Barber Shop Ink - Book 3: Riverworth Read online

  “You know I can’t tell you,” she sighed all giggling gone.

  “I know that but-but-but, where are you? Whosez house? Are you in a hotel? Please, Baby Girl just give me somein’.” I needed to know wherever she was, she was okay and safe. “Imma dying here.”

  “My house,” was all she gave me.

  “Your housez?” I questioned. “What do you mean your housez?”

  “It’s a house from before, from my past,” she said.

  My heart lightened a little at her words, she had given me a hint of where she was. I may have been drunk as fuck, but part of my brain was still working still processing information. If Hedge was in a house from her old life, then she was somewhere in the UK, probably London. At least I knew she wasn’t in some war-torn hellhole.

  “But I thought you cutzz all tiezz to your old life,” I said, trying to get my words out without sounding like I was falling over my tongue.

  “I did, but I kept this place because my cousin from my dad’s side, Kelly lives here. If I sold it Kell would have nowhere to live,” she explained.

  “Charlie gotz kids?” I asked confused, she’s never mentioned them. She’d never really mentioned anyone but Jax and her brother.

  “Oh God, no! Kelly belongs to Charlie’s little sister Margaret, she died when Kell was ten and Charlie became Kelly’s legal guardian.”

  “You’ve never menshoned Kelly before.”

  “Because of Charlie I don’t really like talking about my dad’s side of the family. I wasn’t keeping it from you, if that’s what you were thinking. It’s just that I keep Kelly out of my stories for protection.”

  “Yours?”

  “Kelly’s. I don’t what Charlie knowing about this place.”

  “Is it safe?” I asked concerned. Anything that involved Charlie was always cause for concern.

  “Yes Baby, Kelly is the only one I trust from this side of the family. Kelly has nothing to do with Charlie or his business, never has. Charlie was a total asshole to Kell, and as soon as possible Kelly left Charlie’s and never looked back, but we’ve always kept in touch,” she explained.

  “I don’t like it, none of it,” I sighed. “I wish you would’ve talked with me, before you ran off. We could’ve sorted things out. Together,” I was getting pissed off again. “We’re a team you and me, now, always and forever.”

  “I know Baby.”

  “I don’t think you do Jupiter,” I sneered. I was being a dick, but I had every fucking right to be. “You leave in the middle of the night leaving some bullshit note. You left your engagement ring behind, what the fuck was I supposed to think ha?”

  “Memphis, I’m sorry…”

  “Nope stop, you do not get to apologise,” I snapped. My anger clearing my head and speech a little. “You fucked off while I was a-fucking-sleep and now you call me like you are just on some goddamn fucking vacation! Yeah I don’t think so.”

  I ended the call. In my anger I hung up on her. I panicked for about three seconds, the phone was locked I had no way for messaging or calling her back. But then I thought fuck it. Let her feel what it’s like to not know what’s going on.

  The phone started buzzing Baby Mine playing. I connected the call.

  “Memphis I’m so sor…”

  I ended the call. Not gonna lie it felt fucking good.

  The phone buzzed again. I connected the call.

  “Baby, please, I am so sor…”

  I ended the call.

  Baby Mine started playing again and I connected the call. She didn’t speak she just stared at me tears in her eyes. I tried not to let them affect me. But she looked as miserable as I felt.

  “Okay I get it. You don’t want me to apologise,” her voice shaking with her unshed tears. “And I guess I deserve you hanging up on me, but you have got to believe me if there were any other options to handle this, I would have taken it. The Marino family doesn’t muck around when it comes to business. That’s what this is to them a business deal. I may be tight with Georgiou, but I can’t disrespect him by not being here. He would kill everyone just to make a point. The Marino’s don’t know about you, and I’m trying to keep it that way. I don’t want you or Cassidy or the boys used as a bargaining tool or a threat. I’m doing this to protect us, to protect our family.”

  “That’s not you job its mine. I’m supposed to protect you, but you won’t let me because you left me out. You wouldn’t even discuss it with me,” I snapped.

  “Memphis you don’t know them like I do.”

  “That’s not an….”

  “No Memphis listen to me you don’t understand. Georgiou would eventually find out about you and the shop. He would use you to get me to come back. I know how he works. Its business to him. He would give me a choice Morningstar goes to work for him or you die. Jaxon, Cassidy the boys, you all die. So, you see I have no choice.”

  “I understand, sort-of,” I grumbled.

  “I love Georgiou like a grandfather and he would never do anything to hurt me, unless it was to do with his business. He hasn’t been the head of the family for as long as he has by being stupid and sentimental. Business is business.”

  “How the fuck do you expect me to be okay with you being over there playing badass motherfucking assassins after telling me shit like that?”

  “You wanted to know! This is why I didn’t talk it with you Memphis. Therefore, I left while you were asleep. Because you don’t know these people, you don’t know how things work. You think you would be helping but you’d end up getting both of us killed trying to protect me or because you took offence to something. Please baby, please just let me handle this. I know what I am doing, please.”

  I looked over to her side of the bed, to where she should be, and my heart hurt. I get it I do. I know nothing about dealing with the fucking Mafia. I don’t know their secret handshake or whatever the fuck they do, but I should be there. Someone should be watching her back, that person should be me. I should be there. But I’m not and arguing with her is only pissing me off and upsetting her.

  "I get it,” I sighed scrubbing a hand down my face. “I get it, doesn’t mean I have to like it though.”

  “I know baby, and I am truly sorry that I have caused you so much heartache and worry, but it’s because I love you so much. I want to end this now, before it gets any more out of hand. Before anyone else gets hurt or killed. Memphis if anything happened to you, my life would be over.”

  “If anything happens to you, it’s my life that will be over,” I replied. I didn’t want to live in a world without her in it.

  “Baby please don’t say that and please don’t do anything stupid. I don’t know what’s going to happen, they may feed out misinformation to bring me out. Just please wait for me,” she begged.

  I was just about to reply when I heard another voice in her home, a distinctly male voice calling out.

  “Honey, where are you? I swear if you’re still in bed I will spank your ass,” the deep English accented male voice said.

  Hedge gasped looking excited, turning towards the voice. She had the phone propped up on the pillows beside her, so I had the perfect view of the bedroom doorway. A tall, broad Gerard Butler looking dude strode into the room.

  Hedge squealed with excitement launching herself off the bed and at the man. Through my white-hot rage and confusion, I realised that she wasn’t, in fact, naked but she was wearing a strapless maxi dress. The man tackled her to the bed smothering her face in kisses as she giggled and squealed.

  What the mother-loving-fuck?

  “Hedge!” I barked. “What the fuck?”

  Hedge rolled over to her side, and the man cuddled in behind her, spooning her I saw red. I was about to explode.

  “Baby,” she started, looking at me while trying to keep a straight face but laughed again. “Oh Baby, please don’t look at me like that.”

  I just growled, I couldn’t form words, I was so mad. She was cuddling up to another man on the other side of t
he fucking planet. After leaving our bed in the middle of the night and she was telling me not to look at her like that?!

  “Is this he?” The man asked resting his chin on her shoulder.

  “Yes, this is he,” she replied giggling.

  “Honey, he looks cranky,” the man said.

  Okay, fuck this I’m done. I do not understand what the hell is going on, but I won’t sit here and watch another man playing house with my woman. I made to kill the feed on the video but stopped when Hedge spoke.

  “Baby, please don’t hang up,” she called out. “This is Kelly.”

  That had my anger screeching to a halt.

  “Hah? What?” I asked confused.

  “This is my cousin Kelly,” she looked back at the man smiling. “Kelly this is Memphis Blue, my fiancé,” she beamed back at me.

  “But he’s a man?”

  “Oh, Honey, you picked a good one,” Kelly said laughing. “He’s very observant.”

  “Babe,” another male voice called.

  “In here,” they both replied.

  I swear to God I was getting fucking whiplash. Between the alcohol, the random men and the last two, well almost three days with little to no sleep my head was spinning. I growled again.

  Kelly turned back to the screen. “Stand down big guy this one is mine.”

  “My lovelies,” said a thick Scottish accent. “And who is this gorgeous specimen?” The man asked joining the other two on the bed, cuddling into Hedge’s other side.

  “Sam, this is Memphis, my fiancé. Memphis this is Sam, Kelly’s husband,” Hedge offered.

  “Hi everyone,” I mumbled scrubbing a hand down my face exhausted and embarrassed that I jumped to conclusions.

  “Baby are you okay?” Hedge asked.

  “No, I’m hung-the-fuck-over. Truth be told I’m still fucking drunk. Which is all your fault! I feel like I’ve had an anvil dropped on my head. And - And you tore my fucking heart out when you left and didn’t tell me where you were going!”

  “Okay my love,” Kelly said climbing off the bed holding his hand out to Sam, “let’s leave these two alone to talk.”

  “It’s good to see you Gorgeous,” Sam kisses Hedge on the cheek taking Kelly’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Memphis and don’t worry we’ll look after her.”

  Chapter 5 Memphis

  Hedge watched the men leave the room. When the door clicked closed, she turned back locking eyes with me through the screen.

  “Baby, I’m so sorry. You know if I told you what I planned to do, you would have tried to stop me or come with. I know you don’t think it’s as bad as I make it out to be, but it is. It truly is.”

  “I know that! That’s why I’m so pissed off. You are so willing to put yourself in danger to protect me, but I’m not allowed to do the same for you!”

  “Baby…”

  “Don’t you Baby me,” I growled. “I’m the fucking man in this relationship Hedge I’m supposed to protect you!’

  “I know you’re angry….”

  “Stop Hedge. Not another word. I don’t want to hear it,” I snapped my anger rising and feeling very fucking sober. “Yes, I’m angry, you have no idea how fucking furious I am right now, but I am not going to spend my time fighting with you over motherfucking skype!” As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted my tone. “Shit,” I whispered looking away from the screen. I scrubbed a hand over my face taking a deep breath trying to calm down. “We’re not fighting on a video call where either of us could hang up.”

  “I think your multiple hang-ups, proved that point,” she muttered.

  “I’m sorry. I’m drunk as fuck. You’re not here, I can’t think straight, it’s all just a little overwhelming. Sweetness you don’t understand, I’m supposed to be the protector not you. It’s how Pop’s raised me, it’s how our sons will be raised; however, we are blessed with them.”

  “Memphis, we’re a team we’re supposed to protect each other.”

  “It’s a bit hard to be on a team if you don’t know what game you’re playing.”

  We were silent for a while, lost in our own thoughts. There was so much more that I wanted to say but even in my drunken mind I knew it was better to wait. To think about what I wanted to say. Hedge was already a million miles away, I didn’t want to push her further away with my ill-considered words.

  “I’m serious why haven’t you screamed and yelled at me yet?” Hedge asked tentatively, like she wanted to know the answer but didn’t want to kickstart another fight. “I mean you kinda have but why haven’t you like completely told me off, called me a bitch, something, anything. I know you have to be furious with me.”

  “First off, I would never call you a bitch,” I said with a scowl, “you know me better than that.”

  “I know, but you know what I mean. I guess I expected you to full on explode at me.”

  “I am very mad at you, Jupiter,” I growled her real name. “I want to yell and scream at you. I want to shake some sense into you. I want to tie you to the bed and lock you in the apartment, so you can never leave me again. But I will not yell at you over Skype while you’re in another country. Nope, this is a discussion that needs to be done face to face. Besides, Skype make-up sex just won’t be the same.” I smirked thinking of tying her to the bed. “I don’t want to do this until your home. It’s enough for you to know that I’m angry. I’ll yell at you when you are in my arms and I know you’re safe.”

  “I’m worried that I have ruined everything,” she whispered.

  “You haven’t ruined anything. I might be angry with you, but I still love you.”

  “I love you too Baby.”

  “I need you to be safe. I need you to not take any unnecessary risks. I need …” I closed my eyes taking a deep breath trying to calm myself, fuck I felt tired. “I just need…”

  “What do you need Baby?”

  “You, just you. I need you to come home. I need you in our bed, in my arms and I need my ring back on your finger. I need you to come home and marry me. Come back to me Mrs. Blue.”

  Chapter 6 Hedge

  “I need you to come home and marry me,” he said.

  My God I loved that man. I knew he would be furious with me, but I could tell he was hung over and probably still quite drunk. No way was that be all and end of our argument. There would be more to come, and I would have to take it, to a certain extent.

  “You need to Skype me every day,” he grumbled, smooshing his face into his pillow, tiredness taking over. “Every day, Hegde, promise me. It’s the only way I will manage keep a hold on what sanity is left. I need to know you are okay, every day. If I see so much as a scratch on you. If you brake a nail, I will hunt you down and spank that sexy ass of yours.”

  “I promise Baby, I am being very careful, and I’m coming back to you. Can’t guarantee I won’t break a nail though, so there may be a little spanking.”

  “Stop teasing I’m cranky remember.”

  “Sorry Baby,” I said through a smile trying not to giggle.

  “I love you, Jupiter.”

  Memphis saying my real name, telling Jupiter, not Hedge he loved her made my heart swell and I couldn’t help but letting my smile spread.

  “You’re beautiful Baby Girl,” he sighed. “I wish you were here, so I can kiss you.”

  Seriously though sleepy drunk Memphis was the cutest thing ever.

  “I would prefer to be home, in bed snuggled up with you too Baby. I will get this over and done with as quick as I can, I promise.”

  “Hedge?”

  “Yeah Baby,” I answered smiling at his sleepy image on the screen.

  “When you come home we’re getting married.”

  “Yes, Baby we are definitely getting married.”

  “Sweetness, we need to look for a new house,” he mumbled settling himself on his tummy hugging my pillow to him.

  “Why? What’s wrong with our apartment?” I asked trying not to giggle as he hugged my pillow closer, smooshing
his face into it again, getting comfortable, he looked like a tired little boy.

  “It’s not big enough,” he sighed closing his eyes.

  “Not big enough for what Memphis?”

  “For the babies, Jupiter Calilapee. We are having lots and lots of babies. Calilapee babies and Memphis babies. All the babies.”

  I kept the video call connected as he drifted off to sleep, watching him softly snore. A tear slid down my cheek listening to him talk about us having babies.

  The car accident that killed my parents when I was twelve, left me with one kidney and one ovary. The chances of me being able to have a baby, let alone lots and lots of babies were slim.

  Looking at his sleeping face, I decided it wouldn’t matter what I had to do, I would do it all. I would put myself through hell if I had to, to give him as many babies as the universe wanted to bless us with.

  In that moment I wanted more than anything to be pregnant with his child. To feel the life, we created growing and moving inside me. A little boy with his strength, loyalty and dimples when he smiled. A little girl with curls and delicate features who had her daddy wrapped around her little finger.

  I drew a finger over his sleeping face on the screen and whispered.

  “I don’t know how Memphis, but I swear I will do everything possible to make you a daddy.”

  Chapter 7 Hedge

  Jax had sent a message telling me that Memphis had been like a bear with a sore head. He told me Memphis came over demanding to know where I was. He said I had better do something about it before he had to kill his best friend. Skype calling Memphis had been a way to calm him down, but it was also punishment for myself. I wanted him and needed Memphis as much as he wanted and needed me.

  I wasn’t there to comfort and reassure him the reason I was doing this to protect and secure our future. Not being there in person to tell him was a little gutless. I knew I wouldn’t have been able to leave the apartment let alone the country without Memphis or Jaxon in tow.

  He was right though, Skype wasn’t the place for this conversation, it needed to be done face to face. Hearing the hurt in his voice was tearing my heart apart, it was all my fault. Well, it was fucking Vex’ fault, but I couldn’t argue semantics.