A Family Man (8 page)

She was really beginning to hate Rob. She was too young and lacked the skills to verbalize what it was about him that made her so uncomfortable. When Joe hugged her, she felt safe, like nothing could hurt her. But Rob. On the rare occasions that he did hug her, it just felt… wrong. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. He didn't touch her in the places that the school nurse had talked to her about after seeing Joe picking her up from school one day. But his hands were never still and when he tucked her into bed he would tell her that she was his special girl and how he planned on doing special things with her when she got bigger. Amy wondered if she should tell Joe, but decided against it. They were having a nice day, just the two of them and she didn't want him getting all mad and taking her home.

She trotted across the hot sand and sat down between his legs, with her back to him. "I'm hot, Joe. Can we get a drink?"

"Sure. He scrambled to his feet, wincing as his hip twinged.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sugar. Just got a few bumps and bruises is all." He took her hand, and they walked slowly towards a little beach side café, a short distance away.

Of course, once they got there, Amy decided she was hungry. Joe laughed and said she had hollow legs. She looked up from her lasagne. "There's an aquarium down the road, can we go?"

"Are there mermaids?"

She rolled her eyes. "Joe, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. So can we?"

"Of course we can, sugar. This is your day, we can do whatever you want."

Amy loved the aquarium, as did Joe. They stroked the stingrays and walked through the tunnels, marveling at the sharks and other wonders of the oceans. Amy slipped her tiny hand into his. "I'm having a lovely day."

"Me too, sugar."

Joe gave her hand a little squeeze. He knew there was something playing on her mind, but he knew he couldn't push her. She had to trust him enough to share any troubles she might have and she wouldn't do that if he pushed.

As they walked back to the car, Amy started to drag her heels. "I don't wanna go home yet, Joe."

"I know, sugar. I'm sorry, we can't put it off forever. We could stop for ice cream on the way, though."

"Yeah, okay."

Joe drank his coffee as Amy dived into an enormous ice cream sundae. "If you puke in the car, you're cleaning it up."

"I never puke." It was true, she never did. The kid had the most robust constitution, ever.

"Just saying."

She rolled her eyes and gave him her trademark lopsided grin. "You wouldn't make me clean it up anyway, you love me waaay too much."

"You keep telling yourself that, Amy. C'mon, let's get you home, before your mom sends out a search party."

They drove home in silence. Amy looked out of the window and watched the scenery go by. Tomorrow, Joe would be flying home and she had no idea when she would see him again.

Joe pulled out his cell and dialed. "M? We're on our way, be about half an hour."

She was leaning on the gate as he pulled up outside the house. "Hi sweetheart, you have a good time?"

Amy nodded and turned to kiss Joe. "Will you call me when you get home?"

"Of course. You know the score, sugar. You wanna talk about anything at all, at any time of day. You call me, understand."

She nodded again and ran into the house, not wanting Joe to see her tears. Maria watched as she entered the house. "You leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah, first thing."

"Where you staying tonight?"

"Little motel next to the airport." Their eyes met and he swallowed. "Same goes for you, M. You need me. You call, okay."

She nodded and turned away. "I better get in. Take care."

He watched as she followed her daughter before climbing back into his car and driving away without a backwards glance.

~ oOo ~

It was after midnight and sleep still eluded him. Joe laid on the narrow, musty-smelling bed and gazed at the water-stained ceiling. There had been several times when he had thought that Amy was going to tell him something but at the last minute, she had backed off. It wasn't like her to keep things from him, and he was starting to get a really bad feeling about all this. He closed his eyes; maybe he should get someone to check this Rob out. Shit, maybe he should have done that right from the start. Well, there was nothing could be done tonight; he may as well try and get some sleep.

He was just starting to drift off, when he was startled awake by a loud knocking. Hating the fact he had no gun, he crept to the door. "Who is it?"

"Joe, it's me. Open the door."

Sliding off the chain, he pulled open the door. "M."

Joe stood back as she walked into the dingy motel room. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you before you left." Maria took a step closer to him.

"Where's Rob?" Joe stepped back.

She shrugged. "Sleeping. I slipped a couple of pills into his cocoa."

"Okay, let me get this straight. You've left your eight-year-old daughter with a man that you've knocked out with sleeping pills. Shit, Maria. You really are a piece of work."

"Amy will be fine. Rob's sleeping, not unconscious." Maria touched Joe's chest. "I just need five minutes. Please."

"Five minutes." Joe sat on the bed. "Talk."

"I keep getting the feeling I'm making a horrible mistake."

"Go on."

"I thought that I would learn to love him. That as time went on I would love him like I love you." She reached out and touched his cheek. "I still love you, Joe."

As her hand ran down his chest, he could feel his muscles jump under her fingers. "Maria." He croaked. "What are you doing?"

"I want you."

Joe jumped to his feet as if he had been shocked. "Jesus, Maria. You have got to be kidding me. You got a husband. You will not put me in this position. You want out of this marriage, you leave him. But you do not involve me." He started to pace up and down the room, desperate to put some distance between them. The last thing he needed was his body betraying him. "Go home to your husband and daughter, M."

"Joe." Maria stepped in front of him, halting his pacing. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want me." She laid her hands flat against his chest.

He swallowed and closed his eyes. "Don't."

Standing on tiptoes, Maria kissed him softly on the lips, her hands snaking up around his neck and pressing her body up against his.

Groaning as she pressed herself against his hardening cock, Joe's hands found their way around to the small of her back, pulling her closer still. He deepened the kiss, forcing her lips apart with his tongue.

Who was he kidding. There had never been a time that he could resist her. Joe wasn't perfect, but he was a man of principles, he would never fuck another man's woman. Even if the guy was a complete douche.

They pulled apart and Maria gave a tiny, cat like smile. "You never could resist me."

Using every last ounce of his self control, he roughly pushed her away. "Well, I'm resisting you now. I want you gone, Maria."

"You send me away, and I swear you will never see Amy again. OH!"

Joe slammed her hard into the wall. "In all my years I have never beaten a woman. But as God is my witness, I promise you. If you try to come between me and that kid, I will kill you with my bare hands."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She slid down the wall as Joe released his grip. "I didn't mean it. I'm just so desperate to get away from him."

"He hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Amy?"

"No."

"So leave."

“I can't."

"Why not, M. Just jump on a plane and go home."

"Just like that?"

"Seems simple enough to me. The guy is clearly an asshole. Amy hates him."

"So help me."

"I've been helping you your entire life, M. It's time you learned to stand on your own two feet."

"I will Joe. I just need you to help me this one more time."

"Ain’t nothing I can do for you here, darling. You get back to Fillmore and you'll get all the support you need."

"I don't have any money."

Joe barked a short humorless laugh. "Maria, you are wearing at least a grand's worth of gold. Use your imagination." He reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. "I will always love you, Maria. But I will not be treated like a fool. Don't ever forget who you are fucking with." He opened the door. "Go home and take care of your kid." He watched as she walked slowly to her car. Only Maria could get away with the shit she did. If anyone else had pulled the stunts she did, he would kill them, without question.

THIRTEEN

Joe packed his saddlebags in preparation for the following day's run, trying to shake off the feeling of impending disaster. He was twitchy most of the time these days, and no longer felt he could trust his own judgment. His brothers, too, seemed edgy round him, not that he blamed them. He had always had a reputation for being pretty laid back, despite his role as enforcer. It was rare for him to lose his temper, but as the weeks turned into months and there was still no sign of Maria returning to Cali with her little girl, he found himself lashing out more and more, and it was usually his brothers in the firing line. As he carried his bags though the clubhouse and out towards his bike, he could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from his Bay View brothers as they watched him prepare for a short stay in Seattle.

Spike wandered over to Tiny's bike. He was one of a few brothers not giving him a wide berth. Partly because he understood why Joe was behaving the way he was, he was the same when his old lady took his girls away, and partly because he wasn't intimidated by anyone, not even a pissed off Joe. "Hey bro. You leaving in the morning?"

"Yeah, first thing." Having secured the saddlebags to his bike, he straightened up and turned to go back to the clubhouse.

Spike reached out and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You hear from the kid?"

"Yeah, occasionally. She don't wanna talk much these days. Says she's okay, though."

"Maybe she's settling in, starting to find her feet."

"Maybe, hope so."

"What about her mom?"

Joe shrugged. "Don't talk to her." He would never be able to shake the feeling that he should have helped her to get away from the douche. He should have known she wouldn't do it on her own. Maria had never stood on her own two feet, but if her weakness caused Amy to suffer, he would never forgive her. Or himself.

Despite telling himself that Amy was okay, he still felt uneasy. Fuck it, as soon as this short secondment was up, he would use some of the cash he'd saved up and fly out east to see her. Amy's well being was more important than a new bike.

He followed Spike into the clubhouse for a beer, before heading to his dorm to get an early night. He had a long day ahead of him, so he'd best get as much sleep as he could.

It was dawn when Joe, Samson and Dog set off for Seattle, where they would be joined by Barney and Bugs before heading over the border to Winnipeg to help oversee the setting up of a new chop shop. Winnipeg was a small chapter that was more legitimate than outlaw, but they owned several properties that were off the grid and were ideal. Bay Transport and Seattle shipping both had regular trips across the border, so moving the car parts in and out of the States shouldn't be a problem, and it kept them away from Seattle—and, more importantly, the mother chapter while the Feds were sniffing around. It was a temporary fix, and Joe couldn't think of an argument as to why it wouldn't work, other than what his gut was telling him.

Two days later, he found himself in Seattle, sitting dockside watching as the container loaded with car parts was unloaded from a ship heading out of Vancouver. There could be no denying that this was an expensive way of doing things, port officials needed bribing and shipping costs were high. On the plus side, they could transport higher volumes in one hit, minimizing the risk and increasing the return. In theory, anyway. As Joe pulled out a wad of cash and approached the fat official, he heard the familiar sound of a gun being cocked.

"Freeze motherfucker."

Shit, shit, shit. This was not good. Not good at all. Joe lay on his front, his legs splayed as the cops frisked him and his companions and the container doors were opened. He looked over to where Samson was lying. "Looks like we've been set up, bro."

Samson said nothing. He and Joe were going to do a long bid for this. They weren't going to see freedom for at least four years.

~ oOo ~

Amy sat out back, her feet dangling in the pool. Joe was in prison and wouldn't be coming out for a long time. No matter how she tried to approach it, she couldn't wrap her head around it. Joe wasn't a bad man, despite what Rob said. How could the man she loved more than anything in the world be in jail? Her mom had said that he would be able to phone her and they could write to one another, but she wouldn't be able to see him. She sniffed as the tears ran unchecked down her cheeks and dropped into the water below. In three days time it would be her ninth birthday and she was having a huge party. Amy sighed. She had really been looking forward to it. She had just started to make friends with the local kids and things were even getting better at school. But right now she really didn't want to celebrate. She just wanted to cry and cry.

Beth sat in the visiting room, waiting for Joe to come through the door. He was only eight months into a four year sentence, and she had no idea how you dealt with something like that. She had thought telling Amy that he was locked up was tough, but what she was about to tell him could push him over the edge. She had debated with Sophia whether they should say anything to him. But in the end they knew that one way or another he was going to find out. She just prayed that he didn't lose it; he needed to hold on to his privileges, and Amy needed her weekly phone calls. She looked up as he walked through the door. He had obviously spent his time inside working out, and even under the shapeless gray suit, she could see how he had bulked out even more. Shit, he looked magnificent.

She stood and kissed him gently on the lips. "Hey."

"Hey." Joe sat at the table and she took a seat opposite him. "You okay?"

She nodded. "You?"

He shrugged. "Trying to stay out of trouble."

Beth nodded again and took a deep breath. There was no way of sugarcoating this. "I've got something to tell you, and I don't think you're going to like it."

Joe frowned as she fell silent, steeling herself. "Shit what is it? Amy? Ma? C'mon, Beth, just fucking tell me."

"Amy and your mom are fine. Missing you, but they're okay. It's Maria." She looked up, and her eyes met his. "She's pregnant."

     “Oh.”

Beth took his hand. "Joe? You okay?"

He nodded, his jaw clenched. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He wasn't, she could see that. Even after all these years, all the shit Maria had put him through. Joe still loved her. She squeezed his hand. "Stings, huh?"

He looked up again and their eyes met for a second time. "Reckon I fell in love with the wrong sister." He brought her fingers up to his lips. "I always was a dumb fuck."

Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall, she touched his cheek. "You look after yourself, big man." She smiled. "I don't think Maria ever appreciated what she had."

"I ain't exactly much of a prize, Beth." He looked up as the bell rang. "Thanks for coming, watch out for Ma for me." They stood and he kissed her briefly on the cheek, before turning and walking back out without a backwards glance.