Page 86 of Blue-Eyed Jacks
“Zoe…” Her language was not improving being around all these bikers.
“I mean,really?”
There was the sarcastic teenager I loved.“Really,” I said.
She curled into a chair and ate a few bites before looking around the house again.“Someone cleaned.I could get used to this.”
“Don’t.”It came out too quickly.I backpedaled.“I mean, I’ll still find ways to make you clean up after yourself, so…”
The stabbing urge to run was back.Bear was absolutely right.If Shock found this place, all he needed to do was catch a glimpse of Zoe through the windows and—
My thoughts spiraled into at least a dozen different directions and new fears built up.All of them reminded me of Zoe’s vulnerability.I needed to get her somewhere safer.“After you get done eating, we’re going to go with Bear.”
“Where?”
Bear furiously texted on his phone.He glanced up, acknowledging my hesitation.“Sprout’s.He’s got a lake house.”
“Cool.Lily told me about that place.She and Poppy are building a house next door.It’s right on the lake, and it has a boat dock, and a deck that runs the entire back of the house.There’s sculpture and art, and it sounds amazing.”
I glanced at Bear.The corner of his mouth twisted up.Under his breath, he mumbled, “She ain’t building it, Smoke is.That poor dumb bastard.”He completely missed my glare.How would Zoe clean up her language around these…
Assholeswas the word that floated to the front of the description list, but I decided that word would be relegated to Shock, permanently.
I packed Zoe’s bag and my own.Much of what we had fit into two duffles that had somehow gotten lighter since we started running.As I finished, I scanned her showroom-worthy bedroom and noticed some sketches scribbled on the blank backs of real estate flyers.On each was a combo of either Poppy and Zoe, or Lily and Zoe.Whoever did them was amazingly talented.I brought them downstairs to ask Zoe about them.We couldn’t afford to leave clues behind like this.
Halfway down the stairs, I paused.
My whole life since leaving Shock centered around leaving no evidence.No trace that I’d lived in a place.Limiting my and Zoe’s footprint so it could easily be erased.
The tragedy of it all struck me in the center of the chest.
This wouldn’t stand.
I was going to start changing things, starting with trusting my daughter and Jackson.We were going to live in the wide open once things were settled with Shock.I had zero idea how this would work, but we weren’t going to live in fear anymore.
But I was still curious about who drew the pictures.
I set them down by Zoe.
She looked up from the last dregs of her bowl and frowned.“Sorry, Mom.I know how you are about leaving stuff like this around.”She went to grab them, but I stopped her.
“It’s okay.”
“Really?You sure?”
“I…”I wasn’t.But that wasmyproblem.“I want you to not worry about stuff like that anymore.I want us to be free.And, I kind of want to know who drew these.They’re really good.”
Zoe took another sip of milk before answering.“That’s Lily’s work.”
Bear leaned over to look.“She’s been doing some flash for the tattoo shop but I didn’t know she did portrait work.Damn.I’m going to have to hire her on full-time for this shit.Those are fucking kick ass.”
“Language.”It came out automatically, and I pretended I hadn’t flinched.Bear was a very large man with visible tattoos from knuckle to skull.If you saw him from a distance, you’d think he had hair covering his entire head because the ink pattern fit his natural hairline.Shock had a man like that.
“Whoops, sorry.I’m not used to kids.”
“I’m not a kid,” Zoe fired back.
Bear checked my expression.I tried not to roll my eyes, giving Zoe the benefit of argument.
