Broken Memphis (Little Memphis MC #2)

by Bijou Hunter

  "Did they hurt you more than the black eye?"

  "No."

  I just nod, too pissed to do anything else. Arriving at Darby's house, I get a weird feeling in my gut.

  "You took care of the kid," I say to Bebe. "Those people are scum, but you kept her safe."

  Bebe looks at her drunk kid then at me. "Thank you for coming."

  "I take care of my friends."

  A forced smile is all I get until Bebe reaches out and places her hand on mine. That's when I realize I'm shaking with rage. Hating Taz and his followers, I plan to kill them all, but it won't be soon enough.

  Bebe watches me in the dark until Darby hurries outside and helps her from the SUV. I let them speak while I dial Lucky and Taco.

  "I got them home safe," I say when Lucky picks up. "How's the old lady?"

  "She ain't that old, and she aims her kicks for the balls, man."

  "Are you injured? Should I call an ambulance?" I say, nearly laughing.

  Lucky grunts. "Funny shit. Are we letting Mom go?"

  "Sure, but her boy ain't long for this world. You might want to tell her to take lots of pictures while he's still breathing."

  "Fair enough."

  Once Lucky hangs up, I look at where Bebe walks towards the porch with Darby. I panic at the thought of her going inside the house. There's no logic behind me feeling this way. I just want her back in the SUV. Since I usually get what I want, I hurry after the women.

  "Pack up," I tell Bebe.

  The women look at me like I'm crazy.

  "Want me to hold the kid while you get your crap?" I ask, ignoring their expressions.

  "What are you babbling about?" Darby grumbles, looking underdressed in only jeans and a gray sweatshirt.

  "You've got too many people in this house, and Bebe ain't safe here. She can stay at my place."

  "I'm not letting these girls go to your dump."

  "My house ain't a dump. It's got plenty of space. A hell of a lot more than here with all your charity cases."

  "So I'd be the only charity case at your place then," Bebe whispers while adjusting Lula in her arms.

  "I told you I take care of friends. I mean, you're my brother's fiancée's best friend."

  Sighing, Darby yanks me off the porch. "Let me talk to you."

  "Go pack," I say to Bebe. "Just enough for tonight. We'll get your other crap tomorrow."

  Darby yanks me harder until we're standing next to the SUV. I shove my hands into my pockets and wait for the speech.

  "What are you doing?" she demands, fighting with the wind blowing her black hair.

  "Her man is pimping her out from behind bars. What do you think will happen when he gets out?"

  "He isn't her man anymore.

  "Wolfman doesn't care. He was willing to sell that little kid to pay debts. He's a fucker, and Bebe's not safe here."

  "I can handle my own."

  Frowning down at Darby, I ignore her pissy expression. "She's wearing a pretty black eye, so maybe you can't."

  "You can't watch her every moment either."

  "I don't have to. I just move her into my place and tell people she's my pussy. If they hurt her, they're fucking with me. I'd say that's scarier than you and your shotgun."

  Darby's expression shifts into a sad mommy look. "She'll never be your pussy for real, Pax."

  "What makes you think I'm interested in her pussy? She has a kid, so her pussy is probably ruined. No offense to your pussy that also survived a kid passing through it."

  Narrowing her eyes, Darby wags her finger at me. "I'm onto you. Now that Ford has himself a woman, you want to copy him. It's what you've done all your life. I bet if he starts going bald, you'll get a comb over, just so you can match."

  "You're funny," I say, smiling. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you say something funny to cheer up Bebe while you're helping her pack up?"

  Darby digs in her heels, puts her hands firmly on her curvy hips, and gives me a frown from hell.

  "No."

  Even though thinking isn't my strong suit, I decide to try logic on her. "You're being selfish by keeping her and the kid here when you don't have the space. I know you like playing martyr, but that ain't cool."

  "You dick."

  "Fine, I'll try it all nice and charming like your ex-old man does," I say, wrapping an arm around her tight shoulders. "You got those two reformed hookers living here, and they got those kids. That's a lot of people in one house. On the other hand, I have those two empty bedrooms on the top floor. One of them has bunk beds from the boys, and I could get other crap for the kid."

  "She has a name," Darby mutters, but I sense her mellowing out.

  "Lula could have her own room. Bebe too. I have a backyard where the kid could run around. She could also play with Folgers. With them at my place, you'd have more space for your charity cases."

  "You're a charming fucker, aren't you?" she says, shoving me away from her. "Fine, but if you do wrong by her or Lula, I'm kicking your ass. Don't think your brother can stop me either. I know people."

  Following Darby back to the porch, I wear my winning smile. That lack of a poker face sends Bebe into a wide-eyed panic.

  "It'll be fine. Pack up a few things for the night," Darby reassures her. "He'll change his mind the minute Lula gets too loud or he wants to have an orgy at the house."

  Bebe gives me a resigned frown before disappearing inside to pack. I know she thinks I'm an asshole, and she isn't wrong. While I'll never be a hero, she could do worse in Little Memphis.

  3

  Bebe

  A Way with Words

  Ten minutes after we arrive at Pax's tri-level house, I'm cuddled in bed with Lula in Ford's old room. My right eye throbs even after taking Tylenol at Darby's. Lula took the kid version of the meds, so she's ready to crash. Yet every time I move, she whimpers, "Mommy," and clutches to me. The fear in her voice breaks my heart.

  My body aches to shower and scrub away the gross feel from that dirty house. I also want to find out what the hell Pax is thinking making me move into his place. Despite my desire to sneak out of bed, I have a scared baby holding me for security. Lula falls asleep with a little frown on her sweet face, and I stare at her until my eyes can't remain open. Sleep finally comes, and I dream of grocery shopping with Pax, who takes everything out of my cart and makes me buy something else. Even in my dreams, he pisses me off.

  I sleep well, only waking when Lula rubs my cheek. At first, I don't remember where I am. Once I see her scared face, the horrible day all comes back to me.

  "I have to go potty," she whispers. "I'm going to have an accident."

  Carrying her to the bathroom, I sit on the floor while she uses the toilet. Lula hasn't been potty trained long. Every time she gets the hang of it, we move and she regresses. She wants to be a big girl so bad, but our life never makes it easy.

  After I pee, we wash our faces then plan to brush our teeth. There's no toothbrush, so I use my finger. Lula finds this funny, so I squirt toothpaste on her finger, and she imitates me.

  We leave the bathroom and head to the kitchen where I hope we find food. A recently showered Pax looks up from the newspaper to smile at us.

  "Our roommates are here," he says to Folgers.

  I glance at the Rottweiler and Shepherd mix wagging his tail. The dog is big, goofy, and a little bit terrifying. Not unlike Pax.

  "Do you have anything to eat?" I ask.

  "No. I was waiting for you ladies to get up so we could head over to Denny's."

  "I don't have money for that," I grumble.

  "I'll pay. Ready to go?"

  "When can we go back home?" I ask, picking up Lula.

  "You are home."

  Lula looks at me like he's ripped out her heart and shit on it.

  "She thinks of Darby's place as our home."

  Pax gives the dog a look then stands up. "Come here, ladies."

  I follow him back down the hall towards the bedrooms. He stops at the smaller o
ne and opens the door. The room is empty except for a bunk bed.

  "What do you think, little one?"

  Lula still looks ready to cry when Pax takes her from my arms. He plops her on the top bunk where she stares at me in horror. Hiding under her dark hair, Lula is too afraid to speak.

  "You like pink?" he asks her. When she doesn't respond except to stare at me, he continues, "Girls like pink, don't they? We can paint the walls in here pink and get lots of princess crap. You like girl stuff or are you a tomboy?"

  "She's three," I mutter. "Let me get her down."

  "Hush," he says, waving me off. "The kid and I are talking."

  He taps Lula's hand, and she finally looks at him. "It was crowded over at Darby's place, but you can have your own big girl room. I never had my own room when I was little. Always had to share it with stinky Ford."

  Lula smiles at the stinky part. She looks around as Pax fills her head with the fantasy of pink. Even though he's always been a rude fucker, I can't deny I've nursed a crush on Pax. Now, though, I fucking hate him.

  "She needs to eat breakfast," I say, shoving him aside and taking her down from the bed. "You have bread. I'll make us toast."

  Pax follows me out of the room then grabs the loop in my jeans and makes me stop.

  "We're gonna out to eat. Don't be a bitch."

  Spinning around, I glare at him. "Don't you F U C K I N G call me a B I T C H, you S T U P I D A S S H O L E."

  Smiling, Pax leans in close enough for me to feel his warm breath on my skin. "I can't spell for shit, so I have no idea what you just told me."

  My rage makes me shake. Sensing my anger, Lula wants to cry. I set her on the couch and turn on cartoons.

  "Wait here while I talk to Pax outside. I'll be right back, and we'll have breakfast."

  Lula watches me shove Pax out the back door and onto the deck. I shiver at the late autumn weather then smack his arm.

  "You F U C K I N G suck."

  "What is your problem? And feel free to stop spelling so I can figure out what you're bitching about."

  I want to punch him, but I don't because he's Pax. I can never tell if he's really so dumb that he doesn't even know he's dumb. If he's that stupid, I don't feel good about messing with him.

  "We're not staying here."

  "Why?" he says, crossing his arms over the strong chest I used to fantasize about. "It's nice here. Look at this fenced yard. A kid could have fun out here. Get a swing set and shit. I'd have killed to have that as a kid."

  "Me too, but that's the point. She won't have it. You'll have it. And what happens when you stop doing whatever you're doing now?"

  Deciding I don't care if he doesn't know he's stupid, I shove him without much effort. Sitting on the deck's steps, I mutter, "You're messing with my kid's head."

  Pax sits next to me. "I'm trying to be nice."

  "No, you want something."

  "To fuck you. No biggie."

  Rolling my eyes, I shove my elbow into his gut. He grins at my lame attempt to hurt him.

  "I could explain, but you'd have to fucking promise not to tell anyone."

  Glancing sideways at him, I realize he's serious. "Okay."

  "Pinkie promise this mutherfucker."

  "Stop cussing so much," I say, even while linking my pinkie with his.

  "I like cussing."

  "Me too, but I don't want Lula cussing."

  "You worry too much."

  Sighing, I shiver again from the cold. "So what's your big secret?"

  Pax gets up and opens the door. He tells Lula we're almost done then shuts the door and returns.

  "Here," he says, handing me his jacket.

  "Thanks, but you ought to wear a hat over your damp hair."

  Pax grins at my concern but doesn't go back inside. Instead, he sits next to me again.

  I slide into his jacket then frown. "Spill your guts."

  "I'm lonely."

  "B U L L S H I T."

  "Girl, I seriously can't spell for shit. Every time you spell something, it's gibberish to me."

  "I don't believe you're lonely."

  "It's true. Ford ditched me. Now, he vacations with his new family, and they didn't even invite crazy Uncle Pax along."

  "Did you want to go?"

  "No, but they should have asked," he says, nearly pouting.

  "Wait, I thought Shay asked."

  "She doesn't count."

  Struggling against the urge to laugh at him, I only nod. "You're like a little boy."

  "You mean adorable?"

  "No, stupid."

  "And adorable."

  "You're a little adorable, yes."

  Pax scoots closer to me, and I pretend he's just cold. Thinking of him wanting to be closer for any other reason makes me too nervous.

  "Last night, I thought of you being in that dollhouse with all those hookers and their kids and Darby. Then I thought of me being all alone here, and I figured I would take advantage of your situation to get what I wanted."

  Frowning at his honesty, I hope he'll keep telling the truth. "What happens when you're not lonely anymore?"

  "Ford ain't ditching Shay. He's talking marriage and baby carriages now. Well, Shay's talking about that and he nods, but it's the same thing. He isn't coming back."

  "But you bring women here."

  "I'll keep the fucking quiet. Ball gag them, if necessary. Or take the loud ones somewhere else. Bathroom stalls are handy."

  I roll my eyes. "Not that you aren't charming with all the ball gag talk, but I still don't think we should stay here."

  "Your kid would have a nice place to call home. I even have a lady who cleans and a guy who mows."

  "I know it's nice. That's the problem."

  Annoyed, Pax frowns at me with his pale blue eyes. "You're making as much sense as when you spell at me."

  "Let's say you do what you say and she gets a pretty little girl room. How could I not want that for her? I never had my own room, and I never lived in a house like this one. I want that for Lula, but what happens when you find some woman or you get sick of us being around? It's not like I can move her somewhere nice. She'll lose everything, and I'll have to see all that disappointment on her little face."

  Crying now, I know there's no stopping the tears. "Those fuckers made my baby drink beer. When I tried to stop them, they hit me in front of her. I act like I'm better than my mom because I don't hook for money, but my little girl is growing up knowing the same kind of fear and poverty as I did. I suck as a mom."

  Pax wraps an arm around my shoulder. "You're a good mom. I like how you protected her from me."

  "I knew you wouldn't hurt her. Not on purpose, but you're making her feel special and giving her ideas about how she can have things. I can't give her those things. You can, but you can also change your mind. Then I'll be the loser who cleans toilets and barely has enough money for Christmas presents. At least at Darby's, we'll have a tree and nice things even if I wasn't giving them to her."

  Sobbing now, I whimper, "She's such a good little girl, and they made her drink beer and called her a little slut. I couldn't stop them. I just stood there like a loser."

  "I'm gonna kill them."

  "That doesn't change what happened. Besides, you're the one killing them. You're going to give her a room. I don't do anything."

  "Yeah, but I only do that stuff because I like you. You're funny even though I don't understand half of what you say with all the spelling."

  Wiping my eyes, I sigh. "You'll break her heart. I know you will. I do it all the time."

  "You're a good mom. That stuff with Taz isn't your fault. It's her dad's fault, and I'm gonna kill him too. It's what I do. I have money and buy things. I have a bat and kill assholes. You can stay here and help me stop feeling lonely. I don't like feeling this way. It makes me hate Shay, and I don't want to hate her. She's funny and Ford loves her. Do me this favor and move into the house. I promise I'll do you the favor of keeping my hoes away from here."<
br />
  Studying Pax's handsome face, I realize he's genuine. He really wants us to move in with him.

  "We can give you privacy when you need it," I say, wiping my face on my tee.

  When I grimace from the pain of my eye, Pax reaches over and brushes his fingers against my bruised cheek.

  "Did Taz do that, or one of his little shits?"

  "One of the shits. Don't ask me which one. They all have those stupid Mohawks."

  "I'm gonna burn them all down."

  "If you let them live, they might kill Wolfman."

  "Why would I want that? I'm looking forward to killing the fucker. I wanted to kill him before last night. He was the fucking fucker who beat on Folgers when he was a pup. My dog needed vengeance. Now you'll both get it."

  I grin because he's serious about wanting payback for his dog. "Thank you for coming last night."

  "What else was I going to do? If I didn't go, Darby would have."

  I hold his gaze. "That's not the point."

  "Why do things need a point?"

  "I don't know, but I'm thanking you, and you should just say you're welcome. It doesn't need to be a big deal."

  "Fine. You're welcome. Now you remember how things don't need to be a big deal when I pay for breakfast or get the kid a pink room. Just say thanks, and don't get all pissy about it."

  "With your way with words, it's no surprise you get so much pussy."

  Pax gives me a dazzling smile, and I know exactly why he gets so much pussy.

  "Let's go eat. I'm about ready to puke I'm so hungry."

  Standing up, Pax pulls me to my feet, and we walk inside the house, where Lula remains on the couch. She's always so sweet, and I want her to have everything in life. Despite fearing Pax will steal away all the promises he's making, I want to believe in him.

  4

  Pax

  Gonna Lose a Leg

  Bebe gets plenty of weird looks with her swollen and bruised eye. People don't look at me though. Who wants to piss off the scary guy capable of punching his woman in the face? Their assumptions mean nothing to me. People have been judging me all my life.

  Child Services came into my life early. Even seeing my mom for the junkie loser she was, they gave her more chances than she deserved. Over and over, they pulled us out of safe foster homes to go live with Mommy Fuckup again. Those days are long ago, and I rarely think about them. They did teach me to ignore the opinions of strangers. No one knows half of what they think they do.