Page 17 of Property of Indiana

“You can’t know that! The man already dropped a wad of cash at the mall the other day. Hell, at the Harley-Davidson store, it was nearly five-hundred-dollars because of the name! He hasn’t seen her pitch a gigantic fit because she doesn’t want to go to bed, or to brush her hairorher teeth. He’s just seeing the cute, smiling little girl right now. Trust me, the evil within will show itself.”

“Baby, he’s never been an uncle before. He’s taking this role seriously, and we make more bank in a week than most make in a year. I know that’s not the point, but I promise you, the club will reel him in if he doesn’t back off.”

“Don’t play on my emotions, Harrison. That’s not fair.”

“I don’t fight fair, Zoey. I fight down and dirty. The sooner you realize that, the easier it’ll be in the long run.”

“On who?” I snap. “I know you’re not referencing me, Harrison Ford Jones!”

“Oh, hell, all three names in a row, huh? I’m really on your shit list, aren’t I? Zoey, baby.”

“Don’t you dare ‘Zoey baby’ me, Harrison! He’s out of control, it’s time to have an intervention.” With that decision made, I turn on my heels and swing the door open, marching my way into the play room. Only when I make it there I have to bite my fists to keep my emotions in check because my little girl is passed out in Icer’s arms, arms that are protectively holding her while he snoozes.

“How can you be mad about that bond, Zoey? Look at them. Even in his sleep he’s making sure nothing can touch her.”

“I’m not mad, Harrison. I’m frustrated. He’s giving her things that I’ve wanted to give her for a long time but couldn’t. I’m jealous, okay?” I ask, sniffling. “I sunk all of my money into my grandparents’ house to fix it up. The electric wiring had to be redone throughout the entire house because it was a fire hazard, the pipes were rotted and falling apart, so we had to have the entire thing gutted and repiped. I didn’t get myself a bank account, I worked under the table so my social security number and name weren’t accessible since I was in hiding so I put every penny I earned into Memaw and Pepaw’s account and when they passed, before I could make it to the bank to withdraw anything, my parents had already seized it and taken every last dime. Then they sold the house and the only way they’d give me anything from the account and sale of the house was to move back home! I’m fucking terrified every minute of every day, I can’t sleep because when I do I’m afraid those fuckers are going to come after me again. I’m barely scraping by as it is and every morsel I was able to squirrel away was meant for her school shopping and even that opportunity was stolen from me.”

By now, angry tears are flowing down my face at the injustice of everything that’s happened. My so-called parents basically stole from me and their granddaughter when theyknewthat the house and money should’ve been given to me. I was Memaw and Pepaw’s sole caretaker because they wanted to stay home and not go into an assisted living facility when illness took away their ability to live independently. I was the one up in the middle of the night holding Memaw as she wept from the pain that even the strongest medicine couldn’t touch. She would never let go around Pepaw, so she held it in all day long until he was sound asleep since his night meds meant he wouldn’t wake up and hear her. It was me that found first her, then him, those fateful days.

Not my parents. Oh no, they were too good to help them, glad to leave that task to me. But they sure didn’t let any dust settle on their feet when they heard that Pepaw had passed. I had planned to go to the bank once the coroner came to get him, then head to the funeral home to take care of his final arrangements. Only, when I went up to the teller, Calvin Morton, he took immense pleasure in telling me that all of my grandparents’ accounts had been closed. I left there bereft, grieving, and doing what I could to hold my head up. Hell, my parents didn’t even come to the graveside service, which is what Pepaw wanted. It was me, Elodie, and a few of his friends who were still able to get around who said our last farewells. I’llneverforgive them for what they did to Memaw and Pepaw, or to me and Elodie.

As far as I’m concerned, they can burn in that lake of fire they preach against. Because while my church attendance was spotty, I do remember Memaw’s preacher talking about what salvation means and my parents never embodied even a smidgen of the teachings of Jesus. Memaw and Pepaw weren’t able to attend as regularly when they got ill, but even though they both knew how I felt because of my folks, in my opinion, they were more like theGod they served than my parents or their church members ever thought of being.

Icer’s voice breaks through my internal beratement. “Zoey. We’re family. I may not know much about what that means, but from what I gather, family begets family. We help each other out when the other is struggling. Sounds like to me that neither one of us had great role models when it comes to parents, but from here on out, you’re my sister. You’ll never struggle or go without again. If you can’t accept a cash hand out, then you can earn it at the crematorium. We need a secretary to keep the books and paperwork in order. What do you say, wanna come work for the Kings? We’ll pay you well and it even comes with insurance benefits. I’m sure Elodie is on state assistance so she can go to the doctor, we’ll make sure she has the best out there. Hell, I’ll even drive you a hundred miles if that’s what it takes to make sure my princess stays healthy and cared for.”

“Icer,” I sob. “How do I even deserve you after how I’ve acted?”

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Zoe,” he adamantly states. “You’re a Mama and a damn fine one. I understand you want her to earn her keep and stuff, but I’ve never been an uncle before, you may have to help me navigate this path. What do you say, sis? Wanna help your brother out?”

“I’ve never had a brother and I’d be honored to have you as mine. Of course I’ll help you out. Just stop buying her everything because she gives you puppy dog eyes and sighs,” I recommend.

“Deal,” he says, nodding his head. “But she did ask me to teach her to ride her trike and I need to special order her a helmet. Is that gonna be a problem?”

“No,” I answer. “Anything that keeps her safe will never be a thorn of contention for me, Icer. I appreciate you asking first, though.”

Closing his eyes, he sinks further into the bean bag, and drowsily hums, “M’kay. We’re gonna get a little shut eye before we finish cleaning up and putting the rest of her furniture together. Who would’ve thought shopping with a five year old could be so exhausting?”

A mirthful giggle escapes me when Elodie sinks further into him and rumbles about her pillow growing arms and legs. When she reaches up and pats his pecs, and says, “Good pillow. Stay still.” Harrison and I laugh so damn hard that we’re leaning into each other in order to stay upright.

This family I’m building may not be a traditional one, but it’s mine and it’s the most beautiful, freeing feeling I’ve felt in years. I’m glad Elodie has this. And according to Harrison it’s not just for now, it’s for always.

CHAPTER

NINE

INDIANA

It’s beentwo weeks since I ran into Zoe and Elodie at the mall. After mine and Zoey’s heart-to-heart chat, and I was officially off the hot seat thanks to Icer and his little shopping spree, I came back to the clubhouse and pulled Riptide to the side to ask for his help. Once I explained what I needed from him, he called Scripture into the office, since his sister, Janessa, works at the vital records office and we got the ball rolling with adding my name as the father to Elodie’s birth certificate.

Is it legal? No, but we’re morally gray men who walk that thin line of legality anyhow, so it was no skin offanyof our teeth to get the job done by any means necessary. I’m not sure how Janessa managed to pull it off, seeing as it’s been six years since Elodie was born and she wasn’t birthed in this county, but I owe her one and made sure Scripture shared that message with her. It’s always a good thing to be owed a marker by a King so she took that shit and tucked it away for a rainy day.

Step one of my long term plan has been officially checked off my to-do list, and now, I’m on to phase two. Discovering whether or not the Onyx Dragons know, or have any suspicions, about Elodie’s biological parentage, and if so, eliminating any and all threats to my daughter by eradicating their entire organization. Damn, that word,daughter,that connection, wasn’t one I ever thought would be used where it pertains to me.

Sphinx has had his makeover, thanks to his talented sister, and is on his way to infiltrate their gang. We’ve passed him a burner phone so he can keep in touch, one that can’t be traced back to us, and he has an entirely new identity. Our techie, Booker, is damn good at what he does and he laid out a paper trail for Sphinx leading all the way back to a new, updated birth certificate. He has updated school records underneath his disguise, and even a rap sheet that’s as long as my forearm. The Onyx Dragons aren’t looking for choir boys so we needed to make him come across as crooked as they are.

“When’s Sphinx supposed to check in?” I ask Riptide as we remove the concrete slab from in front of a headstone that is a red herring. There's no body laid to rest in that plot, it leads to our underground holding space. Technically, it’s a tomb. We need to see if the corpses of our enemies are ready to face the infernal fire that’ll lead them straight to Hell. We are Lucifer’s horsemen in a manner of speaking. The apocalypse may not be upon us, but we still have work to do above ground to prepare for when shit does eventually hit the fan. We deliver to the reaper, and in return, he sends their souls straight to the depths of the underworld. We aren’t saints, and we never will be. Death is what we do. No matter what path you took in life, we take care of you after you close your eyes for the final time, whether that’s by our hands or not.

“When he can. I asked for weekly updates, but I also told him not to do a damn thing if he thought he was being watched,” Rip answers.

---