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And though it pissed me off, I said nothing. I often used an expression to speak for me but given that this woman was about to be dealt a blow about Kailey, I beat back the urge.
She pulled out a new cigarette from a gold cigarette box covered in rhinestones and lit it, then took a glug from a glass of red liquid filled with ice cubes.
“Kailey got herself into some trouble with some outlaw bikers,” Gigi started to lay things out. “And…”
“And what else is new? You about to tell me the sky is blue next?” The woman’s eyebrows went up as she crossed her legs.
“And she…” Gigi sat down. I kept my feet beside her.
The woman waited.
“She…”
Gigi’s shoulders started shaking and her fingers went over her face.
“Spit it out, girl. She dead?” the woman clipped, no finesse whatsoever.
Irritation crawled up my gut and I wanted to tell the old bitch off. She was hard. Mean. And ignorant as fuck. Her niece was clearly hurting, bawling her eyes out over loss. This woman was acting like we were gonna make her miss some TV bingo she already bought tickets for.
“She’s dead, isn’t she?” Francie pushed.
I squeezed the back of Gigi’s neck reassuringly.
“Yeah,” she muttered from behind her hands. Then she looked at her aunt. “She was murdered. She was probably r-raped, too.”
“Fuck.” She rolled her eyes and took a long haul off her cigarette. “Course she was. Bikers ain’t gonna just whack her without takin’ what they want first. Though knowin’ her, maybe she just gave it up before they did her in.”
My jaw muscles flexed at the filthy fuckin’ generalization about bikers.
The woman’s eyes changed for a beat, and I figured she was about to thaw. Show her niece some support. Maybe even shed a tear. The hardness returned just as quickly.
“Jesus,” she muttered and took another sip of her drink.
I sat down on the arm of the couch and put my arm around Gigi, kissing her head.
Francie grimaced as she set the drink down hard. “Told that girl a hundred times the company she was keepin’ was gonna get her killed. That or her mouth. Or her light fingers. Knew she’d either bite it by overdosin’ or would wind up pissin’ off the wrong person.”
Gianna spoke up, “Actually, she was used as a pawn. A weapon against the outlaw MC’s enemies. I just left the police station and-”
“God knows I’ve put up with more shit from her than anybody I’m related to for your sake, but this don’t surprise me. Not at all, Gianna.”
“So, I’ve got to make funeral arrangements, and…”
“I can’t help,” she announced. “Don’t got the money for that. Wouldn’t even have enough if it were you that got yourself killed, never mind someone I paid too much mind to for somebody not even related to me.”
Fuck sakes. This bitch was a piece of work.
“I’m gonna find a way to take care of that,” Gianna said, “I just wanted to tell you in person. I’ll keep you posted on things.”
I’ve been around rough people. I’ve been around assholes and bitches. But this woman? I was fuming sitting at this bullshit.
“I got enough goin’ on.” Francie straightened up, then looked at her phone which was propped on the arm of the couch. “I gotta get goin to my medical appointment.”
“Everything all right?” Gigi asked.
“Started chemo. Today’s my second session.” She said, puffing on the cigarette.
My arm tightened around Gigi as I felt her body react to the news.
Fuck. Another hit.
“I gotta focus on my recovery,” Francie stated. “I can’t be worried about any of this, Gianna.”
“Oh my God,” Gigi exclaimed and moved over to her aunt, putting her arms around her. “What kind of cancer? How bad?”
“Don’t matter, does it? I’m gonna fight it. I’ll win. You know me. Tougher than anything life throws at me. I gotta go. You guys go on, get goin’.” She patted Gianna’s back and pulled out of the embrace, taking another puff from her cigarette, and looking to me, asked, “Got booster cables in your truck?”
I jerked my chin up. “Yeah.”
“Gimme a boost, will ya? My battery died. Think my battery’s goin’. My friend was supposed to come by to boost it but I ain’t seen him yet and since you’re here…”
“All right,” I said.
Gigi wiped her eyes. “So, when I know about the funeral arrangements…”
Francie waved her hand. “Did ya not hear me, girl? I said I got too much goin’ on. I can’t even think about this shit.”
Gigi reached for her handbag from the floor in front of her feet. “I’m not asking for money, Aunt Francie. But maybe you could just come to whatever sort of celebration of life-”
“Celebration of life? Gimme a fuckin’ break. Nothing to celebrate when it comes to that girl. Celebrate what? How she lied and stole shit her whole life? How she died ugly like that? What’s there to celebrate? You shoulda scraped her off a long time ago. Told ya that girl had a trouble magnet in her skinny ass. You wouldn’t listen. At least she didn’t get you killed along with her. Anyway, she left a buncha shit in the closet in my guest room. That’s gotta be thrown out now, I guess.”
