Behind the Hood (Behind the Lives) (16 page)

“What the fuck? Where’d they go?”

He went back into the lounge as Betsy pulled open the ranch-slider.

“Oh shit!” Tama turned and ran.

“Tama, wait!”

He bolted out the back door, hurdled the porch railing, and clambered up the slope. Within seconds he was over the fence.

“Stop, Tama!” Betsy yelled.

Like hell he would. There was no way he was going to stay while her fat husband called the pigs.

“Tama, your mum’s...”

Without looking back, he sprinted through the gate and down the field, almost taking a tumble as he skidded on a muddy patch. He took a left onto Parson’s Road, and continued along the footpath. After several minutes, he stopped and collapsed on the grass, too sore and exhausted to go any further.

A dark car drove past. Tama looked up as it started reversing. Shit! Betsy must have sent Bob out after him. In a panic, he jumped up and ran.

“Tama!”

Tama spun around at the sound of his mate’s voice. Yes! Finally, some luck. He’d been so wound up he hadn’t recognised Corey’s car.

Naf poked his head out of the front passenger window. “Why the fuck were you running?”

Tama grinned back, happy to see his mate. “Your fuckin’ ugly mug scared the living shit outta me.” He bobbed down and raised his chin in a friendly hello to the driver. Corey laughed.

Except for Corey’s dyed blond hair, the Connor brothers looked the same. Tama had nicknamed them the chunk stains. They were chubby little bastards who were always eating and dropping food on their clothes. Naf was the worst of the two. His real name was Samuel, after the great Samuel L. Jackson, but unlike his cool namesake Naf was anything but. When Naf started high school kids nicknamed him NAF: non-athletic fuckwit. He was so unco that no one would pick him for team sports. Naf’s sixteen-year-old brother, Corey, wasn’t much better.

“What’re ya smiling at?” Tama asked Corey. “Heard you slow bastards got nabbed.”

“Pigs couldn’t keep us in,” Corey replied. “Mum got us out, but man, she wuz pissed. You’re a bloody prick for leaving us in the shit.”

Tama shrugged. “Didn’t have much choice. They set a fuckin’ dog on me. Anyway, where’s Trey? Did he get out?”

“Yup,” Naf cut in. “The pretty bastard’s at home. We’re gonna pick him up then head out to Johno’s. He’s havin’ a party. You wanna come?”

Tama jumped into the car before he could say, “Fuck, yeah.” He wanted to get blotto tonight, anything to forget about his shitty day.

Corey turned on the radio, then pulled out. A Britney Spears’s song came on. Naf pushed a CD into the stereo. His head started bobbing out of rhythm to Eminem’s rap.

“You wanna get Mikey too?” Corey asked Tama.

Tama grimaced. Mikey. He loved him, but the kid was becoming a loose cannon. His cuz had even tried to get Maia for himself. Fuck that, the little bitch was his, Mikey couldn’t have her. And with Mikey’s latest cock ups, he realised he had to deal with him soon before the kid did anything worse. But after Jayden, he couldn’t stomach hitting someone else he loved, and needed a day’s break to cool down.

“No, I’m not in the mood to see Mikey. He caused a shitload of trouble today.”

Naf glanced over his shoulder. “What?”

“He left the door unlocked and Juliet jumped my bones. I woke up with her hand around my cock. I had to run like fuck when Ash took off after me.”

Loud barks of laughter filled the car.

Tama whacked the back of Naf’s head. “It’s not bloody funny. Now Ash is after my nuts.”

Naf continued to laugh as he ducked Tama’s swipes.

“I’d let Juliet do what she wanted to me,” Corey cut in.

Tama stopped and stared at the back of Corey’s head, the dark roots barely noticeable. “Ooh ... you’re sick. It would be like doin’ Sledge.”

“As long as I could keep my eyes shut, I’d do her too,” Naf said.

“Nah, I reckon she’s hot.” Corey started laughing. “Hot, hot, h-a-w-t.”

“If ya think that, you need glasses, bro,” Naf sniggered.

Tama screwed up his nose. “You’re both sick bastards.”

Corey stopped laughing. “Not as sick as you,” he replied in a serious tone. “What didja stab Maia for?”

Naf whacked Corey’s head. “I told ja not to say anything.”

Corey swerved, then righted the car. “Fuck! Don’t hit me while I’m driving, you bastard.”

Tama scrubbed a hand down his face as he pictured Maia’s shocked expression. Shit, did Corey have to bring up the stabbing? As the day progressed he felt worse about it. He bloody needed some more booze or pot, anything to forget his stupid frigging conscience.

His newly acquired phone beeped in his jeans pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the message. “URGNT! CAL ME BAK, MIKEY.”

“Piss off,” Tama growled.

“W’sup?” Naf asked.

“Mikey wants me to phone him. Says it’s urgent. I ain’t callin’ him. He can bloody wait until tomorrow when I smack his gob for blabbing.”

“I thought ya said he left the door unlocked,” Naf replied.

“He did sumpthin’ else far worse.”

“What?”

“None of your business.”

“You don’t need to get shitty ‘bout it.”

Tama shrugged. Naf and Corey didn’t need to know about Jayden.

“Anyway, didja hear what happened to Sledge?” Naf asked.

Tama sat up. “Nah. What?”

“Ash beat the living shit outta him for chasing Maia.”

“Ya kidding me?”

“Nope. Apparently, Ash is tight with Nike. Nike went over there and attacked Sledge. Dante tried to smack Nike over for it, but Ash stopped him and made Sledge spill on us. After Nike left, Ash took to Sledge and also belted Dante for interfering.”

“But Dante’s tough as. He wouldn’t have gone down easy.”

“He didn’t. Both sides came off bad.”

“Ash is a fuckin’ bastard for hurting Sledge.” Corey hit the dashboard. “Shit, if he wuzn’t so big I’d take to him.”

Tama patted Corey’s shoulder, feeling sorry for him as well as Sledge. The kid was even tighter with Sledge than he was.

“Yeah, Ash is a nasty bastard, but I still think its Nike’s fault,” Tama added. “Now he’s got Ash on our cases we’re dead meat if we’re caught.”

Corey turned off the road and drove down a narrow driveway, stopping outside a row of flats. He blasted the horn for a few seconds.

Naf undid his seatbelt and turned around. “Well, I ain’t goin’ anywhere near Sledge’s house until his bro calms down. Anyway, I don’t think Ash will come after me and Corey cos Beth will walk on him.”

“Yeah, get your sister to tell him I did nuthin’ to Juliet,” Tama said.

“You’re not listening, Tama. He’s also after you cos of what you did to Nike’s sister.”

Tama scowled. “I fuckin’ hate Nike. I’m gonna dice him up good.”

“Well, if you do, I’d leave Auckland cos Ash will come after you.”

Corey blasted the horn again. “Bloody Trey, hurry up.”

Tama leaned back and closed his eyes. Instead of Jayden he now saw Nike. He so wanted to splice the guy it hurt. Nike was the bane of his life, and the sooner he was in a grave the better things would be.

22

Nike

Nike strode down the hospital corridor looking for the number the nurse had given him. 15, 16, 17, and... He stopped outside number 18, and peered inside the room.

Pale green curtains surrounded each bed. A female giggled behind the curtain on the left. Her laughter stopped abruptly as a male voice scolded her.

“Leila?” Nike called out.

Someone moaned on the other side of the room.

“Is that you, Leila?”

“Nike?”

He walked over and pulled back the curtain—then froze. Leila lay flat on the bed with a grey blanket pulled up to her chest. Her face was badly bruised and swollen, her eyes no more than slits. More bruises coloured her arms, while a bandage covered her left hand.

No matter how much Leila had upset him, he would never raise a hand against her. She was a female for Christ’s sake. How could Jayden do this?

“Oh shit, Leila, I didn’t expect this. Did he break anything?”

“Some ribs and...” She winced and cupped her chin. “It hurts to talk.” She leaned towards the cabinet, her fingers straining for the pad and pen.

“I’ll get it.” He passed them to her.

She whispered, “Thanks.”

“I’m sorry, Leila. I had no idea Jayden would do sumpthin’ like this.”

Don’t blame yourself,
she wrote.
You did nothing wrong.

“Have you spoken to the cops?”

No, it was my fault.

He stared at her. “How can it be your fault?”

I had an affair with Tama.

Nike sighed, wondering whether she’d ever learn from her past mistakes. “I know, Annie told me. But it still doesn’t give Jayden a right to do this. You need to tell the cops. He’s now gone and got Annie and Lil Jay. Annie didn’t believe me when I told her that he hurt you.”

Leila went still. Nike wondered whether she was upset that Jayden had gone to Annie.

After a pause, she started writing again.
Your cousin’s dumb as shit. Jayden could hit me in front of her, and she’d still refuse to believe it.

He knew she was right, but he still couldn’t let Annie go off with Jayden without doing something. Yeah, Annie would be safe for now, since Jayden was in no condition do anything, but that wouldn’t last long.

“Leila, you need to press charges. Jayden could do this to Annie too.”

No, he only did it cos of what I did. Annie’s too goody-good to do anything like that. She’ll be fine. Plus, he’s probably only with her cos he’s wants to see Lil Jay.

“Would you risk her life on that?”

She cradled her chin. “Why’re you here?” she whispered.

“I needed to know you were alright. I feel responsible.” He frowned as a tear ran down her cheek.

She wiped it away. “Can you come again tomorrow? I have no one else.”

Nike dropped his gaze. Although he didn’t like seeing Leila, he felt damned guilty at what had happened to her. And since he was coming in to see Maia anyway, he might as well pop by for a short visit.

“Okay.”

“Thanks.”

Footsteps came closer, then stopped on the other side of the curtain. “Visiting time is over,” a female called out.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Nike said.

She nodded and smiled awkwardly.

As he headed out of the room and down the corridor, Nike pulled out his phone and searched for his uncle’s number. Jayden wasn’t going to get away with this. If Leila wouldn’t press charges, his Uncle Matt needed to know what had happened. Annie and Lil Jay had to be protected and he knew his uncle wouldn’t allow anything to happen to them.

His Uncle Matt had always been hard, and had gotten into trouble in the past over battery. Nike was surprised at how religious the man was, considering his violent nature. If anything, once his uncle found out what Jayden had done, he would probably try to finish the job that Tama had started.

23

Tama