“Yes. She’s such a good girl. She helps me cook and clean the house. In the past few months, I haven’t seen her that often. She’d only come for a few minutes and then leave. I shoulda known something was going on with her.”
“Don’t even go there. You’re not responsible for this. Hell, I didn’t pick up on the fact that she was wearing long sleeves all the time, or that she acted suspicious about shit a lot. I guess I just didn’t fathom that my kid would be caught up in drugs.” She patted his hand and he pulled it away. “Anyway, did the most recent cards go missing after Chenoa was here the last time?”
“What are you saying? Are you accusing your daughter of stealing them?”
“Just answer me truthfully,Shimá.”
She nodded. “I was planning to go to the store right after she left. Chitsa was coming by to take me. She needed some things too, but when I went to get them, they were gone. Chitsa wasn’t too happy. Neither of us had enough money to buy a lot of groceries.”
Adrenaline rushed through him.Chenoa’s selling the food stamps for cash. Fuck.“Next time you need money, you call me. I’m sick of this shit. I can help you. Did you tell Chitsa about Chenoa being there and that the cards were missing after that?” She shook her head. “Don’t tell her any of this, okay?”
“I won’t. I didn’t want to believe it, so I convinced myself I’d misplaced them. I can’t believe she’d do that to me.”
“Drugs make you do stuff like that. It’s all about the fix. Nothing else matters.” He felt a heaviness descend on him. He wished he could hold his daughter in his arms for the rest of her life. He wanted to keep her safe, wanted her to have the best life possible. He wanted her off drugs forever. His stomach hardened. “I gotta go over and talk to Mika. Are you good?”
“I’m fine. I’m going to relax and watch TV. Wayne’s coming over and we’re going to have dinner together. Stop worrying about me.” She smiled.
“Tell Wayne I said hi.” He stood up and walked over to her, kissing her forehead before rifling through his jeans pocket. He stuffed two hundred-dollar bills in her hand. “This is for you. Not Chitsa, not the grandkids, just you. Buy yourself a new housecoat.” He shuffled to the door before she could give him the money back. “I’ll stop by in a day or so,” he said over his shoulder, then closed the door and went to his bike.
When he pulled into Mika’s driveway, she stepped out on her front porch and began walking toward him. He got off his bike and leaned against it, waiting for her to reach him.
“Is everything okay with Chenoa?” she asked, her brow creasing.
“Yeah. She’s doing great. I just stopped in to see my mom. I wanted to ask you a quick question before I take off. Have you ever misplaced your food stamp card?”
“My EBT card?” Her puzzled look made him chuckle. “Yeah. Why’re you asking?”
“I just wondered. When’s the most recent replacement you’ve received?”
“About a month ago. I couldn’t find my card anywhere. Come to think of it, I’ve had about eight cards go missing in the last six months. It’s weird. Why’re you interested in my EBT cards?”
He shrugged. “My mom mentioned she’s getting government help. I want her off it.”
“What’re you two talking about?” Roy stepped onto the porch. He ran his hand over his shaved head, his beady eyes fixed on Steel. Pricks of anger stabbed at Steel’s nerves.
“Nothing, honey. Steel’s just updating me about Chenoa.”
Roy walked over and stood by Mika, his arm snaking around her shoulders. Steel’s six-foot-one frame loomed over Roy’s five-seven one, and the man thrust his shoulders as though to make himself appear taller than he was. “How is she?”
Steel’s scalp tightened and he clenched and unclenched his fists to calm the burn that was threatening to explode inside him. “She’s fine. I’m talking to Mika. Why don’t you come back in five?”
Roy narrowed his eyes. “Why? Are you saying something you don’t want me to know about?”
Mika turned to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “No, sweetie, it’s just that—”
“I’m fucking outta here. I’ll catch you later, Mika.” His body temperature was rising. He turned away and swung his leg over his motorcycle.
“Wait. You don’t have to go,” she said, pulling away from Roy.
“I fucking know I don’t have to. Later.” He revved his engine and reversed his bike down the driveway. Mika’s face wore the mask of regret, while Roy’s was full of loathing. Steel’s lips curled into a wide grin, and then he laughed when he saw Roy grab Mika and hold her close, like he was telling Steel that she washisproperty.Like I give a fuck. He’s asking for a beat-down in the worst way.The only thing that held him back was Chenoa. He didn’t want the fucker taking out his frustrations on his daughter—or Mika for that matter.I don’t know what in the hell Mika sees in him.
Once Chenoa got out of rehab, he’d have to make sure that Roy got his ass out of Mika’s house. There was no way in fuck he was letting her stay in the house with him there. It never ceased to amaze him that both his dad and Roy had permission by the tribal council to live on the reservation. Very few non-natives lived on the reservation, and the ones who did had to obtain permission from the tribe to do so. He wondered how much it cost his dad and the fucker to get the council’s permission.
He shook his head in disgust as he rode toward the entrance to the reservation. The Department of Social Services was keeping his daughter away from him and it was pure bullshit. They were trying to protect Chenoa from the influences of his bad lifestyle, and she ended up on heroin.
But I’m the problem. What a goddamn joke. This fucking shit’s gonna stop now.
He swung his bike in the direction of the satellite office and pulled into the small parking lot adjacent to it. A blast of cold air slammed into him as he entered the small building. An unmanned reception desk was the first thing he saw. He marched down a short hallway and came into a room that had several partitions and desks set up.
