Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

53. Luna

FIFTY-THREE

Luna

T he trip on the way to South Vacherie was very light and fun for me. I let it be what it was because I wanted to savor the moments while I had them.

Jett and I stopped for food in San Antonio at Rosario’s, a Mexican restaurant on a quaint Texas corner.

Because of the ride, the vibe was light and easy. We stuck to casual conversation. He asked if I ever got to the movies, I told him that I rarely did. He was the same.

He told me about the Ciphers and how they found him, his manner laid back as he explained, “I was a boxer. Yeah. It was fun. But you have managers. They book you fights. They tell you where to go, what to do. That’s not my style. And I wasn’t about to book the fights myself – felt uninteresting to me. A waste of my time.”

He scooped salsa with a tortilla chip and chewed for a second, then continued.

“One night I was comin’ home from a fight — my last fight, though I didn’t know it at the time. I’d won. Feelin’ good. And I heard this sound that rocked me. A woman was being attacked after the game. Two guys.”

At my expression, he nodded.

“Yeah. Brutal. I heard the struggle before I saw anything, but when you hear something like that, you know what it is.”

He smiled as if something good was coming, and leaned forward.

“Then I heard this fuckin’ commotion like you wouldn’t believe. Sounded like an explosion of fists and broken jaws. I was already runnin’ over to help and when I turned the corner to the alley, there were the Ciphers kickin’ the shit out of these two drunk guys. The girl was on the floor, staring at the chaos, stunned.”

Jett did an impression of her face, making his eyes really big like he’s seeing Godzilla looming above our table.

“I saw the Ciphers had the guys handled so I ran to the woman and helped her cover herself. She wrapped her arms around me and started cryin’ while I told her it was gonna be alright.”

“Where was this, Jett?” I asked him.

“Atlanta. Where my family is.” He leaned back and stared off for a minute, maybe picturing them. Grabbing another chip, he grinned.

“I asked the Ciphers what their deal was. They told me. I’ve never looked back.”

We stayed the night in Schulenburg, Texas because Jett said he prefers smaller towns. “Nicer people.”

He got us two rooms at the Best Western Plus, Schulenburg Inn & Suites. It was nice, but the Maverick was cooler. The new place was more cold and professional. More for business people I guess? Which is not me or Jett, not at all.

As we went to our floor, with two separate keys in our hands, Jett said, “Goodnight, Sunshine.”

I got the message his body language sent. He wasn’t going to try to stay in my room, and I shouldn’t try to stay in his.

This was the beginning of the end. Jett was putting distance between his heart and mine. I felt it in how casually friendly he was at dinner, and how little he touched me. It was like he was my brother or something…not that I’d ever had one. But he did. And I bet he treated them like that.

I couldn’t sleep for a long time in that place last night. Couldn’t stop my head from racing around the loss I was about to feel. Hell, I was feeling it already, just in the difference in how he was treating me.

I must have stared out the window at the stars for more than two hours.

He’ll be your friend, Luna.

If you need him, he’s the type of man you can call on.

Take comfort in that.

It’s better than you’ve ever had.

Those words helped me close my eyes finally.

We’re riding now, and miraculously the same feeling of freedom is in my veins. This rush is a temporary elixir to any kind of pain. It calms my soul, and looking over at Jett, I know he’s just given me another gift. I needed this.

South Vacherie, Louisiana, what kind of a place are you? Why’d they pick you?

As we turn off the road onto a winding, oak tree lined driveway, Jett leads the way. A white plantation comes into view through the fog, one reminiscent of Tara in Gone With The Wind.

My questions are answered. It’s beautiful, even with the need for paint. It looks like they left it looking a little haunted on purpose to honor the South’s past.

Our engines rumble to a stop and through the fog-refracted lights on the porch I see the Tasmanian Devil called Honey Badger swing open the front door and whistle through his fingers, before shouting, “’BOUT TIME!!!”

Between majestic columns, he runs out and jogs down the steps to grab Jett as soon as he dismounts the bike. They give each other a big man-hug, smacking each other backs with grins on their faces.

“Been too long, buddy,” Jett says with feeling.

I don’t know which one’s which of the other two guys who were at the motel that day I met Jett, but they appear next, with women who smile from the porch eyeing me.

Honey Badger’s name is too hard to forget with the stories Jett told me about what happened, and how he protected me from jail, I have a genuine smile for him when he walks over to greet me.

“Lookin’ better, girl! You were a fuckin’ mess last time I saw you.”

Laughing I nod, and he shakes my hand.

“I’m Scratch,” the salt & pepper haired man says, walking with his hand out, too.

“Hey, what about me?” Jett calls to his back.

“I gotta see this miracle girl for myself,” he calls out with fake anger. The frown disappears in a big smile as he shakes my hand. “We thought you were dead for sure.”

“So I’ve heard,” I smile, glancing to Jett. “Nice to meet you, Scratch.”

“Fuse,” the one who with a snaggle tooth says, shaking his head, just as surprised as the others to see me upright. “How was the ride?”

“Fucking incredible,” I admit.

“I bet!” He turns to Jett. “How’d you get Tonk to agree to THAT?!!”

Jett crosses his arms and grins. “It was his idea.”

“Fuckin’ liar,” Fuse mutters, turning to point to the enormous house. “That’s my old lady, Melodi.” The blonde woman gives a little wave. She’s mid-thirties and from the look on her face, hard to crack. Fuse turns to me and says under his breath, “She’ll warm up to you in time.”

My lips part, but I stop myself from correcting him. It doesn’t feel right to dampen the happy reunion with the news I’m not staying.

A black man with the same leather and patches they all have, strolls out wiping his hands. “Jett! Fuck, it’s been a long time, buddy.”

“You cookin’?” Jett asks as he embraces the man.

“Jambalaya. You ready to have your stomach burned out?”

Jett laughs. “Hell yes. This is Luna.”

The man turns to me with his hand out. I find it interesting that none of them are hugging me. I have a feeling it’s an unspoken code among them: don’t touch Ciphers’ women. The politeness of the handshakes makes me suspect that is what’s going on.

“Nice to meet you…” I trail off so he can fill in his name.

“Throb,” he says with complete seriousness. All the men crack up. He breaks into a grin, dark skin pierced by brilliantly white, straight teeth. And boy, he’s got a mouthful of them. “Nah, I’m kiddin’ ya. I’m Scythe.” He steps back to check out Tonk’s Harley. “How’s a little girl like you handle this ride.”

“You’re only calling me little because you’re a giant,” I dryly throw back.

Jett tells them all, and pretty loudly, “She handled that thing like she was born to ride. No more backseat for you, Sunshine.” Then he lowers his voice with a wicked smile. “We told Tonk she knew how, but…she didn’t.”

They all start shaking their heads, grinning like that’s the worst thing we could have done. Even the women on the porch smile. A little boy runs out and flies down the steps. He jumps at Jett and is caught midair, brought into a hug. “Hey fucker! How ya been?”

Melodi calls down, “Jett Cocker, don’t you swear like that at my Tyler, you sonofabitch!”

“Why were you gone so long?” Tyler asks Jett as he gets set back onto the asphalt.

“This was a lot longer than normal, huh Tay?” The little boy nods and Jett musses up his hair, jerking his chin toward the house and locking eyes with me. “Hungry?”

Everyone heads in, the bikes left behind. I glance back to Tonk’s hog, thinking of what Jett said about my needing one. This feeling in my chest says he’s right.