“Lincoln, go outside and calm down. Let me talk to Marley without you ranting.” Ethel raised her arm and pointed to the front door.
“You’re not going to be able to talk sense into her any more than I am,” Gravel mumbled as he walked out the front door, the screen door slapping shut behind his retreating back.
“Your father is going about you leaving the wrong way, but he is right, hun. It’s not safe for you to leave.” Ethel popped open the footrest on the chair and reclined back.
“It’s not safe for me to stay either.”
“It’s a lot safer than you think. Who’s going to stay and protect you when you leave? Your plan is to go to California, but who’s to say they won’t kill you before you get there. Your reason for wanting to leave is honorable, but it’s also stupid.”
I leaned my head back and stared up at the ceiling. Was Ethel right? I hadn’t thought about the fact that they might hurt me before I got to California. “I couldn’t live with myself if someone got hurt because of this, Ethel. I don’t know what to do. I left because I thought that would help make things better. I was wrong.”
“Then the only way to make it right is to stay. You didn’t know what was following you when you left California, this isn’t your fault. Money makes people do crazy and violent things sometimes.”
“Why didn’t Gravel explain it to me like you just did?”
“Because that’s not Gravel’s way. He’s a man who knows when he’s right and what he wants. When things don’t go the way he planned or wants, he yells. You have to know when to step back and really try to listen to what he is saying when he’s yelling. What I just said was what Gravel was trying to tell you.”
I glanced over and saw Ethel looking at me. “I’ll stay, for now. If things get dangerous, though, I’ll leave. Even without a two-week notice to work.”
“Good, hun. You made the right choice. If after all of this blows over and you still want to leave, I promise to hold Gravel back,” she winked at me.
“OK. I’m good with that.” I kicked my feet up on the coffee table and stretched out my legs. I was wearing my favorite worn out lounge pants and a baggy sweatshirt. I had just gotten off of work and changed when Gravel had started in on me again about leaving. I’m sure once I told him I planned on not leaving, he would assume it was because of his nagging.
“That’s it. I can’t deal with this,” Gravel shouted, walking through the front door, “you are staying, and I don’t give two shits if you don’t like it. I’m your father and I’m just trying to protect you.” He stopped in front of the couch and stared me down.
I glanced over at Ethel, who was smirking at me. I winked at her and turned my attention back to Gravel. “OK.”
“Thank fucking God!” he shouted and threw his arms up in the air.
“But, I have two conditions.”
“If it means you are staying, let’s hear them.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
“One, I get to cut your hair. Now,” I said, holding up one finger. His hair was driving me insane and was in dire need of a cut.
“Fine. Ethel and I talked about you cutting it when you first came in, so now is as good as time as any.”
“Two, you and Ethel need to leave. If you insist on having someone here with me, I get to choose who it is.” I tossed the pillow into the end of the couch and stood up. This was the condition I knew Gravel was going to have a hard time with.
“No.”
“Then I leave.”
Gravel’s phone blared from his pocket, interrupting our stare down. “Hold on, this isn’t over,” he mumbled to me as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and swiped left to answer it. He barked hello into it and walked back out the front door.
“You’re not going to tell him you decided to stay before he came back in, are you?” Ethel laughed.
“Hell no. I might as well get something out of all the yelling and screaming he has been doing these past couple of days.”
“Who are you going to have come stay with you?” Ethel asked.
“I’m not staying here, I’m going there.” I had messed up with Troy. I had pushed him away when he was just trying to help me. I didn’t know how I could miss someone so much after only knowing them for such a short time. I guess this was what all those romance novels I read talked about. Insta-love. Although Troy and I were far from love. So, maybe insta-infatuation? Whatever the hell it was, I wanted to find out what it was. Troy was so much different from the men I had known growing up and who I had dated.
Mark was a businessman who left the house every morning in a suit and tie and very rarely had a spec of dirt on him. Troy, I hate to say it, but he was all man. The few times I had seen him, he was either wearing cowboy boots or work boots and it seemed jeans and a tee were his standard attire, whether it was work or not.
“I never imagined you and Troy together,” Ethel mused.
“He’s definitely not the type of guy I used to find attractive. I’ll have to see if he’ll even let me in his house. The last time we talked, we didn’t exactly leave things friendly.” I sat back down on the couch, tucking my legs underneath me.
“Just talk to him, hun. I don’t know Troy as well as I should, but he seems like a good man. Straight to the point, no nonsense.”
“Yup, that is definitely the vibe I got off of him also. Plus he told me he’s not into playing games.” Gravel stomped back in the room and tossed his phone onto the coffee table.
“Pack your shit, you need to stay at the clubhouse until we clear up the shit storm that followed you. Things are not looking good right now.” Gravel barked.
“Wait, what are you talking about?” What the hell had changed from the time Gravel’s phone rang to now?
“Mark’s family has direct dealings with the Banachi family. His family reached out to the Banachi’s to help take care of you.”
A chill ran up my spine as I remembered all the things I had heard about the Banachi’s. They were a rather large family that lived in Chicago, but sent their children to a private school in California. They had dealings spread out throughout the US and their reputation proceeded them. “Mark’s family owned a PR firm. How are they connected to the Banachi’s?” I asked.
“From what Edge dug up, it appears Mark’s grandfather ran into some problems playing the slots quite a few years back, and the Banachi’s helped him out. That forged a connection between the families that had only strengthened over time.”
“Well, is there any way to get in touch with the Banachi’s and explain to them that Marley doesn’t want any of this?” Ethel asked as she pushed the foot rest down and sat on the edge of her chair.
“King and Edge are trying to pull some strings and see what they can do. King just called church so that’s why you need to pack up and head to the clubhouse with me. I’ll feel better if you are somewhere safe,” Gravel explained.
I didn’t want to go to the clubhouse. I would just end up locked up in Gravel’s room, bored out of my mind. “Can’t I stay here or go somewhere else that is safe? I could go stay with Gwen. They would never think to look for me there.”
“I’m ninety percent sure they know where you work and who you work for, Marley. We don’t want to involve any more people in this then we have to. You’re coming with me.”
“No,” I replied, digging my feet in, ready for the fight Gravel was going to give me. “I’ll go stay with Troy. I doubt they know about him, it’s the perfect idea.”
“Marley, no. Just fucking, no,” Gravel growled.
“This isn’t up for debate, Gravel. Before you walked out of here to answer the phone, I was going to tell you the same thing. You want me to stay with someone, it’s Troy or I leave, right now.” I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest.
“I need to get to church. I don’t have time for this bullshit. The answer is no.”
“No need to go to church and figure things out, Gravel. I’ll be out of
Rockton within the hour.” I stepped around Gravel and made my way to the stairs.
“Son of a bitch, Ethel can you talk some fucking sense into her,” Gravel hollered as I walked up the stairs.
“I don’t see what the problem is with her going to Troy’s,” I heard Ethel say as I reached the top the stairs and made my way to my room.
“Because it’s fucking Cowboy!” Gravel shouted.
Ethel replied, but she talked much quieter than Gravel and I couldn’t make out what she was saying. I reached under my bed and pulled out my suitcase and tossed it on the bed. I rummaged through my drawers, grabbing what I would need and threw it into the suitcase.
I had just opened the closet when Gravel bellowed up the stairs. “You can stay with that fucking cowboy, but you better believe I don’t fucking like it!”
A grin spread across my face. I knew all along that as soon as Ethel talked to Gravel about me staying with Troy, he would give in.
I reached into the back of my closet and pulled out the little black dress Troy had bought. When I had tried it on, I didn’t plan on buying it, but as soon as Troy had touched me in it, I knew I had to have it. I slipped it off the hanger and folded it, placing it in my suitcase.
Troy’s gaze when he had seen me in it had been enough to melt my panties off, well if I had been wearing panties. I grabbed the blood red heels I had on the floor of my closet and tossed them on top.
It was going to take a lot of talking and begging for Troy to let me in the door. But as soon as he did, I planned on putting my little black dress and heels to good use.
Troy wasn’t going to know what hit him.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Chapter 11
Troy
“Bandit, hurry the hell up,” I called as I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to stay warm. It was the beginning of October and Wisconsin had definitely cooled down. Two weeks ago I was walking around in a t-shirt and jeans, and now I almost need to put a god damn parka on.
Bandit bound up the two steps into the house and hopped up on the couch as I shut the door. “I don’t know how you can stay out there for so long without your balls freezing off,” I mumbled as I cupped my hands together and blew into them. Son of a bitch it was cold out.
It was Friday night and I thankfully didn’t have to work tonight. It was god damn hell at work all week, wanting to ask Meg how Marley was doing but not asking. I was surprised that Meg hadn’t mentioned anything more about her either. I had been expecting a full on attack from her about Marley, but she was unusually quiet.
I walked into the kitchen, grabbed two beers and headed back into the living room to catch up on The Walking Dead. I had let all of last season's episodes accumulate on my DVR and was slowly watching through them on my weekends off.
I sat down on the couch, propping my legs up on the coffee table.
Just as the opening credits started playing, when Meg’s ringtone, ‘Oath’ started blaring from my phone. Meg had snagged my phone and took it upon herself to pick her ringtone for when she called me. She often stole my phone and set random alarms to go off. She thought she was hilarious.
“Meg,” I drawled into the phone.
“Don’t sound so chipper.”
“I’m trying to watch The Walking Dead, what do you want?”
“Oh no, I’m interrupting your mutant zombie time,” she cackled.
“I’m hanging up in five seconds if you don’t tell me why you’re calling,” I threatened.
“Oh, Troy. Take the stick out of your ass and chill.”
“Bye, Meg.”
“Wait,” she yelled, “I have to tell you something.”
I paused the TV and waited for whatever Meg had to tell me. “That is why most people use the telephone, to tell people something.”
“You are so fucking cranky lately.”
“Meg.”
“Fine. You’re about to have company in about five minutes. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“What the hell-” I started, but all I heard was silence.
What the hell did she mean I was about to have company. I hoped to hell that wasn’t her funny way of telling me that she and Cyn were coming over. I really wasn’t up for those two tonight. They maybe my good friends, but sometimes I just want peace and quiet. Their last fiasco of breaking an expensive ass bed still made me laugh and shake my head. Those two were a force of nature when together.
A loud knock sounded on my door, but I didn’t get up from the couch. I didn’t want anyone to come over. I just wanted to sit on my couch, order some pizza and do nothing. All night. Nothing more, nothing less.
My door rattled as another loud knock landed on the door. Whoever was out there wasn’t going away. Bandit’s ears perked up and he turned his head sideways as another loud knock thudded.
“It’s probably Meg, boy.” He jumped off the couch and raced to the door. Bandit loved Meg. He loved her even more when she brought Blue over with her.
Rising from the couch, I walked over to the door and held my hand out to Bandit, and he sat down, waiting for me to open the door.
Just as I was twisting the handle open, the person on the other side pushed on the door, smashing it into my face. Son of a bitch that hurt. I let go of the handle and grabbed my nose, hoping it wasn’t bleeding. I tilted my head back and closed my eyes. Why the hell did getting hit in the nose hurt so fucking bad?
“Who the hell stands in front of a door when it’s opening?”
Gravel. What in the hell was Gravel doing here? “You pushed the fucking thing into me.” I gently prodded my nose, trying to see if it was broken.
“I barely touched you.”
“You were thirty seconds in front of us, how did you manage to get a punch in?”
Marley too? What the hell was going on?
“I didn’t punch him. Cowboy here was standing in front of the door when he opened it.” Gravel walked past me and started walking around the living room.
“You pushed the fucking thing into me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Gravel mumbled as he grabbed hold of the banister going upstairs and shook it. He muttered something under his breath as he walked up the stairs.
“I brought your other bag, hun. Are you sure this is enough? Gravel doesn’t want you going back to the house until everything is cleared up.” I glanced behind Marley and saw Ethel standing behind her.
“I should be okay. I can always do laundry or shop. I’ve wanted to get some new clothes.” Marley walked past me and set the suitcase she was carrying down next to the couch with Ethel following behind her.
I was in the twilight zone. That had to be what was happening.
“There’s this little vintage shop that just opened downtown that you should check out. It looks like clothes you would like.” Ethel dropped the bag she was carrying and hitched her purse up on her shoulder.
What the fuck was going on? I thought I would never see Marley again, and now here she was, standing in my living room talking to Ethel about vintage clothes.
“We’ll have to go there-”
“Stop!” I yelled. I need to know what was going on. To top off all this confusion, my God damn nose was killing me and I felt a headache coming on.
Ethel and Marley stopped talking and looked at me like I had two heads.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Meg said she was going to call and tell you we were on the way over,” Ethel said, puzzled why I didn’t know what was going on.
“She called me like two fucking minutes ago and told me I was going to have some company. That’s it!”
“Oh, no,” Marley whispered.
“OK, well, I’ll give you the short and sweet condensed story, hun. Marley can fill you in on all the small details later.” Ethel plopped down on the couch and Bandit hopped up next to her, nudging her hand with his nose.
“That would be a good place to start.” I slam
med the front door shut and crossed my arms over my chest and waited.
“You need to put better locks on all of your windows upstairs and fix this fucking banister.” Gravel walked down the stairs, wiggling the banister the whole way. It was more like trying to rip the banister off.
I repeat, what the fuck was going on? Why the hell was Gravel telling me fucking home improvements I needed to do? “The next person who talks better be explaining to me what the hell you are all doing here.”
Marley bit her lip and looked at Ethel while she twisted her hands together.
“You ready to go, woman?” Gravel asked as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, his arms folded over his chest.
“Not quite. Meg didn’t give Troy the rundown of why Marley is staying, so I think you might want to clue him in on what’s going on.”
“The assholes who shot at ya’ll are mafia. Until we figure shit out, we need someone with her twenty-four seven. Since I missed Marley’s rebellion years, she’s decided to give me a glimpse of them and insist that she stay with you just to piss me off.” Gravel gaze shifted from me to Ethel. “Let’s go.”
The fucking mafia? Who the hell was Marley engaged to? “For how long? I do have a job.”
“Till we get this shit squared away. King said when you’re at work, one of the prospects will stay here. Keep her safe or I will fucking kill you.” Gravel walked out the door, leaving it open and leaving me still confused as fuck.
“Well, you kids have fun. I’ll stop by in a couple of days to see how you two are getting along.” Ethel grabbed her purse and followed Gravel out the door. She at least shut it behind her.
Marley and I just stared at each other. How the hell did this happen?
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Marley
Troy just stared at me. Not talking, just staring. He didn’t look happy to see me. This had all played out so differently in my head. A tense stare down was not what I expected.
“So, I decided to not leave,” I said meekly. Start with something positive.
“Why? I thought there was nothing here for you?”
“Ethel and I had a talk and she helped me to see things clearer. I was making a decision without really thinking things through. I’ve finally found a place to live that I love and I’ve met some amazing people I really don’t want to leave behind if I don’t have to.”
Battling Troy: Devil's Knights Series Page 7
