Lexi

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Why do the bad guys always choose the creepiest location possible for this shit?

We rode to the meet with Marlin with me on the back of Bubbles’ bike, surrounded by Duke, Bash, Brain, and Gonzo. Another guy followed, but he didn’t have all of his patches, so I assumed he was just there to watch the bikes, and since he parked and stayed on his bike, I figured I’d guessed right.

Bubbles is six foot seven inches tall, and I’m four foot ten. He’s nearly two feet taller than me, and it felt like I was holding a grown-up’s hand. I always feel small, but I felt tiny beside him. Gonzo’s big, but nowhere near as big as Bubbles.

The parking lot was empty, and we’d pulled up to loading docks and warehouses. It looked like one of those scenes in a movie right before everyone starts randomly shooting at whoever they think isn’t on their side.

Duke, Bash, and Brain jumped onto the loading dock like it was nothing. Bubbles picked me up and set me on it, and he and Gonzo jumped up with us. We went into an empty warehouse, with five men sitting two thirds of the way on the other side. It was huge — there was no good reason to be that far in the center.

It took a while to walk to them, and my heart raced faster with every step. You know you’re safe watching a horror movie, but your heart still races. I knew I was probably safe with the MC around me, but there may as well have been stupid horror-movie music playing in the background. It was silent except for our footsteps, but it was damned creepy.

We stopped about fifteen yards away. We were five white guys to their seven brothers, but I’d take the bikers in a bet any day.

“Where’s your boy?” Bubbles’ voice reverberated in the empty space.

“He out back in case we need him. I didn’t trust him not to be disruptive.” He looked at me. “You Miss Tamara’s daughter?”

I nodded, and he said, “Tell me what happened.”

I looked at Bubbles, he nodded, so I looked back to the Playas.

I’d asked Bubbles how I should talk. The Playas would expect me to talk like my mama, but how would the MC view that? He’d told me the MC didn’t give a shit, and I should talk however the fuck I wanted.

I’d been all twisted up about it. I wanted to talk in my new normal, but I worried it would antagonize the Playas in the same way it did my mama, but then I remembered I don’t have to pick one or the other. So I used the rhythm and tone of my childhood, but with the sentence structure I’d learned in the ’burbs. Mostly.

“I was late for class. In a hurry. I saw a parkin’ place and raced for it — beat a brother into it. He stopped and talked shit, got out his ride and tried to intimidate me. I walked around a few cars to avoid him and hurried to class. He was sittin’ on my car with some friends when I came out, so I called for help.”

“You didn’t see a drug deal goin’ down?”

“No.”

He looked up to meet Bubbles’ gaze.

“She’s telling the truth,” Bubbles told him. “I need to have a heart-to-heart with your boy.”

“That ain’t gonna happen.”

Brain stepped forward and started to say something, but Marlin — or I assumed it was Marlin — said, “Give me a fucking break! He my sister’s husband’s brother, and my mama and my sistah are all up in my shit about him not goin’ back inside. He a loose cannon and he know not to deal on campus!” He shook his head. “I’ll handle him.”

Duke and Bash walked towards him, and Marlin took a few steps to meet them in the middle.

Bash told him, “Anything happens to the girl, we’re comin’ after Fury. He’ll want to go back inside to avoid what will happen to him.”

Marlin shook Duke’s hand with a nod. “I’ll handle it.”

“Make sure you do.” Bubbles’ voice was even deeper than usual, and Marlin nodded to him, too.

The Playas went out the other side of the warehouse, and we returned to the bikes.

“Thanks, brothers,” Bubbles told the other bikers when we made it outside. “I should get home and see to my deliveries.”

“I’ll follow you,” said Brain, “since Harmony’s there waiting for your furniture.”

“Gen joined her,” Duke said, and his gaze turned to me. “She doesn’t need to know about your sister. It’s probably best if she thinks you and Bubbles are an item, or at least friends, and that’s why you’re helping him shop. She doesn’t know about the problem with Marlin, either.”

“Harmony knows everything,” Brain told me, “but she’ll also know that Gen prefers not to be told details about the workin’ girls. Our Duchess knows they exist, but…”

Brain looked to Duke, who finished for him, “It’s best we don’t provide reminders.”

I looked up at Bubbles, who said, “It’ll be fine. Gen’s a sweetheart, but she has a problem with that particular establishment. Duke tries to shield her when he can. Just tell her we’re friends and you don’t know if it’s headed to something else. I rescued you from an asshole in a grocery store parking lot — the new one in North Chattanooga. We’ve known each other a few days. That work?”

I nodded, he settled my helmet on my head, and I fastened the straps.

Everyone except Bash rode back to the house together, though Gonzo kept going when we pulled into Bubbles’ driveway. Two delivery trucks were there, and a woman I didn’t recognize came out onto the front porch. She wore a pantsuit and sky-high heels, and she looked like she’d just stepped off a runway somewhere. I assumed this was the prude.

She was walking into the garage as I took my helmet off, and she introduced herself.

“I’m Gen, you must be Lexi. Duke says you’ve been helping Bubbles shop for furniture. I love the bed. The deck furniture is beautiful, too.” She glared at Bubbles. “You’ve been hiding her. No fair!”

“She isn’t ready for ya’ll yet, Duchess.”

Gen rolled her eyes at him and looked at me. “C’mon. Harmony’s supervising the men who’re putting the bed together. I’ll introduce you.”

I let her pull me away from Bubbles and through the house, and I was relieved to see the other woman in bike shorts with jogging shorts over them, and a thin t-shirt over a sports bra. I’d worn jeans and a t-shirt because Bubbles had said no shorts on the bike.

We’d left a sketch to show where we wanted the bed, and it looked like they’d positioned it right. His room was big, but it still filled it.

“I’m Harmony,” the other woman told me when she saw us. “This bed kicks ass.”

The two women looked at each other, and Gen finally said, “Okay, we’re dying to know – it looks like you’ve been staying in the guest bedroom? What gives?”

I wasn’t sure what to say, but Bubbles came to my rescue. “Not that it’s any of your business, but she kind of accidentally pissed off one of Marlin’s guys, so I have her staying with me until we’re sure the coast is clear.”

“Accidentally?” asked Harmony.

“They were both going for the same parking spot and she won. He wasn’t wearing his colors so she had no reason to back off. Marlin’s aware and says he’ll handle it, but I’d like to give it a few days before she goes home.”

The two women looked at each other like they had other ideas about why Bubbles wanted to keep me here, but I kept my mouth shut. It didn’t matter what they thought. If Bubbles wanted them to think otherwise, he’d speak up.

“I need to charge my phone,” I told them, and went into my bedroom. I’d needed a few moments to myself. I plugged my phone in, made sure the volume was all the way up on the ringer, and found Bubbles in the kitchen, looking out at the men assembling the deck furniture.

He put his arm around me as I neared, and I leaned into him. “It looks good, Half-pint. The inside guys are finished and packing up to go. Why don’t you get changed into shorts while I see everyone out?”

I changed into shorts, opened my door, and sat on my mattress with my phone to check my grades. I’d made a ninety-two on a test, and gotten a ninety-five on a project. I was pleased with both.

“Somethin’ made you happy.”

I jumped at Bubbles’ voice, but smiled up at him. “I had a big test yesterday, and we had to complete a project, so I was checking to see if grades were posted. Is everyone gone?”

“The guys on the deck are just about finished; everyone else is gone. I’m gonna hang my television and assemble the shelving unit I bought to put my gaming consoles on. Wanna keep me company?”

He worked about two hours, and I think we spent as much time laughing as not. I ended up reading the directions while he assembled the shelving unit, and we worked well together as a team.

When we finished, he looked at his watch and said, “Why don’t we order pizza and watch something? I’m catching up on shows I missed while I was inside — next up is either The Fall or Daredevil. Do you have a preference?

“I haven’t seen The Fall.”

“Well then,” he handed me a remote, “why don’t you get it ready while I grab us some beers and order pizza.”

I looked at his bed, wondering if I dared get in it, and he responded by picking me up and gently tossing me onto it.

He left without saying anything, and I shook my head and turned the television on.

When he returned, he looked at the screen, saw I had it ready to just hit play, and smiled. “I knew you’d be able to do it. So much I had to learn when I came out. Smart TVs weren’t a thing when I went in. Or, if they were, I hadn’t caught up to them yet.”

“You’re smart though. I’m sure you figured it out without a problem.”

He shrugged. “Our geek in Atlanta walked me through it. Pizza should be here in about thirty minutes, but they’re usually faster than the estimate.”

We binge-watched episode after episode, pigged out on pizza, drank beer, and discussed where the bad guy went wrong in the show as if we were experts in avoiding arrest after doing bad things.

Which, I guessed Bubbles probably was (with one big exception), and I probably knew more than most. Still, it was fun.

It reminded me of a potential problem though, and I told him, “You had strangers in your house, so we might not be secure to talk anymore.”

He kissed my forehead and caressed my cheek. “You’re too smart for your age, Half-pint, but I like it. No one was inside without either Gen or Harmony watching, and Brain walked through to test for bugs before he left. He’ll do it again in a few days, just to be sure, but there’s a sensor in the house that’ll alert me to most mechanical and electronic listening devices.”

“I’ve never heard of one that will alert for a whole house. Mama’s people walk through and sweep.”

He chuckled. “We’re a little more advanced than the Playas. I like that you knew to be careful.”

A few hours later, Bubbles nuked some popcorn and we kept watching. I don’t remember getting sleepy, but I guess the food, beer, and good times relaxed me enough, I fell asleep in Bubbles’ bed.