“How much is your debt?”
“I have $50,000 left.”
“How many men would you have to fuck for that Alessandra?”
She flinches at my use of the word “fuck” but then steels herself. “I can handle it,” she snaps.
“But you shouldn't have to. Consider it reward for info. No questions asked. You'll have it tomorrow.”
“But I-”
“I'm an impatient man, Alessandra. Please don't argue with me. Where is your son now?”
“Fine. Thank you, but I'm paying you back. He’s at the sitters in the apartment above ours.”
“What about his father? Is he going to be a problem?”
“No,” she says, her voice hard.
“Okay. Let’s go pack up whatever you’ll need for tonight. I’ll have someone come and get the rest of your things tomorrow and we’ll keep them at my place for the week. We’ll figure out the rest from there, okay?”
“Your girlfriend...she won’t like this,” she mumbles.
“She doesn’t really like me very much right now anyway, but I’m pretty sure if she found out I left you and your son here to get killed she would hate me even more. I’ll be outside.”
I walk out of the room and dial Lacey’s number. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I’m not keeping her in the dark about this and then having her see me playing daddy with Alessandra and her son in the paper tomorrow.
“Hey,” her soft voice says from the other side.
“Hi, Blondie. Listen. I’m gonna have two house guests here in Miami and since we’re on a truth pact, I’m telling you first.”
“Well this sounds like I’m about to get really pissed. What do you mean two house guests?”
“The woman from the club and her son. Before you stick a pin in that voodoo doll I’m sure you have of me, nothing happened with her. She told me the whole story and I’ll explain when I get back to Louisiana but...I never touched her, I wasn’t even awake.”
I hear her exhale and I hold my breath.
“Normani told me you think someone fucked with you. Is that what she’s sayin’?”
“Yes. I was unconscious and someone paid her to sit on me topless and take pictures. They threatened to kill her and her son if she said anything about it. I can’t leave her here like this, Lacey. I swear to you this is only for her and her son’s protection, okay?”
“Nicholas, we’re not together you can do whatever you want.”
“But I want to be. I never touched her, Lacey. I didn’t cheat on you.”
“She brought you home to bed?”
“Well no, she didn’t but-”
“Then you don’t know if you cheated on me or not, you just know you didn’t cheat on me with her. I’m heading to bed, I’m exhausted. I’ll see you in a couple days when you get back.”
“How are you feeling?” I ask not ready to let her hang up the phone yet.
“I’m fine. Just a little sicker than I thought I would still be at five months, but it’s fine. I’m keeping things down at least.”
“Okay. I’ll call you after my game tomorrow. I love you, Blondie.”
“Goodnight Nico.”
-----
“There’s two guest rooms down the hall. I don’t know if your son sleeps with you or not but…”
“He normally has his own bed, but he can bunk with me for the next couple of nights,” she says pushing him higher on her hip.
He’s sleeping and she’s struggling with her bags, refusing to let me help her. I can’t imagine what she’s gone through in her life if she has no one. Peter doesn’t have a father and she was working as a hooker at the club downtown. It couldn't be easy.
“There’s a lock on the door. I...I won’t hurt you, Alessandra, you can trust me.”
“I know,” she says quietly. “It’s just...no one’s ever done anything for me just to be a nice person. There’s always been an expectation of more.”
She eyes me and I shake my head.
“I can assure you, I won’t be cashing in any favors. Lacey is already pretty pissed about this arrangement and I won't give her any more ammunition on me. She’s got plenty, believe me. This is just me repaying you for coming forth with the truth, I promise.”
She nods a small smile on her lips. She looks so frigging young and fragile.
“You’re a great guy, Nico. Lacey is a lucky woman. She’ll come around. Raising a baby on your own is...it’s tough. No matter what happens between the two of you, just don’t let her do it on her own.”
I nod and her son stirs in her arms.
“I’m gonna go put him down, he’s had a long day.”
“Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be in the kitchen for a little and then I’m heading to bed. I’m down the hall to the right.”
“Thank you, Nico.”
She turns and walks down the hall carrying her son and her bags, even if she’s struggling, she doesn’t show it. She reminds me a lot of Normani and I hope Lacey can see past the issues and let her work alongside her. She deserves a fresh start.
------
I toss and turn in bed, my mind not able to shut down for the night. We go back to Louisiana tomorrow and I’m unsure how to approach this Alessandra situation with Lacey.
I walk to the kitchen to get a snack and see Alessandra sitting at the island.
“Can’t sleep?” I ask walking into the room.
She jumps with a shriek and clutches her chest.
“You scared the...you scared me.”
I laugh and walk to the fridge.
“I notice you don’t curse, why is that?” I ask.
“I’ve had to completely change my language when I had Peter,” she laughs. “I used to curse like a truck driver, but I stopped when I had him. I don’t want to have the kid in class that calls another kid an a-hole or something.”
“That’s really true, I never thought about that. Lacey and I curse like damn sailors, we need to start cleaning it up,” I laugh.
“Is she nervous? I was petrified.”
“If she is, she doesn’t show it. You’ll see when you meet her tomorrow. She’s a tough cookie.”
“I’m not too excited about that if I’m being honest. I don’t really know if I wouldn’t punch me in the face if I were her,” Alessandra says looking down.
“Hey, she knows the story, I filled her in. She may be a little snappy because she is pretty jealous, but it’ll be okay. I was...I was actually going to talk to her to see if maybe you could intern with her. She runs an amazing sports management company with her mother and aunt. They own the sports world and her aunt is a marketing genius. They’re really good at what they do, it would be a great start for you. Would that be something you’d be interested in?” I ask.
“I...work alongside your girlfriend? Me, the woman who posed topless straddling you, who broke the two of you up, you want me to work alongside her?” Alessandra asks confused.
“Let’s forget about that part, okay? It’ll be great for you. They can teach you a lot.”
“Did you run this by her?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
She laughs and shakes her head.
“Yeah, let me know how that goes.”
“Fresh start. It’ll be okay. Miguel is a great guy and he’ll protect the both of you. He can probably even teach you to fight if you want to learn.”
“He can?” she asks perking up.
“Sure. He owns a kickboxing studio below his apartment and he’s involved with the local prescient. Although, I’m not too sure what he does, he’s pretty hush, hush about it.”
“I like hush, hush,” Alessandra says getting to her feet.
“You remind me of Miguel’s sister, Normani. She's had a hard life but she’s an insanely strong woman. I’m sure you’ll get along great with her.”
She smiles at me and walks towards the hall.
“Goodnight, Nico.”
“Sleep tight.”
Chapter
9
Lacey
“Do you want to meet Alessandra later? She’s staying at Miguel’s with her son, Peter. I think you’ll really get along with her,” Nico says from next to me.
“Am I supposed to be friends with the stripper that broke us up? No thanks,” I snap.
“Lacey, I told you the story. It wasn’t her fault. She has no one and she could have been killed for telling me what she told me. I know you still view her as the woman from the magazine, but she’s not. You would like her.”
“Is this the part where you tell me she’s gonna be our baby’s stepmother? Because it sure sounds like you got to know her really well.”
“She lived with me for a couple of days so yeah, I got to know her but not like that. I swear to you Lacey, nothing happened between us. She reminds me of Normani. I don’t look at Normani like that, I don’t look at anyone like that, except you.”
“We’ll see,” I say wanting to drop this subject.
“Y’all ready?” Rose says from her door.
We both nod and walk towards her office.
“So how was y’alls week apart?” Rose asks smiling at us.
“It was fine,” I answer.
“Mine was eventful,” Nico says sitting up straighter.
“Oh?” Rose asks her eyebrows shooting up.
“I found out that the picture of me from that magazine was set up. I didn’t cheat on Lacey and we’re working through everything from that night, but I talked to the woman. She told me everything.”
“Well that’s great news then. So there was no infidelity on your part?” Rose asks.
“He didn’t cheat in the club,” Lacey interrupts. “He still has no idea what he did after. That’s still gettin’ worked out. Why he was even there in the first place is still a mystery,” I say with attitude.
“It was for Tatum’s bachelor party. He didn’t want a big thing it was just the three of us. I was planning on having a drink and bailing.”
I lace my fingers together and place them on my belly, needing the calm.
“Well it’s a strip club, Nico, what the fuck did you expect?”
“It’s not, it’s a club that also has a different section. I wasn’t planning on going to the other section, but shit happens.”
“Okay, let’s rein this back in,” Rose says quickly before we can continue on. “Did y’all bring a story for us? Something you regret from your past?”
We both nod and Nico motions for me to go first.
“Mine is...I guess my story would be my first relationship. After that I kind of didn’t really give a crap and just messed around. I wish maybe I would have gone the other way with things. Instead of giving my body to whoever I felt like, I wished I saved it for someone special. Didn’t spread the wealth so much, I guess.”
“Go ahead, we’re listening.”
---
Seven Years ago…
“Come on babe, they're not watching,” Weston says as he cages me against the corner wall of the party we're at.
“West, let's go somewhere more private. I don't wanna do this right here,” I grumble pushing at his chest.
“Lacey, do this for me. I want you, you're so damn beautiful, babe. No one is watching.”
He unzips his pants and I look behind him to the rest of the kids at the party. There are people making out all over the room and no one is looking at us, but I don't want to do this.
Weston takes himself out of his jeans and rubs his length against my thigh.
“Come on, Lace. Kneel down, just for a second make me feel good babe.”
His hand comes down on the back of my head and he pushes me toward him, but I push back, bracing my hands on his stomach.
“Weston, I said I don't wanna do this in front of everyone,” I snap.
“Don't be a stuck-up bitch, Lacey,” he says through gritted teeth.
He tries to push me down towards him again and my knees slam on the floor as he pushes himself into my face, my head slamming against the wall.
“Weston, stop!” I yell.
I feel a sharp blow to my cheek and look up at him, shocked.
“What the hell's goin’ on?” asks a girl from my math class, Patricia.
“Nothin’ Pat,” Weston smirks, zipping himself back in his pants. “Just bringing Lace home, she's a little drunk.”
My hand is covering my cheek and I quickly get to my feet.
“Doesn't look like nothin’,” Patricia says eyeing me. “You want me to give you a ride home, Lacey?”
I nod and try to push past Weston and his grip on my arm stops me.
“You're nothing without me, Lacey Turner. You walk away from me right now and we're done. You'll be done. You won't go anywhere without me. The best you had going for you was being the arm candy of a future NFL quarterback. You wanna ruin that?”
I turn towards Weston and move my hand to his shoulder, bringing my lips to his ear.
“Eat shit you fuckin’ asshole,” I snap bringing my knee up to connect with his crotch.
He keels over dropping to the ground and a string of curses echo throughout the room as I leave the house with Patricia, my fate sealed for torture until graduation. It was worth it.
My mother's words from her letter replaying in my head.
‘You will never know happiness for as long as I live, I'll make sure of that.’
Thoughts circulate in my head. No. She wouldn't go that far. I shake my head at my naivety with Weston. I was warned he was an asshole but of course I ignored it. No one will get close enough to hurt me like that again. No one.
---
“You can head out the front door, my parents aren't home,” I say to Scott, or was it Sam.
No, it's Scott.
“Can I get your number?” he smirks zipping up his jeans.
I give him a polite smile and shake my head as I walk towards the door to my bedroom.
“Yeah, not gonna happen, Scott.”
“It's David,” he says annoyed.
Well shit, I was way off.
I open the door to my bedroom and come face to face with my father. Jackson Turner. Yes, that Jackson Turner. Mr. Going, Going, Goner and right now I bet David is wishing he was gone.
“What the fuck is this?” he says his voice low and scary looking behind me to David.
“He was just leaving,” I say crossing my arms.
“I...yes sir...study...we had to s-study,” he stutters.
He walks towards the door and tries to move past my father. Bad move buddy.
My father's hand comes out to David's neck and slams him against the door frame and I flinch, hearing my mama's, warning tone.
“Jackson…”
“That's my baby, asshole. You know that? That's my fuckin’ daughter,” he growls.
Even I'm shaking a little right now, David has probably pissed his pants. He's never caught me with a boy before and I kick myself for bringing David back here. I thought they were having a date night. We should have just stuck with his car.
“Y-yes sir, it won't happen again.”
“It better fuckin’ not. You look at her, you talk about her, you so much as breathe in the same room as her and I'll fuckin’ show you why I led the MLB in home runs for three straight years you little prick.”
“Daddy!” I admonish.
He snaps his gaze to mine and he lets go of David’s neck. David scrambles down the stairs and out the door and I turn to my father with my hands on my hips.
“Lacey, what the hell are you doin’?” my father snaps.
“David, apparently,” I sass.
“What the hell happened to you, huh? What happened to Weston? You makin’ a habit out of this? Every time the house is free? Dammit Lacey, you're only eighteen!”
“Oh, you're one to talk! I'm sure you plowed through women, Mr. Goner!”
“Lacey, that's different! You're my daughter dammit, you should have more respect for yourself! Give yourself to someone who cares about you, not
that punk ass.”
“How is it different? Because you're a man and I'm a woman?”
“That's...that's not what I meant,” he says letting out a breath.
Walk Off (Double Play Series Book 5) Page 11