Page 35 of Wild Card
“Handsome or not, he’s not my type and even if he was, he’s just passing through; ain’t no use in screwing up everything I got with Brett for some wild …hot…fling.” I quickly shake myself out of the daydream I start slipping into.
“You don’t love Brett.” Earl takes a seat on one of the barstools and starts filling the end of his pipe with tobacco. “If you did, you wouldn’t have been lookin’ forsomethin’in Wild Card’s room.” He looks up through his gray, bushy eyebrows accusingly.
“I was…I…”
“I’m too old and too experienced for your shit, Ruby, and I don’t know what it is that mayor’s son has over you, but–”
“He doesn’t have anything over me. Nothing at all. I love him.” I stop him before he can get started. I know how much Earl cares about me, and I’m convinced it’s because he was so in love with my mom. I get that he’s concerned, and I appreciate it, but him interfering isn’t gonna help me.
“We’re getting married, and I want you to give me away.” For years, I was convinced that Earl was my father; I even sent away one of those DIY DNA kits to cure my curiosity, but it came back negative.
“Me?” The old man looks surprised. “You don’t want me at your fancy wedding, bringing down the tone.” He laughs.
“There’s no one that I need there more.” I take his aged hand in mine and squeeze it tight.
“You’ve got your mother’s eyes, you know that?” He smiles at me, “And I’m the same damn fool for 'em as I was for hers.” He smiles to himself. “I’ll give ya away at your wedding, but that don’t mean I agree with it. I know that asshole did that to yourface, and he deserved everything Ash gave him for it,” he tells me sternly.
“How did you know As–”
“I told ya, I ain’t a fool; stop playin’ me for one, and stop being one yourself. You should get out while you can and stop fuckin’ around with Wild Card.” He points his finger at me in warning, and I can’t help but smile. DNA results may have come back negative, but he’s the closest to a dad I’m ever gonna get.
“Why would you say that?” I look at him suspiciously, wondering if he knows all of Ash’s dark and dirty secrets.
“Because that son of a bitch is crazy enough to save you, whether you want him to or not.” He laughs as he strikes his match.
SEVENTEEN
Ash
Idid my best to act fuckin’ cool, but seeing that cunt with his hands on her had me wanting to tear down walls. Now, I’m kicking myself for winding the fucker up then leaving him alone with her. There's every chance she’ll suffer the consequences of my actions, and I should have thought smarter.
“You got something on your mind, Wild Card?” Hack takes a seat opposite me, and I focus on the beer mat I’m flicking in my hand instead of looking up.
“Grizz, Taint, and Wraith moved in on Randall’s place last night. They got him tied up in the basement.” He leans over the table and lowers his voice so the whores that are hanging out on another table, waiting to catch a bite, don’t hear him.
“That supposed to give me a hard-on or somethin’?” I shrug.
I’m not in the mood for any kinda company. I’m too busy feeling sorry for myself. It’s clear after what happened last night, I have to do something about the Ruby situation; I just don’t know what that something is yet. I can’t offer her what Brett can, and she made it fuckin’ clear that she wanted what we did to bea one-off thing. I made her promises that I can’t keep, because there ain’t a chance in hell I can stay away from her now.
I refuse to believe that it’s just money that drives her to stay with that asswipe. Ruby ain’t like that; there's more to her story, and I need to find out what it is so I can fix this.
“Harriet?” Hack’s face looks shocked when he looks up at the pregnant woman who’s just stepped through the door, and I notice the little group of whores all snigger at her presence.
“Here, um…take a seat.” He stands up and holds the chair out for her, and as she waddles toward it, she smiles at him gratefully. She hasn’t made it all the way when Byron steps outta his office, looking pissed.
“No need for a chair, she ain’t stoppin’,” he growls, and when Harriet looks up at him, the smile drops from her face.
“Byron.” She nods her head at him respectfully. “Is Taint around?”
“Taint’s busy,” he tells her coldly, and when I look at Hack to try and make out what's going on here, he shrugs his shoulders back at me awkwardly.
“I really need to talk to him.” She strokes the side of her big, round stomach like it’s causing her some discomfort, and when I suddenly start wondering how Ruby would look carrying my kid, I knock back my beer and drown that thought right outta my head.
“You gonna drop?” Byron asks with a frown.
“No. I still have two months to go.” She smiles, looking down at her stomach and rolling her hand around it proudly.
“Well, then, you don’t need to see him; best thing you can do is stay fuckin’ clear of this place and of him.” He turns and heads back into his office, slamming the door loudly behind him.
