Page 62 of Half Blind
“Sí, while you have been so busy chasing my friend here, who has my full protection, that you are unaware your last shipment did not make it to the final destination,” Micah informed her. “On top of my father's infuriation with you, those who paid for products they will not receive are looking for you as well. Leave here. Get your affairs in order. Go. Go on now.”
Constance Monroe gasped loudly.
The second woman burst through the back door when she heard the loud gasp from her friend only to be met by a quick sweep of Helen’s leg, knocking the woman to the floor on all fours. Helen stood over her, a knee in her back, a knife at her throat and the 9mm at her head. Helen stooped, whispering in her ear, daring her to move. Alita smiled at Helen, yet Micah's eyes remained on the large woman.
Constance began to back out the door. The woman on the floor rose slowly as Helen released her, the gun still aimed at her head. The lady held up her hands in surrender, backing out of the door. She exited quietly.
Helen put away her knife but held the gun. Colette yelled out, “Teach me all of that! I want to know how to do all of that! Helen, you are bad ass! I want to learn to be fearless like that as well.”
Micah stood still, looking at his feet. His mind in a tizzy processing so many moving pieces at once. He’d seen the moves by Helen from the corner of his eye. He moved to stand next to the woman who sent his mind and emotions into turmoil; his back to the family. His words were only for her.
“Señorita Helen, the plane is fueled. Say the word and we can spend an evening dining on fresh seafood near a white sandy beach in Celestun, Mexico nursing margaritas or sipping a hearty red wine at a vineyard in California on 1800 thread count sheets, as I feed you figs and decadent cheeses. I give you the choice. Say the word, and these things I will make happen for us this evening,” he said.
“Or we can crack open a $20 bottle of red, fire up the grill for those T-bones, and discuss which colleges you're looking at attending next year,” she said with a smile.
“This desire I have for you is unrequited, but I have made my case,” he said softly. “You are aware of my heart's craving, and I shall leave you my card when I depart. Use it once in case of an emergency. Use it twice if you desire an unforgettable evening together.”
“Please stop it. You are making this weird, and I don’t like it. You’re also making me uncomfortable with such talk. You are out of pocket and you know it. It’s inappropriate,” Helen said, pointing her finger at him. She moved away from the private huddle to address Jared. “I'm hungry. Jared, can we fire up the grill?”
“Of course,” Jared said, looking about the home. “Alita, Micah, how do you like your steaks?”
“Hot pink in the center for us both,” Micah said, looking at Helen. “I apologize if I have causedthe discomfort. You too, have caused me the same. I feel calm when I am near you. The buzzing in my head ceases and I want to sit and talk of my dreams and aspirations, yet I hunger for your affection. I have this need for you to hold me, but then my man brain begins to work. It is very disconcerting.”
“I like the thought of having you as a young friend,” Helen told him. “The idea of being an Auntie to you and Alita, sending you two care packages while in college, and celebrating your victories and successes on your journey into manhood would be an honor for me.”
“An Auntie, as in aTia?” he said, snarling his lip.
“A cool ass Auntie,” she told him with a wink. “Besides, I think your hands will be full with the one who guards you. Each time you say something to me, the look in her eyes...she has deep feelings for you.”
Micah turned to look at Alita, who watched him carefully. He stared at her, and she looked away. “Hmmm,” he said, then sauntered off behind Jared.
Lemon came to sit at her side. A glass of lemonade was in one hand and the jewelry box given to her by Micah in the other. She sipped at the lemonade.
“He brought me more venom,” she told Helen, “And this stunning necklace he said was a wedding gift.”
“Hmm. He gave me his card,” Helen said.
“Use it wisely; he can come through at a time when things seem bleak,” Lemon said.
“I know there is more to learn about him, but do I want to know?”
“No, you don’t,” Lemon said. “From what I’ve been told, Yield was the best man at his brother’s wedding. His oldest brother is soul chilling. The father is terrifying.”
“Good to know,” Helen said, taking a seat on the living room couch. Colette, Bria, and Ayanna flanked her. She looked back for Alita, whom she called over. “Baby, you can take a break from your watch; he’s safe here with your new family.”
Alita came to sit, but she perched herself at an angle to see out the back door to the patio where Micah stood chatting with Jared. He started the grill but returned inside to show Micah his new space. His man space. Alita’s eyes were sharp and she missed nothing. Helen too missed very little.
The girl spoke, “TiaHelen, the watch never ends. We safeguard and look for snares which are invisible to the eyes of others, but we know are present. The watch is constant.”
Helen couldn’t help but agree. Her watch hadn’t officially started yet, and the training still had ways to go. There would be no more early breaks from Lemon. There was a lot to learn about mixing plants, which Lemon preferred over a chemical pre-manufactured. She and Cherry had lived in isolation, interacting with very few people, but she better understood more now than ever that living that way was simply a choice made by Cherry.
Cherry had made many choices for them both, and for the first time in many years, Helen felt free. She was free to learn, love, and live without Cherry being a constant watchdog over her every action. For Cherry, she believed she was protecting Helen, when in fact, the insistence of sequestering her away only increased her insecurities. Cherry had done more damage to Helen’s self-esteem than she realized. Helen knew it was unintentional, but the best intentions often have the most harm.
“My watch is just beginning,” Helen said, looking at Lemon’s family. A thought crossed her mind briefly at the request by Colette to come live with her. Then she thought of little Oscar and smiled again. The idea of bringing home two kids would make Mustang kick her ass. She chuckled at the idea, rising and excusing herself to take a moment alone with her thoughts.
“I’m going to be a frickin’ Technician.”
For the first time, she felt good about what that meant.