“Wasn’t expecting her to show up but not gonna complain.”
“She has trouble written all over her. Viking’s family but if you were to put a claim in that would sway some votes come church.”
“Votes?” I stare past him as Sandman and Bianca share a few words with Karma. She’s sizing Bianca up and that pisses me off.
“I take it she’s not told you why she’s really here. Need to talk to her before I call church. Then decide where ya stand and let me know. Shit is never easy, man. But hell, anything worth having never is.”
Fuck me. Whatever Karma is hiding it’s gotta be big for Prez to be calling a vote on it. I don’t want to spoil the party but god damn I want to punch something.
“Get a hold on it. Lock that shit down. Save that anger for when its needed. Trust me. You’re gonna need it when the time comes. We got a lot of heavy shit to wade through but grab a beer and get laid. We’ll sort Karma and this business with the dead stripper soon enough.” Another one of the girls from our strip club turned up dead in a dumpster recently. We’ve got more than our fair share of trouble.
“Right,” I mutter. It’s time for that joint. I leave Prez to make his rounds. “I need a word.” I pull Karma away from Holy and Hazel by her upper arm.
Holy shoots me a knowing look, and I wonder if everyone here knows what the fuck she’s hiding but me.
“Out back. Now.”
“I can walk on my own thank you very much.”
I ignore her smart assed mouth and keep moving her through the crowd till we hit the back door. It’s chilly and no one else has meandered out here yet. I let her go when the door shuts and pull a joint out of my cigarette pack. I light it up and hold it out to Karma. “Want a hit before you start talking?”
She shakes her head. “Torsten told you.”
“Nope.” I take a deep toke and hold it in.
Karma grabs the joint, having changed her mind, taking a couple fast puffs before blowing smoke rings into the night air. “Can we talk about this later? Pam went to all this trouble.”
“You blow into town, and I straight up asked you what you’re running from. You lied to me. Straight to my face. You’ve always known where you stand with me, darlin’. Always. Never bullshitted you.” I take the joint back from her and hit it even harder.
“You think I want to pull you into this shit. Fuck. Things aren’t like they are here. Out there in the real world people have secrets. Bad people do whatever the fuck they want, and women are expected to bend over and take it. You think I want to tell you that I’m a coward. That I fucked up in more ways than one. You put me on a pedestal that I don’t deserve, and I don’t want you to look at me the way I know you’re going to when I tell you. More than that though I don’t want you to run off and play hero and get yourself killed. I made this mess. Me.”
“You think we live in a fantasy world here. Bullshit. Got people turning up dead. Being kidnapped. Fucking Nickel was murdered. Ruthie and Grudge double crossed us. But let me clue you in, babe. I’m not a man who sits by while his woman goes to another man for help, blood or not.”
“I’m not your woman.”
“The hell you’re not. You’ve been mine since the moment we met. I let you go last time but not this time.” I back her up against the clubhouse and flick the joint in the mud. Her back hits the wall and I close the gap between us. “There’s a reason it was me here when you showed.”
Karma shakes her head as I lean in closer. “Give me tonight. Please, Darius.”
Shit she is going for my weakness. Calling me by my birth name. “Fine, but first thing tomorrow I want the truth. All of it. No more lies. No more dodging.”
“I promise.” Her breath hits my lips, and I close the last inch separating us. She shivers as I kiss her.
“You cold?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s get back in there.”
The party is in full swing when we get back inside Devil’s Playground. Karma and I hit the bar for another drink when Pam goes into labor. Link swoops in to carry her out bridal style. I move to get the door.
“Can you drive?” Link looks to me once we get outside. He’s been taking shots of Jose Cuervo.
I’ve only had one beer and two tokes off a joint. “I’m solid.” I wouldn’t get behind the wheel if I was stoned or drunk. Link gets in the back with Pam and Karma sits in the front passenger seat. I adjust the mirrors and my seat and roll out going a few miles over the speed limit but nothing crazy. I don’t want to get pulled over.