OUTLAW KING(55)
“It’s the changing table, bro,” I said. “Go upstairs with it.”
“It’s your kid,” Slam said.
“And you’re the one helping me,” I said.
Behind Slam was Knox.
We finally settled on a house. Well, Linds did. This was her project, not mine. I would give her the world. With her new job she was able to get a mortgage. With my work ethic I had earned enough fast enough to put a nice chunk of payment on the house.
All the jail shit?
It was pretty simple.
The story stuck.
Ted was the guy Uncle Jakey told me to call. The card he gave me. Uncle Jakey bought the damn warehouse as a way to conduct some side business. He set the entire thing up without telling any of us what was going to happen. I was shot for two reasons. First, to clarify the story to keep my ass out of prison and second, to give me punishment for all the dumb shit I did.
I didn’t question a thing because it was all worked out.
Anderson shot me and Ted shot Anderson. Ted had the means to paperwork and some judges to keep things moving. It took all of a month to settle everything. Just like that, I was a free man… mostly. I had a world of shit trouble to deal with but it would pass with time.
Speaking of passing time…
Linds came walking into the house. Her belly was growing, pushing against her shirt. I hugged her, touched her belly, and kissed her.
We were just a couple weeks away of being able to find out what we were having.
“What do you think of your castle?” I asked.
“It’s perfect.”
“Motherf*cker!” Slam’s voice bellowed from upstairs. “What the f*ck are you doing, Knox? Put the f*cking thing down.”
I smiled and cupped my hands over Linds’s belly. “Sorry about that. I’m trying to cover the baby’s ears.”
“And they’re going to help you build the nursery?”
“Yes they are. My best friends and brothers.”
“That’s going to be a nursery laced with cursing, huh?”
“Yeah. But would you want it any other way?” I asked.
“With you… nothing shocks me, King.”
“Good. So now can we spend the rest of our lives together? Like the way it’s meant to be?”
Linds slipped her hands around my neck. She pulled me down to her. We kissed. And we kept kissing until Matteo walked through the door carrying the mattress for the crib.
“No, don’t mind me,” Matteo said. “We’ll do all the work. You two can just…”
“Upstairs,” I growled to Matteo. “I’ll be up in a second.”
Matteo took to the stairs.
“I better get up there,” I said to Linds. “Before my baby’s room ends up as a small biker bar.”
“Hurry,” Linds said with a smile.
“I’ll be back in a bit. I promise.”
Linds laughed.
Goddamn, I loved when she laughed.
“Think about it,” I said with a smile. “Not even death row could stop us from being together.”
“I guess that means forever is real,” Linds said.
“Yeah… exactly.”
I walked halfway up the stairs and stopped. I looked at Linds. She stood in the half empty living room, one hand on her belly. She was smiling. She was happy.
I had finally done it. I had kept the one thing I always wanted to keep.
To be her man. To be her outlaw. To be her King.
44
(King) *YEARS AND YEARS AGO*
SHE WALKED by and smiled at me. Her mouth was caked with big, metal braces. Her face had pimples on it. Her hair was pulled back but messy. Everything about screamed awkward.
I had Slam nudging me, trying to give me another cigarette.
I suddenly didn’t want one.
I suddenly didn’t give a damn about being the cool bad boy.
I just stared at her.
She was with her friends.
Her hair bounced and danced behind her.
She looked back at me, smiling again.
Tons of geeky braces.
But her eyes were big and brown.
She f*cking caught me right then.
It would be two years before we’d talk. And from there… holy shit.
Slam elbowed me harder.
“What?” I asked.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said.
“He was checking out that girl,” Matteo said. “Staring at her like he wants to f*cking marry her or some shit.”
I looked again and saw her turn the corner.
She was out of sight… but f*cking far from out of my mind - and heart.
THE END.