Tarnished Soul: A Nine Minutes Spin-Off Novel Read online

  “How exactly did you relieve Artie of his virginity?” She grimaced and turned red, embarrassed by the subject.

  “I didn’t use my dick if that’s what you’re asking.”

  She placed a hand across her chest. “No! I wasn’t asking that. Goodness gracious, I wasn’t even thinking that! It was just a weird thing for you to say, and I was curious what you meant.” He could tell when something else occurred to her because she added, “But now that I think about it, I remember you were pulling your zipper up when you came out of the restroom.”

  “That’s because I took a piss on him after I yanked down his pants and shoved a toilet paper spool up his ass. Any more questions?”

  Lucy had to deliberately clamp her jaw shut to keep it from falling open. She slowly removed her glasses and used her forearm to swipe away the sweat that had formed on her face. Without meeting his eyes, she nibbled at her bottom lip as she stared down at his boots. A full thirty seconds passed before she looked up and returned the glasses to her face. “Does the Waffle House at one thirty work for you?”

  Chapter 14

  Approximately three and a half hours later, Lucy sat in the parking lot of the Waffle House and questioned her sanity. With the car air-conditioner and radio once again at full blast, she resorted to her memory game, adding commentary between sets. “You’re having lunch with a guy who’s murdered people. Six, nine, nine, six, four, one, two. Not to mention what he did to Artie with the toilet paper holder thingy. Nine, nine, four, four, one, one. Maybe I should switch my major to psychology. I could probably spend a lifetime studying Jonas Brooks. Four, three, three, nine, one. I’m appalled at the things he’s admitted to. Eight, eight, seven, three, four. And at the same time, completely and utterly fascinated by him. Four, nine, seven, three. Maybe I should switch to psychology so I can analyze myself. Four, six, six, seven, nine.”

  Brooks would be arriving in less than five minutes. Since parting ways with Lucy at the drug store, he’d spent the morning setting the wheels in motion for the plan he’d devised the moment he’d bent down to scoop up her personal items and return them to her purse. Up until then, he hadn’t a clue as to how to get closer to her. Dropping her purse and turning away from him had afforded him an opportunity he’d immediately used to his advantage. He would put the second part of his plan into action after having lunch with her. And then he would drown himself in whiskey for the rest of the night.

  She must’ve heard his bike because he saw her get out of her car and stand next to it, a small smile on her face as she waited for him. He used the extra seconds to study her appearance. He thought her to be of average height. But what would he know? He towered over ninety-nine percent of the people he came in contact with. Like he’d observed before, her skin was so pale it was almost translucent. She was slender, small-breasted, and held herself regally. She had long legs and he couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to be planted between them.

  They didn’t say anything after Jonas parked and got off his motorcycle. They approached the entrance, and he stepped in front of Lucy so he could open the door and wave her ahead of him. As soon as she passed by him, he caught the tantalizing scent of peaches and cream right before it was devoured by stale restaurant air that reeked of grease, cigarette smoke, and coffee.

  He listened with half an ear as the perfunctory upbeat Waffle House greeting was called out to them, followed by instructions to take any seat they wanted. He’d eaten here many times and headed toward the only booth big enough to accommodate someone his size. Jonas motioned for Lucy to take a seat, and he sat in his usual spot with his back to the wall, his eyes scanning the restaurant and its occupants, a habit he’d developed long ago. Over the years, he’d learned to appreciate that some restaurants, like Waffle House, displayed pictures of food on their menus. But after familiarizing himself with his favorite places, he no longer needed a menu anyway. His eyes widened in surprise as Lucy gave the waitress her order; he wondered how someone her size would manage to eat the mountain of food she’d ordered.

  Lucy knew she should be nervous. After all, she’d never been on a date before—if that’s what this was—and by all accounts, her stomach should be filled with butterflies. But, she wasn’t nervous. Instead, she was ravenous and tried not to smile when she caught the expression on Jonas’ face after she placed her order. In the thirty seconds it took him to place his, she’d let herself remember the looks they’d received from the staff and other patrons as they waltzed into the restaurant. It was a combination of awe, respect, and maybe some fear. Jonas was a scary-looking man, for certain, but he also presented an aura of authority that caused people to move out of his way. She looked at her lap so he wouldn’t see her grin when she considered the looks of envy she’d noticed on some of the women’s faces because Jonas Brooks wasn’t just scary looking, he was downright handsome.

  “Tell me more about your trip, Lucy.” His deep voice brought her back to the present, and she found herself sharing the details of her upcoming cruise. He listened attentively and eventually their conversation seamlessly drifted to more personal details about her life, home, twin brother and mother, her father’s demise, and her education. Their food was served and after marveling that she’d cleaned her entire plate, he answered some questions that she had about his life. He was relieved that she didn’t ask details about Marty. Nor did she ask him to explain his earlier comment about how many people he’d killed. Instead, she was more curious as to how he first became engaged in such an unsavory lifestyle and riding with a motorcycle club. She wanted to know if he held what she considered a normal job. He breathed an internal sigh of relief when she didn’t cringe at his answers and showed no signs of judgment or revulsion in her facial expressions. He wondered when it became so important for him to care about what someone thought of him.

  After the waitress delivered the bill, he saw her reach inside her purse and practically growled, “Don’t even think about it.”

  “But if I let you pay for me, then this is kind of a date,” she answered matter-of-factly.

  “Then consider it a date,” he replied evenly as he stood and motioned for her to give him her hand. She took it without objection, and after he led her toward the front, she waited while he paid at the cash register. As they approached her car, she found herself almost wishing she wouldn’t be leaving for a whole month. She immediately chided herself for even considering giving up her vacation to possibly spend more time with a murderous biker. She gulped when she realized he’d said nothing about wanting to see her after today. It was probably just as well.

  She could feel him behind her as she unlocked her car door. She turned around slowly and looked up, using her hand to ward off the afternoon sun’s harsh glare. “Thank you for lunch, Jonas,” she practically whispered as she tried to hide the feeling of gloom that was descending. She suddenly imagined the four weeks on a luxury cruise line paling in comparison to even an hour in the company of Jonas Brooks. Just being in his presence made her insides squishy and her knees weak. She would savor this feeling, just like she did after he’d stepped in on her behalf when Artie had cornered her at the restaurant. She would cling to the memory of him referring to her as his girlfriend. Of course he hadn’t meant it. He was just illustrating a point to the wretched man with the dog at Walgreens. Jonas probably didn’t even realize he said it, but she would never forget.

  She peeked around him and pointed to his motorcycle. With a tilt of her head, she informed him, “You should probably have your back tire checked.”

  He swung around and looked to where she was pointing. “I know my bike better than my own skin. There’s nothing wrong with my tire.”

  “I thought it looked low at the gas station. And it seemed a hair lower at Walgreens. And if I’m not mistaken, it looks a little flatter now.”

  He tried not to laugh as he gestured for her to continue.

  “I like mind puzzles, so I’m always looking for things to figure out.” S
he looked at the sky and then the pavement. She then rattled off her guess at the pavement temperature based on the sun’s position, time of day, and forecasted heat. She paused and asked, “What do you weigh? About two-forty-five, two hundred and fifty pounds?”

  “Two-fifty last time I weighed myself which was forever ago,” he told her.

  She nodded approvingly. “You might want to get it checked, Jonas. With your weight, the projected asphalt heat, and my estimated rate of your tire’s air loss, I’m guessing you don’t have a lot of time if you’re going to keep driving around before it’s completely flat. Of course, this is just me trying to solve a mind puzzle I created myself. I do it all the time. You’ll have to let me know if I’m right. Or wrong.”

  He couldn’t help the upward tug of his mouth but turned his head so she wouldn’t see his smile. “If you say so, Einstein.”

  “Oh, I’m no Einstein!” she corrected. “I just like figuring things out.” She was telling him a half-truth. Yes, she liked to challenge her mind, but she had no way to accurately calculate what she’d just told him. She was using the observation as a means to have future contact with him. It was why she suggested he let her know if she was right or wrong. You’re being ridiculous, she told herself before turning back to her car.

  He shoved his hand inside his pocket and said, “I almost forgot. Here.”

  She turned back to him. “Is this my housekey?” she asked as she reached for the key he was holding.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe. I guess it could be a housekey. It must’ve fallen off your keychain when you dropped your purse before. I didn’t notice it when I was picking up all your stuff. I found it on the ground after you drove away from Walgreens,” he lied.

  “Oh, thank you so much, Jonas!” she cried. “I’d have gone out of my mind looking for it when I got home.”

  There was an awkward silence as his dark eyes locked with hers. She caught an expectancy in his glance that made her blush. Before she could look away, she felt his warm hands as they cupped the sides of her face. Her heart sped up when she realized he might be getting ready to kiss her. The loud, singular shriek of a siren interrupted the moment. They both looked to the side, only to see a police car take the spot next to Jonas’ bike.

  “He’s probably here for me,” Jonas announced. He appeared totally disinterested and not worried in the least as the officer got out of his car and strode confidently toward them. “You should go, Lucy,” Jonas told her without taking his eyes off the man.

  “But, but…are you going to be okay?” she stammered.

  He opened her car door and motioned for her to get inside. “I’m always okay, sweetheart.” After she climbed inside, he slammed the door behind her and stood back while she slowly backed out of the spot.

  After she pulled out of the restaurant parking lot, Brooks looked hard at the police officer. “What took you so fucking long?”

  “I got tied up,” came the reply.

  “You almost missed her, Bruce,” Jonas spat at the man.

  Bruce rolled his eyes. “But I didn’t. She got a good look at my face. She’ll remember me.”

  “She fucking better,” Jonas informed the man as he straddled his bike and started the engine.

  Twenty minutes later, he found himself at Native Touch Landscape and Design, Anthony Bear’s only legitimate business. He was there to let Anthony know he wouldn’t be coming around Camp Sawgrass for several weeks and didn’t want Anthony to think he had to send someone to find him.

  “I appreciate the heads-up, Brooks,” Anthony told him from behind his desk. “Anything I need to know about?”

  Brooks shook his head. “Nah. It’s personal business, boss. I need time away from the club.”

  Anthony stood and nodded. “You got it, man.”

  Anthony followed Brooks out to the front where he’d parked his motorcycle, making small talk as they walked.

  They were approaching his bike when he heard Anthony say, “That’s unfortunate.”

  Brooks immediately saw what caused the remark and broke out in a belly laugh that practically shook the ground.

  Anthony’s brows puckered in confusion. “Since when is a flat tire so funny, Brooks?”

  Chapter 15

  After having his tire fixed, Brooks’ next order of business was to talk to Shasta. She’d been one of the club’s regular women who used to exchange sex for drugs. But not anymore. If it weren’t for Shasta, Anthony’s woman, Christy, would most certainly be dead right now. To show his gratitude, Anthony had offered Shasta anything she wanted, positive she’d ask for a lot of cash, which he’d have willingly given her. She’d surprised him and Christy by telling them she wanted to get clean and go back to school. Brooks recently heard she was now out of rehab and working on her GED. She was living with her sister, who owned a housekeeping service. Upon completion, Shasta planned on heading out of state to attend college. All on Anthony’s grateful dime. Brooks had been to the sister’s house only once a couple of years ago but knew he’d be able to find it easily. He could only hope that Shasta would be there.

  As it turned out, both women were at home and Shasta’s sister was not happy to see him.

  She answered the door with a smile that immediately crumbled. “I thought I heard a motorcycle.” She muttered under her breath before adding, “I don’t know what you want, but my sister is clean and you can just go away.”

  “Let me talk to Shasta,” Brooks told her.

  “No! Go away before I call the police!” she screamed.

  Frustrated, Brooks used both hands to pull his long hair back from his face while he contemplated how to approach the woman. “It’s not what you think,” he replied and then dropped his hands to his sides. He was seconds away from insisting she retrieve her sister, when Shasta appeared and screamed, “Brooks!”

  Shasta skirted around her sister and wrapped her arms around Brooks’ waist. She pulled back to look up at him and said, “I’m sober now, Brooks. No more drugs, no more booze. And I know I can stay this way. Especially when I have so much at stake. I’ll be going to college, Brooks. College!”

  He nodded appreciatively. “I heard, and I know you’ve got this.” He glanced at the sister before looking back at Shasta. “I’m not here on club business. I want to hire you and your sister to do some cleaning for me. It’ll be a lot of work. It’s short notice and you won’t have much time, but I’ll make it worth your while.”

  Without giving Shasta time to answer, her sister replied from the doorway. “No way. I don’t trust you or anybody from your club. If this is some trick to try and lure my sister back to that lifestyle, you need to know—”

  “Stop, Shay,” Shasta interrupted. “Brooks isn’t like some of the others. He never took advantage of or forced himself on the women. Yes, I’ve been with Brooks, but he never tried to entice me with drugs. He always offered to pay me and he never hurt me. He even gave me money for no other reason than to help me out a little because he knew I’d used all my money for drugs and had nothing left. And he always stepped in when he saw some of the others getting rough with us women. If he wants to hire us to do some cleaning for him, then that’s all this is.”

  Her sister’s expression went from anger to worry. “You’ve not been sober for very long, sister. I’m just afraid even being around someone like him might be too much of a temptation for you.”

  Shasta shook her head slowly. “Brooks never did drugs. At least never that I saw.” She looked to Brooks for confirmation and when he nodded his agreement, she said, “You were always good to me, Brooks. We’ll clean for you. Won’t we, Shay?” she called over her shoulder.

  “Okay, Shasta. If you trust him, then I guess I’ll have to trust him too. But, I’ll have to see the place first before I can give him a price. And I think I have an opening a week from today.”

  Brooks then explained that the house he wanted them to clean wasn’t really a house but an old cabin in the Everglades. It had belonged to hi
s grandfather. Brooks had crashed there years ago and hadn’t been back since. It was too far off the beaten path and it would take too long for him to drive them out there to check it out, then drive all the way back to civilization, only for them to turn around again and drive back with their cleaning supplies. Besides, he had other tasks for Shasta that didn’t involve cleaning, so time would be of the essence.

  “It hasn’t been lived in for years and even though it has a homemade well for water, it doesn’t have modern plumbing, and the only electricity is from an old gas generator. I don’t know if it still works.”

  “It can’t be done. Like I said, I’m booked until a week from today. Sorry,” Shay said, with relief in her voice. Shasta may have considered Brooks trustworthy, but Shay was still cautious.

  Brooks then rattled off a monetary figure that caused both sisters’ eyes to go wide. “Like I said, I need you to get it in shape right away and you won’t have much time to do it, but I’ll make it worth your while. You still have several hours of sunlight today, and you’ll definitely need all of tomorrow.”

  “I’ll phone my clients and cancel this afternoon and tomorrow,” Shay swiftly offered. “Shasta, can you grab all our supplies?”

  After Shay went back into the house, Brooks reached for Shasta’s arm so she wouldn’t leave. “I’ll need you to help me with some other things, Shasta. Things that don’t really have to do with cleaning.”

  “No problem. I can help you.” She bit her bottom lip and looked around, not meeting his eyes.

  He saw the worry in her expression and said, “Like I said before, this has nothing to do with the club and you won’t get in trouble, but I’d like to keep it between us. I don’t want you to share the details with your sister.”

  She smiled up at him. “Okay, Brooks. No problem. You said you needed to swap out your bike for your truck. After you do that, I’ll ride with you to your grandfather’s cabin while my sister follows us, and you can fill me in on the details. But if you don’t mind, can you do something for me?”