Page 13 of Parrish
Keeping his head down, his long hair drapes around his face and I wonder if the fuck is high again. The guy hasn’t so much as spared me a glance since I walked in the room. Clearing my throat, I demand his attention.
“Leaving here and going to pick up my son,” I tell him, watching as he keeps his eyes trained on the fucking table. “I expect you and Lacey to come to the house before I take Reina out.”
“So you can say goodbye to your daughter?” he questions, slicing his eyes to me.
“You got a problem with that?” I challenge, staring into his bloodshot eyes. “Jesus Christ, you’re lit. What’d you hit this time; the bottle or a vein?”
“I’m straight as a fucking pin right now, Parrish. I haven’t slept in two days because your daughter has been a mess over this shit. One minute she’s crying, the next she’s fucking picking out baby names—I don’t know whether she’s coming or going but, don’t you worry we’ll be there for the grand finale.”
“You got something you need to get off your chest, Black?” I clip, clenching my jaw and balling my fists.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” he growls, slamming his palm against the table. “Don’t fucking do it, Jack. Don’t take the deal. You want to play the hero and take the rap for the fingerprints on the gun, then plead insanity. You don’t, I’ll stand trial and do whatever I gotta do to beat the case. You don’t have to worry about the club anymore, Wolf and Pipe got this shit on lock but, your wife, your two kids—they’re going to fucking die without you. I know I swore to always have your back, but I can’t get behind this. I don’t know how to hold them together, man,” he rasps, his beady eyes pleading with mine.
“You hold them together by staying clean and sober,” I deadpan, pushing back my chair. “No judge or jury is going to let you slide. They’ll take one look at your rap sheet and you won’t even make bail,” I say as I rise onto my feet. “My doctor gives me six months,” I tell the entire room. “Six months off my meds and I’ll be ready for the fucking farm. Now, I’m already down two and I’ll be fucking damned if my wife or kids see me in a straightjacket.”
I pause and turn my attention back to Blackie.
“God gave you a second chance, motherfucker, or maybe I did. After all, we’re one and the same,” I growl. “Man, the fuck up and take care of what’s yours now.”
He silently glares at me and I ignore the bastard. He doesn’t get to fucking judge me. No one does. I’ve spent my whole life battling uncontrollable temptations and listening to the voices inside my head. If I only get a say in how this story ends, then I’m going to take what I can fucking get.
“I’m out of here,” I declare hoarsely as I look around at the men who have become property of Parrish.
“We’ll be at your house tomorrow morning by eight,” Wolf says as he stands. He makes his way around the table everyone rises except for Blackie. One by one, the men I call brothers take turns saying goodbye. Some of them thank me for giving them a place in the world, others thank me for showing them what heart is truly about. Guys like Cobra and Deuce, they profess their gratitude on behalf of their families. It wasn’t all that long ago, I rescued Cobra’s sister, Ally, from a lifetime of torment and there are times when I look at that girl and think the struggles were worth it. Ally was and always will be the hallelujah of my story. The girl who made me realize the bounds of a mans will and his love for family.
With one more glance at Blackie, I order him to be at my house in an hour.
Then, I walk away from my club.
The narrow hallway seems longer than it did before and when I reach the end, I keep walking, bypassing Nico. The voices filling the bar become distant as my bitch of a mind starts to awaken.
I can beg and plead…wish for her to shut the fuck up until tomorrow, but it won’t do me any good. She never listens.
As I step outside, she whispers in my ear.
Look for the black crow, Parrish.
Defiantly, I close my eyes and grit my teeth.
“Fuck you,” I seethe.
Open your eyes and look for the bird, Parrish.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I force my eyes open and stare straight ahead.
“Not today, cunt. You get me tomorrow and every day after that,” I say as I start down the steps. A man stands at the curb smoking a cigarette and as I near, he cocks an eyebrow. Compelled by the need to tell him to go fuck his mother, I come to a halt in front of him.
Look at the birdy in the sky.
Do you see how high he’s soaring above everything?
You can soar too.
Fly, Parrish, fly.
Suddenly, I blink, and the man is gone.
All that’s left behind is a single black feather.
Fly, Parrish, fly.
“Suck my dick, bitch,” I sneer, lifting my hands to my head. Rubbing my temples, I fight to focus.
The voice fades.
The feather disappears.
She’s quiet again.
Hallelujah.
