Page 81 of Condemned Soul

“Yeah, another one.” He turns around to face me with a look that tells me to mind my business, and I flick my cigarette into the fire and get up so I can follow him inside.

“You know that's four in just a week?” I point out, starting to worry that Jessie’s lost his head. I get that all this shit that’s going down with Prez is tough on him, it’s tough on us all. But these men, he’s picking off, ain’t exactly nobodies.

“Jealous I’m gettin’ all the fun?” He winks at me, but I don’t buy the wise-assed grin he’s got on his face. I know how bad this is affecting him.

“Jess, you can’t expect Grimm to keep up with this, it takes time and a lot of inventive thinkin’ to make a body disappear.”

“And he’s the best.” Jessie shrugs, continuing through the foyer to the barroom, and when he sees Maddy sitting with Lydia and Alex he suddenly freezes on his feet. I notice the way he stares across at her and when she looks toward us and smiles sadly at him, I get the impression that something’s off.

“She’s keepin’ somethin’ from me.” The words just come out and I don’t think he intended them to.

“Who? Maddy? Nah.” I shake my head.

“I can feel it, she’s been real distant since yesterday and I just know it’s because she knows somethin’ I don’t.”

“Jessie, her husband is currently on a fuckin’ killin’ spree, how d’ya expect her to act?”

“They’re fuckin’ pedos, Brax, they need to be dead,” he snaps.

“And no one agrees with that more than I do, but this club’s in enough shit without us having a murder investigation slapped on our asses. We got plenty of time to be workin’ through that list of names.”

“Maddy is the one who gave me the list. She knew what I’d do with it. Her bein’ this way ain’t about me killin’ anyone.”

“I’m just remindin’ ya to be careful.” I slap him on the shoulder before I head over to the bar to pick up the breakfast Marilyn’s made up for Gracie.

* * *

“Breakfast.” I place the takeaway box on the mattress next to where Gracie’s sat up in bed and take my little girl outta her arms.

“You know you could have made me breakfast here,” She giggles at me as I take the space beside her and rest Eloise on my raised-up knees, so I can look at her. Everything about her fascinates me, her tiny fingers as they grip my pinkie, the way she looks like Gracie when she stretches, it’s all fuckin’ magic.

“Nyx called a plannin’ meetin’ early this mornin’ and I wanted to be there.”

“For the tree house? Are you in on this, now?” She laughs again.

“Yeah, and it’s gonna be awesome.”

“You guys are really throwin’ yourselves into this. The kids are gonna love it.”

“We both know this ain’t just about the kids.” I tear my eyes away from Eloise to look at her.

“It’s good for you all to have a distraction.” She wraps her hand around the back of my head and pulls me closer so she can kiss my cheek. “I’m surprised, though. I didn’t think you’d want your precious, little princess climbing up a tree.” Gracie accuses me of being overprotective with our daughter all the time and I don’t dispute it.

“Why d’ya think I agreed to help? I traded off my carpentry skills for the promise that it will be a boys-only tree house.” I smile to myself. Gracie immediately looks mad.

“That’s not fair.” She’s about to start ranting so I cut her off.

“I already have plans for the girls. They’re gonna get one of them cute playhouses, I just gotta figure where the best place to put it is. Somewhere we can watch ‘em that’s far from the tree house.”

Gracie smiles when she hears what I have to say and I love the way it looks on her. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember the person who I was before her. All I had was a heart full of hate and now, I feel overwhelmed by how much love it carries. I don’t wanna imagine what it would be like to have to leave her and spend most of my little girl’s life locked up in jail.

“You never told me how your visit with Prez went the other day.” Gracie must sense that I’m thinking about him, as I hold Eloise’s ankles and tap them against my chest.

“It was fine.” I shrug, I don’t wanna talk about it. Knowing what Prez is giving up for us all is bad enough, seeing him locked up made me wanna tear down the walls around us. I hated that the way he spoke sounded like a goodbye, but then he knows as well as I do that he won’t last very long once he’s transferred.

“I know talking about stuff isn’t your strong point, but I’m here.” Gracie’s hand touches over mine.

“I just wish I’d told him how grateful I was. I joined this club because I was lookin’ for Chop and look what it got me. A brother, you, her…” I stroke my little girl’s cheek. “I’d have none of it without him, and now he’s throwin’ himself into the lion's den to make sure I get to keep it.”

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