Red (Hell’s Jury MC #5)

28. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

Red

Sorcha’s lips press tighter as she walks from room to room. In the kitchen, she opens the fridge, tilts her head, then closes it, then she checks out the lower cabinets before gazing at the back yard.

“That’s not a very good swing set,” she says as she points.

“I’m gonna get a new one,” I tell her.

“How will I get to it? The deck’s broken and the grass looks horrible.”

“I know. Some of my brothers… uh… friends are coming over this afternoon to help clean it up.”

She heads towards the stairs, stopping to scowl at the living room. “Where’s the TV?”

“We’ll get one of those. I promise.”

I follow her upstairs. She peeks in the bathroom and nods. That seems to pass her stamp of approval.

In my bedroom, she looks at the unmade bed, the clothes dumped on a chair. “The gramma makes her bed in the morning.”

“I will too,” I promise her. There’s nothing quite like being scolded by a five-year-old.

“But mommy didn’t, so I guess it’s okay.”

The second bedroom is empty and she passes it with no comment. In the third bedroom, she sees the packages in the corner. “What’s those?”

Those packages are for Gabby. For decorating the room before she comes. I think about how little I’ve given Sorcha over her lifetime. The neglectful big brother. Guilt hits me hard. And she doesn’t really know about Gabby. Has never met her.

“Take a look,” I tell her. The stuff inside the bags will work as well for one little girl as the other.

She runs over and kneels before them, then takes the biggest bag and opens it. “These look like sheets,” she says, her brow furrowed.

“They are. For the bed.”

“Where’s the bed?”

“I haven’t bought it yet.”

She opens all the packages. They’re full of pictures, books, a few toys. “All for me?”

“Yeah,” I Iie.

She runs her hand down the hair of a doll then nods her approval. “Can she get some more clothes?”

“Yep.”

“Can I pick out the bed?”

“Yep.”

She stands and wipes her knees. “Are we gonna get a bed for Stella too?”

I swallow. There’s no decision made about whether Stella will move in. It’s just been a thing I’ve assumed. “Stella’s gonna sleep with me.”

“Like the gramma and grampa.”

“Exactly.”

“Will she make cookies like the gramma?”

I sit on the floor, lean my back against a wall. “I don’t know. Stella doesn’t live here yet.”

Sorcha sits next to me, back against the wall in the exact same pose. She pats my arm, then my hand. “Why not?”

“She has her own place.”

“I want her to live here.”

“That’s up to Stella.”

“I’ll tell her.”

She pauses, looks around the room. “It’ll be lonely without Stella.”

I agree. “Sorcha, there’s something I need to tell you.”

She gazes up at me with big eyes. “Are you going away?” There’s a tremble to her lips.

“No, little sister. I’m never gonna leave you.” I think about Hangman getting shot; Zero, who died trying to save Hash’s life. Hash almost beaten to death. Lord, our former president, in a wheelchair. I’m a liar. “I have a daughter. Her name is Gabby. She’s six.”

Sorcha’s eyes widen. Curiosity mixed with anticipation. “Like mom has me?”

Had, little one. Had. “Yeah, exactly like that.”

“I’m gonna be another sister, then?”

I realize that some of the things other people take for granted are missing from our lives, like aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents. It’s information Sorcha doesn’t know. “No, not a sister, an auntie.”

She frowns like I’m insulting her. “What’s an auntie?”

“It’s complicated. I’m your brother, you’re my sister.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“When a brother has a baby, then his sister becomes an aunt. Just like when you have a baby, I’ll be the uncle. And Stella will be the aunt.” I hope.

“I’m not having a baby until I’m older.”

Thank Christ for that. “Yeah. You have to grow up first.”

Her eyes grow distant as she looks at the ceiling to process the information. “So when you and Stella have a baby, I’ll be another auntie.”

“That’s right.”

“Is that girl gonna live here?”

“Sometimes. She lives with her mom most of the time.”

“Like I lived with my mom.” Her eyes get teary as she puts her thumb in her mouth. “I miss mommy.”

I hug her to me. “I do too, Sorcha.”

My phone rings. It’s Rider. I sigh. Hell’s Jury is starting to feel like a weight around my neck. “Hey,” I say as I pick up. Sorcha wanders over to the packages, picks up one of the books and pages through it.

“I got the guys rounded up to get your yard cleaned up. Afternoon okay?”

I think about it. The more this place looks habitable, the better my chances are to have my two little girls with me. “Yeah. It works. Two o’ clock?”

“No prob. Bring beer, I’ll bring the manpower.”

“It might take more than one day.”

Rider snorts. “I’m sure they’ll come back.”

“Thanks brother,” I tell him. Rider’s from Las Vegas. A man of many skills and seems to have them all mastered too.

“I’m hungry,” Sorcha says as I end the call.

My stomach rumbles. “Me too. Let’s go back to gramma’s house.”

She stops at the curb and exaggeratedly looks both ways. “I think it’s safe now.”

There’s not a car in sight. “I think so too.”

When we get inside, Sorcha disappears into the kitchen. I stand by the door awkwardly, not sure whether I should follow Sorcha or go looking for Stella.

My prayers are answered when Stella pops out of the kitchen and comes over to me, hugging me tight around the waist. That’s not good enough, so I lift her chin and kiss her gently.

She slides her arms around my neck then pushes me back against the wall and shoves her pelvis against my dick. “Oh the things I want to do with you.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I say under my breath. “Cut it out. You’re making my dick hard and your fuckin’ parents are here.”

She chuckles. “It’s astounding that you can suppress your potty mouth when you need to.”

I untangle myself from her. “You behave or there will be consequences.”

She raises her eyebrows and smiles. “C’mon. Selma and Lexie are here.”

“And that’s supposed to cheer me up?”

“You’ll love them when you get to know them.” She pauses. “Well, at least Lexie.”

We enter the kitchen and everyone looks at me with varying iterations of ‘hello.’ All women. All eyes on me including Sorcha’s.

“Where’s your dad?” I ask Stella.

“Went to the office, needed some files. And you should maybe start calling him Stuart, and mom’s name is Sherri.” Her eyes dance. “Unless you want to call them mom and dad.”

“Shit, no.” I look at Sherri. “No offense.”

Sherri giggles as she puts a huge plate of sandwiches on the table. “Sit there,” she commands as she points to an empty chair. “I’ll go broke feeding all of you.”

Lexie helps herself first like she lives here. “Thanks Mrs. L.,” she mumbles as she chews.

The rest of us grab our food and start to eat. An uncomfortable silence descends until Sorcha breaks it. “Gramma, I saw Lachlan’s house today. It’s big like yours.”

“It’s your house too, honey,” mom says.

Sorcha’s eyes widen. “It’s my house. Neat.” She turns to Lachlan. “You have to fix my house up.”

We laugh. “I’m gonna get started on that today,” I say. “My friends are coming over to help.”

“Outside, you said. Who’s gonna fix the inside?”

“I am,” Stella announces.

“Starting today?”

“Yep, right after lunch.”

“Lexie and I’ll help,” Selma says.

Hell no, I think, but say, “Thank you, but I’m sure you have better things to do.”

“They don’t,” Sorcha says, then turns her puppy dog eyes on them. “Do you?”

“Nope,” Lexie replies. “Nothing’s as important as you.”

“I’ve seen the inside of your house. We’re going to need a credit card,” Selma says to Lachlan.

Mom stares hard at Selma. “When did you see the inside of his house?”

I grin as Selma scrambles for a reply, then she opts to ignore the question as she turns her attention back to me. “Maybe you should give it to us now in case you forget when you start all the manly stuff in the backyard.”

I open my wallet and hand my credit card to Stella, not her fuckin’ sister.

“What’s the credit limit?” Selma asks.

Sherri gasps. “Selma! You don’t ask stuff like that.”

Selma turns to Sherri. “Have you seen the inside of his house?” She winces as she realizes she’s fallen into her own trap twice.

“My house,” Sorcha says.

“Sorcha’s house,” Selma echoes.

Sherri narrows her eyes at Selma. “No, I haven’t.”

Stella giggles as Selma struggles for a reply.

Lexie comes to her rescue. “We were looking for Stella. We bought some girl guide cookies for her and you know how she loves those cookies.”

That distracts Sherri. “Stella, I’ve told you a million times to cut back on the sugar. All those empty carbs will sap your energy and you’ll play like a slug.”

Stella throws eyefuls of darts in Lexie’s direction.

Sorcha yawns. “What’s a slug?”

“It’s a slimy green bug that moves really slow.”

Sorcha studies Stella. “She doesn’t look like a slug.”

“Doesn’t look like one,” Selma teases. “But she’s slimy.”

“She is not,” Sorcha replies then yawns again.

Sherri picks her up. “You girls clean up. Sorcha and I are going to read a book.”

I check the time as Selma and Stella get up. Lexie grabs one more sandwich before Stella takes the plate away. “When are they getting here?”

“Around two. I gotta get some beer.”

“You can’t,” Selma replies. “We have your credit card.”

“Give it back then,” I say.

“We’ll buy the beer for you,” Selma says as she clears the table of the plates.

“You’re underage.”

“Selma isn’t.” Lexie says. “She’s practically an old lady.”

And so the banter goes, all three girls talkin’ shit at each other. Lexie doesn’t move from where’s she sitting at the table and neither Selma nor Stella seem to expect her too.

A lump grows in my throat as I watch this family. I think about Sherri and Stuart and how they’d do anything for their daughters. They’d even welcome an ex-con thug and his orphaned sister into their home, then do everything they can to help them.

This is what I want for my sister and daughter. I want them to know the safety and security that Stella and Selma have. I want them to take for granted that I’ll always be there to rag on them, love them, steer them in the right direction. And I want Stella to be part of that.

When everything’s cleaned up, Stella hands my credit card to Selma. “You and Lexie go get the beer and bring it back. We’ll meet you at Lachlan’s house.”

After they leave, Stella sits down next to me. “Don’t get mad,” she prefaces.

I groan. “What have you done now?”

“I told mom about your mom’s body being released and that you wanted her cremated, but didn’t know what to do. She said she’d sort things out for you if you wanted.”

Yeah. Back to the lump in my throat. “‘Thank you,” I say gruffly.