He then thought about Tyra, her tight skirts, her ass in those tight skirts, the class act she was from top to toe, and the fact that the only man on earth she’d let tap her ass was sitting next to him.

And then he thought that he did not want to be the kind of man who wallowed in history. But he was thinking he was.

And last, Joker thought all of that was something to think about.

“Go,” he muttered, throwing back another swallow and not looking at his brother.

“Tyra will reach out. We’ll get Carissa in that house.”

Joker gave him his eyes.

Tack kept going.

“I see I didn’t sort your shit, and that troubles me, but they’re your terms to come to, you choose how you do it. Now you need time. But you need this again, Joke, I’m at the stool next to you. I’ll repeat it until I can’t talk anymore. I’ll do it as many times as I have to until you get it. That’s what you mean to me. So now, I’m goin’. But you need me back,” he tipped his head to the bar, “that’s where I’ll be.”

Then, after taking out his wallet, throwing some bills on the bar, and clapping Joker on the shoulder, Tack strode out.

Joker watched him go.

Then he finished his beer.

He ordered another one.

Well, kiss my ass, dickhead. Over a year and this is the first time you come to see me?

God took my boy. Then He gave me you.

You need me back, that’s where I’ll be.

These thoughts in his head, Joker took his time over his second beer.

When he was done, he put the empty bottle on the bar, went out to his bike, home to the Compound, and right into a clean room.

With mostly clean sheets.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Feeling Lucky

Carissa

“I THINK HE likes you,” I said to Big Petey through a smile.

Though, with the way Travis, who Big Petey was holding, was trying to gobble up Pete’s nose, I would say it was more like love at first sight.

It was Tuesday, late morning, and I was standing at the bar in the Chaos Compound next to Big Petey, who was on a stool and had just taken hold of my son.

“Ooo, he’s so cute. I remember the days when they were all warm, squiggly, bundles of goodness,” Tyra, standing behind the bar, cooed.

Pete avoided having his nose amputated by baby teeth and gums and did this slanting his head and blowing a loud raspberry on Travis’s chubby cheek, making my baby giggle and squirm more, which made me smile bigger.