Six(39)

"Where’s Marie?" Shit, that's all I need is her walking in here during all of this bullshit.

"She was here this morning. She’ll be back tomorrow." He begins reaching for his remote and turns on the TV. I guess this would be the normal scene.



Shadow arrives and secures the hidden camera quickly. We move upstairs before Memphis arrives and wait, watching the old man eat that mother fuckin candy.

I slide my hand over her back while we wait on the doorbell to ring. It finally does and she watches the screen intently, waiting for information she may never want to know.



"COME IN. Not sure why you're knocking. You know I can't fucking answer it for you."

"Oh horse shit. You're still a gripey old bastard." Memphis enters, already telling Tex off. They've always been like this.

"What’ve you been up to?" Tex starts quizzing right away.

"Oh same ole shit."

"Yeah? You know anything about that attack on two of our MC guys last night?"

"Sounds like shit got out of hand."

"Apparently it did. You know who called that order to pick up that Douglas girl?"

"I did." Six tenses up, and I grab her hand to keep her steady. She's ready to attack, but we continue to watch from upstairs.

"What's the purpose?" Tex is smooth about his conversation.

"That dick head Ed. He thinks he's gonna run for President when the only reason he has money is because he had his wife murdered."

"Don't you think the girl has suffered enough? Why'd you have the guys do that?"

"I told them to bring her to me alive. I figured if they roughed her up some, it would show him we mean business, but they had strict orders to keep her alive."

"Your thugs didn't make it."

"No. Blade got there and fucked the whole thing up. He seems to always step in when it comes to that girl."

"He does. Some of the guys say she's a special one for him." Tex unrolls another piece of candy.

"Shit. He would block me from making sure Ed can't run."

"Whatever happened to Ed paying us for that job?"

"Shit. That slimy fucker still owes half that money."

"What do you mean half?"

"He never paid the last payment."

"Well it's news to me that he paid the first."

"Ah, bullshit. You knew."

"I think I'd remember that kind of money."

"So, what's your plan with the girl?" I see Tex moving around in his recliner some. He reaches his arm down like he’s going to lower his legs.

"Just gonna remind him what can happen."

"No you're not. We’re done with that shit. I told you years ago that our MC isn't doing that kind of work."

"I'll step away from the club then."

"Blade is my son. He is the President now and he calls the shots. The MC will not tolerate violence on innocent women or children. You know, he changed my life."

"I know he did."

"He made me want to be a better person. He made me want to do good for people."

"Why are you talking in past tense?"

"Because it's all in the past." Tex lifts a gun and shoots Memphis. He drops instantly and before I can get down the stairs, I hear a second shot.



CHAPTER BREAK

Six



It's been three weeks since I found out the truth about my parents. The police arrested my dad after a few days of investigations. I don't know how to feel about Tex. He helped me solve it all, but he was involved in the whole thing to start with. I keep going back to his face that night. He told that guy to take me home. He couldn't be all bad if he tried to get me out of there. He put me in the path of Blade and for that reason I was safe.

Tex shot himself right after he shot Memphis. Watching more death made me know I had to walk away from everything I knew and that included Piper. I want her to know her brother and there's no doubt that he’ll make sure she's safe.

I moved back to Madison. I have a few extended family members here. It's not that they ever acknowledge me, but at least they're here. I can say I live near family.

Tonight is my first night behind the bar at Grizzly’s. It's a big fight night, so they've called us all in to cover.

The place fills up fast, everyone trying to save enough seats to be able to have their friends in when the fights start. I'm stuck with a rowdy group of guys on my side and I'm trying to get this one guy to be happy with what he ordered, but he’s just being impossible.

"Try again, sweet lips. This isn't right either."

"Sorry. You'll have to drink water or something from tap." There's no pleasing him.

"How about you? I bet if I licked this off your sweet lips, it’d taste a whole lot better." I walk past him, trying to get through the crowd, but he grabs my arm, pulling me against his body.