Page 15 of Petty's Crime

I’ve never been able to say no to her.

It’s like the clock has been turned back, seven years wiped out, back to the time when I had little say in matters. What Britney wanted, Britney got. And as much as I’d like to say otherwise, seeing her today has put me back under her spell.

Finishing the dregs of her coffee, she picks up her purse. “Let’s go see this apartment we’re going to be living in.”

Feeling more like I’m heading for my execution, I stand, take the handle of her suitcase and pull it along.

We’re more like two strangers than a married couple as we walk silently through the airport, exiting into the hot Vegas air, and then going to the parking lot. I unlock the SUV and lift her case into the back, while she opens the passenger door.

“Nice car.”

Well, something impresses her. Shame it’s not mine. “It’s the club’s,” I explain as I slide out of my cut, fold it carefully and place it on the back seat. I don’t know if this is the right time to tell her I only have my bike. You wouldn’t find me in a cage by preference. I only ride in one for occasions like this or for doing my job.

Still, the air-conditioning is welcome as it starts to work. Exiting the airport, I set out on the shortest route to take me to the place which has so quickly become my home, mentally cataloguing the things I’m missing out on by not living at the club. The beer that Owl would have had waiting, the conversations with my brothers, and, of course, the services offered by Pixie, Jinx and Angel.Do I even fancy Britney anymore?

Casting a sideways glance at her, I don’t think so. If she expects intimacy, I’m not sure I’ll be able to rise to the occasion. Or not until we know what footing this renewed relationship is on.

She leans forward as if to get a better view of the area. “Are we going to drive down the strip?” She casts an excited look my way.

I wasn’t going to. As a Vegas resident, I do everything to avoid the tourist trap. But for so many visitors, it’s the highlight of Sin City, so I make the detour to give her what she wants.

As we make our way slowly past the famous hotels and casinos, her mouth drops open and her eyes sparkle. “It’s even more impressive in real life,” she states, while I just harrumph in response.

“I was wondering why you moved, but now I can see the attraction. I can’t wait to explore. Can we come here tonight and see the lights?”

My hands grasp the steering wheel so tightly my hands turn white. There’s no less way I’d like to spend my evening. A tour guide I am not.

“Came here as that’s where the club is based. Didn’t come here for this,” I say gruffly.

“But it’s a plus. Oh, look…” Her eyes have been caught by something, I don’t even bother to glance that way. The strip no longer holds anything to interest me. She says something, gushing about whatever she’s seen.

Nowadays, when I reluctantly visit the strip, rather than the glamour, I see the whores touting for business and those for whom the casinos didn’t work out begging for handouts. Like anywhere in the world, there’s a not-so-hidden underworld that most people try to ignore.

Vegas? Visitors just get to see a veneer. Residents know all that glitters is not gold.

CHAPTERSIX

Petty

Having completed the detour, I finally pull up in the small parking lot behind the hairdressers. As I reach for the doorhandle, Britney puts her hand on my arm to stop me.

When I glance at her, her face looks pinched as she asks, “Why have we stopped here?”

I point to the apartment on the second floor. “That’s your new home.”

“Home?” If anyone’s ever managed to put more disgust into the utterance of one word, I’ve never heard it.

It’s strange how a tone of voice can send you back in time and just like muscle memory, you react in the way you’d always done. Instead of righteously getting annoyed and pointing out since her phone call yesterday I’ve moved heaven and earth to find her a place to stay, I try to placate her.

“It’s not much, but it’s what I could get in the time I had. I was living in the club until yesterday, Brit. I had twenty-four hours to find something.” I sigh as I offer, “Now you’re here, we can look for something better together.”

She cranes her head to look out of the window again. She sighs. “I suppose it will have to do.”

I suspect it’s far better than the accommodation she’s had over the past seven years, but of that, I don’t dare remind her. Instead, I get out of the car, then take the suitcase out of the back. Bouncing the keys in my hand, I wait for her to come join me.

I don’t miss how she scans the environment, but she’ll not find anything to object to. This is one of the businesses that the Satan’s Devils keep an eye on. There are security cameras all around, and we ensure nothing like drug dealing takes place in the parking lot after hours so there’ll be no paraphernalia on the ground.

While it’s not in the most prestigious area, I have no qualms about bringing any woman here.

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