“I see you, Ink. I know you’re big and bad. You kill without a care in the world. They may have turned you into a monster when you were there, but remember I was born this mother fucking way. Remember your fucking place, or I will end you.” I calmed down and released his wrist. I would win in a physical altercation with Wire, I think. Sometimes it wasn’t how big a person was but what they were willing to do to survive. I nodded and let my body relax, trying to show him I was still good.
“You can’t do shit like this, Ink. Riding through town with a fucking body strapped to your bike is sure to bring some damn attention. We might be good when it comes to the police for the little shit, but that kind of shit will bring too much fucking heat. You got to be smarter, kid.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked back at Lou. “Sharks, huh?”
I laughed, the tension finally gone, “Fuck yes, that shit was scary as fuck. I may never swim in the ocean again.”
He slapped me on the back as he started toward the clubhouse doors. “Get the prospects out here to find his arms. Make sure all his parts are accounted for, then I’ll put in a call to the cleaners so we can get this asshole out of here.”
“Right away.”
This was going to be fun for the prospects. Who didn’t want to play ‘find the severed arms’?
***
Pope and Mike, the club prospects, were able to find the arms in quick order. They were still tied together and were hanging off a root that they must have gotten caught on. The cleaners had come, and Lou was just a distant memory now.
I made my way to the trailers to get Jazmine, I wanted her to be with me, and my room was more comfortable than the small space in the trailers. Besides, she was in there with the club bunnies. She didn’t belong in there with them.
“Hey, baby, you here for some fun?” One of the club bunnies spoke as I walked into the trailer. They were always willing.
“Sorry, sweet cheeks, where’s Jazmine?”
“Who?”
“Short hair, lots of piercings?”
“Oh, she’s in the back. Nice rack on that one.” The bunny complimented and winked as she went back to watching the small TV that was playing some music videos. I walked into the room to see Jazmine laid out on the small bed, a small sketch pad, and pencils in her hands. Utterly oblivious to the world around her.
“What’s that?”
Her face turned to me, a huge smile breaking on her cheeks. “Trying to draw this big-headed man I know, not enough paper.”
I let my head fall back, “Harty har har.” I bent over her and picked her up from the bed. “All these jokes.”
She leaned up and kissed me softly. I held onto her; she was so damn peaceful. I knew if I didn’t make moves, we would be there all night. Not the plan. “Come on, get your shit. You’re going to stay with me.”
She didn’t question me at all, just bent down, put her papers away, and got the rest of her stuff so she could come with me.
It was pretty late when we made it to the clubhouse, so I knew she must have been exhausted. She didn’t complain, though.
“Inkpop!” A loud screeching call echoed through the air, and I turned at first in panic, until I saw a smiling Angel coming barreling toward me. I let go of Jazmine’s hand just in time to catch her. “Inkpop, where you been? Don’t you have a curfew? Did you know that some people have curfews? I wonder at what age do you get curfews? Oooh, what if no one ever had curfews?”
“Hey, hey, what is up with you?” I snickered at her, she was talking a hundred miles a minute, and her hands were animated.
“Uhhh, that would be my fault,” Mikki said with a sheepish look on her face. “I let her have two glasses of coke with dinner. It didn’t even occur to me.”
The caffeine. I put Angel down, “Jeez, you’re hyper as hell. Go do some jumping jacks or something.”
Mikki walked over to me, looked at Jazmine then back to me. I could tell she had something to say, but she swallowed it down and instead put a hand out. “Hello, I saw you at the house the other day. I am Mikayla, but everyone just calls me Mikki.” She said politely.
“Hey, I’m Jazmine.”
“What the fuck is this bitch doing here?”
Fuck, there goes my peaceful night.
Vida came charging down the stairs to a stop in front of me, “I asked you a question, Ink. What is she doing here?”
“Hey, V, let’s go back upstairs. We don’t need to do this.” Mikki grabbed her sister’s arm and tried to pull her away.
“Fuck that. I already told this bitch he was mine, and she has the nerve to show her simple ass where I live. With my fucking family.” Vida growled.
Jazmine ripped her hand from mine and took one step toward Vida, “I told you about those fucking insults.”
“I told you about being a skank, but doesn’t look like you listened to those warnings.”
Jazmine took another step forward. I grabbed her arm to pull her back, “Not here.” I said into her face.
“She shouldn’t even be here. The compound is for family only, not some fucking outsider.”
“Vida, step off. This fucking outsider has saved my ass more times than I can count. If she wants to stay, she is going to fucking stay.”
Vida put her hands on her hips as she stared
