Page 36 of Joker's Ghost
I debate showing her the pictures, but we promised each other long ago we wouldn’t keep secrets from each other.
“Right before I went down the basement with Python, I got this message.” I swipe up my phone and hit my messages, then show her the pictures.
One of her coming out of our motorcycle shop, one of Derek coming out of his karate class, and the last, a newspaper clipping of Bugsy Siegel’s murder. The same shot’s been shown over the years of him laid out on his couch with a bullet in his eye, then the words,we have eyes on you.
“Shit.” She rubs her hand over her belly. “Who would send you something like that?”
“I don’t know, but I got this right before I went in the basement with Python.”
“So, you probably had this on your mind when you were coming back up the stairs. You were distracted, and that’s how you fell.”
I shook my head, then regretted the movement. “No, it wasn’t like that.” I heave in a breath. “It was like I was pushed.”
“Pushed? By who?”
“Right before I fell, I heard this high-pitched noise, like avibration or a loud humming.” I massage the back of my neck. “Then everything swirled together, and the next thing I know, I’m waking up on the floor of the basement.”
“Python said it was a bad fall. You practically fell down the entire flight. You were out for almost twenty minutes, and even after Doc Henderson came, you were still so groggy.” She grabs my hand in hers. “I was so worried. We all were, then you finally woke up.”
“But here’s the thing, I woke up before then in the ‘30s.”
Daisy’s brows draw together. “You were probably having a dream while you were unconscious.”
“Or it was some kind of vortex, like time-travel.”
“You got hit really hard on the head so?—”
“Don’t do that.” I push off the bed and glare down at her. “I’m not fuckin’ crazy. I’m telling you it was real. I think it was a warning. And now I’ve lost the talisman that was supposed to keep you safe.”
“A warning? What kind of talisman?”
“You know I can’t get into club business, but we’ve had some problems with a club up north, and I think those pics on my phone and what happened tonight are part of it.”
“We can’t do anything about this tonight, and since you shouldn’t sleep for a while, I can think of another way you can relax.”
“Babe, I appreciate the offer, but my head is still throbbing. I don’t think?—”
My beautiful pregnant wife slides to the floor in front of me. “Who said anything aboutyoudoing something? I was thinking I could run this show.” Her nimble fingers easily undo the button and zipper of my pants, and when her warm hand circles my cock, my eyes slide shut.
She pulls the loose material wider, working me from root to tip, then, without warning, she devours me. Taking me into her warm, wet mouth and, swear to fuck, she was right, my entire body relaxed for the first time tonight.
CHAPTER 12
Day After Halloween
JOKER
When I wake up the next morning, I feel like I drank a fifth of vodka. My scalp feels two sizes too small for my head, and the lump at the base of my skull is tender and swollen. Even remembering Daisy’s amazing blow job last night doesn’t ease the pain.
I reach for the other side of the bed. The sheets are still warm but empty. Since Daisy entered her last trimester, she’s had boundless energy. Normal and predictable, as she was the same when she was pregnant with Deana.
I check my phone—nine a.m. Shit, I never sleep this late, usually I’m in the garage by seven.
Slowly rolling to the side of the bed, I gently raise my body. Thankfully, there is no nausea or dizziness as the doctor predicted, just the worst headache ever. I creep to the bathroom, shake out four more Advils and down them, hoping they do the trick real fuckin’ fast. I take a piss, wash my hands and head for the kitchen for some much-needed coffee.
Daisy’s wiping down the counters when I come up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. She startles slightly,then turns in my arms. I pull her as close as possible with her baby bump getting bigger every day.
She cups my face with her palm. “How’re you feeling?”
