Keep Me (The Lucky Family Book 2)

by Eden Rose

  "Our dog had puppies and normally the guys here will take them off our hands!" Sammy replied as he picked one up too. He held the puppy away from him at arms length and started fake barking. Huh, that must have been that s rat thing noise I heard at their place when I stayed there for a night.

  "Um, do you mind if I take him upstairs to my room?" I gave them a puppy dog face and pouted my lips. "I promise to bring him back! Its just I never had a dog," I can't believe I was begging to take a puppy into my room like I were a four year old who found a stray. So what if I sound like a little snot nosed brat? These puppies are so cute!

  "Of course you can, honey! Be careful with that one, he is a lover!" Valerie replied as she touched his collar.

  I got off the floor and started for the stairs. As I climbed the stairs, I held the chubby puppy tightly against me. Once in my room, I heard music start to play and I knew some sort of social get together was about to take place.

  I took out my phone and texted Bethany and Annabeth asking them to come up here to see me. Maybe they will want to go swimming with me. Normally, I am pretty confident with my body so being around overs wouldn't bother me, but I didn't know these other girls here. I'm not fat, but I definitely don't miss a meal. As I waited for them to text me back or come up here, I played with the puppy.

  Puppies 101, has said to not throw items of clothing that you don't want the puppy to eat. Oh well. I bunched a sock up and threw it to the other side of the room and laughed as I watched the puppy run with his chubby legs.

  There was a knock on my door that made the puppy bark. The chubster is trying to act tough and I love it. He has his head up while he sings his song. I am laughing as I opened the door and seen the girls.

  "Hey, what's going on?" Bethany asked as she held her bathing suit in her hand.

  "Are you all right?" Annabeth asked as she came in as well. She was holding her swim suit too.

  The both started taking off their clothes. "Good, we are on the same page! Let's swim!" I pulled myself off the floor and the puppy followed me into my closet. Despite the circumstances of living in this room, I have grown accustomed to it; the room. I miss not sleeping with Vincent and being wrapped up in his scent. I would ditch this room.

  We all slipped into our suits and I picked up the puppy and walked out of the room with the girls in tow. The party is in full swing as people started dancing more.

  Reluctantly, I held the puppy away from my chest but kept his chubby face facing me. "I need to give this chunkster back before I fall in love," I exclaimed to Sammy as I handed him the puppy.

  He laughed and Valerie said: "That's why we bring the puppies over when the guys have their monthly get together!" Monthly? I never heard of this before and she must have seen my face because she rubbed my arm in a soothing manner.

  I smiled ruefully at her and patted the hand that is on my arm. "Thanks."

  I leaned into the great room and seen a ton of men with ladies on their arms. Jack started walking towards me and I left the room while grabbing my friends hands and asking Valerie to come out with us.

  "See, this is what our tattoos are for. So lackeys know their place and won't hit on a made man's lady," Bethany said as she sat down at the edge of the pool.

  "Hell yeah! I have had mine now for twelve years! I love looking in the mirror and seeing it on my shoulder as I get out of the shower," Valerie stated as she slipped out of her shorts and top. It was then that I got a really good look at Valerie. She is gorgeous and has a curvy figure that could resemble a race track. Even her bathing suit fit her perfectly. I guess swimming was something to be expected, everyone brought their swim suits. Valerie has a fantastic body. She is tall with long legs that I could kill for and a cute bubble butt. Her hair always perfectly done and so is her makeup. If she weren't so nice, I would hate her.

  "I have had mine for four years and I love it too. Vinny will kiss it while we are having sex or trace it while we are out in public its so romantic," Annabeth enthusiastically said as she sat down and dangled her feet in the pool. Her finger slipped up into her hair and she twirled it around her hair.

  "What about you, Bethany? How long have you had yours?" I asked as I blushed. There was a warm feeling shifting through my stomach. I knew that I didn't have to worry about it but I still felt left out. However, I enjoyed seeing these women look so happy about being marked by a man.

  "Ten years. I got it touched up at the last one of these parties. Johnny asked me to wear his ink after I gave birth to our daughter. Secretly, I thought it was his way of saying he was leaving his wife." There is longing and raw need that is dripping with her tone and voice.

  "Does it bother you that he is married?" The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. I really am curious as to how she can live like this. Do they split time like a custody agreement? I wonder if he has kids with his wife and if they did, how all of this works.

  "Sometimes it does. However, I did know what I was getting myself into. The weirdest part is when I see her in public." I am not sure what I was expecting her to say. I can definitely say that I didn't expect her to say things with such love. "She knows who I am and blames me for the fact that her husband doesn't come home. Carrie sees him more than I do though. They both work at the same place and he spends some nights with me at our place."

  Before I could continue my investigation, I am interrupted. "Let's sit in the hot tub," Valerie suggested as she got up and walked to it. She seemed to be nervous about something and she kept looking over shoulder to see who was around us. Rather than ask her what is wrong, I let it go because she is giving off some serious vibes that are not approachable.

  All three of us got comfortable when my curiosity got the better of me. "If she knows who you are, does that make seeing her awkward?" My curiously has gotten the best of me and I am dying to know.

  Bethany shrugged and nodded. "Yes, we both know who the other is and we make a constant effort to avoid each other."

  I processed this and tried to word my next question as politely as possible. "How often does Johnny stay with you?" This is crazy and I am dying to know how they make their relationship work. "How does he split time between both of you?"

  Again, another shrug and nod. "He spends more time with me than her. I think he is only with her because he doesn't want to get divorced. His parents are really religious."

  The slider opened after we all got into the tub and situated while interrupting my interrogation efforts. There was a group of women that came flooding out. I ducked my head because they were discussing Vincent and I am dying to know what they said.

  "I can't believe that the dumb bitch would just break up with him after she got shot! He is too fucking hot," one said. She had long brown hair and was very tall and skinny but she has the I smoke two packs a day kind of voice. The woman didn't have anything striking about her, so I rolled my eyes at her attempt to discredit me.

  "Right, I would give anything for that man to lay on top of me," a redhead said as she jumped in the pool. Another tall and skinny woman with an annoying voice.

  Annabeth caught my gaze as I took a deep breath. I was fighting the urge to do something. Fight them? Explain my relationship or lack there of? Man up! Its none of their businesses! I straightened my back up and laughed like there was something funny being said. I rolled my head back and ignored them as their eyes blazed.

  "Its so funny how many whores are here," I stated to the group. The women in the pool huffed and hissed as they realized I was talking about them. All of us in the tub started to giggle at what just happened.

  "Hey, ladies! We thought you might be thirsty!" I looked over my shoulder and seen Johnny, Vinny, Leo and Sammy. Each of the guys held two glasses of something pink.

  We accepted our drink, and they came to sit in the hot tub room of course everyone partnered off. So it was just Leo and I sitting off to the side. I sipped my drink and coughed because it was the strongest daq I have ever had.

  "It
s good, right?" Leo asked. His eyes looked full of hope. Poor guy. I only have eyes for Vincent. Maybe one day he will only pay attention to me more.

  "Well, look at where half the party went!" A group of guys climbed into the tub and I was squashed in the middle of Leo and a very muscular man. "Hello, little lady," the muscular man said. With a bald head and tattoos that covered his body, I thought he looked more biker than mobster.

  "Hi," I squeaked out. Agh! Seriously, I feel as if I am packed into this tub like a sardine. I am pretty sure that this tub shouldn't be able to hold so many people. As of right now, there are twelve people in here. My ass isn't even on the bench anymore because I got squished out. The guy that I am glued to right now has about three quarters of my ass resting on his thigh.

  I chugged my drink and climbed out of the tub because I could not take this anymore. I walked through the house to find the puppies so I could play with them before they left to go home. Need to get my fix in! It is pretty damn cold in the house. The heat from the hot tub still clung to my skin. I didn't bother to wrap a towel around me as I walked through the house in my tank bikini; I am feeling pretty vindictive towards Vincent. This is so funny, watching men stare at my breasts and eye fuck me.

  Vincent is leaning on the wall and is talking to a woman. She had blonde hair and it was short which looked over processed and cheaply done. She was also a very petite woman who obviously had a lot of work done to her body. I fought the pang of jealously as I sat on the floor in front of the box and I focused on the puppies opposed to feeling my jealousy.

  "Oh, Vincent! You are so funny!" The woman flung herself into his frame and I started to laugh. Whores are so funny. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. "I mean, you didn't just tell the man that, did you?" Her voice is high pitched and very annoying, now I just want to pull her hair out and toss her ass in the dumpster.

  Holy fuck. Where did this catty side come from? While we were at the diner, I thought for sure we were about to turn the page and get our relationship back on track. I am so confused because he seems to be flirting with this woman.

  I watched as he took her head off of his chest. "Um, yeah. That's what I said." He looked over at me and looked surprised to see me. "Savannah, I thought you were outside," Vincent replied while directing his attention to me as I picked up each puppy and laid them on the floor.

  I bit back a few of my sarcastic remarks. "The hot tub is not supposed to hold that many Italians! Plus, I wanted to play with the puppies." The puppy part is most definitely true.

  Trashy Woman kept trying to get Vincent to look at her and talk to her but much to my delight, he paid attention to me. After yet another failed attempt of sticking her boobs into his chest, I think she is about to give up. The woman huffed her breath out and stormed off.

  "Sorry," I said not very apologetically. Good riddance. She can go drown in the pool for all I care.

  "Its fine with me. I didn't like her anyways. She came with Jack." He shrugged as he sat down on the floor and watched me line the puppies up and I laid on the floor to see all of their eyes. "I am sure you remember Jack!"

  "Shut up. You didn't ink me," his face shot up and he looked at me like I had two heads. "Yes, I know what it is." I sound very snot nosed bratty and there is nothing that I could do to curb my tone. I am angry that he is flirting and I am angry that he didn't ink me.

  I am well aware that I am contradicting myself considering I am the one who broke up with him but I miss him. I honestly thought that our conversation at the diner was going to lead us back into a relationship, but now I am not sure.

  "You are giving me mixed signals," he said with power and control. Vincent leaned over and picked up one of the puppies and held it to him. "One minute you say you love me, the next you want to break up and now you are jealous. What is it that you want?" He didn't look at me while he was talking. Instead it almost seemed as if he were having a conversation with the puppy.

  I didn't know how to answer, so I picked up the chubby puppy and walked towards the stairs to go to my room. "Please tell Valerie and Sammy that I have the chubster and if they want him back they will have to peel him out of my dead fingers," I walked into my room and made a bed on the floor for the puppy. He laid down on it, but I wanted him closer.

  The chubby puppy and I walked into the bathroom so I could shower. Chlorine makes me itchy and I didn't want to make the sheets sticky. The water felt amazing and I stayed under the hot spray until the water started to get cold. As I was drying myself off, the puppy was trying to chew on the shower rug.

  I leaned over and picked him up. "You are such a goof! Chubs, you can't eat that!"

  As I was changing into a pair of skimpy pajamas, Valerie knocked on my door and then walked in. I hurriedly got dressed and then sat on the bed. "How are you?"

  I was sitting on my bed and holding the puppy. "What do you mean?" That could mean a lot. How am I with my break up or how am I with the fact that Vincent is flirting.

  She stayed standing next to my door and shifted her weight from her left to right foot. I could tell that she is taking in my room. Also, I am wondering if she thinks I am going to throw her out. "Sammy thought you might need a friend. You know, I was where you are a long time ago. Unsure of whether or not Sammy loved me or if he were just playing an act. You can talk to me about it." Valerie walked into my room and sat next to me on the bed.

  "I don't know what to do," I answered honestly. "Part of me wants him to come crawling to me but the other part doesn't like being in this constant danger. I don't know if he even wants a steady relationship," I said numbly. The puppy is getting all my love I want to give to Vincent and I felt my heart crack open and grab hold of him. He is giving me some love and I didn't realize how much I am starving for it until he licked my cheek.

  I sat down on the floor with the puppy and rough housed. Valerie came and sat next to me. "Do you think he would allow you to live here if he didn't?"

  "I don't know. I just wish that this were easier. For some reason, I get so jealous that he keeps leaving me for family stuff. Every time we are out, something happens. I just want to go through one date with him without people interrupting us!" I spat out.

  "If you want to be with him or anyone that is apart of the underworld, you will have to get over it. Sammy is a lawyer too. I rarely see him; however when I do, he is so nice and sweet. I love him, and I know that he loves me. This whole family thing is just a side dish. However, it is an important side dish. Its the tuna to the tuna noodle casserole."

  I laughed and she ruffled the puppy's head. "You do love him, right?" She asked me. I knew she was talking about Vincent.

  I took a minute to answer. "Yes, more than I ever felt before. I just want him to want me. Does that make sense?"

  "Yes, walk me out? Don't forget the puppy!" She said as I pouted while walking her out my door to walk down the stairs. I hugged her good bye and climbed the stairs back to my room.

  *

  We were on our second horror movie and third bowl of popcorn when the doorbell rang. We were all having a slumber party for Anne's birthday. Tracy, Kate, and I have ate ourselves into a sugar coma and have changed into our pajamas to be more comfortable.

  Anne's house is so big and her parents are letting us stay up all night in the den. The Thomas' family have a big television with a stack of movies to go along with it. The four of us have taken all of the couch cushions and pillows to place them on the floor for us to have a fort.

  The doorbell rang again and I heard the shuffles of feet as they walked to the door. Whomever was here, was talking very quietly and we couldn't even hear them with our ears pressed to the walls.

  "Who do you think is here? Isn't it late?" Asked Kate who has been fighting sleep for the whole movie.

  Tracy placed her ear on the door to the den and sighed. "I can't hear anything!" She grew quiet and all three of us looked at her with wide eyes. "They are coming!"

  The four of
us jumped over the couch and settled back onto our fort bed. My heart was beating so fast and I grew so nervous. We played it off like we have been watching television this whole time so when her parents came in, hopefully they wouldn't know that we were listening.

  Mrs. Thomas tapped me on the shoulder and when I looked back at her, I could see her eyes were red and so were her cheeks. Standing behind her were police officers and they looked very sad. "Savannah, can you come here please."

  I got out of my corner of the fort bed and followed them out of the room. We all got matching pajamas for the party and slippers as a party favor, so I slipped into mine. Anne looked out past the door and is watching me very closely. The police officers are wearing their blue uniforms that prove they are local officers and they both have grim faces.

  "Savannah?" I nod and the female officer with short red hair, smiled a sad smile. "Are your parents Kent and Ashley?"