Page 39 of Sugar and Skulls

Anyhow, I don’t need to go into details. Just know it was the last time I saw my friend. We were tossed into an underground world. Trafficked. It’s not what you think. Not really what you even see on the news. I was trapped, even though I walked free. Until I met Dirk. He saved me. He will save her too.

Bill sets the phone down and walks away. Dirk shuts the video off and pockets his phone. “We need to talk,” he says, drilling me with cloudy eyes.

“You want her?” I bite my lip, clamping down on everything else I want to say.

Dirk’s tongue runs over the ring in his lip and he nods. I tamp down my jealousy. Dirk isn’t into guys, much to my disappointment.

“You want her too?” he questions.

“I do.”

He sits back in his chair. “We’ve got to get her out of the hell we saw back in that railcar before either of us have a shot.”

“I’ll let you lead,” I lean forward lowering my voice, “you have got to go easy though man. You are one intense mother fucker.”

He chuckles. “You love my intensity.”

I narrow my eyes at him. He pisses me off sometimes. He flirts but that’s it. It never goes beyond that. “Anyhow, we play bad cop, good cop?”

“That could work. You nurture her light while I stomp on her monsters.” He tips his head side to side as if weighting his thoughts.

“Think it will work?” I drum my fingers on the table nervously. I’m worried for her. Dirk will scare the monsters out of her for sure. He did mine. She has one thing I didn’t though. Me. I’ll be there to tend to the open wounds he leaves behind.

“It has to. She’s wound so tight right now, if she springs, she’s going to explode.”

“God, this sucks. This sucks!” I bang my hand on the table making all the empty beer bottles bounce. “I of all people should have seen it. Should have seen how lonely she was. How hurt…”

Dirk stands up, coming over to stand by me. He grips the back of my hair and pulls my head back so that I have to squint into the morning sun. “What the fuck did I tell you about blaming yourself for shit that is not yours?”

I swallow hard. He lowers his face to mine. “If you can’t handle this…you need to step the fuck aside.” He lets go and shoves my head away from him.

God, he is such a fucking asshole. A beautiful asshole.

His phone buzzes, he glances at it. “Let’s go. She’s on the move.”

Partners. We are partners. Normally I’d be giddy as a fucking schoolgirl about that. I need to remember we are only partners because we both want the same thing. Her. The smart-mouthed, black haired beauty that seems to be stealing everyone’s heart.

I make the sign of the cross,please forgive me, Lord, for what we are about to do.

Dirk tips his head back and laughs. “What are you so worried about, Raffe. I’ll take good care of you both.”

Chapter Nineteen

Jesse

Poked, prodded, violated. If I would have known what that appointment was going to include it would have been a hard pass. Whatever. It’s over. Big Dan stayed with me for the most of it. The least embarrassing part of it that is. Times like this I miss grandmama so much. The doc gave me some sort of birth control shot so at least there’s that. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that it won’t be needed anytime soon. Jimmy better keep his end of the deal because I just can’t. Not again. Not ever again.

Anyway, I got a clean bill of health so I can at least breathe a little easier on that front. Also, Dan is so happy that I went to the doctor he let me off my leash early. I told him I had to go see a friend. It was a true story, so I don’t even feel guilty about it.

When I get to Jenny’s trailer the smell hits me before I even reach the door. Fuck. I knock on the door and Jenny’s daughter, Katie, peeks through the window before slowly opening the door for me. “Hey, sweetie, is your mama home?”

She nods, her dirty hair falling in front of her face. She points to the bedroom at the end of the hall. My eyes take in the state of the trailer. There’s food left out, flies galore, dirty dishes piled high and a mountain of dirty clothes shoved in the corner of the kitchen. Shit, she’s using again. We don’t sell to her. She has a kid and an addiction the size of Texas. I helped her get clean after I informed her she would not be getting any more dope in Trap county. She’s been clean for a year or I should say was.

Unfortunately, she’s been getting it somewhere and I think I know where. I pull a candy bar out of my bag and Katie’s eyes light up. “Why don’t you go sit in my rod and enjoy your candy while I talk to your mama.”

She takes the candy bar but pauses before walking out. “Mama’s been sleeping for three days. She won’t wake up.”

“It’s okay, hun. Go on. I’ll get her up.”

---