Black (20 page)

“What’s going on, Rose? Because I’m completely lost.” He stops and stands in front of me.

“I can’t explain it, Robbie. Liam…” I trail off, not even knowing how to finish that sentence.

“You want him?” he asks, looking over my shoulder. I turn and see Liam in the doorway with Isabelle on his hip.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know, you were always one touch away… two heartbeats away.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, just…” he pauses, looking at Liam again, “…just don’t trust him. He isn’t good.” He turns and walks off, not saying another word as he climbs into his car and drives off.

“I don’t like him,” Liam mumbles, bouncing Isabelle on his hip.

“You don’t like anyone,” I reply, stepping up to him.

“That’s true, though I seem to have some feelings for a beautiful blonde.”

“Me, I’m blonde,” Isabelle shrieks in his arms.

“Well, make that two blondes,” he says, winking at me. And shit, fuck a duck, my heart just grew ten times its size and my girlie parts just melted.

Fuck, that wink.

Fuck.

I have some papers that are done
legally,
as Rose likes to put it. She went that day to her lawyer’s office. Asked to borrow money, then came back a few hours later with papers for me to give to Hayden’s parents. I had strict instructions from her to not kill anyone. She made it sound like a joke, though it’s very true. I’m more than likely to kill.

Hayden should be at school when I knock loudly on his door. A man answers. He has a bottle of beer in his hand. His singlet is covered in dirt, food, and God only knows what else. He raises his eyebrow at me and tips his drink to his mouth.

“What ya want?” is the slur that leaves his mouth. The mantra in my head is now playing
‘Do not kill. Do not kill.’
I take a step back, wanting to rid myself of his smell.

“You Hayden’s dad?”

“What’s that little shit done now?”

“Are you his father?”

“No, stepfather.”

“Is his mother home?” I look behind him and hear the smashing of cutlery.

“Yeah, the bitch is cleaning. What ya want?”

“I need to speak to her.”

“You look familiar, boy. What’s your name?” I don’t answer him, he doesn’t need me to. He’s starting to figure out who I am. And I’m trying very hard not to kill him. The mother walks to the front door hearing us talk. She’s just as bad, in clothes just as filthy as this man in front of me.

“Who are you? What do you want?” Hayden’s mother snaps at me. She looks just like him, the curls in the hair, the color of her eyes.

“I need you to sign this.” I shove the paper out. She takes it and starts to read. Then looks up at me.

“That boy is nothing but trouble, you don’t want him.” She goes to shut the door on me, but I catch it and hold it open.

“Sign it,” I demand, my patience now wearing thin.

“You gonna pay me to?” She looks me up and down.

“Yes.” I have the money and I can afford to pay her. I would like more to shoot her, but money is the way to go. The way that will make Rose happy.

I walk away and don’t look back. Rose rings on my way home and I don’t answer. I will when I have him.

I went home, grabbed twenty thousand dollars, and now am back on their doorstep. Hayden answers the door this time and smiles when he sees me.

“Hi, Mr. Black,” he says politely. God knows where he got those manners from.

“Get your mother, Hayden.” He nods and runs off inside, leaving the door open. He comes back not long after with his cheek red, a slap to the face is what I’m guessing he got for interrupting his mother.

“You got my money?” Hayden looks to me then to my bag, then back to his mother.

“Yes.” I hold the bag out, and she goes to take it. I stop her. “The form,” I say. She holds it up in her hands and shows me that it’s signed. I look to Hayden.

“Grab your things.”

He doesn’t move, just stands there. “I don’t have anything.”

“I will need to check first, not giving you my only steady paycheck.”
The nerve of the bitch.
I open the bag, she looks inside and her eyes go bright. She’s probably never seen that much money in her life. No doubt she will waste it all, but it’s not my concern. She hands me the form and takes the money. I grab Hayden’s shoulder and pull him out the door.

“Say goodbye to your mother.” He shakes his head no and doesn’t look back as he follows me out.

I’ve been at home with Hayden for about an hour, and he’s eaten so much of my food that I now have to buy more. He doesn’t seem to care that his mother just signed him over, actually he’s very happy about it. He thinks he’ll be living with me full time, but that would be a joke. I wouldn’t know what to do with him or for him.

He’s now eating ice cream when the back door slams open and Rose storms into the house looking pissed off. Then calms down when she sees Hayden sitting on the chair at the bench.

“It worked?” she asks, smiling at him, then looking to me.

“Mr. Black gave my mother a lot of money,” Hayden interjects. I give him my best shut-up look, and he puts his head back in the bowl and continues eating.

“You paid her?” she asks, stepping closer to me, invading me with her beautiful body.

“Yes.”

“A lot?”

“Not enough,” I answer honestly. His life is worth so much more than what I paid.

“You didn’t answer my calls.” She hangs her head.

“Hayden, go to the spare room and watch television.” He grabs his bowl and runs off shutting the door behind him. I grab her waist, her pink lips an inch from mine. Her breasts pushed tight against me.

“I was busy.”

“You don’t like phones,” she says rolling her eyes. “Just admit it! You don’t like talking into them.”

“I hate them.”

“I knew it.” Her hands wrap around my waist and I don’t flinch.

“He’s living with you,” I tell her, and she nods her head and places it on my chest.

“I know, can’t have the big scary man look soft now, can we?” she jokes with me. Knowing what’s coming, nothing we can do to stop it, he will be safer at hers.

“I really need to taste you,” I whisper into her ear, and she shivers in my arms. Her head comes back, and she looks at me as she licks her lips.

“Taste me,” she says as a dare. One hand stays on her hips, the other slowly traces its way up her spine. Landing on the back of her neck, her eyes are closed, her lips are pursed. My tongue darts out, tracing her lips with my tongue. She moans and then opens her mouth. Our tongues dance as she glues her body to mine. Grinding on me. I have to fight with everything I have to pull her back, to stop what’s about to happen as Hayden is in the next room.

“You’re such a tease,” she whispers seductively. Then leans in to kiss me again.

“Oi! You big piece of shit,” a voice booms from behind me. Rose tenses up, her body going stiff in my hold.

I think the worst, my life has come to thinking worst case scenarios. I know it’s coming like a train, I feel the impending doom that it’s bringing. I try to not think about such things and just live in the moment. My life is finally right. Surely it can’t go wrong so fast, can it? Black drops his hands from my waist and takes a step around me, I still can’t seem to move, my legs are glued to the spot.

“Come at a bad time?” the voice says from behind me. I manage to turn around and force a smile. It’s weak, but it’s there. Liam looks at me and shakes his head.

“What ya need?” Liam says to the tall man covered in piercings and tattoos. I recognize him from the clubhouse. He’s a member. He looks me over, not answering Liam. Liam steps in front of me, blocking his view.

“Just came around for a drink and to see how that job went.” He walks past Liam and goes to his fridge, pulls out a bottle of beer, opens it, flicking the lid into the trash. Hayden runs out of his room, hearing a voice, and smiles brightly at the scary man. “Little man, what you doing here?” He taps Hayden on the head and Hayden smiles brightly.

“I live with Mr. Black now,” he says. The man looks over to Liam and raises his eyebrows in question.

“How about shower and bed?” I say to Hayden. He nods his head and waves goodnight to the guys.

“You?” he questions Liam.

“No. Rose, he will be living with her.”

“You think that’s smart?” he says back to him.

“I do,” is all he replies.

“Why wouldn’t it be smart?” I interject. He looks to me, then Liam, and shakes his head.

“I’ve told her, Jake.”

“And you think
that’s
smart?” What’s wrong with you?” Jake says, shaking his head.

“She deserves to know.”

“Since when do you care what anyone deserves?”

“You think I shouldn’t know?” I ask, stepping next to Liam.

Jake shakes his head. “I think you will get my boy here killed. And that isn’t acceptable.”

“Me?” I ask in shock.

“Yes, you princess.”

“Enough,” Liam says.

“I won’t get killed, Jake, ease the fuck off.”

“You won’t fight? Is that what you’re telling me?” He drops his bottle to the bench, stepping closer.

“I’ll do what I do best,” is all Liam replies.

“Exactly, then you will be hunted.”

“Hunted?” I ask, shocked.

“You know what he does, right? You know he’s the best, right?” I shake my head. I know what he does. “He aims for a target. He gets the target. End of story,” Jake says then looks to Liam. “Except this target will know it’s you, and they have an army.” A shiver breaks out over my skin.

“I thought you came to talk about the job?” Liam changes the subject.

“I came to tell you they have been talking.” Jake looks to me, then back to Liam. “I can’t do anything to save you, brother.” He hangs his head. He cares for him, he may act strong, but you can see how much he cares.

“I don’t need saving.”

“You do, fuck me, you do.” He shakes his head and picks up the bottle, downing the rest of it. He goes to the door when Liam stops him.