Puck’s Property by Monique Moreau
ChapterTen
Puck was jonesing for another session with Ava. He couldn’t wait to taste her again. She’d been so damn hot, smooth, and silky around his cock. Christ, the way she came, pulsing and milking him for all she was worth. He’d hit pussy gold, and he wasn’t giving it up for anything. The hand on the clock was inching toward three o’clock, so he moved to the table closest to the door of the unit. A few minutes before the hour, a CO came to the main entrance and called out, “Santos! O’Leary! Dupres!” and waited by the door. Why the fuck didn’t she call his name?
Standing up, he approached her slowly. His size sometimes made women nervous, and he guessed that would be doubly true in the pen. “My name wasn’t called. Rossi.”
“Who do you see?”
“Ms. Evans.”
“She called out.”
“What for?” he followed up, swiftly. Was she avoiding him because he’d moved on her too fast? He’d planned to hold off, but couldn’t help himself when she flared up at him. For her to run from him with Kingpin on the line, he must’ve fucked up bad.
He hadn’t moved from his spot, and the CO narrowed her eyes like she was about to tell him to fuck off, so he quickly asked, “She okay? She’s my social worker and helps me with my…stuff.” His eyes pleaded for something, any fragment of information.
“She called out sick. There’s been something goin’ around, so I’m not surprised. Don’t worry, inmate, she’ll be back.”
Now that he thought back, she was sniffling a little last time he saw her. Worry battled with the misery of knowing he wouldn’t see her for another four days at the very least. Could be longer if she caught the flu, although he recalled hearing that prison employees were required to take the flu vaccine or something like that. His concern over her won out. Did she live alone, or was she still with her mom? If she lived alone, who would take care of her? He imagined her in bed, running a high fever with no one to make her soup, check her temperature, or feed her Tylenol.
Thanking the CO, he went straight to the pay phone and dialed the clubhouse collect. Whistle picked up, thank fuck, and conferenced him into a call with Loki.
“Hey, whattup, brother? How you doing in there?” asked Loki.
“I’m dealing. What else can I do, holed up in this fucking place? Listen, I need you to get Abby to check on someone for me.”
Loki was silent for a beat. The brother was beyond protective over his old lady, especially since she was pregnant. “Tell me more.”
Puck sighed. “I reconnected with someone from my past in the pen.” He turned his back to the rest of the room and lowered his voice, “She’s my social worker. She’s also an Agency employee who works out of the county jail a few days a week. Her name is Ava Evans. Abby will know who she is. Anyways, she’s out sick, and I want Abby to go check on her. Make sure she’s doing okay. Stop by the pharmacy and get medicine and shit. Whatever she needs.”
More silence. He could practically hear the wheels working in Loki’s head. The brother was no fucking joke. “You knew her before,” Loki stated.
“Yeah, she’s someone from my past.”
“And you want us to check on her,” he clarified, talking slowly as if piecing pieces of a puzzle together. “Make sure she’s okay? That she’s got everything she needs?”
“Did I stutter?”
“Huh,” replied Loki. Aww, shit. Here it comes. “She your bitch or what?”
Cat. Out. Of. Bag.
“Yeah, she’s mine. Might not be completely on board with it yet, but it’s happening,” he pronounced.
“What the fuck is happening in there? You losin’ your mind, brother?”
“Maybe, but not about her being mine. That’s a done deal. I’ll lose my fuckin’ mind worryin’ about her if I don’t know she’s okay. We haven’t gotten to catch up enough. I don’t know if she’s living alone or with her mom, but I’m guessing she’s alone.”
“She have a man?”
“No man,” he declared resolutely.
“You sure?”
“Brother, I tunneled my cock inside that already. She was tight as fuck, yo. She’s a good girl.”
“Then, what in the fuck does she want with you?” he snorted.
“Could ask the same about Abby,” he fired back.
“Fair enough.” Another beat passed. “Gotta say, I’m surprised by your request. You know if you weren’t in the fucking pen, I’d be tearing into you right now.”
“Thank God for small mercies, motherfucker,” he replied.
“So you say she knows Abby? That must mean I’ve seen her. What’s her name again?”
“Ava Evans. Tell Abby to go find out where Ava lives and check up on her. I already know you’re gonna go with her, but you stay outside the house. I don’t want you scaring Ava. You’re an ugly fucker with your scarred up face. The brothers haven’t stopped betting that Abby dumps your butt-ugly ass. Considering you can’t get her to marry you, I’d say they’re right. I’m tryin’ to win the girl, so until I do, you stay outdoors.”
Ignoring Puck’s string of insults, Loki mocked, “Are you for real? I’m not letting Abby walk alone into a stranger’s house.”
“She’s a single woman who works as a social worker in the same place as Abby. There’s no danger, you idiot.”
“Fuck you, I’ll be the one to determine that. You’re the one asking for the favor. Beggars can’t be choosers.”
Puck gritted his teeth. “Fine, fucking talk to Abby about it, but she’s the lead on this job, alright? If she wants you there, then I’ll allow it. But if she doesn’t, then get the hell out of Dodge, and don’t think I won’t find out the truth once I’m out of here. Do it today. I’ll call you same time tomorrow for an update.”
With that, he hung up before he slammed the receiver against his forehead. Talking to a brother like Loki sometimes did that to a man.
※※※
Ava sat up on her overstuffed sofa littered with magazines, books, and used tissues. The doorbell rang, but she wasn’t expecting anyone. Praying it wasn’t a door-to-door salesperson or Jehovah’s Witness, she tiptoed to the front door of her small bungalow. Hugging the lapels of her blue flannel robe closed, she wiped her sniffling nose and peered out the peephole. Her forehead furrowed. Is that…she squinted…Abby?
Abby worked at the Agency, an organization that provided mental health and other social services to a wide swath of the Poughkeepsie community. Her expertise was helping survivors of domestic violence, while Ava worked with inmates. They chatted if they happened to be in the kitchen together, and they’d both attended the Thursday happy hours at a nearby bar, but they weren’t close enough to explain why she was at Ava’s doorstep in the middle of a work day.
Flinging the door open on the frigid winter air, she asked, “Abby, why are you here? Is everything okay at the Agency?”
“Hey, Ava. Sorry for bothering you. Yeah, everything’s okay. Are you okay? You weren’t at work yesterday or today,” the younger woman replied, her shiny blond hair gleaming in the bright sunlight.
Scrunching her tissue in her hand, Ava said, “I have a cold. Do you want to come in? I don’t think I’m contagious anymore, but keep a healthy distance from me.”
A scary-looking biker stared at her from the window of the truck idling at the curb.
“Uhm…is that your ride? Do you want to invite him in?”
Abby waved her hand dismissively. “That’s my fiancé, Loki, but he’ll be fine waiting outside,” she replied as she stepped inside. In the foyer, she shrugged off her red coat and draped it over the back of a chair.
Clutching her robe around herself, Ava peeked out from behind the door, inspecting Loki carefully in the cab of the truck. A biker. Like Puck. She gave a little sentimental sigh and shut the door softly.
“Would you like tea or coffee?” she asked as she turned around.
“Tea would be great,” Abby replied. “Cute place you have.”
Ava led her toward the kitchen. “Thanks, it’s small, but I live alone, so it fits me. Please take a seat.” She gestured to a small round table with a gingham tablecloth that matched the curtains hanging from the windows of the small alcove. “Black or green tea?”
“Black works for me.” Abby took a seat and threaded her fingers together. “I’d like to be transparent from the beginning.” She paused a beat. “Puck sent us.”
Ava was reaching for a tin canister of Earl Grey tea on her tiptoes. At the sound of Puck’s name, her grip on the canister slipped. Fumbling with the tin, she caught it to her chest and fell back on the heels of her feet.
“Puck sent you?” she squeaked out. Duh, that’s what the woman said, Ava.
“Yeah. Loki and Puck are brothers in the Demon Squad. He called when you didn’t show up to work and asked us to check up on you. You know, to make sure you had everything you needed.” Motioning toward the front of the house, she said, “I have Tylenol, Advil, a thermometer, and cough syrup in the truck. We were more than a little surprised by his request. He, like, never does more than hook up with women. I wasn’t aware you guys knew each other. Small world, right?”
“Yeah, small world,” she mumbled, laughing nervously. Ava turned her back on Abby and concentrated fastidiously on scooping loose tea leaves into her favorite cast-iron Japanese teapot. What the hell was he thinking? Moving to the sink, she flicked on the tap water and filled the teakettle. Is he trying to get me into trouble? Carefully, she placed it on the stove top and lit the old-fashioned burner with a match. Because, seriously, there’s no greater sin than getting mixed up with a client.
It was a huge no-no among social workers. Whether or not he realized how unprofessional they’d been, she wasn’t about to get kicked out of her job because he was clueless. Deciding to keep her answers as short as possible, she turned to face Abby and said, “He really shouldn’t have bothered you to check up on me.”
“I’m a social worker, too, Ava. I know all about not getting involved with a client, but if Puck asked us to do this, that means something. I would never do anything to compromise Puck’s well-being and happiness. Not only do I respect him as a person and a brother, but I’m very close to his sister.”
Damn him. “He really shouldn’t have made you go out of your way to visit me,” Ava repeated.
“There’s no way I would do anything to harm Puck or someone he cared about. You have nothing to worry about,” Abby promised in a firm tone.
Ava puffed out a breath of exasperation. “Like you, the work I do is incredibly meaningful to me, and I wouldn’t jeopardize it for anything.” Lie, lie, lie. But she was doing it to keep Sasha’s killer locked up. Still, she was fuming over the fact that Puck had cavalierly suggested to one of his brothers that there was something going on between them. There was no one to blame but herself, but she’d expected more discretion from him.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. Puck didn’t realize. He’s a simple guy, in many ways. Doesn’t have a dishonest bone in his body. Can’t manipulate, pretend, or hide his feelings to save his life. He wouldn’t have asked me to come here if he didn’t trust me implicitly. I want to make that clear. He must’ve been pretty worked up about you to reach out to Loki from jail. Let’s just say, Loki’s not the easiest brother to approach. But Puck did it because he guessed that it wouldn’t alarm you if I showed up on your doorstep. He’s a worrier with the people he cares about. Sammi happens to be one of my closest friends, and I’ve seen how he treats her. This is not unusual, coming from him.”
“I don’t see or hear a peep from him in eight years, and after a few sessions, he has someone checking up on me?” She shook her head in disbelief. “I’m a grown woman. I’ve lived on my own for years.”
“Welcome to my life, sister. You may be repeating that phrase a lot in the future, because that’s what it’s like to be with a man like Puck or Loki. They’re…protective.” Abby canted her head to the side, an expression of curiosity lining her face. “So you knew Puck eight years ago?”
Ava rolled her eyes.
The other woman threw up her hands. “Sorry, I’m prying, I know. We’re just dying to know who captured that man’s attention. I mean, Loki told me he’s never had an old lady—that’s our term for a wife.”
“Yes, I know. My father’s in the Renegades, so I’m familiar with the lifestyle.”
“There you go. Well, he’s never even had a girlfriend. His life had been Sammi, the club, making money, the club, Sammi, and on and on. I don’t know why your relationship ended, but he’s clearly smitten with you now.”
“That man’s no choir boy,” she huffed out. “He’s the reason our relationship ended, so don’t get your hopes up.” Ava realized she was speaking bluntly, but she didn’t want to lead her on. She liked Abby, and God knows, it was time to expand her social circle now that her mother’s cancer was in remission. But there was nothing between her and Puck besides sex and Kingpin. Her heart throbbed with a jolt of pain. Shut up heart, I’m not listening.
“Oh.” Abby’s shoulders slumped.
The teakettle whistled, and Ava hurried to turn off the stove. Carefully, she poured the scalding water over the tea leaves. Taking her favorite green owl-shaped timer, she turned it to the number of minutes the tea needed to steep.
Resting her hip against the counter, she expanded on her earlier statement. “I don’t want you to be disappointed, but Puck broke it off between us years ago. We might’ve been each other’s first loves, but we were young and immature. Puck wants to rekindle our relationship, but I’m not interested. I refuse to put myself at the mercy of his whims.”
“Whims?” A soft peal of laughter chimed through the cozy kitchen. “He’s not exactly known for being whimsical. Granted, from what I’ve heard, he didn’t take on any leadership roles in the club until recently, but he isn’t a man who acts on impulse.”
“You’d be surprised,” Ava muttered with a slight grimace. Oh, he’s acted on impulse more than once. Like breaking up with me or fucking me on the desk of my office. I’d say that’s the definition of impulsive. “We’re working together at the moment, but I don’t expect to see him after he’s released or transferred to another facility.”
Ava opened her fridge and pulled out a carton. “Milk?” she asked.
Abby nodded, and Ava filled a small white porcelain pitcher. The timer went off. She returned to the teapot and deposited the tea leaves in a compost bin underneath her sink. Placing the teapot, cups, saucers, spoons, and a small matching porcelain sugar bowl on a wooden tray, she brought it to the table and set the items around the table.
Despite the firm stance she’d taken, a warm gooey feeling settled in her belly at the proof of Puck’s concern for her. He’d been worried enough to collect call his friend and convince him to show up at her door with his fiancée. It was a perfect example and a bittersweet reminder of what it was like to be part of Puck’s life. How careful and solicitous he was with the ones he loved.
Between pitching in to raise Kat and taking care of her mother, Ava was the bedrock of her small family. It hadn’t occurred to her to call her mom or Kat, and certainly not her father, to let them know she was sick. She would’ve only mentioned it if there was an obligation she couldn’t meet or she was at death’s door. Otherwise, she wouldn’t want to be a bother. She was the exact opposite of that to Puck.
Sitting down across from Abby, she served the tea. Ava stared into her teacup, stirring her spoon in slow circles when Abby interrupted her musings. “If you’re not interested in Puck, you should get out there. Go out, flirt, date.”
With a small smile, she asked, “How do you know I don’t already have a boyfriend?”
“Do you? Because I don’t see Puck going after another man’s woman.”
“No,” Ava replied, shaking her head. “I don’t have the time, what with my job and the responsibilities I have with my family. Then there’s the fact that the bar and club scenes aren’t really my thing anymore.”
“You always seem a little…sad. I don’t mean to pry…” Abby trailed off.
“It’s okay. You’re a social worker. I understand the impulse of caring about people and wanting to help them live their best lives. Perhaps I am a little melancholic. In my late teens and early twenties, I partied hard. In fact, Puck and I partied together. Then life barged in and he broke up with me. Now, I have serious family responsibilities on top of my own career goals. I worry about my clients, and you know how that can bleed into your private life. Sometimes it’s hard to leave everything at work at the end of the day. Doesn’t help that I’m feeling under the weather.”
“Well, you should come out with me and my friends. You should meet Sammi. You know her, right?”
“Sure, I know Sammi,” Ava replied with a sad, wistful smile. Her heart leaped in her chest. They’d had begun a little tentative friendship of their own before Puck ended things. Ava had become something of a loner after Sasha’s death and getting clean. Although she’d love to hang out with Abby and reconnect with Sammi, she couldn’t. Once Kingpin was taken care of and Puck was out of jail, they’d part and go their separate ways.
“I bet she’d love to see you again.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Once Puck is out of my life, it wouldn’t do to see him around.” She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “He’ll be with other women. That would be hard for me. One small mercy about our breakup was that, once it was over, we never crossed paths.” Except for when he showed up at Sasha’s funeral.
“I suppose so,” Abby agreed reluctantly. She took a sip of her tea and then inquired, “Do you need anything? Like I said, I have a mini pharmacy in the truck.”
“I could do with more Tylenol. I’m experiencing residual aches and pains from the fever.”
Abby’s face brightened. “Sure! Let me go get it.”
Ava followed her to the door as she rushed to the truck and fiddled with some bags while talking to Loki. He followed Abby as she returned with a plastic bag filled with stuff. Greeting him, Ava ushered them inside. As Abby described what was in the bag, Loki inspected Ava from head to toe. Wearing only a nightgown and robe, she suddenly felt nervous. Shifting from foot to foot, she retied the belt of her robe around her waist.
Abby slapped Loki’s arm. “Stop staring! You’re making her nervous.”
“Jealous that I’m checking out another woman?” Loki teased as he looped his arm around Abby’s middle, hauled her against his side, and rubbed her small baby bump. Planting a kiss on the crown of her head, he looked down at her with so much affection that Ava felt a tinge of envy.
Abby chuckled. “Hardly.”
Breaking free of his hold, she gave Ava a quick hug before she could protest about being sick, and then they were both out of her house with waves of goodbye.
Ava closed the door behind the adoring couple. Stillness, tinged with emptiness, permeated her cozy little sanctuary. No matter how comfy her home was, it couldn’t make up for the absence of a loved mate.
