“Uh… no, we were just going to get something to drink,” Meri said as both girls went to the kitchen, coming out seconds later and heading toward the bedroom with bottled waters.
“If you girls need anything, don’t hesitate to wake me.”
“We won’t,” Keri said as they were about to close the door.
“Oh, Meri, those jeans are too tight to wear in school. I hope you packed another pair in your suitcase.”
“I did.”
The door slamming had her lying back down. “Alexa, lights off.”
“You could have told me you can do that in the kitchen, too.”
“Now you know.” She thumped her pillow, scooting her ass backward until she felt a hard body behind her. “Night,” she muttered, closing her eyes.
“Good night.”
It felt as if she had just gone to sleep when she heard the soft chiming of her cell phone. Sitting up in the bed, she rolled over onto her back, unintentionally waking Calder.
“Something wrong?” He raised up to look at her in the dark.
“No. Go back to sleep. I got this.”
“Got wha—”
The creaking of her bedroom door had their heads turning.
“Need more water, girls?” Crazy Bitch asked, not bothering to turn the lights on.
The bed shook with Calder’s laughter when the door slammed shut.
Reaching for her phone, she reset her alarm.
“You going to do that all night?”
“They’ll give up after a couple hours. You see why I don’t want more girls? They give you sleepless nights.”
“If we have boys, they won’t give us sleepless nights?”
“No, they’ll be giving some other girls’ parents sleepless nights. I’ll be sleeping like a baby.”
“Isn’t that sexist?”
“Don’t know, don’t care. No daughter of mine will be a hump post for a randy, hormone-fueled, blue-balled little motherfucker.”
“If you do end up having a daughter, are you going to say that to her?”
“Of course. Why not? I have plenty of experience with the little fuckers. Did I ever tell you about the men I killed?”
“You mentioned it, yes.”
She tucked her sheet around her, making sure Calder had enough for himself. Stretching her hand out, she double-checked the alarm was set. Those little fuckers from Eastern weren’t going to score on her watch.
“You still want to talk about having kids with me instead of going to sleep?”
“No, I don’t think I do.”
29
Stud had called that morning, telling him that he and Sex Piston were home. Calder hated having to tell his brother how Meri and Keri had acted the night before and about the men they had been texting.
“You and Crazy Bitch mind keeping Star and Harley another night?”
“No. Why?”
“They get upset when their older sisters get in trouble. When Sex Piston gets done with them, they’re going to realize the painful reality of making us both angry at the same time.”
“No problem. You packed them enough clothes for two days. I’ll see you tomorrow at work.”
“Thanks, bro.”
He disconnected the call, not feeling guilty about the girls being in trouble. They had been disrespectful to Crazy Bitch. He had ignored the way they talked to him, not mentioning it to Stud. He had made his own bed where that was concerned. How could he expect his nieces to respect him when they were aware of his past? Neither Stud nor Sex Piston had discussed it with the girls. It had been his Aunt Katy.
She had cut him out of her life, and when Stud didn’t do the same when Calder got out of prison, she moved away. Stud was hurt and angry, but he still let her see his kids. She had helped them, and he hadn’t wanted to punish them for their aunt’s decision.
Calder had a couple of jobs he had promised to finish for Stud. When he was done, he decided to pick up carryout for Crazy Bitch’s lunch. With Sex Piston being off, she wouldn’t be able to leave the beauty shop, and they had their hands full this morning, so he knew she hadn’t made herself lunch.
The drive-thru was busy. He edged his bike along after each car in front of him ordered. When it was his turn, Calder paid, taking the food from the worker’s hand before riding around the front of the restaurant to put it in his saddlebag.
He was about to get back on his bike when he looked through the glass window inside. The woman staring back at him recognized him, standing to come outside.
“Calder!”
When the woman would have thrown herself into his arms, he shrugged her off, getting back on his bike. “Candi, when did you get out of jail?”
His ex-girlfriend looked good. She had gained some weight during her prison sentence, her snug jeans highlighting her firm body. She had cut her hair, making her look younger and healthier. Her gaunt cheekbones had filled out, making Calder realize how he had been attracted to her when they were younger.
“Last week. I was planning to come to the club tonight to see you.”