“There is a tournament this weekend, and I can win it, Morrison. I can win it and pay him off!”
“You need to think about that real hard.” I look over at Marisa, who is sitting on my leather couch with a bowl of grapes, wearing my wireless Bose headphones and singing along to some cartoon show.
“Do you like Sofia the Firs?” she yells when she sees me looking at her.
I smile and nod my head, even though I have no fucking clue what she is talking about. And I am sure she’s gonna spill those sticky-ass grapes all over my couch, but I’m okay with it. I am, dammit.
“Did you hear me?”
I look back at Hailey, who is scowling at me, and I shake my head. “Unless it’s ‘Morrison, I know you’re right, because last night I admitted nothing is more important than the little singing chick on your couch, and I am just so fucking st—’?”
“Watch your mouth in front of her,” she scolds.
“She can’t hear me.” I laugh. “No more hustle, Hailey.”
“I have to keep her safe.”
“Well, that means you have to be safe. Who does she have without you?” Yes, I am laying it on thick, but that fucking wall of hers looks much better crumbled on the ground at her feet.
“You just want to own me, fuck me—”
“Watch your mouth in front of her,” I throw her words back at her, and she scowls again but says nothing. “Here’s another thing you need to stew about: I’m not gonna touch you, and I don’t want to own you. I want to do something right. I made a promise to a woman that I would do good in this fucked-up world, and I have been a selfish prick up until now. So, if you need to keep up this tit-for-tat shit with the checks and balances, add that to the I owe you side. Now get that fine little ass in there and pack up a couple suitcases so we don’t miss our flight.”
She doesn’t move.
“Little momma, don’t make me say it again.”
—
We pull up in front of Hendrix’s place in a cab, and Marisa looks out the window. “It’s green here.”
“It sure is.” I get out and snatch up the little chick because, honestly, I’m thinking Hailey might slam the door and lock it before telling the cabdriver to pull out and take her away from here.
I keep Marisa in one arm and grab bags out of the trunk with the cabbie. Then I pay him and watch as Hailey glances around skeptically.
“Look what the cat dragged in.” I look behind me as the garage door opens to see Hendrix, Jagger, and Livi walking toward us.
“Surprise.” I laugh. “Marisa, these two clowns are my brothers, Hendrix and Jagger, and this here is Livi, my sister-in-law.”
She wiggles out of my arms and does a little princess curtsy. “How do you do?”
“Little chick, they’re just people like us; save that sh—” Hailey elbows me. “Oops, my bad. Save that stuff for the queen.” I start introducing Hailey. “This is my…um…my…”
“I’m Hailey, a friend of Morrison’s.” She reaches out and shakes their hands.
“We’re gonna grab the SUV,” I say, “head down the road, find a place to stay, and—”
“Nonsense, you’ll stay here.” Livi crouches down and smiles at Marisa. “You don’t want to stay at a stuffy old hotel, do you?”
She smiles and shrugs.
“We have plenty of room here.”
“Livi”—Hendrix wraps his arm around her waist—“they’re more than welcome to stay, but if they don’t want to—”
“What do you say, Hailey?” I ask. “Wanna crash here for a couple of days?”
“That would be very nice. Thank you,” she replies timidly, still taking everything in.
“Good. Now the guys can grab the bags and us girls will go find Marisa a room. It’s late; you must be tired,” Livi says, standing and smiling at Hailey.
“Nope.” Marisa smiles and takes both Hailey’s and Livi’s hands.
Once inside the garage, I look at my brothers. “Don’t judge me. Yeah, I should have called, but there wasn’t time, and I wasn’t sure she was gonna come.”
“She your girl?” Hendrix asks.
“She’s fucking hot.” Jagger winks at me.
“She’s a friend who is in trouble with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, scum-of-the-earth, Vegas loan shark. He thinks she owes him something and threatened to take the kid. Ain’t happening on my watch.”
“Why you watchin’ if you ain’t tappin’?” Jagger asks.
“Respect, Jag,” Hendrix warns.
“Random hookup; didn’t even know she has a kid.”
“You okay with that?” Jagger asks.
“Hottest piece of ass I’ve ever had. Shit’s platinum. I might have a problem.”
“Problem?” Hendrix questions.
“Yeah. She’s stubborn, has walls as high as the sun. Thinks she has to keep things even, afraid to owe someone. Same way with sex; she insists on giving as good as she gets.”
“Where’s the problem in that?” Jag questions, then laughs.
Hendrix and I both just look at him.
“Okay, fine, we don’t give it like that.” He nods.