Shit, shoot a man in the groin one time and he took it so personally. He was such a fucking baby. That was four days ago, he should get over it already. She opened her mouth to tell him just that when her brothers harsh voice broke in.
“What the hell did you do now, Charity?” Trick demanded.
“Stop using that tone of voice with her, Trick. She’s a grown woman, not a child. I told you that you need to stop suffocating her, and then she wouldn’t want to get away from you so damned badly that she ran away.” Katie yelled at her brother throwing her hands up in exasperation.
“Okay, this is getting way out of hand for me tonight. I need to sleep, your sister does too. We’ve been on the road for twelve hours straight. This can wait until the morning.” Tick told them.
Trick nodded. “Fine.” he growled taking Katie’s arm and guiding her into the house. Charity watched them enter the house and grudgingly looked at Tick.
“Thanks.” She said, grateful that he had gotten her brother to drop the conversation at least for the moment. She was almost to the door when she heard him say quietly.
“Oh, I didn’t do that for you, baby girl. I’m too tired tonight to enjoy the reprimand you’re going to get. I wanted to enjoy it.” He chuckled as he followed her inside. She wanted to turn around and beat the bastard over the head, but she was just too fucking tired.
The next morning she awoke to the sounds of shuffling feet and hushed whispers. Sensing that something was going on she sat up looking around. She heard the shuffling noise again. Huh, that was strange, she thought getting up. She walked into the kitchen where she’d heard the shuffling and whispers from. She saw two small boys, one was dark haired with deep blue eyes and looked to be about six. The other was a bit larger, with brown hair, and green eyes. He looked to be closer to ten. They both looked up with guilt on their faces when she entered. Humm…she thought looking around the kitchen for whatever they had been up to.
“So, what’s going on in here?” She asked, watching their eyes dart around before they looked at her innocently. Yeah, she wasn’t buying that, these two were up to no good.
“Nothing.” The one who looked like his annoying father, only smaller and a hell of a lot cuter, said.
“Uh-huh…you sure there is nothing going on?” She asked, knowing from experience that they had likely set up some kind of prank. She heard Trick ask Tick about it last night. She also knew that he was quite familiar with children who acted out. She had been a lot of trouble when she was younger.
“Yep, nothing.” Max replied solemnly.
Tick walked into the kitchen, seeing his son and his friend, he smiled. “Morning, son. Connor. Morning, baby girl.”
Max looked at her with a strange dark scowl. Huh, what was that all about? Tick stared the coffee, then turned to Max giving him a hug. Charity decided to make them all some eggs. Her brother was always in a better mood if she fed him. Going to the fridge she got out eggs and cheese and a few other condiments. She decided she was going to make omelets instead. She still wondered what the boys had been up to. She knew that they’d eventually give themselves away. She just need to wait for them to tip their hand.
“Anyone want an omelet?” Charity asked, as she approached the stove.
“Yeah!” Max and the other boy, who apparently was named Connor, yelled sitting down at the table.
“You can cook, right?” Tick asked, earning a dark scowl from Charity.
“She can. Makes the best damned omelets I have ever tasted.” Trick told him as he walked into the kitchen sitting down on the stool. Katie followed looking blurry eyed and unhappy.
“What’s wrong with you?” She asked her best friend as she sat down at the table.
“Don’t ask.” Katie told her grimly. Shit, what was wrong with her, she wondered.
Tick asked if anyone wanted coffee, and she noticed that the boys were smiling awfully wildly. Humm….she continued to watch them as Tick poured his coffee. Then he poured one for Katie and Trick who’d both asked for the coffee. She waited, what were they up to? Then Tick took a spoon and got some sugar bumping it into his coffee. The boys snickered, then smiled at each other. Ah, so that was what they had done. She saw Katie reach from the spoon, but she kicked her chair.
“Wouldn’t put that in my coffee if I were you.” She told her best friend. She looked at her with surprise.
“Why not?” Katie asked.
“Wouldn’t drink that cup if I were you.” She told Tick. Knowing he wouldn’t listen.
He glared at her. “Why would I listen to you it’s my damned coffee. I don’t like to talk much before my coffee.”
“Fine, suit yourself. Only don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Charity said, leaning into the counter to watch the idiot drink his coffee. The boys were still snickering.
Tick took a large swig of his coffee, before he choked and spit it out in the cup. Screaming, “What the hell? Did you put salt in my sugar jar?” The boys began laughing loudly almost falling out of their seats.
“No, I didn’t your damned little hellion did.” Charity bellowed, pissed he thought she’d pull such a juvenile prank. If she wanted to get even she’d taser his groin again. The big baby.
“Hey, we didn’t do anything.” The boy cried.
“Ha, that’s what you were doing that woke me up. I knew you two were up to something the minute I walked in here. I just wasn’t sure what it was.” Charity turned back to the stove beginning to make the omelets.
“Max, what did you do with the damned sugar?” Tick demanded.
“We threw it away.” Connor told him, looking worried.
“What! That shits expensive, what the hell did you throw it away for. You have to stop with these pranks son.” Tick grumbled.
“I-I’m sorry, dad. I just miss mom, and well pranks make me feel better.” She turned seeing the crocodile tears in the boy’s eyes. That little devil, he was playing his father.
“Son, I know. I’m sorry.” Tick hugged him, not seeing the smile he shared with Connor over his father’s shoulder. Charity couldn’t believe he had fallen for that excuse. What the hell was wrong with the man?
“You know that you were just played right?” Charity asked him as he moved towards the pantry to get sugar, presumably.
“What?” Tick asked, looking confused.
“You were just played. He used that excuse to get out of trouble, you know that right?” She asked him, while scooping omelets onto a plates.
“Don’t be ridiculous the kid is just acting out because his mother is dead. You shouldn’t talk about things that are none of your business, baby girl.”
He walked into the pantry while Charity tried to wrap her head around the fact that the man didn’t have a damned clue. His kid was like her, and he was asking for trouble letting him get away with these pranks. They would escalate, and she knew he wouldn’t mean to but someone would eventually get hurt.
She knew because at that age she’d been just as bad. She had an extremely high IQ and that had been difficult to rein in when she was young. If her brother hadn’t stepped in she would have been doomed. She hoped that he figured it out before the boy became too wild. If he hurt someone, he would regret it forever.
Sitting down to eat with every one she was pleased when even Tick told her they were heaven. Then they were all eating in silence, except for occasional complements and a few jokes from the boys. Tick sipped his third cup of coffee watching her eat, and she glared back at him.
Chapter 5
Her brother looked at her over his omelet, his expression strange. It was making Charity very nervous. It had started right after she’d made Tick and Max another omelet before finally getting to finish eating her own omelet. The boys had run off to find another boy, named Alex after they’d polished off their second omelets. She was beginning to get worried. Her brother never watched her like that unless he had a devious plan brewing in his mind. She wasn’t the only Tannon with a high IQ, and he was starting to wo
rry her.
“What?” She demanded unable to stand it any longer, a bite of omelet hovering near her mouth.
“I think I have come up with your punishment.” He suddenly said, grinning.
Oh, shit. This was so not going to be good, she thought. Setting her fork down with the uneaten bite on it. “What’s that, big brother?” She asked already knowing that whatever he’d come up with would be bad.
“You’ll stay here and help him,” He stabbed his own fork at Tick. “With his little trouble maker.”
“The hell you say, Trick! She’s not staying here!” Tick roared.
“Oh, come on. Who better to be sure she stays her ass where it needs to be than you? You know damned well that if I take her back to Devils Falls we’ll be calling you within a week to go hunt her ass down. Only if she’s here instead…” Trick allowed his voice to trail off.
“Absolutely not! I will not stay here with him!” Charity cried, wanting to strangle her brother for even suggesting it. How dare he!
“You will if I say you will. I don’t care how old you are! You took ten years off my life running off like that, Charity.” Trick roared.
It made her feel kinda shitty that he was right. She really shouldn’t have run off, she should have talked to him about it again until he had agreed. She’d known that she could eventually convince him, but she’d been selfish and wanted to start her life without him interfering. She felt a little bad about worrying him, but she was an adult she could take care of herself.
“I’m sorry, Trick. I needed to get away.” She finally said looking at him with remorse.
“Exactly, that’s what this does. It gets you away from Devils Falls. It will help him out. With that scene this morning you know he needs it.” Trick told her.
“I should have a say in who’s watching my kid, dickhead.” Tick growled, scowling at them from across the table.
“You know that you’ll be the only one they send after her, Tick. Bone knows as well as I do that she’d lose anyone else sent after her. Do you really want to be chasing her again?” Trick demanded.
“Fuck, no.” Tick said, and if looks could kill she was sure she’d be dead. Shit, shoot a man in the balls one damned time and they acted like babies forever. She stared back at him, her own look deadly.
“Don’t want to stay here with him. I’ll stay put. Please don’t force me to stay here.” Charity grumbled.
“If you come back to Devils Falls you won’t be staying in Dadeville. You’ll be living with me and Katie.” Charity saw Katie wince. It wasn’t that her best friend didn’t want her to stay with them. It was that she knew how long Charity would be able to handle that. About ten minutes tops, Charity estimated. Fuck, she was going to be stuck living with the dickhead. Damn.
“Fine, I’ll help him with the hellion. But when he’s fixed you’re going to let me go take that damned job in Bandit territory.” Charity told him without backing down. She knew her brother, give the man an inch and he took a mile. She was putting her foot down.
“Done.” He growled.
She figured her agreed because he thought that by the time Max was fixed he’d have found a way to keep her in Devils Falls. Only she would not allow that, she was taking that job. She just had a brat to fix and then she’d be on her way to a new life.
“The hell you say! I haven’t agreed to allow her to keep my kid, or stay in my house.” Tick bellowed.
“You want to chase her again?” Trick demanded.
“I already told you no, mother fucker. I don’t see why that means she has to stay here and torture me.” Tick barked, angrily.
“It’s because she won’t stay put, and I am not allowing her to get off that easily.”
“Fuck man, lock her ass up. Or hell let her do that job she wants so damned bad. She’s an adult for fucks sake. I don’t give a flying fuck what you let her do. She’s just not staying here.” Tick grumbled.
“She needs to be protected if I’m sending her there for a damned job I have to get shit worked out, so that ideas out right now. Besides you need help with that kid. He’s out of control. She was the same. She’ll have a better idea of what he’s up to than you would. And you know that if I lock her up she’d get out so that’s out too.” Trick told him reasonably.
“Fuck, fine. Only for a month. I’m only being her lame assed keeper for a month. If she hasn’t fixed the boy by then you come and get her. Understand.” Tick growled. He knew that the man was right about Max. The salt in his coffee when he’d told the boy to stop with the pranks was proof of that. He wished that the man wasn’t right, but he was. If she could get Max to behave then he did need her, but he sure as hell didn’t have to like it any more than she did.
Three days later he was not one single bit happier about that woman being in his house. She had however stopped four of Max’s pranks, and prevent three others from causing problems. He had just returned from watch, and was looking for the woman. She normally had his dinner ready for him when he got home. Tonight he’d walked in expecting dinner and found only an empty kitchen. Where the hell was that damned woman?
He walked into the hallway to find her scrubbing the floor. There was something red all over the place in the hallway. She had a bucket and a scrub brush. She was on the floor with her back to him, and her ass was displayed nicely in the tight fitting jeans she wore. Her ass moved back and forth with each scrub, and she was muttering under her breath.
Tick felt his cock harden in his pants. Damn, the little witch had a perfect ass. Too bad she was a fucking viper. He continued to watch that ass sway back and forth his dick so hard he was seriously considering taking it out to jack off, or maybe just fuck her. Not that he liked the woman, but sometimes a woman just revved your motor whether you liked her or not. And with an ass like that he’d have to be dead for her not to rev his motor.
“What are you doing, dad?” Max demanded from beside him. Tick jumped. Sneaky little bastard, where had he come from? Charity turned glowering at them both.
“I was wondering where my dinner was. What good is a house mouse if she isn’t going to have dinner waiting and shit cleaned up before I get home?” He told his son, knowing it would piss her off.
“Asshole, I’m cleaning the mess your hellion made before he ran off with that other brat. The least you can do is help, or hell cook your own damned dinner!” Charity snapped, she glared daggers at the two of them.
“Damn, she’s fucking cranky, dad!” Max exclaimed.
Tick narrowed his eyes at the boy. He knew better than to talk that way. Before he could reprimand the boy for the slip Charity asked.
“Do you want me to wash your mouth out with soap, you little hellion?” She stood dropping the scrub brush into the bucket. Tick turned his anger back on her. How dare she threaten Max? She was not his mother.
“You and what army?” The boy asked snidely.
Why the hell had he agreed to this circus again, he wondered. He knew that that ridiculous comment would only end one way. Charity moved to go after the boy as he darted off towards his room with Charity hot on his heels.
“Get your ass back here!” She screeched still chasing him. She grabbed the back of his shirt jerking him to a halt. Then gleefully cried. “Ha, caught you!” Then she began dragging him towards the bathroom in the hall. “I’m going to wash your mouth out with soap, you little brat.”
Max began to cry and Tick knew he’d have to intervene. “Dad, dad” The boy’s panicked voice cried. “Don’t let her do it! I didn’t mean it.”
Charity couldn’t believe it when he began crying large crocodile tears, adding some sobs for good measure. Really? That little shit was trying to wheedle his way out of punishment with crocodile tears. And she knew damned well that was what they were.
Tick had taken the boy into his arms, and was hugging him as he pretended to cry. Over the man’s shoulder he shot her a triumphant smile. Oh no he did not! She thought, angrily.
“I won’t say bad w
ords again…please. I was just really sad today, about you know…mom.” He finished in a pathetic whining hiccup.
“Stop acting, you little demon spawn! You are not getting out of punishment.” She said reaching out to grab his shoulder to drag him to the sink where the soap was. Only to feel a hard hand land over hers.
“No.” Came Tick’s harsh voice.
She turned, had the idiot really fell for that ridiculous act? She saw by the expression on his face that he had. Charity wanted to scream and jump up and down in frustration. How could the man be such a fucking moron? Her brother had told her that she couldn’t leave until this kid was fixed, and the man wouldn’t let her even try because he was an idiot. If she was fighting Tick too then she might as well settle in because she wasn’t going anywhere until the month was up because there was no way to fix the hellion if she couldn’t discipline the boy.
She threw her hands in the air. Screaming at him, “If you keep letting him he will keep on doing things like this. You’re acting like a freaking moron!”
She wanted to stamp her feet in anger, but resisted the temptation. Max shot her a gleeful smile over his father’s shoulder. When his father turned back to him ignoring her he’d schooled his features back into that pathetic little boy face. His lip even trembled.
She had perfected that look, and the kid wasn’t really that good at it. She had used it to work both her brother and her father when she was only five. The only difference was that Trick had seen right through that look after she’d played him a time or two. Tick it seemed was just an idiot because she’d seen him use this face at least a dozen times since she’d been trapped here.
“You’re not as good at that look as you think you are.” She growled at him.
Tick turned to her. “Stop, you’ve frightened the boy enough for today. Go make dinner.”
“That hellion isn’t scared you moron, he’s playing you and you’re too stupid to realize it.” Charity said throwing her hands up in the air before storming off to the kitchen to make dinner for the little hellion and his idiot father all the while muttering under her breath.
Finding Charity: Red Devils M.C. Page 3
