Entering the house, Amy went straight for the kitchen. “You can make yourself at home,” she said, calling over her shoulder to the woman.
“Really?”
Amy chuckled. “Is this completely different from the club?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize how much time I’d spent at the club until now.” She looked toward the sofa. Amy laughed even harder as she sat down, closing her eyes in rapture.
“Don’t you have furniture at the club? I didn’t see much of the club.”
“We have a lot. When you watch what happens to that furniture, you don’t trust it. This is like heaven.” Deanna relaxed back, looking completely happy. “Peace.”
“Why don’t you talk to Demon? He’ll probably get you some furniture.”
“He probably would, but you see, not at the clubhouse. They’re animals. Let’s not talk about the clubhouse.”
“I’ll get us some drinks.” Amy went back into the kitchen, happy to have finally found a friend. Deanna was a friend. She liked the other woman and for once, Amy was going to try and make sure everything worked out. Joker was her man, and she’d put in the effort to give him what he needed.
Joker glanced in the rear view mirror to see Shakes hadn’t turned away from Daniella. The nineteen year old was reading a book. Every now and then she’d push the bridge of her glasses up on her nose. She didn’t try to drag them into a conversation nor did she beg for them to stop for a piss break or food.
“So, you’re Zeke’s kid?” Shakes asked.
Daniella turned to look at Shakes. “Yeah, I guess. Last time I checked I was.”
“Checked?” Joker asked, chuckling, thinking Zeke forced a paternity test.
“I didn’t want it to be true, so I went to one of those clinics to see if it was real. It’s real.” Daniella closed her book, letting out a sigh. “What do you want to know?” she asked.
“You paid for a paternity test on Zeke?”
“Yeah, it cost me over three hundred bucks. God, it was the worst day of my life.”
“Why would you even want to know if he was your father?”
“Hello, have you met Zeke?” She slapped her hands on her thighs. “He’s not exactly the nicest man you’re ever going to meet. You’re working for him, right? You’ve seen what an ass he can be, well, why don’t you try being his biological daughter. Believe me, it’s not exactly fun.”
Demon’s cell phone ringing interrupted her.
Joker saw her face was bright red and her hands shook a little as they ran through her hair. He thought about Amy. She kind of reminded him a little of her: the vulnerability and the pain, along with the anger. Amy didn’t realize it, but she had a lot of locked up anger, and he was worried about that.
“Yeah,” Demon said. “Are you sure… No, she shouldn’t be there… Her age… Fuck, fine, whatever.” Demon hung up the phone. “We need to take her to the clubhouse. Zeke’s not finished with business and he’ll come to the club to collect her.”
“I want to get home to Amy.”
“I’ve still got to pick Deanna up.”
Daniella pulled out her cell phone and before anyone could stop her, she was already one the phone.
“Zeke, what the fuck? You told me I had to be home tonight. If you weren’t ready for me to come home, I’d have stayed at school. I’d prefer to stay at school.”
Joker kept driving even as the young girl’s voice grew louder.
He heard Zeke’s raised voice over the line.
“Whatever,” Daniella said, terminating the conversation. “Sorry, I’ve got to go to your clubhouse. I wish this wasn’t happening.”
“You’ll be safe there.”
“I’m not worried about my safety. You see the three cars behind you? That’s my special entourage that goes wherever I go. Dad’s that much of a psycho that I’ve got to have people with me at all times. He also needs you guys to transport me because he knows I try to get out of going to him.” She leaned her head against the window.
Joker had already clocked the trailing cars but not thought much about it. “If you’ve got those men why use us to pick you up?”
“I don’t know. Like I said, I hate my father and everything he stands for. I’m sorry to put you guys out like this.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’re just a kid,” Demon said.
“Yeah, a pretty big kid for my age.” She picked her book back up and no one else spoke for the remainder of the journey. Joker was itching to get his hands on Amy, which he couldn’t do until he dropped Daniella back at the clubhouse.