you just gave mine a bunch of money and told her to fuck off.” I sigh and let my head fall onto his shoulder. “But I can’t help being glad that you did.”
Pike rests his head against mine then lifts it. His eyes wide with an idea. “I’ve got a solution.”
“What?” I ask, hopefully.
“It’s not a what. It’s a who,” he says. “You’ve met her before.”
Instantly, I know who he’s talking about. “No, not her. Not again.”
Pike smiles and I want to both kiss him and smack him for being so smug.
“I wish you would just stay out of this so I don’t have to worry about you getting caught up in my mess!” I cry. As the words leave my lips, I know it’s not true. Yes, I want to keep Pike safe, but no I don’t want him to stay out of it. Not really. I need all the help I can get and Pike is the only person alive that I trust.
He rubs the pad of this thumb over my lips and they part on instinct. “It ain’t just your mess, Mic. Although it’s cute to think you caused all this shit. It’s just as much mine as it is yours and whether you like it or not I don’t give a fuck. I’m going to help you. Help us. And you’re going to let me,” he brushes his lips over mine.
My entire body trembles. “Why would I do that?”
“Because, deep inside you want to, and if that’s not enough,” he traces his lips over the sensitive skin of my ear. “Because I have Mindy.”
10
Mickey
I burst into Percy’s trailer unannounced and slam the door shut behind me, leaning against it, out of breath and dizzy.
Percy is on the bed, laying over the blankets, perched against the headboard with an open notebook in his lap and a pen pressed to the corner of his mouth. “You just get chased or something?” he asks, placing his pen between the pages and closing the book, pushing it off his lap onto the bed.
Chased out from the fucking dark, maybe.
“Why does Pike have Mindy?” I blurt.
Percy smiles. “Because he won’t hurt her, and because you trust him. I didn’t want her around these people, and I made you a promise. Lord knows what would happen to her here. Thought you might like to see her at Pike’s when all this shit is over.”
“You went there? To see Pike?” I ask breathlessly. “And he didn’t kill you? Why?” I’m yelling at him because I’m angry although I’m not sure if it’s because he went and brought Pike and my sister together without telling me or because he risked his life to do so. Either way, it was an impressive move and very brave, but I can’t help the anger exploding from within me from all of the unanswered questions that keep mounting on top of one another with each tick of the clock.
He shrugs. “I told him that I’m on your side. I told him everything. Plus, we made a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” I demand to know with a hand on my hip.
“The kind of deal that will take place when this is all over. He agreed.”
“But why are you on my side? When did you become this person? You haven’t told me shit,” I blurt, growing frustrated at not knowing, and irritated that I’ve been left in the dark.
Although, relieved that my sister is at Pike’s.
She’s safe. She’s finally safe.
“Sit. I’ll tell you.” Percy pats the bed beside him, and I take a seat. He pulls out a picture from between the pages of the notebook and passes it to me. It’s of a beautiful woman with bright brown eyes and a smile that could knock a man to his knees. “She’s gorgeous,” I say out of admiration.
“I know,” he says with a sigh, tucking the picture back into his journal then shoving the journal into a drawer.
“I hate to point out the obvious, but she’s a cop,” I say, referring to her dark blue uniform.
He chuckles. “Corrections Officer,” he says, with pure pride in his voice. “I’m surprised you didn’t mention that she’s also black.”
“I was waiting for you on that one,” I say. “How did you two meet?”
He smiles. “She was one of the Corrections Officers in the prison. She was assigned to my cell block”
My eyes widen in surprise. “Well, now that’s shocking. Continue.”
He tucks his hands beneath his head and leans back into the memory, staring