailer to prevent Camden from entering.
“What are you hiding in there?” he asks, trying to see inside.
“We’re having karaoke night. Are you accusing me of lying?”
“No, but you’re acting suspicious, and I thought you might have something going on. Let me look around and…”
“No.”
“Why?”
Bonn rolls his eyes and asks, “Ruby, can I speak to you inside?”
Nodding, I watch him push past a grumpy Camden who attempts to break down Daisy’s defenses by tickling her.
Bonn enters the trailer and walks to our bedroom before turning around and walking back outside.
Following him, I grumble, “What are you doing?”
“Checking for a man,” he says and nudges Camden. “Place is clean. Your instincts are shit.”
“You wanted to come too.”
“Because you said a man might be in my trailer near my woman. You didn’t mention this knowledge was based on your gut instinct.”
Camden shrugs. “Hey, what can I say? Harmony likes weird men, and she’s vulnerable.”
“She likes Dayton,” Daisy points out.
“Like I said, she has bad taste.”
“I’m right the fuck here, children,” Harmony mutters, taking the broom from me and taking a swipe at Camden.
“So, so vulnerable,” he teases, dodging her first swing but not the second. “Ow.”
“Go away and leave us alone,” Harmony says, smacking him again. “I get three hours a week when my sisters belong to me. You will not steal that from me, Camden Cheesestick Rutgers.”
Frowning at Daisy, Camden sighs. “You need to stop telling them everything.”
“Never!” Daisy cries, running back into the trailer. “Now away with you, stalker!”
Harmony follows Daisy and I shake my head disapprovingly at the men. “You heard the crazy. Be gone.”
Before I shut the door on the men, Bonn leans in and gives me a long kiss full of tongue. His embrace makes clear what he plans to do to me later tonight.
By the time he leaves, I’m a mush of hormones and longing.
“Nope,” Daisy says, looking for a new song. “I will not have you swooning over Bonn if I can’t do the same for Camden.”
“I promise nothing.”
We sing a few more songs before Camden’s rattling at the windows finally draws Daisy outside where he corrals her to his car. I watch them act like two fools in love and wonder if I can do the same with Bonn. Except I realize he isn’t outside with his cousin. I text him and learn he’s hanging out at Mom’s with Elle.
“Why are you staying at the trailer park?” Harmony asks when I plop down next to her on the couch.
“I’m not ready for more changes.”
“That’s a cop out.”
“Excuse me?” I balk, startled by her tone.
“You’re giving yourself an out with Bonn. If things go south, you’ll have everything else in order.”
“Well duh.”
“But you’ll never forgive him if you keep waiting for him to screw up again.”
“Forgiveness needs to be earned.”
“It’s been eight years, and you let him back in your bed. I think you’re past playing it safe.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
Harmony takes my hand. “I’ve never seen you be weak before, and I don’t like the look on you.”
“He showed up and changed everything. I need time.”
“How much? Weeks, months, years?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter, unhappy to be the bad guy.
“I think you should leave the trailer park. Staying here isn’t healthy when you want to build something new.”
“I don’t want to move to Common Bend.”
“Who does? Why can’t you move to his condo?”
“It’s his place.”
“It has a laundry in the unit. Daisy is nearby, and Elle already knows it. You’d be moving up without having to leave Hickory Creek.”
Squeezing her hand, I sigh. “You sound like you’ve been thinking about this.”
“Ever since your first date with Bonn, I’ve wondered where you’d live. Knowing you would get back together, I prepared myself for you to leave.”
“If you don’t want me to leave, why are you pushing me to go?”
“Because it’s the right thing for you and Bonn and Elle. It’ll hurt me, and I know Mom won’t like having you gone, but you’ll be with Daisy. You’ll be close to the restaurant. And while I’ll miss you, it’ll be nice having you and Daisy in one place since I’m lazy about driving.”
Staring at the wall, I don’t care if what Harmony says is true. The idea of moving panics me. No amount of logic can override those fears.
“It’s not unreasonable to be afraid,” I say to Harmony.
“No, it’s not. Bonn hurt you bad, and he could do it again. Or you two could be happy for the rest of your lives. There’s no promise either way.”
“Without a promise, I can’t make a move.”
“Even if you’re not ready, you need to tell Bonn to keep his condo and you want to move in. Push yourself to do it because you haven’t pushed yourself in a long time.”
“What about Kentucky?”
“Yeah, and wasn’t that exciting?”
Nodding, I admit Harmony’s right about my fears controlling me. Kentucky was fun, and I’d felt like a new person away from Lush Gardens. The thrill of a new beginning is something I crave, but I don’t know if I’m truly ready to let go of the resentment I’ve held onto for so long.
Fifty Three - Bonn
Ruby asks me to pick up a few things at the grocery store before coming home. Her request sends my dick into an erection, likely knowing I’ve won back the body it so desperately craves. I swear sharing a bed with Ruby every night causes me to walk around with a hard-on half of the day.
By the time I finish shopping, the damn thing is back in neutral after I made many promises about what I’d ask Ruby to do to it tonight.
“Hold up, Bonn,” I hear while walking to my SUV.
Recognizing the voice as belonging to Mojo Rutgers, I ignore him and keep walking. I hope he’ll go away, but at the very least he’ll be forced to catch up. Unfortunately, he isn’t alone.
My father looks smaller than I expect. Of course, I was twelve the last time I saw him up close like this. The man seemed huge and fearsome. Now he’s another hungover middle-aged man in an area where everyone his age drinks too much.
“Did your mom not teach you manners?” Howler asks.
“She taught me to treat people the way they treat me. That’s why I was ignoring you.”
“Burn,” a laughing Mojo says while slapping his VP on the back.
Howler doesn’t smile because everyone kisses his ass. First, because he was the only son of the local rich family. Then because he was the VP of a violent biker club. I suspect one day people will kiss his ass out of pity because he’s old and pathetic.
&n
bsp; “Did you want something?” I ask Mojo who’s still chuckling.
“Do you need to ask your boss before you talk to us? He can come hold your fucking hand, so your panties stay dry.”
“I sense you’re upset about something. Would it be how De Campo’s is now a family-friendly restaurant or is it because Common Bend belongs to a guy who thinks you’re called Howler because you cry like a baby after sex?”
Even irritated at me, Mojo laughs again. I sense he’s more pissed at his VP than me.
Howler curls his upper lip and leans forward. “Common Bend is a rough fucking place, and Hayes doesn’t give a shit about it. When things go south because he hired a pussy to do his dirty work, he’ll cut your ass loose. Who do you think will run Common Bend then?”
“My guess is Camden and Dayton unless the Brotherhood wants senior citizens in charge.”
Mojo is officially no longer amused by me. I can’t help smiling since these fuckers have spent a long damn time ignoring the fact that I exist. Now I haunt their damn nightmares. They're lucky I’m not jumping up and down giggling in triumph.
“Do you think you’re safe?” Howler asks, leaning even closer, so I can now see the lines around his eyes.
“Like I tell my dealers, no one is safe because everyone is replaceable.”
Howler’s hands grip into tights fists, but I don’t brace for the hit. He doesn’t have the balls to fuck with me. Mainly because he doesn’t know who the fuck I am, thus he’s clueless about what I’m capable of. I could be the scariest bastard in the universe or a pussy, but he can’t chance attacking me and learning the answer the hard way.
So, he steps back and shrugs like he doesn’t care.
“Saving face, huh?” I mock while crossing my arms.
“You need to watch yourself.”
“Okay, Dad. Are we done?”
Howler looks me in the eyes, and I can’t imagine what he’s thinking. Is he wondering why he never reached out to me all these years? Does he wish he talked my mother into an abortion? His mind could be anywhere because he’s as big a stranger to me as I am to him.
I’m a little disappointed when he walks away. I don’t know what I hoped for when I realized we were finally coming face to face. As Mojo follows Howler and they ride away, I think back to Kirk Johansson in Kentucky. He warned me that nothing my father did would fix what he broke inside me. I could kill him, or he could beg me for another chance, and I’d still end up disappointed.
