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Murder
“How you doing, pretty girl?” I push Alexa’s blonde hair back from her face as she starts to stir.
Her eyes blink once, twice, three times before finally opening. “What are you doing here? What time is it?”
“It’s late, sweetheart, but I wanted to see you.”
She shifts in the hospital bed.
“Don’t move too much, you had surgery, remember?”
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t you argue with me. You know you never win.” I chuckle and she rolls those pretty green eyes at me. “Scared the hell outta me.”
“Like you’d care. You’d probably throw a party instead of a wake.”
“Take that shit back.”
She snorts. “Go home. I’m sure Ruthie is waiting up for you.”
“About that. We need to talk.”
“There is no about anything. We stopped having anything to talk about the day my daughter turned eighteen.”
“Lex.”
“I don’t want to hear it, James. I’m tired.”
“I fucked up. I know that. I was too caught up with the politics of the club and appearances. Seeing East and Wylla Mae and how it is between them...I have a fuck of a lot of regrets. I know we can’t go back. I hated myself for wanting you. Nearly destroyed me doing what I did back then.” I squeeze her hand.
“And yet you kept doing it.” One thick teardrop rolls down her cheek. I go to wipe it away. “Get out.”
“Lex, baby.”
“Don’t. You don’t get to come here nearly twenty years too late and say you care about me. You strung me along for years. All I ever wanted was to be good enough for you. It took me a long time to see that it was the other way around. I was so damn blind. So addicted to you. But not anymore. I’m done with that. I’ve wasted too much time chasing the wrong men hoping to experience an ounce of what I felt when I was with you. You’re the one not good enough for me.”
“Darlin’, I never wanted to hurt you. I was a selfish bastard who couldn’t let you go.”
“Then do it now. Let me go. Cut me loose.”
I move in, getting close to her face. Her breath fans over my lips. She holds my gaze. “Things will never be over between us, Lex. You’ll see. Things are different now.”
“Oh yeah. What makes them so damn different?”
“I almost lost you. I knew you’d never leave me. You’d always be there until the other day when I saw you loaded up in that ambulance and regret swept over me so hard and heavy, I thought I was drowning.”
“Yeah well. You can go home and rest easy. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“I always took care of you. When you’re released let me take you home. Let me be there for you.”
“Wylla Mae and East have me covered. We settled our differences you could say. It’s fitting that he’ll give her what I was too damn stupid to appreciate. East is an amazing man. Something you know nothing about.”
“Pretty girl.” I cup her face and she turns away from me when I try to kiss her. “I deserve that. I’m gonna let you get your rest, but this isn’t over, Lex.”
“You never could see me. You still don’t. Just you doing what you want. Taking and taking.”
“I see you, Lex.”
Her olive-green eyes cut to mine in narrowed slits, and I brush my lips against hers soft and slow, tasting the bitterness of her sadness.
“You need to leave.”
“I love you, Lex.”
“Fuck.” Her tears flow sporadically staining her hospital gown with her heartbreak. “You don’t know how to love anyone but yourself. You don’t love me. You never loved me or our child. You used me but that’s okay because I was using you too.”
“That’s fair, but you’re wrong. I’ve always loved you.”
“Right. I’m so sure. I’m tired, James.”
“Sleep tight. I’ll be back tomorrow.” I move off and leave her alone for now. Alexa can say she’s done with me till she turns blue in the face, but we both know she still loves me.
I take the elevator to the maternity ward where Lynn is. The nurse on duty is the Old Lady of Pipe. “Hey.” She buzzes me on in.
“Everything good?”
“Yup. Officer Castille should be knocked out for the next three or four hours at least.”
“Sweetness, you need anything you let me know and it’ll be yours.”
“Anything for the club. Cameras are down too. Take care of business.”
“Appreciate it.” I move down the hall taking light steps until I find room two hundred. Officer Castille is leaned back in his chair, head resting against the wall snoring. I enter the room careful not to draw attention to myself. Unlike Alexa, Lynn is awake and watching Tv. Bitch is handcuffed to the bed.
“What do you want?” She hisses like the snake she is.
“Got some papers for you to sign.” I pull the documents out of my back pocket, smoothing my fingers over the folds.
“Why would I do that? What papers?” Her eyes narrow on me.
“I’ll make it worth your while. Five-hundred grand and get you out of that bed and someplace where nobody knows you. New identity. The works.”
“What do you want?”
“First tell me why you had Nickel killed.”
“He knew too much. Knew the name of my baby’s father and was gonna tell East. I had to shut him up.”
“Ruthie help you set that up? The guy who ran was her nephew. She hook you up with that methhead?”
“Ask her. She wanted Alexa gone. Knows all about your lovechild.”
I nod. I knew it. Fucking hell. I’ll deal with her when I get home.
“Anything else? You’re blocking my view of the world news.”
“Want you to sign these adoption papers.”
“Why would I agree to that?”
“Because orange wouldn’t suit you.”
“And what happens to my kid?”
“Pam and Link will take him. I got it all right here. All you gotta do is sign.” I pull out my burner phone and open up the banking application. “See the balance.” I wave it in front of her face. Dollar signs dance in her eyes.
“Fine. Whatever. The kid is no use to me anyway. You have a pen?”
“Yup.” I grab the one next to her bedside. “Sign here, here, and here.” I point to each page with the tip of the ink pen and show her where to sign her rights away at. “You can’t ever come back or try to contact Pam or Link to ask about the kid.”
“I said okay.” She scribbles her name in cursive scroll.
“Thanks.”
“So, when am I getting out of here?”
“Now.” I smirk and pull the syringe out of the inner pocket of my black leather cut.
“What are you doing?” Panic moves over her features but before she can scream, I put a hand to her mouth and pin her down.
“No one can hear you and if they did you think anyone would care? You went after my world and now I’m going to end yours.” I inject the drug known on the streets as Cloud Nine into her neck. Just enough will give the illusion you’re floating, but too much will stop the heart. Her fingernails cut into my arm and her legs thrash wildly.
I press harder on her mouth, covering her nostrils, cutting off her air.
Lynn stops struggling.
“See you in Hell, you stupid cunt.” I cap the needle and stick it my back pocket and pick up the papers. Judge Crane owes me favor. I leave the room and go to the stairwell where Pipe’s Old Lady is waiting with the newborn baby boy. Wrapped in a white blanket with pink and blue stripes, he has a powder blue cap on his head, and a binky plugged in his mouth.
**
I shut off Link’s cage and look in the review mirror at the baby sleeping in the black and grey car seat. Kid has no idea how lucky he is. Pam and Link are damn fine people. Going to take good care of him and raise him right.
They never wanted kids. Least that’s what Pam always claimed but truth is Link shoots blanks and her eggs weren’t viable. Hell, he even let Nickel fuck her to see if he could knock her up. Word got out and Pam held her head high. Let people believe the worst of her. Link allowed people think him a fool for staying with her, but it’s their private business.
I get out and grab the car seat by the handle after releasing the carrier from the base. The porch light flicks on and Link opens the front door. I told him before what was up. Pam doesn’t have a damn clue. Woman is gonna lose her shit. She puts on a tough act but deep down woman is a fuckin’ marshmallow. “Special delivery,” I tell him.
“Fuck, man.” He cups his jaw and I’ve never seen Link show much emotion but even in the dark I don’t miss the tears.
Even the baddest of motherfuckers can cry.
“Come on in,” his voice cracks, and I pat him on the shoulder with my free hand.
“Where’s Pam?”
“I gotta go get her up.”
“Well, shit, brother, hop to it. Want to see her face.”
“Okay, Prez.” He goes down the hall, and I sink down on the couch after placing the baby carrier on the oak coffee table.
Pam comes strolling through the house with her hair in a knot on her head, rubbing her eyes. Her robe is open showing off her long legs tatted with roses and ivy. When she sees me, she pulls the robe together. “Hey, Murder. What are you—” Her gaze catches on the baby.
“Brought someone I’d like you to meet. It’s all legal. Made sure of it. Meet your son.”
“My what?” She cries, dropping to her knees and shaking her head.
“This is Connor.”
Pam wipes a finger under her eyes. “How?”
“Lynn can’t raise him where she’s going. And I thought who better to than you.”
“Is this for real?”
“Yeah, babe.” Link wraps an arm around her, lifting her from the floor.
“I have his bag and formula to get you started out in the cage. In a day or two all the Old Ladies will be around to spoil you and him rotten with whatever you need.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. Get over here and hold your boy so I can get going.”
“Okay.” She sniffs. Leaning over the carrier her face lights up like pure magic. “Hey, baby boy.” Pam undoes the latches and buckles and takes him in her arms. I watch her visibly melt as he wraps his hand around her finger.
I nod to Link and drop his keys on the table.