Walk the Line (Kings of Chaos 5)

“Should I make coffee?”

“I bet Shadow would appreciate it.”

“Alright. Can you explain what the hell the deal is with this family?”

“Long story short, he mother, Pixie got pregnant with Calla by another man and lied about it for years. When Calla hit sixteen, she found out, and all hell broke loose. She started acting out, resenting her sister, who she thought received special treatment

because she was their real child.”

“Oh my, God. Why didn’t they come clean?”

“The other man was another member of the Kings of Chaos. You don’t do that. You don’t hop from one man to another unless it’s just for fun. When you start talking serious relationships and babies, it’s against the rules. They were trying to hide her gaffe.”

“And that poor child suffered.”

“Calla’s hell on wheels. It’s hard for me to think of her as a victim when she’s a trouble starting raging bitch. She had years to get over what happened, and move forward. Instead, she used it as an excuse to make bad choices and divide her family.”

“So this man is Calla’s birth father?”

“Yeah, Battle.”

“Holy shit his road name is Battle?”

“Yes, and that says everything you need to know about him.”

“Jesus.”

“He’s always been a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket, so maybe Calla just inherited it.”

“Maybe, but she’s in jail right now, so I doubt any of this is on her.”

“No, this has Pixie written all over it. She’s been banned from the clubhouse, and it hasn’t set well with her on top of the excommunication going from Bolton and Blue. Lonely people who feel slighted are the worst enemies. They have nothing but time to think of their plan and a false sense of righteousness’s that could quiet the most sensitive conscious. Not that Pixie’s was in working order. Lying about paternity for sixteen years takes a brass pair and a strong lying ability.”

“Among other things.” She moves into the kitchen, starts the coffee, and pads to the linen closet. She hands me the blow-up mattress, and I begin the inflation while she pulls out the bed and starts to dress it with sheets.

I’m drinking a cup of coffee at the kitchen bar when the knock comes at the door. I make my way over and peer out the peephole making a mental note to beef up the security. I spot the family and open up. Blue’s brown eyes are red-rimmed, and her face is flushed. I feel a pang of sympathy for her. Poor thing just had a baby, and now she has to deal with this on top of it. She has Delphine covered by a blanket in a car seat, so I assume she’s still sleeping.

“Come on, in. B has the coffee going.”

“Thanks, brother,” Shadow says stepping in with the baby bag over his shoulder. Bolton pulls up the rear with a pack and play.

“You can set it up beside the bed and Bolton we got your bed just across from that.”

“Thanks, Freeze,” he says.

“Our place is your place. B’s daughter, Whitney, is visiting from college, but we let her know you’d be here in the morning when she wakes up.”

“I’m sorry to put you out,” Blue says.

“Nonsense, why don’t we get the playpen set up and get this angel laid down for the night. Then I can make you a nice cup of tea or coffee, your choice,” B says in a soothing tone that makes me want to ram my tongue down her throat. She’s showing my people love and hospitality.

“We can step out onto the balcony to talk,” I tell Shadow as I lead him away from the playpen set up. I close the sliding door closed behind us.

“What’s the plan?”

“We’re going to go over with Stone and confront him.”

“Damn.”