Page 84 of Jett

“Anytime, big man. You know where to find me, right?”

Grim’s cheeks pink up and he glances at me. I send him an apologetic smile and he shakes his head, as if asking himself why he ever got involved with me at all. He walks inside with his head bowed low and Kimba practically skips in behind him.

Ten minutes later, she comes striding back out with a smug smile on her face.

“I hope you went easy on him,” I say.

“I never do anything easy,” she says with a wink and saunters toward our getaway vehicle, a pink 1969 Cadillac. I glance back at the house, wondering if I should check and make sure Grim is still breathing, but a part of me doesn’t want to see him bound and gagged. I don’t think I’d ever be able to leave my friend in that state, so I carefully tiptoe over Diesel’s inert form and follow the girls to the car.

I don’t know if Jett will forgive me. I don’t know if Grim will either, but I can’t stay with a man who brought me so much pain. I don’t like the woman I’m becoming. I’ve changed. I’m ruled by vengeance, and now that I know it, I have to get out before it’s too late.

***

AFTER GRABBING BURGERSand fries, a pint of ice cream, and more liquor than I know what to do with, Kimba drives us to a free-standing federation home on the outskirts of Newtown. I climb out of the car and stare at the immaculate property. “Are you sure about this?”

“Of course. It’ll be nice to have the company,” Kimba says.

“I don’t want to bring you any trouble.”

“Oh, honey, I love trouble. Especially if it takes the form of the big scarred biker I just tied to a chair and gave a little lap dance to.”

“You didn’t?” I cover my mouth with my hand. Not because I’m shocked by her words, but because I can’t even imagine how Grim would have handled that. I make a mental note to call him as soon as it’s safe.

Indie throws her arm around my shoulders. “She did. If I know anything about my boss, it’s that Kimba’s not afraid to demand, or take, what she wants. And she’s definitely no stranger to trouble.”

“I stalk trouble like a lion hunts a gazelle.” Kimba winks and hefts the groceries on her hip as she opens her front door. Ivy takes the bag from my shoulder and I breathe a sigh of relief and smile appreciatively at her as I follow the girls—my family—into Kimba’s house.

It’s spacious for this part of the city, with wooden floorboards, plantation shutters on the windows and great concertina doors off the living room that lead to a large back deck and veggie garden beyond. I’ve known Kimba for a total of two hours, and already it obvious the bespoke, slightly gothic furnishings are quintessentially her. And then I come face-to-face with the giant terrarium in the living room with a green tree snake coiled around a wooden perch. “Oh my God, you have a snake in your house.”

“Yeah, that’s Esmeralda. I have more in the third bedroom, but she’s my pride and joy.”

“Wow. That’s um ... nice.” I suppress a shudder and give her a tight smile.

Kimba grins and places her loot on the huge kitchen island. Then she grabs my stuff from Ivy, and my hand and leads me down the hall. “Don’t worry. I won’t put you in with the reptiles. This is your room here.”

She leads me into a room across from the master suite. It houses a double bed and a closet and a view of the neighbour’s brick wall. Like all free-standing houses or terraces in the inner eastern suburbs, the windows have bars, but somehow it still feels like less of prison than Jett’s isolated, country house did.

“It’s really wonderful. Thank you. I don’t know how I’ll repay you, but I will.”

Kimba sets my bag on the bed and shrugs. “It’s no biggie. Really, the rooms are just sitting here, and I’m at work morning to night, but it will be nice to come home to a room-mate.”

“Well, I’ll try my best be the perfect house guest, but I’ve never had a female roomie so if I’m doing something you don’t like, or—”

“Babe, I’ll let you know.” She skips out of my new room and calls over her shoulder, “Come on, we could all use a stiff drink.”

“Yeah,” Indie agrees from the kitchen. “You’re not wrong.”

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