Page 30 of Vapor

“About covering his dick? I duct-taped a super-size box of condoms to his bedroom door. I think he got the message.”

I laugh as she moves to the side so I can open the oven door. Using potholders, I pull the steaming cornbread out and set it on a trivet on the table. She shuts the door for me before grabbing another handful of spices for the gumbo broth.

“Anything else?” I ask.

“Jambalaya’s in the fridge. Scoop out what you want, and I’ll heat it back up.”

“I can microwave it,” I tell her.

She makes a face like I just suggested she start World War III. I’m trying to make less work for her, but I think I accidentally insulted her instead. Definitely not my intention.

After scooping a heaping mound of jambalaya into a saucepan, I hand it over so she can reheat it. Ultimately, she’s right because reheating it this way just tastes so much better. Also, you don’t end up with a cold part in the middle.

“So, who’s the girl?” she asks casually.

“Don’t know what you mean.” I open the fridge and grab a beer, popping the top open with the edge of the counter.

“Please tell me it’s not Blue.”

“How do you even know about her?” I ask.

“I hear things.”

“More like overhear.” I smirk before taking another sip.“She’s engaged to Broussard.”

“Figures you’d fall for someone who’s already taken.”

“I didn’t… She’s not… We’re…” I sigh. Try as I might, I can’t lie to Babet. It’s one of our unspoken rules. However, that doesn’t mean I need to spill my guts either.“That’s a complicated situation.”

“Sounds like it.”

“Her father set up the wedding. As in, he’s making her marry Broussard like it’s one of his business deals.”

“What’s her father into? If he’s working with Broussard, then it’s got to be bad.”

“You know those girls we brought back to the clubhouse a couple nights ago?” I ask.

“Yeah. Did you find them homes yet?”

“They’ve been either handed over to our allies in Mexico so they can go back to their families, or they’ve been put in the underground system so they can find families in different chapters.”

Babet’s been around long enough to know how this works. We take the people we rescue—men, women, and children—over to another chapter. Then that chapter transfers them to another and then they do the same until there are too many degrees of separation for anyone to track them. They disappear. Get new identities. New lives. Freedom.

“Blue told you where to find them, right?” Babet asks.

“Yes. She’s assisting us, which is why I want to help her get away from her father and Broussard.”

“You’re fixin’to make some powerful enemies.”

“Not like we don’t already have those.” I shrug.

“True. Just be careful,” she warns.“The whole‘it’s complicated’relationship status takes on a whole new meaning when you’ve got a pissed-off father and equally malicious fiancé gunning for you.”

“I can handle it. She needs to be protected from them.”

“And you’re the one to do it?”

“Yes.” My tone leaves no room for argument. While I value Babet’s opinion, I don’t always take her advice. She’s more cautious in some ways and more reckless in others, so I pick and choose depending on the situation.