Page 6 of Wick
"There is nothing between us, Daddy."
"Bullshit." He sits our plates on the table after warming them in the microwave and waits for me to take my seat. "There's something off between the two of you. I hear it in your voice when you speak of the other person."
I pick up my fork. "Daddy, I didn't come here to get a lecture where Malik is concerned," I say with a little too much sass.
"Vayda." My dad cuts me a look I know all too well, letting me know I need to rein in the attitude.
"Sorry, Daddy."
He rests his hand on my arm. "Pumpkin. You've known each other for a long time. Whatever it is, work it out. Malik is a good man. He may never admit it, but your friendship is important to him."
I stew on his words as we eat our meals. I wish it were that simple. My dad is right. Malik is a good man; always has been. But Malik is fighting what we both want. He's running from his feelings—from me. And as much as I'd like to share that with my dad, I can't.
Chapter Three
Wick
"Hey, Wick!" Kiwi calls out from over by the pool table. "Get your arse over here in this game, man. I want to play against some real competition."
"Fuck you, asshole." Nova flips Kiwi the bird, clearly offended by his remark.
"Just statin' a fact, brother," Kiwi continues to goad. "Don't get all sensitive on me, mate."
Chuckling, I stand from my seat at the bar and stride across the room. "The only game you have, Nova is with women."
Nova grins at my statement. "Pussy game is the only game that matters. Speaking of…" Nova tosses his pool cue at me, and I catch it. "I need to go see a doctor about the ache in my balls."
I shake my head as I watch Nova's retreating form walk out the door of the clubhouse. My brother has a whole goddamn harem, one of which is Dr. Teagan.
"You can break," Kiwi says when I turn my attention back to the game. Once Kiwi has the balls in place, I lean over the table to take my shot. Just as I have my cue lined up, my cell rings. Straightening, I set the stick down and retrieve my phone from the inside of my cut. Looking at the screen, I see it's Riggs calling. "Prez?" With it being nearly midnight, I know he's not calling to chat.
"I need you down at the bar, now," he barks into the phone his tone putting me on high alert.
"What's going on, brother?" Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kiwi set his pool stick down and step closer.
"I'll explain when you get here," he says the same moment I hear sirens in the distance before the line goes dead.
"Something is up down at the bar," I say over my shoulder as Kiwi follows me outside where we mount our bikes. Together we fire up our bikes and peel out of the compound in the direction of Twisted Throttle.
With Kiwi riding alongside me on the left, we turn the corner of St Ann Street. Kiwi and I give each other the same puzzling look as we come upon the scene in front of the bar. Several police cruisers along with a fire truck and ambulance line the street. I park a few yards away, hop off my bike and haul ass in the direction of the officer who is currently talking to Riggs and standing next to him, is his woman, Luna. I'm about ten feet from Riggs when an officer, I don't recognize, steps in front of me and places his palm on my shoulder halting my movements. "This is a potential crime scene. You can't be here."
Grabbing the motherfucker by his wrist, I twist his arm, bringing it behind his back, sending him to his knees. Already knowing what the young officer's next move will be, I place my booted foot over the hand he has braced on the ground. "This potential crime scene is about to become a fuckin' murder scene if you put your goddamn hands on me again," I spew.
The officer's face turns red from anger and humiliation. "You're going to be placed under arrest for assaulting a police officer."
Applying a bit more pressure to his wrist for good measure, I smirk down at the asshole. "I don't think I will."
The cop looks around at his colleagues. Not one of them is making a move to help him or arrest me. When my gaze lands on the Chief himself, he has an exasperated look on his face as he strolls in our direction. New Orleans Chief of Police stops in front of me and rests his hands on his utility belt. "Think you can let my rookie up there, Wick?" he says in a bored tone.
"No problem, Chief." I release my hold on the cop. The fucker goes to say something, but Chief Richards stops him.
"Look, son. I know you're new around here, but this man right here is the Vice President of The Kings of Retribution. It will do you good to remember the names and the faces of each man in their club. I may not be there to save your ass the next time you make such a careless mistake."
"You're telling me the force is tangled up with these criminals?" the guy stupidly continues.
Scoffing at his use of the word criminals, I go to lunge for the asshole. Chief Richards cuts me off. "These so-called criminals as you like to put it are the very reason we can keep the streets of New Orleans clean. Two of these so-called criminals are U.S. veterans; men who served this country with integrity and respect. These criminals also hold a charity run every year to raise money for our local school to ensure each child's lunch is paid for the year, and no child is without school supplies." By this point, the Chief is fuming, but he continues. "These so-called criminals also offer up their gun range to the force; free of charge since ours burned down two years ago." By the time Chief Richards is finished with his ass chewing it's clear the rookie is embarrassed, and it's taking all his strength to bite his tongue. "Now get your ass out of here and do your job."
Not giving the situation a second thought, I regard the Chief with a nod and make my way toward Riggs. This is not the first time someone will assume shit about the club, and it won't be the last. We're not choir boys but we also don't run shit that could get us killed anymore either. The Kings have been straight for a couple years now. The Kings use to have our hands in a lot of illegal shit, but not as much in the past three or four years. The Kings are more about the brotherhood and helping our community. There are times when we are not on the same side as the law, but our local boys in blue tend to mind their own business in those situations.
