Page 17 of Ghost
“Mhmmm, more than you know, but first, the boys and I have church. You gonna be alright?” I ask, giving her one last kiss before slapping her ass and pulling away.
“I’ll be just fine, Big Papa, and dinner will be ready in an hour. I’ll ring the dinner bell. Don't be late!” She makes sure to drive her point home, and I can't help but chuckle.
This life right here is something I only ever dreamed of. My ex was, for lack of a better word, spoiled. She never had to lift a finger, and she damn sure never offered to get a job, but I figuredas long as she was taking care of Piper and loving her as any good mom would, I didn't care what she did. If only I had known what that bitch had planned for my baby girl, I would have killed her myself. I knew she never fully loved Piper like a normal mother should, but I thought maybe it was just a little bit of jealousy and boredom. How fucking wrong I was. I should have left the day Piper was born and never looked back, taking my little girl and running far, far away. That's a mistake I’ll live with forever, but right now, I need to get my head on the fucking mission.
Walking into church, I see all my men sitting around the room, waiting for me to begin. I look at Taz and Mania on the other end of the table and narrow my eyes ever so slightly. Those two can sometimes be the most laser-focused ones in the group when they want to be. Still, it never hurts to send them a reminder.
“Let's get this fucking meeting going, shall we?” I ask the group as they share a look at my words. That look is one of amusement, and I'm not in a joking mood right now. I’m being kept away from my precious bunny and stuck in a room full of these shits, so I turn to the room. “What's so fucking funny?”
No one answers. I wait another three seconds before lifting a brow.
“We just think it's funny now that you have a woman…” Caesar stops and clears his throat, a chuckle in his eye, before continuing. “Cooking in your life, business is put to the back burner.”
“Business is not put on the back burner. I just no longer have time to deal with unnecessary bullshit, like this topic, when I would much rather get back to my woman and her… cooking,” I growl, but still catch the amused stares from my men. Yeah, she’s got me soft, but only with her. Not these fuckers.
“Back to fucking business. Crypt, what do we got?”
Crypt dives into the details of our latest job, a search and destroy down in Florida, breaking up a trafficking ring that preys specifically on minors fresh off the boat, so to speak—new to this country and with minimal support system established and even fewer connections their families can depend on. In short—our bread and butter. Once Crypt finishes his rundown, I step back up.
“Right. With that, Taz, Mania, you know you two got your orders. I expect this mission to go off without a hitch. Keep in contact with Crypt, and if you two need backup, call.”
“You got it, Prez. In and out, just like Mania’s blow-up doll.” Taz smirks, earning a smack on the back of the head.
Yeah, that’s my cue; this meeting is adjourned. If I don’t do it now, things could quickly get out of hand, and as tough of a fucker as I am, I don’t feel like busting their balls right now. I’d much rather have mine buried deep inside my woman, if I’m being honest.
“If that is all, I think I’ll go see about my woman's cooking. When that dinner bell rings, your asses better be seated for supper. My woman cooked her heart out today, and we’re going to show her how much we appreciate it.” and with that, I leave them to their immature fucking snickering.
*****
Two days Later:
“Prez! You better hurry! Twins are coming in hot, and Mania said they were hit!” Crypt hollers through the room. I curse as I jump up from my desk, barely making it to my door before thedoor out to the garage hanger bursts open and Mania stumbles in with a gasping Taz.
“We’re losing him, boss! Were losin’ him!” Mania yells.
“I-I feel so cold! I think, I-I said I think I can see the light!”
What the fuck is going on? I’m looking for the source of a wound. I see blood, but I can't make out the actual wound.
“Aw lawd! Call the doctor! Call the Priest! Call….” Mania pauses dramatically, “Call Sinnamon!”
“Who’s Sinnamon?” Caesar asks, confused as he steps into the hall from the common room just as Rasp comes rushing out of the med bay. I watch Taz give a shit-eating grin before replying.
“The Stripper.” then promptly pass out.
“Get him to the Med bay,” Rasp groans before rolling his eyes, grabbing Mania, and dragging him behind him as he disappears back through the swinging doors to his infirmary.
What the fuck is wrong with them two? Even on the verge of death, they’re still being fucking idiots. We rush to get the guys down onto two of the three cots in the room, and Rasp starts working immediately. It takes him a minute, but he finally gets Taz back awake, and I try to get answers from Mania.
“What the fuck happened?”
“We were ambushed. Mania was stabbed in the side, and I took a hit to my shoulder. I didn't lose as much blood as Taz, but I also ain't as big of a pussy as him, either.” He smirks over at a pale Taz.
“Fuck you! That's the last time I try to save your life.”
“Fuck, I need another set of hands,” Rasputin grunts. Before I can ask what he needs, Tizzy surprises us by stepping in. I hadn’t even noticed she was in the room with all the commotion.
The two of them go to work, and I watch in amazement as she helps Rasp, not getting sick or nothing. Tough damn cookie. They work together for what feels like hours before Mania finally speaks up.