Chapter 13-Knock, Knock
Mercer house-
Jerry had brought Nikki over to his brother's house after she was released from the hospital. Since Nikki was going through some tough times he thought it was best for her to spend this time with Jack.
"Do you need anything?" Jack asked Nikki leading her into the kitchen with his arm.
"No, I'm fine Jack, for the millionth time," she said trying not to bump into anything.
"Here, sit here," he said pulling a chair from under the table so she could sit down.
"Thanks. So what are you making me?" she asked him gloatingly.
"What would you like for dinner madam moisel?" Jack asked looking into the fridge.
"I don't know surprise me," she said.
While Jack and Nikki spent some time together, Bobby gathered Angel and Jerry on the front porch.
"It's cold out here man. Why can't we do this in the house?" Angel barked at Bobby.
"Because we don't want them to hear us," Bobby said.
"What is it Bobby?" Jerry asked him.
"Well I was thinking. It's getting late in all, we should probably take a drive down by the old roller skatin rink."
"Oh hell nah," Jerry said throwing his hands over his head, "I know you're not still thinking bout going down there."
"And why not?" Angel said in Bobby's defense.
"Look in there Jerry. Your niece will never see again. She's been to the hospital twice in the last week, I know you don't want these punks getting away with this," Bobby told him.
"No of course not, but haven't we been down this rode before? Someone's gunna get hurt man," Jerry said trying to convince them this was a bad idea.
"Well we've knocked on the devil's door before, what's one more visit?" Angel said walking back into the house.
Bobby and Jerry followed Angel into the living room and then he grabbed Jerry and said, "Jack might think were up to something. Let's go down to Johnny G's bar, wait till it's ten o'clock and then head down to catch those little mothafuckers," Bobby said.
"Iight fine, but we should invite him so it don't look suspicious. He'll stay here with Nikki fo sho," Jerry told him.
"Hey Jacky," Bobby said from the living room, "Angel, Jerry and I are going out for drinks, wanna come?" Bobby asked.
Jack looked at Nikki who was waiting for him to answer.
"No, I'ma stay here with Nikki."
"Cool then, we'll be back later," he said as he grabbed his car keys off the table by the front door.
"We're we goin?" Angel asked them as Jerry pulled him out the door.
Jack was still trying to decide what to make Nikki for dinner. Sophie was upstairs and he wondered if he should make dinner for everyone when they got home.
"Wanna wait till my brothers get back and then I'll cook? Are you hungry now?" Jack asked Nikki.
"I can wait," she said as she heard a blow dryer go on upstairs.
"Is Sophie doing her hair?" Nikki asked Jack.
"Yeah, I think so why?"
"I dunno, I was thinking about asking her to cut my hair," she said with a shrug.
"You want to cut your hair?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"I could cut your hair," Jack said confidently.
Nikki started laughing, "You? You can cut hair?"
"Yeah, I cut mine all the time," Jack said.
Nikki got up and walked over to him by following his voice. He caught her before she bumped into a wall.
She held a piece of his hair in her hand and said, "I can see."
They both laughed and then Jack said, "Come on, I got my lucky scissors upstairs in the bathroom.
"Hey Sophie, you almost done?" Jack asked her.
"Yeah Yak, give me a minute," Sophie said as she finished her last strand of hair.
When she was finished she grabbed her hair dryer and said, "If you need any help call me."
Jack sat Nikki down on the edge of the tub and grabbed his scissors out of the medicine cabinet.
"How do you want me to cut it?" he asked.
"Um, I dunno, how about shoulder length?" Nikki said trying to find her balance between the tub and its edge.
"Ok, I can do shoulder length. You sure about this?" Jack asked before putting the scissors to her hair.
"What do I need hair down to my butt for? Go ahead and cut it," she said reassuringly.
"Ok," he said as he began to snip away.
"Done," he said moments later.
"Well can I see it?" Nikki asked him playfully.
He was confused by why she said this but he handed her a mirror.
"Looks gorgeous. Don't ya think?" she asked as she turned toward him.
"Looks wonderful," he said holding his arm out so he could lead her downstairs.
"Why do you have so many tattoos?" she asked him before they got out the bathroom.
"I dunno. I just do."
"Did they hurt?" she asked as she touched one of them.
"Some of them did," Jack said wondering how she knew exactly where his 'Spares' tattoo was on his right forearm.
"I wanna get a tattoo," she said touching one of his cross tattoos on his upper left arm.
"Oh yeah? Where you gunna put it?" Jack asked her jokingly.
"Somewhere where I can't see it," she said giggling.
Jack was a little unsettled by this. He didn't know whether to laugh or brush it off.
"Go ahead and laugh," she said placing her hands on his face, "I never get to see you smile anymore."
He considered that she was getting use to being blind. If she could handle it, then he could too.
"Well should I try, or are you going to do it?" she said with a smirk.
"Do what?" he asked her confusedly.
"Kiss me," she said staring up at him, "I don't know how far you are away from my face."
He chuckled, "I do."
They kissed for a while in the bathroom before Jack led her into his room.
"Jack," Nikki whispered softly ashe continued to kiss her and slide his hands under her shirt and up her back.
Skating Rink-
"I bet that kid Jared was bullshitin' us," Angel said to Bobby and Jerry as they sat in the car waiting.
"Bobby there's nobody here, let's just go," Jerry said watching the street fill up with snow.
"Just wait a minute," Bobby said trying to un-fog his window.
Two minutes later Bobby saw someone dart across the field in front of the skating rink.
"Look right there," Bobby said pointing to the running kid.
They all jumped out the car and ran after the kid. Angel caught up with him and held him down on the ground.
"Yo, what the fuck yo?" the kid yelled from underneath Angel.
"Shut up and listen playboy," Angel said trying to suppress the boy's movements.
"Is Troy in there?" Bobby asked him.
"Why should I tell you?" the kid said trying to get Angel off of him.
"What is wrong with our youth today? All yall to hard headed. Answer my brother's question," Jerry said to the kid.
"Yeah, Troy's in there, but so are twenty other thugs with pistols," the kid said.
"Ok let him go," Bobby said pointing his gun at him.
Angel kicked the boy in the back before he got up. They watched as the kid ran off in the opposite direction of the skating rink.
"What we do now Bobby?" Angel asked him walking to the car.
"We wait till he's alone," Bobby said starting up the car.