Page 70 of Parrish

“He reminded me that my gut instinct has saved this club more times than it has failed it,” I reply, pausing for a moment.

Staring between the two men, I roll my neck and loosen my shoulders. I get their concern for Blackie and to be fair, if I was in their shoes, I’d wonder if Blackie was up to something too. Still, I don’t like where this is going.

“I think Blackie knew I’d lose my mind totally if I couldn’t be with Reina right now. I also think he’s on a downward spiral. His demons are catching up to him and he feels like he’s failing. He can’t stay clean, but he can be the man who steps up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two strikes against him.”

“So, you’re thinking he sacrificed himself on the sword,” Wolf says.

I shrug my shoulders because I’m not sure of anything. I can’t make heads or tails of Blackie’s actions any more than I can make sense of mine.

“I’m thinking Blackie fell off the wagon, and he felt the guilt of it,” I say. “He needed to punish himself.”

“Maybe he felt guilty like you say but not because he fell off the wagon,” Pipe says.

“What are you getting at?” I question, narrowing my eyes.

“I wasn’t going to say anything because he swore, he’d get himself straight. But the night before you were supposed to surrender, I found him in the garage with a bag of coke. He had just dropped Lacey at home after leaving your house.”

“Shit,” I mutter.

“He said he didn’t do any, that he was just testing his control.”

“And you believed him?” I ask incredulously.

“You're missing the point, Parrish,” Pipe says. “He got his hands on the coke and some odd hours later we’re tossing around the idea that the cartel is responsible for Reina’s crash. Suddenly, Blackie’s the sacrificial lamb in all of this and carted to jail without bail.”

“What are you saying? That Blackie went to Javier for the drugs?”

Anger rolls through me at the assumption and Pipe shakes his head but I can see the wheels turning.

“No, but—”

“But nothing,” I growl. “He would never do that.”

“Not even as a last ditch attempt to make that squealing prick retract his statement in the case?” Wolf questions.

“He would’ve told me,” I sneer. “Besides, there was no case. I was taking the deal,” I continue to argue.

Sensing my hostility towards them, they exchange another look and Pipe holds up his hands in defeat.

“Okay, fine, let’s say he didn’t go to Javier for the drugs. You ever stop and think he’s in jail looking for a connection to the cartel? A way to avenge this mess.”

“Maybe,” I say. “He doesn’t think you’re buying the cartel theory so he might be searching for something, some kind of proof that will force you pussies to strike.”

“Now we’re pussies,” Pipe grunts.

“I don’t know what the fuck you people are anymore,” I grind out. “I don’t know if you’re trying to distract me or what but, I’m not gonna sit here and entertain the idea that Blackie had any kind of involvement with Javier. He’s an addict. He knows where to get drugs. In fact, that’s probably the reason he’s in jail. He don’t have to worry about failing his wife or child every time he gets high if he’s behind bars. What she doesn’t see, won’t hurt her.”

As the words leave my mouth, I cringe. I don’t want to think that he left Lacey to get high in prison any more than I want to believe Pipe’s theory. All this assuming won’t do anyone good and it makes me realize I need to get into Ryker’s and visit with him as soon as possible.

“Jack!”

At the sound of Layla’s voice, I turn around and watch her waddle down the hallway with tears streaming down her face. My body goes still at the sight of her and I forget to breathe.

“What’s the matter?” Pipe asks, brushing past me to meet her in the middle of the hallway. She looks over his shoulder and wipes her tears as our eyes lock.

Her lips spread into a smile and I release the breath I’m holding as she says the two words I’ve been longing to hear.

“She’s awake!”

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