Page 9 of Stone Cold Bad
“We all know that, Hunter.”She rolled her eyes, but I could tell her expression had changed with the sound of Hunter’s deep voice.
“Street Corner, don’t toy with me.You know the problem I’m talking about.”
“You’ve got two hands, don’t ya?And you only need one cause it’s not big enough for two.”She pushed another piece of muffin through her lips.
I smiled.“Are you Hunter’s girlfriend?”
She laughed, but there was a sadness behind it.“Hell no, the last thing I need is a headache like Hunter Stone.”She said it with confidence, but it was obvious there was more to it.“Nope, these boys are nothing but trouble when it comes to your heart.”She pointed at me with the joint between her fingers and inclined her head toward the hallway.“Especially pretty boy in there.Remember that, in case you’re thinking about getting yourself wrapped up with him.”
This time it was my sad laugh that rolled across the wobbly plastic table.“Don’t worry.Like you said— the last thing I need at the moment.”I leaned back.“What I need is a job.You wouldn’t happen to know of something?”
She sat forward and smacked her hand on the table.“Do I ever?I work at Lazy Daze Bar, and the other girl who I worked with got married and left.The owner’s a cranky old man, but he’ll hire you if you’re interested.The pay sucks and you have to work until two in the morning, but the tips make up for it.What do you think?”
“Great.I’m just not sure where to stay.Is there a park or something nearby?”My life on the streets was going to come in handy now.
“You can’t stay in the park.The local police will run you out of there.I know from experience.My mom’s too crazy, otherwise I’d take you in.But these guys will let you stay, I’m sure of it.It’s a mess and they’re all pigs, but it’s a roof.”
“Who are you calling pigs?”Loud footsteps pounded the hallway floor.I looked back.It was Hunter.He was even bigger than Colt.He was wearing only boxer briefs, and an extremely anxious looking erection.
“I’m calling you boys, pigs.”She laughed as he stepped into view.“Holy crap, maybe you do need two hands this morning.”
“Nope, I just need my Street Corner girl.Now hop on.”He turned his back to her, but not before I glimpsed the scars on his skin.Amy held onto the lit joint as she climbed up onto his back.She stuck the joint in between his lips, and he took a hit.
Amy looked tiny on his back.She rested her chin on his shoulder.I could see it right then as she held onto him that she had a big thing for him.“Hey, Jade is going to stay with you guys for awhile.Just until she earns some money.Then we’re going to get an apartment together.”She winked at me.
“Who’s Jade?”Hunter asked.He had the same jet black hair as Colt but his eyes were dark brown.
Amy rolled her eyes.“The girl sitting at your elegant kitchen table.”
“Oh yeah.That’s fine.”He headed out of the kitchen with Amy clinging to his back.
“I’ll bring you some clothes.We can go over to the bar later to meet the owner,” Amy said as she passed by.
“Sounds great.”I looked around at the messy little kitchen.I was safe for now, but I couldn’t leech off these guys for long.Somehow, I was going to have to figure out how to survive without ending up back on the streets.
SIX
COLT
Ipulled on some shorts and walked out to the empty kitchen.Slade had gone out fishing for the day.He was the only brother who liked to fish and he hired himself out to the other fishing boats when our business was slow.Hunter had shit to do on his motorcycle.
After Amy had come in and lured Jade from my bed with a blueberry muffin, I’d gone back to sleep, thoroughly disappointed and a little lonely.Something about having her in my bed all night, even if nothing more happened than me sharing my body heat with her, felt right.I’d missed her almost as soon as she left, a completely foreign feeling for me.
The kitchen sparkled.The dishes had been washed, dried and put away.The dish washing culprit had even taken the time to find a few straggly flowers from somewhere in our barren front yard.They sat in a glass of water looking slightly wilted and completely out of place in our kitchen.At some point during my late morning doze, Hunter had stuck his head in my bedroom door to let me know our stowaway was staying with us for awhile.Not sure why he had to let me know.I would have asked her to stay anyhow.It was obvious she had no place to go and no money to help her out.Since I’d never seen either of my brothers clean the kitchen, I was pretty sure our new housemate had cleaned up.
I heard the bathroom sink running.The door was ajar, and as I knocked, the door pushed open.Jade was still wearing my t-shirt as she leaned over the sink washing out her lacy pink bra and panties.She had her wet hair in one long braid down the center of her back.Something told me that she’d spent more than one day cleaning her clothes in a gas station bathroom.
She looked back at me and smiled.
“You look a lot better than last night,” I said.“Guess you’re feeling better.”
“I am, thanks to you guys.”She turned off the sink and faced me.“I hope you don’t mind.These are all I’ve got.Amy was going to bring me some shorts and a shirt, but I think asking her to share her underwear might be asking too much.”
“She’d do it if you asked.That’s just the way Street is.She doesn’t have much herself, but she’s always ready to help everyone.”
“I only just met her, and I already think she’s awesome.”
“Yeah, I liked her a little more before this morning.But she’s like a sister.”
