“Pity to waste that pussy. Heard that bitch had a great pussy. What the hell did you shoot her so fast for?” The unfamiliar deep voice asked.

  “It’s what we were sent to do. We did it, let’s go.” Sniper grumbled.

  “Bet she’s still warm. I wouldn’t take too long.”

  “You are a sick fuck Dice. I’m not staying for that shit.”

  Dice. Naughty needed to remember that.

  “Yeah, I’ll catch up with you. Won’t take me long. Fuck, she’s still breathin’. I’ll finish her off when I’m done Snipe.”

  Naughty heard Sniper’s footsteps and the screen door slam. Then she heard Dice’s voice as he talked to Sylvie as she lay bleeding in the other room, dying on the floor. That could be Naughty. No, she didn’t feel sorry for Sylvie, she deserved worse, but she couldn’t help wishing the woman was already dead.

  “Oh the things I have heard about you Naughty. I’m going to try you out. Wonder if you will still be naughty for me. Hang on now, don’t die on me, I want that pussy nice and warm.”

  Naughty heard the sound of tearing cloth and tried to block it out. She knew what was happening. She was powerless to stop it. She felt a chill again as a breeze brushed her arms.

  She heard male grunts as the man did as he pleased with Sylvie.

  “Fucking fantastic. How are you so good laying there like a broken doll?” He panted.

  Naughty was going to be sick. She felt bile rise in her throat, but choked it down. This was the thing of nightmares.

  “Good girl. Take it all, even feel wet for me. You love this shit don’t you Naughty? Love feeling my cock inside you as you bleed out on the fucking floor?”

  He grunted and groaned as Naughty heard the sounds of flesh meeting flesh. She let out a sigh when he finally grunted his release and grew quiet.

  “Not a bad fuck, not all I’d heard, you were a little dead, but I guess I can’t hold that against you.”

  The bastard laughed and she heard another deafening blast that almost made her scream. Then she heard his boots as he left the house.

  Naughty stayed very still. She didn’t know how long they would watch the house and she didn’t know if Lamb and Wick were really dead. Gator would come home to the mess that was left in the living room, another ghost for him to carry with him. She needed to get up, find a way out of the room and clean it up so he didn’t have to, but there was no way she could do that alone. She needed help.

  Then she heard it. The sound of Gator coming home. She was instantly terrified that someone would hurt him and thrilled that he would wrap her in his arms. She heard him curse as he ran up the porch steps and stepped into the living room. Curses filled the air as his voice grew louder.

  “Naughty? Where are you my girl?” His voice was quieter now.

  Naughty whispered his name, but he heard her. The door opened like nothing had been wrong and he stood frozen in the doorway. His eyes found her huddled against the wall and he ran to her. Then everything was better. She was safe in Gator’s arms.

  “Are you alright my girl?” He asked urgently.

  She had no words. She just nodded.

  “Tell me what happened beb.”

  She shivered, but found her voice. “I don’t know. I got up and came in here. I was just standing inside a few steps when the door slammed and it was stuck, then Sylvie… then Sniper and a man named Dice. Sniper killed Sylvie… Dice…” Her voice broke on a sob.

  “Sniper said she was you.” It wasn’t a question, but she nodded.

  “So the only people that know you’re alive are you, me, and Sniper.”

  “Dat might be a good thing beb.”

  “What about Wick and Lamb?”

  “They won’t know the difference. Let me get rid of Sylvie.”

  “Her car?”

  “I’ll take care of dat too. You stay right here.” He kissed her hard and hurried away to take care of the grizzly task of disposing of Sylvie’s body. She sat very still and leaned her head against her knees.

  How could the world be such a cruel place?

  18

  Naughty opened her eyes when she heard crying, more like sobbing. Ginger’s voice was broken when she asked how someone had let this happen. She heard Fox’s voice lowered in an attempt to console his old lady. She heard Lambhead’s muffled voice as he begged for forgiveness and his life. Wick too whimpered and begged for his life.

  Gator cursed in a high pitched voice Naughty had never heard before. He was giving them all a good show or maybe he really did feel something at the loss of Sylvie.

  “Get the fuck out of my goddamned house. All of you. Go the fuck on.” He screamed and she heard something crash against the wall.

  “We can’t leave you right now, you need to let us stay and take care of you or come on home with us.” Ginger pleaded. “You can’t take this on your own. You need the club, you need your family.”

  “Fuck you. If I find out this was you I’ll fucking gut you, I swear it! You aren’t my fucking family! They killed my family! Whoever did this is going to suffer. I don’t care if it was a man or woman, they will suffer for this. Whoever the mole is will suffer the most.”

  Naughty shivered at the hatred she heard in Gator’s voice. He wasn’t acting, he was falling apart a little bit. She needed to touch him, reassure him, but she couldn’t. He’d said she’d be safe if she stayed hidden so she would, but she didn’t like it.

  “Hold on a damn second Gator, this wasn’t Ginger. She couldn’t have done any of this. Don’t do this.” Fox shouted.

  “It can’t be true Gator, it can’t, where is she?” Ginger sobbed.

  “How the fuck should I know? She’s gone and there’s fucking blood everywhere. There are two bullet holes in my fucking kitchen floor!”

  “We don’t know for sure that it’s hers though. Until we do we need to assume she’s alive.” Ginger’s voice was broken.

  “Get the fuck out. All of you just fucking leave!” Gator sounded so defeated, so lost.

  Naughty heard the sound of shuffling and then finally the sound of motorcycles riding away. Then Gator was there. He held her so tight she almost couldn’t breathe, but it was ok because he was there.

  “I love you my girl, I can’t lose you.” Gator said against her neck.

  “I’m here, I’m safe. I’m never leaving you, not ever. She sobbed against his neck. “I’m so afraid.”

  “I know my girl, but I swear I’ll keep you safe.”

  “We need to get out of here. I know a place we can lay low until I know what to do. Trust me?”

  Naughty nodded and let him pull her to her feet. This wasn’t going to be fun, but she trusted him.

  Gator would make everything alright, he had to.

  19

  Gator ignored his phone when it rang for the twentieth time. Then Naughty’s rang and she looked up at him.

  “It’s Sniper.”

  Gator nodded and she accepted the call and put it on speaker.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey there beautiful. How does it feel to be dead?” Sniper’s voice came through with his usual teasing tone.

  “Pretty strange really.” Naughty answered.

  “I owe you for this Sniper.” Gator gritted out.

  “Nope, not for you brother. All for her and she don’t owe me shit. Get the hell out of Dodge though, somebody is making noise about there not being a body. Not sure what the fuck happened, but get lost fuckers.” Sniper quipped. “If you need me you know how to get me little girl. I’ll do what I can.”

  “Thank you Sniper.”

  “Yes, Ma’am, take care and stay dead for a little while or I will be.”

  He disconnected the line and Gator watched her closely. It was a miracle Sniper had gotten through, it was the first time she’d had a signal all day.

  “He’s a friend Gator. That’s all.” She assured him.

  “He’s in love with you. Tell me you know that.”

  “I do, but he knows where my heart is, always has.”

  He nodded.

  “I thought you trusted me.” She said sharply. She was tired and seasick from rocking in this stupid boat. She was terrified and hungry and had to pee again. She had no time for his insecurities.

  “Yeah, I do, but…”

  “Yeah, but I’m a fucking stripper so who knows, right?” She crossed her arms over her breasts.

  “He’s risking his life to protect you, probably against Preach’s orders. A man don’ do that shit for no reason.”

  “Yeah, some do. He’s my friend. You did shit for me…” She felt tears burning her throat. “I guess that was just to get in my pants too though. I thought you were different.”

  She was falling apart. She had hung all of her hopes on a man that was like every other one in her life. How could it be? How could life be so cruel?

  “You fucking know better than dat shit. I’m not good enough for you, fuck, look around. I see this beauty, bright, clean beauty, so does everyone else! He sees it too, he wants it.” Gator was mad now too.

  “But you have it! If you want it why are you trying to break it?” A sob escaped her throat and Gator was there. He was there petting her hair and calming his voice.

  “You’re right beb. I’m being a dick. I’m sorry. Shhh now, don’t get upset.”

  He reached in his pocket and pulled out a pack of her favorite cookies and she cried harder.

  “I just want to pee on a real toilet and take a bath and then a shower and eat a whole carton of ice cream.” She sobbed out her misery into his shirt.

  “You will, I promise. I’ll buy the prettiest toilet you can find and you can piss until you shrivel up like a prune. I’ll even bring you ice cream so you don’t have to get up. Then you can bathe all you want and go back to the fucking toilet if you want to.”

  She couldn’t help it, she cried harder. Nobody was like Gator.

  “You’re a smart ass and I love you.”

  “I know you do. I trust you beb, didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry. Eat your cookies now and we will be there in a little while.”

  Naughty nodded. She crammed her mouth full of cookies, but the call worried her.

  “Gator?”

  “Yes hon.” He answered as he rowed their tiny boat.

  “How did they know there wasn’t a body?”

  His eyes snapped to hers. “Guess someone called it in, but Preach wouldn’t want that known.”

  “It hasn’t been long enough for it to get out unless it was someone that was here or someone they trust.”

  “Who da fuck did they call?”

  Naughty nodded and pulled out her phone. She dialed the one person who could answer that question.

  “Hello Spec.”

  “Holy fucking shit, it’s good to hear your voice. How you liking the swamp?” Spec asked in his usual thoughtful voice.

  She looked to Gator.

  “Guess you hadn’t heard…”

  “Heard what?” He asked.

  “I’m supposed to be dead.”

  “Yeah I heard that from our friend, good thing that woman was in there, collateral damage. Quick thinking on his part.” Spec said quietly. “How did you fool the others?”

  “Shit. Looks like we got big problems Spec.” Gator cut in. “I dumped the body. Was my ex-wife, no loss, but our um friend tipped us off that the other side isn’t liking the body going missing, they are searching. Nobody knew that but the ones who were here, especially if they didn’t call it in.”

  “Fuck. Let me do some digging. See if I can figure out who is leaking this shit.”

  “Yeah, appreciate it.” Gator said, but Spec was already gone.

  “So, guess we don’t trust any of them huh?”

  Gator’s face was growing red. He was pissed and he wasn’t hiding it.

  20

  It was dark when Gator pulled his little boat up on the shallow bank of the river. He was careful, but he knew this land as well as his own. There was a glow from one of the windows of the little cabin and he held Naughty’s hand and led her up the well-worn path. He wrapped twice on the thin wooden door and waited. It creaked as it slid open and he tilted his head and looked down into familiar black eyes.

  “Hello Grandmother.”

  A wide grin split her wrinkled face and she pulled him into her thin arms, but she hugged him with the strength of a woman half her age.

  “Aubin my boy! It has been too long.” She frowned and looked at the air around him as if she could see more than just air. “Come in boy, the air is unsettled, you aren’t safe out there. Oh and bring your heart with you too.” She said and nodded toward Naughty who suddenly seemed shy.

  “This is Nau… Tiffany.”

  Grandmother raised one brow.

  “They call me Naughty, but my name is Tiffany. Naughty is my stage name.” Naughty straightened her spine.

  “Oh, I bet you are something up on that stage, just look at you.” Grandmother grinned wide again. “I bet you are something.”

  “I am something. I’m a stripper.” Her voice cracked, but she held her head high.

  Grandmother reached out and patted Naughty’s cheek. “I know dear, but what does it matter, takes guts girl and you’ll need those I think. I still bet you are a sight to see up there. Caught his eyes anyway.” She nodded toward Gator.

  Naughty looked up at him and seemed to melt. She was so tired and she had forced herself to be beaten down by this little old lady. He shook his head. Didn’t she know he’d never allow that?

  Grandmother’s eyes widened. Her hand shook as she reached out to touch Naughty’s slightly rounded stomach. “Oh honey. What a happy light grows in you, what a happy little light. DO you feel its glow?”

  Naughty wiped away a tear and nodded.

  “Oh honey come sit down. Souls like that one are hard on a mother, like he was, his poor mama couldn’t eat a bite for nine months. Well she wouldn’t drink a thing I brought her either so I guess she deserved a little discomfort.”

  Grandmother sat Naughty on and ancient couch and started mumbling as she puttered around in the kitchen. She mixed several things together and set it to heat in the kettle over the fire.

  “Give that a little while to warm up and it will fill your belly and settle that child.”

  Then she spooned up a couple bowls of whatever she had in her big pot and handed them over.

  She nodded and settled in her chair by the window. Gator sat by Naughty and wrapped her in his arms before he dug into his bowl of Grandmother stew. They had never known what was in it and had never had the courage to ask, but it was warm and tasted good enough.

  Gator was proud that Naughty dug in and didn’t complain. She was too tired to complain. She was amazing and he loved her more as he watched her spoon the brown stew into her mouth.

  “She knows what’s good. That one’s a keeper, not like the last one… Bah.”

  Gator smiled, Grandmother had never likes Sylvie.

  “Sylvie is dead Grandmother, careful how you speak of the dead or she’ll be living with you.”

  “I know she’s dead and I’m not worried about her foul spirit one bit.”

  Gator didn’t want to think about that, especially while eating Grandmother stew, so he shoveled in another bite and then another until his bowl was empty. Grandmother stood as he made his way into her kitchen to wash their bowls. She filled a small mug with the brew from her kettle and placed it in Naughty’s hands.

  “Sip it and breathe it in. Don’t worry about finishing it. That babe will know when she’s done. You need to listen to her.”

  “Her?” Naughty asked.

  Grandmother nodded. “Her. Hair as black as coal and eyes as blue as the sky. Heart as big as her mama’s and just as strong. There’s big things in her future, it’s yours that I can’t seem to see. You have three paths. Sometimes they intersect and sometimes they veer close to the edge of a cliff. I know it seems like it would be easy to step over and let it all go away, but that is not the way. Stay on your path, you have people with you now. If you stumble they will help you up and they will need you to do the same for them. You aren’t alone anymore my precious child.”

  Naughty let Gator take her cup as she sobbed. Grandmother gathered her close and rocked her as she had done to so many other broken souls. She had done the same for Gator after Cora was lost.

  “Oh my sweet child, you cannot carry burdens so heavy alone. Sorrows need wings. We will let yours go in the morning. You can leave them here with me and leave here free to be happy.”

  “I don’t know how to let it all go.” Naughty sobbed.

  “I know that child, that is the biggest weight. I’ll teach you, but first you need to sip your brew.”

  Naughty nodded and took her cup like an obedient child.

  “We can’t stay past tomorrow Grandmother. I won’t risk it.” Gator vowed. He wouldn’t put this woman in danger.

  “Oh my boy, they couldn’t find me unless they knew where to look and then only if I wanted them to. You still have a lot to learn about the bayou.”

  Gator didn’t want to hear her lesson tonight. He wanted to get Naughty as clean as he could and in a bed. He was worried about her being so tired.

  Before she’d finished her drink he had a tub sitting in the kitchen by the stove and had poured it half full of warm water. It was the best he could do. She didn’t hesitate to strip off and climb in either, which told him how desperate she was for a bath.

  Grandmother was studying the pale skin on Naughty’s back as she leaned her head on her knees in the tub. Gator watched her as she stood and pulled ashes from the fire and cradled them in her gnarled hand. She walked to Naughty.

  “It’s ok beb, just be still and let her do what she needs to, it won’t hurt.”

  Naughty didn’t even open her eyes, but she nodded slightly.

  Grandmother pulled up a chair and sat behind Naughty’s back. She dipped her finger in the bathwater and then in the little pile of ash in her hand. She drew and elaborate pattern from Naughty’s left shoulder to just above her right hip. It looked like smoke, but there was more to it, ghosts.

 

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