“Not when the girls talk, no. So Shay is good for you and I know you’re good for her. She lacks confidence and security. You give her both. That’s all good and I see you two sticking it out.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Shut up and let me finish, Ford.”
Rolling my eyes, I gesture for him to continue.
“You don’t have to be alone. I don’t know any other enforcer that doesn’t hook up eventually. Shit, climbing in and out of different chicks’ beds gets hard eventually. Finding one bed to stay in ain’t about weakness. It’s about being smart, so let’s clear that out of the way. I’m happy as a fucking clam about you and Shay. Now, here’s why I want to talk to you.”
Lucky glances at his kids and finds Pax teaching Joey how to improve his swing. Shay and Paige are probably talking about their hair based on how they’re looking at the ends of their ponytails.
“You need to blow off Shay until you deal with this Paro fucker.”
“Here it goes.”
“No, I’m not talking about ending anything. If she’s going to be cool with your life, she needs to know jobs come along where you need space. This is that time. You can’t be dealing with the west side then running to Shay for a quickie. Crush the fuckers who messed with Tiny and the club, so Shay will be safer. Everyone will be safer. That’s your job for the club.”
I look at Shay and find her watching us. Thinking Lucky’s meddling, she wears the same expression as any girl when papa bear fucks with her life. I don’t want to go a day without seeing Shay, let alone however long it’ll take to deal with the Paro shit.
“This thing we have,” I mutter, “it’s not real. If I bail for a few days, who’s to say the fantasy doesn’t fall apart?”
Lucky gives me the same look I sense he gives to his kids. Having never seen him look at anyone in the club that way, I get my back up about him pitying me.
“You’re into Shay. Do you really think a few days apart will make her less hot?”
“Shit happens.”
“I should warn you that a chick like Shay will be clingy after your separation. When I get back from visiting my mom, Jenn attaches herself to me for days. She used to do it for longer, but I guess I’m not as irresistible as I once was.”
I glance at Shay again. Her arms are now crossed. She winks once she notices me looking at her. I grin then look back at Lucky.
“I’ll take a few days break, but you gotta tell me why you brought Shay to Little Memphis. She’s not your kid, so why bring her here and chance starting shit with your old lady?”
“You won’t believe me.”
“Then I won’t believe you, but I still want to know.”
“It’s not really about Shay, but about a chick I knew awhile back. Dani stripped at the same club years ago. I’d come in to chat her up. She was hot, but I wasn’t interested in cheating. I’d gone solo with Jenn by then or else I’d have made a move with Dani. Once I had my woman, I could look, but never touch.”
Lucky glances at his kids who are whining about the cold. “Dani had a lot of issues like Shay. Shitty parents and loser boyfriends. She was stuck in Hawthorne and I thought about bringing her here. I didn’t because I worried about Jenn assuming something. You know how rumors happen. Everyone would think Dani was my side chick. I didn’t need the hassle, so I never asked her. Each time I saw her, I considered asking her to leave Hawthorne, but I always chickened out.”
Lucky stands up. “Dani ended up in a dumpster. Cops never caught the fucker who did it. When I found out, I made a bunch of threats about finding the guy and making him pay. I never did because there’s nothing to go on. So a good woman like Dani was in a hard place in her life and I bailed. She wasn’t my responsibility, but I liked her and she didn’t deserve to be thrown away like trash. When I met Shay, she was beating down some pervert fucker and I took her for coffee. She reminded me of Dani. I got a gut feeling that if I walked away from her, I’d regret it.”
Lucky starts walking back to his kids and I follow them. “That’s the real story, but no one would fucking believe me. They want something bigger like she’s my long lost kid, so Jenn plays along. Shay’s a good girl and I wouldn’t mind her being mine. Too bad her real dad is a random fucker with big ears.”
“Yeah, she’s really missing out by not knowing him.”
Lucky laughs then waves for his kids to join him. “We’ll see you later.”
Shay gives him a quick hug before wrapping her arms around my waist.
“Tell me I’m still hot,” she whispers.
When I look her over to be sure, Shay rolls her eyes. “You look frozen in a way only a good fuck will fix.”
“Do you think you could spend the whole day with me without fucking? Would you even want to? I only ask because I’ll be on the rag soon.”
“Will this no fucking day involve any sucking?”
“Maybe once, but I won’t put much effort since I’ll be on the rag. I’m kinda bitchy during that time of the month and no amount of Midol will fix it. Talk about scary.”
I grin. “You’re kinda bitchy right now.”