Page 23 of Bourbon & Blood

“I don’t think I can do this,” he confessed, and the conflict was clear in his green eyes as he stared down the block at his momma’s house.

We’d ridden in, him and me, while Collier and Saint followed us up in the van. They’d parked it right out front.

“You want that patch bad enough, you will. They done disrespected you, son. Retribution must be swift and the toll must be paid. Blood for blood, kid. That’s the only way this goes down.”

“I don’t care abouthim,” he said, rolling his eyes in my direction.

I nodded, hanging my head, and looked over at him. He eyed me and I said, “That thing in there ain’t your momma, boy. She ain’t been your momma in a long-ass time.”

He pursed his lips, and he nodded. He knew. I think he’d known a long time, but he was a good kid, like I’d said. Loyal to a fault. We just needed to ensure that his loyalty was in the right place and there weren’t no test bigger than this.

“I always just kind of hoped she’d come back, you know? Be like she was when I was a little kid. Be proud of me.”

“The drugs done took your momma a long time ago, and as far gone as she is… there ain’t no comin’ back,” I said. It hurt to say it because the same could be said for my daddy and his drinkin’. Shit, it was a competition at this point on what’d kill him first – his boozin’ ways or the cancer.

Louie sniffed, and looked away, and I told him, “You go on an’ mourn. It’s the right thing to do… but she gone.” I flapped my hand in an upward motion, signifying she’d flown high long before now – which she had.

“How you know?” he asked me. “Who left you?”

“My daddy,” I told him. “His body still walkin’ around in the Bayou back home, haunting the fuckin’ house I grew up in… but he gone, too. The drink took him a long time ago. I think I realized it when I was a little younger than you are now, about seventeen. He tried to kill me, an’ I put him in the hospital. Went to prison for a while for it. First time I think I ever stood up to ‘im.”

“Really?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, buddy. Tried as an adult. Spent two years inside.”

“He lived though,” he said, and I nodded.

I told him the truth, “If’n you can call it that. He’s got the cancer now. Only a matter of time before his body follows his soul to the pits of fuckin’ Hell. I imagine your momma’s got some shit to answer for on account of how she’s treated you.”

“Nah,” he said and hung his head. “I ain’t been the easiest kid to deal with.”

I raised an eyebrow at that and nodded slowly. “Gonna have to agree to disagree on that,” I said. “You a lot of things, Louie – but you ain’t no pain in the ass. You’re one of the biggest assets this club could ask for. I don’t know what that cunt put in your head but you’re one of the easiest guys we ever git along with. Bitch is crazy thanks to those drugs.” I sucked my teeth, and he stared at me and looked like he was gon’ cry.

“You keep lookin’ at me like that, I’m liable to think you wanna suck my dick,” I told him and he snorted and laughed.

“Yeah, sorry, boss. You ain’t my type, even if you do got the biggest titties I ever seen.”

It was my turn to laugh, then – which I didn’t do too often. I was jacked and built like a brick shithouse. I guess my pecs were in fine fuckin’ form for the kid to say that.

I shook my head and said, “It’s a hard thing you about to do, Louie. Don’t think any of us ‘ould ask this of you lightly. This club ain’t nothin’ without loyalty. You understand that, don’t ‘cha?”

I turned my head and looked at him. The resolve in his eyes as he met mine was impressive.

He nodded. “Y’all been there for me more ‘n she ever has,” he said simply and I nodded slowly. He got it. He understood. This life wasn’t pretty, and I was hoping against hope for his sake that this would be the ugliest thing he ever had to do for us. It was abigask, and I knew that.

“You ready then?” I asked him.

“No,” he answered honestly. “But let’s do it.” He grunted as he got off his bike and I followed suit.

He wouldn’t have to scrap with nobody. That’s what we was for – but he would have to be the one to pull the fuckin’ trigger.

That was on him.

We met up with Collier and Saint outside the house. I stayed with Louie and jerked my head that the other two needed to go ‘round back. They pulled their black ski masks down over their faces and I nodded to Louie that he should follow suit, lowering mine down, too.

He brought it down, and I pulled my hand cannon out of the back of my waistband and checked my weapon. Louie was a good kid, and he did what I did – checked the semi-automatic pistol he had on him for readiness.

“Remember to police your brass, kid. Don’t lose your head – an’ don’t forget, we got you.”

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