Ride Steady(182)

Linus probably wasn’t wrong.

But that also wasn’t enough.

“Okay,” I lied, more guilt hitting me because I wasn’t a big fan of lying.

“You okay?” Linus asked.

Joker’s friends were so wonderful.

“I’ll be fine,” I told him, hoping that wasn’t a lie.

“All right, Carrie. Hang tight, stay tough, the hard part is done, gettin’ to this spot and findin’ each other. Now you get the easy.”

He was only half right.

Joker gave me easy.

I just wanted him to have his.

“Thanks, Linus,” I said.

“Not a problem, Carrie. See you later, darlin’.”

“Yes. Say hi to Kam and the kids for me.”

“Will do.” He didn’t bid me to do the same considering he probably knew Joker would never be privy to this conversation. “Later.”

“’Bye.”

I disconnected but continued to hold my phone and poke the screen. I did it quickly and I did it before I could think about it.

And once it was done, I put my phone to my ear.

“Hey, girlie, it’s late. Everything okay?” Elvira asked.

“I… no,” I answered.

“Travis?” she asked quickly.

“No,” I answered just as quickly, then launched in, “Okay, listen, I’m sorry. I’m sorry to drag you into this again but Joker saw his dad at the grocery store tonight. His response was…” I shook my head, not about to give to her what I gave to Joker’s friend, and carried on, “Promise me you will not go to your boss and I promise you I’ll do something to pay back this favor, but I want his dad’s address, and I’m hoping you can get it for me.”

“What you gonna do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. I just… I’d just feel better having it.”

Elvira didn’t respond and through her silence I thought about her question.

What was I going to do?

Nothing.

I was going to do nothing.

“You’re right,” I said, my shoulders slumping. “This is stupid. The last time I started this, Joker told me—”

“I’ll get you the address on one condition. You don’t go in without backup.”

My head jerked. “Go in where?”

“Anywhere, girl,” she returned.

“I probably won’t do anything. It’s just—”

“You’re gonna do somethin’. It’s gonna be crazy. And a crazy bitch with a vendetta who wears butterfly shoes is gonna get her shit f*cked up. I’ll get you the address. You get your courage up to make a move, before you make it, you make a call.”

I didn’t lie. I probably wasn’t going to do anything. What was there to do? Go to Joker’s dad’s house and browbeat him into apologizing for being an abusive, lowlife, child-burning, slave-driving… *?

Still, I told myself, I wanted that address just in case, God forbid, something happened like Joker needed a kidney.

I wouldn’t ask for said kidney. I’d use my savings to hire someone to knock Joker’s dad out and leave him in a bathtub filled with ice after harvesting his kidney and calling 911 so Joker’s dad could survive, just with one kidney.

It was extreme and it was a little scary I could even think like that.

But there it was.

“Okay, I promise,” I told Elvira.

“I’ll have it to you tomorrow.”

“Thanks.”

“Always got your back, girl. Now I got a man to get in the mood ’cause I’m in the mood. Lucky for me, he goes from baseball mood to a little somethin’-somethin’ mood in half a second, and he reads eyes so all I gotta do is walk out and look at him. So I’m gonna get on that.”

I grinned. “Have fun.”

“Hope you get your fun too. Later, Carrie.”

“’Bye, Elvira.”

I drew in a breath, disconnected, and looked in the mirror.

I was just getting the address. That was it. I wasn’t going to do anything with it. I would just feel better having it.

Had a father beat on me.

Car was eight.

Yes, I would just feel better having it.

On that thought, I left the bathroom.

*

The next day I stood in the break room staring at the text on my phone.