But I knew that Cora could help me with that, too.
“My motorcycle. My driver’s license. Then I need to find a girl,” I said, turning my head. “I need help finding Johnny’s sister, Blaise.”
Her eyes widened. “What do you need help finding her for?”
Cora knew the whole story.
She knew why I’d gone down for what I’d gone down for.
She knew that Blaise was the reason why, just like she knew that I should probably stay away from her seeing as the last time I was around her—at least to her knowledge—I’d gotten sent to prison for a lot of years.
“Well…” I paused. “So she was a prison guard. You know that, right?”
“Yes.” She paused. “Oh, fuck. You’re going to tell me that I’ve just helped you break out of prison, aren’t you? That’s why I had to meet you in the back. It’s also why you’re wanting to get to your fast motorcycle and explains why you didn’t call Coke. Because you knew that I would help you without question.”
I patted her on the arm.
“I didn’t break out of prison,” I explained through a chuckle. “I got out early because there’s a guy that needs my particular set of skills, and he knows people in high places. People that are presidents and shit. I was pardoned officially. I need to get to Blaise because… I’m not ready to tell anyone yet. But just know that we have some things to discuss, and it needs to be done sooner rather than later.”
She breathed out a sigh of relief.
“I mean, I would’ve totally taken you wherever you needed to go. I would’ve had to leave my husband and kids behind, though, when I went to jail. You know I never supported you taking that plea deal.” She narrowed her eyes at me in a scowl.
I rolled my eyes at her. “I know. But… it was the better end of the bargain for me. I was going down for it. I might as well go down for it for fewer years.”
Which was exactly what I’d done.
I knew the rules.
I knew what I was getting myself into.
I just hadn’t expected them to do what they did quite so spectacularly or forget the nearly twenty years of service I had under my belt.
“It’s all bygones now.” I tried for nonchalance when all I was feeling was anger. “Did you get a chance to look at places for rent?”
She blinked at me owlishly. “It just so happens that I got you a house right next to a certain renter.”
I tilted my head slightly sideways. “What?”
“Johnny told me about a place that was up for rent next to his rental house.” She paused. “And I signed the lease on it yesterday for you. I know you said you wanted to look around, but this place is awesome. No joke. And it’s close to where you said you wanted to be.”
I’d told her that I’d like to be near Souls Chapel, and she’d run with it.
That meant that a certain woman would be there, too.
“It doesn’t come up for another month, though,” she said. “So you can stay with us until then.”
That actually sounded awful.
Coke and Cora had two kids. Mackie. Jackie. Mackie and Jackie, although sweet as could be, were also giant pains in the ass.
The thought of being with them for a short amount of time sounded great. Anything longer than a couple of hours, though…
“I need to go back to my storage shed,” I admitted. “Get it packed up and brought down here. Plus, Bronx already offered me a place to stay. I would offend him if I didn’t.”
That was a lie. It was all packed up and ready to be brought down here the moment I told the movers I needed it. And Bronx had no fucking idea that I was out, let alone staying with him.
But he would understand that the moment that I told him about Cora’s offer.
Again, they were sweet and all, but I didn’t want to be anywhere around their kids.
Just the thought of their kids made me think about my possible kid on the way.
“What’s that look for?” she asked as she started driving.
I looked at her. “I don’t want to tell you just yet.”
I was still trying to wrap my head around it.
Plus, telling her before I even had that conversation with Blaise seemed like a bad idea.
Cora would have questions… and I didn’t have answers yet.
Plus, she was only six weeks along.
Didn’t most people wait until they were farther along to tell anyone because of the chance of losing the baby?
Just the thought of Blaise losing the baby, though, made panic roll through me.
“You’re really being weird,” she grumbled as she turned into the nearest gas station. “Now, pump the gas for me? I’m starving and I could really use a Snickers or something to hold me over until I can get home.”