Jaded: (Beautiful Biker MC Romance Series), page 37
I smiled. Trudy returned that smile.
“Just having a natter with Rash here and then we’re heading home.”
“Your help has been very appreciated. By G and me even if the patient was ungrateful. She even need help at this point?”
“Been a couple weeks since her last treatment so she should be on the mend. That girl of yours is still lookin’ after her and has kept up most of the work on her own, us just bringing food, helping with cooking and shopping. I think Francie could get by with just a little housekeeping and a meal service rather than twenty-four-seven care. If she has to do more treatments she might need more help than that, but she can afford the professional kind.”
“Good to know. Thanks, Trudy. For everything.”
“My pleasure, handsome.”
I opened the door and the old bitch greeted me with a grimace from the kitchen bar where she stood pouring herself a glass of pop, a lit cigarette dangling from her mouth and my woman’s beautiful blonde hair on her head.
And I knew from my time here that her standing at that counter meant she could hear the conversation out on that deck as clear as if she were out there with us.
She was wearing that same tracksuit she had on the day I first met her, only now it was hanging off her. She was skinny before; now she was emaciated.
Fuck, I hated the sight of the wig on her.
“I’m takin’ her with me. You’ll have to fend for yourself for a while. Hiring a nurse might be a plan.”
Her expression dropped from a grimace to something that looked verging on emotional.
She replied, “Whatever.”
Like it didn’t matter to her.
“You know what, Francie?” I started.
Gigi burst from the bedroom and ran for me, throwing her arms around me. “How’s Jojo, what’s been happening?”
“Who’s Jojo?” Francie asked.
“No one you’d know,” I said. “All’s good, baby. She’s safe. You ready to roll?”
Gigi nodded, sinking against me. “Call you tomorrow, Aunt Francie. You need anything before I go?”
“Told you already I’ll be all right,” she said and sipped from her glass, eyes on me, as if daring me to go off on her.
“Feel better Francie,” I said with a phony as fuck smile. “I’ll be sure to share your thanks with all the people in my club who helped out.”
She gave me a hard look. “I’m a proud woman. I don’t like to ask for help from nobody. This hasn’t been easy on me.”
“I’m sure it hasn’t. Not too difficult to be decent to people tryin’ to help though, is it? It also hasn’t been easy on your niece. You’re related through G’s father, right?”
“He’s my little brother.”
“And where’s he been through all this?”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s useless. She knows that. Always has been; that’s why I took her in when she had nowhere else to go.”
Was that a dig suggesting Gigi owed her this? Because Gigi also told me the woman regularly kicked her out.
“Is he gonna step up now? Because your niece was more than happy to help you, but she has to get back to her life now. So…” I let that hang.
“I’m startin’ to feel a little better. If I need help, I’ll get it. Don’t worry about me.”
“Right.”
“When’s your next oncologist appointment, Aunt Francie?” Gigi asked.
“Next Thursday.”
“Okay, let me know if you want me to come with you and I’ll try to get back down here for it.”
I made a sound at the back of my throat.
“I’ll be fine. You go on and live your life, girl,” Francie said.
Gigi went to her aunt and pulled her into a hug. “I’m praying you’ll get better, Aunt Francie. I really, really am.”
“Mm hm.” She patted her niece’s back.
And I saw something slip in Francie’s expression. Something raw. Something bleak. Fear?
She caught my eyes on her and cleared her expression, then swallowed. “You two go on.” She gestured to the door. “Haven’t had a minute to myself in weeks. I’m gonna sit on my couch and watch some of my programs in peace and quiet. Go on.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, Aunt Francie.”
“Yeah. All right.”
This was the most pleasant I’d seen her. And she was far from pleasant.
***
“So, Jojo’s okay,” she checked, fastening her seatbelt.
“She’s unhurt.”
“What an ordeal! And now the enemies know where that cabin is. That’s a shame.”
“For sure. You confront your aunt about the money?”
She shook her head.
“Didn’t think so,” I grumbled.
“I’m sure she knows I heard. And Trudy said something so it’s obvious everyone knows. Told her she’s expecting a donation to the club’s charity. Trudy knows the social worker that came over. It’s her neighbor.”
“But you said nothing?”
“No point arguing with her. She is who she is.”
“Yeah, and fuckin’ lucky that you are who you are.”
“What’s that mean?”
“When are you gonna stop setting yourself on fire to keep people warm, baby?”
“Probably never. Want me to keep you warm, Jesse?”
I shook my head in dismay. “Damn right I do. That’s why I’m bringin’ you home. But you ought to have figured out by now that I’ll build the fire and keep you warm, too.”
She gave me a sad smile. “Sorry about all this.”
“Not your fault, hostage. But you’re back in my clutches now.” I wiggled my eyebrows.
She smiled, but it didn’t touch her eyes. “Guess I really am your hostage again, huh?” She reached for the radio dial but then pulled her hand back.
“Go ahead,” I invited. “Fuck with my radio. You know you wanna.”
She unclipped her seatbelt, leaned over to kiss my ear, then clipped her seatbelt and turned on the radio with a smile that lit up her whole face.
“I know you’re sick of hearing it, but I’ve missed you so much.”
“More like just sick of feelin’ the same. And tired of you being her doormat. If she deserved all she got from you, I’d have… actually, nah…I can’t promise I would’ve been more patient, but I would’ve tried to be.”
She squeezed my leg. “I don’t blame you for getting tired of this. And… I … I did something to get a little of my own back. I wasn’t sure I wanted to admit this to you, but… maybe you need to hear it, so you realize I’m only fifty per cent doormat.”
“What’d you do?”
She smiled with a little bit of deviousness, and it caused a stir in my jeans.
“Talking to my dad yesterday about the money situation was a bit spiteful. Daddy didn’t know about the money, but he does now, so he’s probably gonna sniff around and that’ll get on her nerves pretty badly.”
I laughed.
She said, “When we talked it out and he’s said it must’ve come from Uncle Billy’s wife, he figured Uncle Billy died with nothing since nobody told him any different and Uncle Billy didn’t live flashy. Drove an old beater. Lived in the clubhouse of his old MC until he died. I got the impression that now that Daddy knows about it, he’s gonna be making his way here. He’s gonna lay it on thick and drive her up the wall trying to borrow it or get her to invest in one of his shady business opportunities. He really gets on her nerves.”
“I’m a little impressed,” I admitted, squeezing her thigh.
She shrugged. “See, not a total angel.”
“We’ll explore the little devil in you when we get back to the swamp,” I promised.
Her eyes lit up. “Sounds like a plan. So… Jojo’s really okay?”
“Yep.”
She let out a long exhale of relief.
“When shit settles down with the enemy and we know it’s safe, we should start apartment hunting,” I told her.
She looked at me with surprise.
“We’ll get a place. Then you can settle in, find a job, and not feel claustrophobic in that clubhouse.”
“Really?”
“Really. If that’s what you want. To live with me, I mean.”
“I’d love that,” she said softly.
I squeezed her thigh. She put her hand on top of mine.
And then she sang along to Hole in my Soul by Aerosmith. Happily. And her voice made the hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stand on end.
And it made me smile for the first time in a while, realizing I was giving my girl what she needs while also getting what I need. Her with me. In my sheets. Her gorgeous voice in my ears, unembarrassed about singing her heart out.
I slowed the truck. “This is where you worked, right?”
“Yeah,” she said, “How’d you know?”
“Asked Delia.” I pulled into a parking spot. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“Let’s go what?”
“Get your money.”
“Uh…”
“C’mon,” I said.
“They might not have it ready.”
“We won’t be leaving without your money.”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t think-”
“I do. Here’s one of the benefits of hitching your wagon to a Harley man, baby. He makes sure you don’t get fucked over. And if someone has the nerve, he’ll make sure they think twice before tryin’ it again.”
I got out of the truck. She followed.
***
“Hi Georgina,” Gigi greeted the lady at the front desk hesitantly.
The woman looked up from her computer and startled before her mouth split into a dazzling smile.
“Gianna. Oh my goodness. I didn’t recognize you for a second!”
“Oh yeah,” Gigi touched her hair. “Changes.”
“Why on earth did you chop it off? You had the most beautiful hair!”
“My aunt got cancer. I had it made into a wig for her.”
The woman beamed, looking like she might cry. She looked to me and said, “That’s our Gianna.” Then she looked back to G. “It looks good. Don’t take it the wrong way. But people pay for hair like you had.”
She waved her hand. “It’ll grow back.”
“Really good to see you!”
“Georgina, this is my… boyfriend. Jesse. Jesse, this is Georgina.”
“Hello,” the older Black lady in pink scrubs greeted, holding out her hand.
“Nice to meet you.” I shook it.
“So, um, did Carolynn leave a check for me?” Gianna asked. “By some chance?”
“No. Not that I’ve heard. So sorry to hear you quit. The residents are missing you.”
“She didn’t quit. She got fired for having an emergency,” I informed. “Right after being forced to take two weeks unpaid vacation despite that the boss hired some friends.”
Georgina’s eyes widened, then her voice went low. “I was afraid of that. We didn’t think you’d just disappear like that with no notice. And those two she hired are as useless as teats on a bull.”
“Where’s the boss then?” I asked.
“In a meeting.”
“Oh,” Gigi piped up. “Okay, maybe I’ll just-” Gigi jerked her thumb toward the door.
“We’ll wait,” I said. “She’s been owed money for months.”
“Feel free,” Georgina gestured to some chairs.
“She also wants to say goodbye to the residents,” I advised.
“Oh! They’d love that. Of course she can; if I accompany her.”
I jerked my chin at my girl, who was staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth.
“I’ll just get someone to watch the phones and the door and I’ll walk you through,” Georgina said and lifted her phone with a big smile on her face.
***
Not only were there more than a few old people that were thrilled to see her, there were several coworkers who were too. Lots of remarks about her hair. Talk about how they’d miss her. Someone asked what she’d been doing, where she’d gone to work.
She seemed thrown. Like she didn’t realize she had friends or some shit. And this didn’t surprise me. This girl didn’t know her worth.
“This place fired her,” I told someone. “She moved to Aberdeen with me, but she’s been here taking care of her sick aunt. The one she cut her hair to make a wig for.”
I only said that once to someone but there was an audience of elderly people watching television and so it got shared repeatedly by a couple residents who followed us around.
After we’d gotten almost all the way through the place, having a group with us near the end as we’d picked up several who followed along for the tour, a thirty-something woman in a beige suit with short blonde hair nearly ran into me coming around a corner.
She sized me up and made a judgement immediately. Then her eyes bounced to Gigi, and it took a beat before recognition hit her eyes.
“Oh. You’re… what are you doing here?”
Georgina spoke up. “I’m just takin’ her round to say goodbye to the residents and her colleagues who all miss her.”
The woman made a face of distaste.
“I really like all the pictures on your skin,” a little old lady with a walker said to me.
“Thanks, ma’am,” I replied, then looked to the bitchy blonde. “She’s also here for her last check. It’s about three months late.”
The woman looked at me like she couldn’t believe I deigned to speak to her.
“I’m sure I mentioned it was mailed to you, Gianna.”
My girl shook her head. “I’ve left voicemails and sent a couple emails. I haven’t heard anything back from you.”
“Pay this girl her money,” an old lady who was knitting in a nearby rocking chair called out.
“Yeah!” an old man chimed in. “She shouldn’t have been fired. You should be fired! We like her. You’re a sourpuss.”
Gigi looked horrified.
That Carolynn bitch was red-faced.
Georgina was failing at hiding her amusement.
“How about you cut her a check now and we’ll be on our way,” I suggested.
“The check was most certainly issued and mailed to her,” the woman replied with a puckered-up face. Yep. The old dude was right. Sourpuss.
“She doesn’t live there anymore,” I said.
“We’ll have to file an inquiry with the bank to see if it was cashed. Then, if not, we’ll have to re-issue-”
“She said she didn’t get it. Right, G?”
My girl cleared her throat and said, “I definitely didn’t get it. I didn’t hear from you stating it was mailed and told you in my message that I needed to pick it up because I was in the process of moving.”
“Perhaps you can call the office tomorrow and I’ll look into it,” the woman tried to dismiss us.
“We’re on our way out of town. We’ll take the check now,” I advised.
“I’m sorry, but this isn’t how it’s done.”
“Give the girl her money!” the old man called out again. “My family pays good money for me to live here and if I tell ‘em you people aren’t paying your staff, they’ll have something to say about it!”
“Mister Marsden, it’s all in hand, I assure you,” Carolynn attempted to soothe, “Gianna, we’ll have to take this up later. I have another meeting.”
She attempted to usher us toward the door that’d take us back to reception.
“Where’s her office, G?” I asked.
Georgina helpfully advised, “It’s right there.” She pointed to the door to the left of the door that the woman was trying to usher us through.
I tagged G’s hand and went toward that door.
“We’re goin’ into your office, lady, and you’ll either show us the check details from your check register that shows the date that check was made out to Gianna Jones, or you’ll write us a new one. How much does this place owe you, baby?”
“Four hundred and forty-nine dollars.”
“I’m sorry, but you’ll need to leave,” Carolynn insisted. “I won’t be intimidated.”
I leaned forward and spoke low. “My girl just wants what’s owed to her. I haven’t begun to intimidate you.” I gave her a pointed look, then added, “Yet.”
“Please wait here,” she said and then she slipped into her office.
She tried to shut the door, but my motorcycle boot prevented her from doing that.
Gigi and I stepped in.
The woman was flustered, clicking through shit on her keyboard and rifling through files. We stood there. Gigi chewed her lip, looking about to laugh while I stared, gunning the bitch with my eyes. Every time she looked up to see if my eyes were still on her, she got increasingly shaky and nervous.
Three minutes later, there was a stack of cash in Gigi’s hands and the woman said nothing further about a previous check being lost, canceled, or investigated. She only had Georgina come in, presumably as a witness, before having Gigi sign a petty cash note stating she’d received the money.
There was no previous fucking check. She was expecting my girl to just go away. Probably because she was non-confrontational.
“Thank you. Have a great day,” I said exaggeratedly. “Watch out for dark alleys, though.” I gave her a severe look.
Gianna grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. “Goodbye, Carolynn. Take care Georgina. Jesse, come on.”
“Stay in touch!” Georgina called. “I’ll add you on Facebook. And if you need a reference, use me!”
There were a handful of people still mulling around in the hallway, getting a show. There were smiles all around. They ate it up.
She got a couple hugs. Some well wishes. Some requests to come back and visit sometime from some of the residents. And then we were out of there.
On our way to my truck, my girl looked at me and said, “I shoulda asked for a letter of recommendation. She would’ve said anything I wanted to get you out of there.”
I gave her a serious look. “You had friends there, you know.”
“I didn’t realize, but yeah, I guess I did. Thanks, baby,” she kissed me.
“My pleasure, hostage. But, you’re buying me dinner on the way home.”
She laughed.
When we were in my truck, she said, “Actually, Jesse. After buying dinner, I think I wanna give the rest to Delia. It’s almost half of the cremation bill. I really don’t feel right about her paying for it, especially after all that’s gone on the last few weeks with Aunt Francie, how they all kicked in to help and she just… took advantage. You know?”
