by L. Loren
“Daddy, I think that would be a mistake. You love her. I know you do. I have never seen a man look at a woman like you look at her. Well, not until I met Smoke. I think you need to work on forgiving each other.”
“Me forgive her?”
“Don’t forget, not only did you cheat but brought home your proof of the affair for her to raise. She had no time to process her hurt from being betrayed before being thrust into the role of mother. She didn’t want to lose you, so she did what you wanted, but did you ever ask her what she wanted? Think about that.”
“I never looked at it like that Baby girl.”
“Well, at least go to therapy before divorcing the cow. Just don’t expect me to be around her anymore. She could have chosen to love me, but she didn’t. I can’t forgive her, but you should.”
“I guess I understand that. So I am going to head back home, but before I go tell me about this Garrett.”
“Shhh, Daddy. Call him Smoke. He’s good to me and for me. We only just met, and I know you think it is going fast, but when you know it’s right you just have to go for it. Right?”
“That’s right Baby girl. Don’t be afraid to fall in love, just be careful. He seems like a good man from first impressions. I am sure we’ll have plenty of time to chat and get to know each other better. Just make sure you call me and let me know you’re alright. I unblocked your number so you shouldn’t have any problems going forward.”
“I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you too, Baby girl.”
Chapter 8
Smoke
I
watched my girl melted into her Dad’s arms and I had to remind myself that he was her blood. She looked so happy to see him that I liked him immediately. He busted us out about smelling like sex. I felt for her having to face her father, but she was my woman and grown people had sex. It was what we did. I wanted to laugh out loud when he refused to shake my hand, giving me that classic line from Tombstone. According to Bird, they were both movie buffs and could quote just about any movie ever made.
I spied my club brothers Matrix and Baby and went over to chat with them and their ole lady, Obsession. She was a club member too. They had this polyamorous relationship that seemed to work for them. Hey, if it worked for them great. That kind of thing could never work for me. I was a greedy fucker. No sharing allowed.
As I rounded the corner, after getting off the elevator, I spotted Bird’s evil aunt lurking around. I bet you anything her nosey ass had been in my room searching through my things. She better be glad I didn’t catch her, or she may have taken a header off the balcony. Not really, but the bitch was asking to be cussed out. I tried my best to ignore her when she called out to me, but she caught me off guard with what she said.
“I know you don’t like me, but I need to talk to you. I think it is a shame what my little niece is doing to you, and I wanted to warn you before you get in too deep.”
“The fuck?”
“I know you have no reason to believe me, but Mouse is a friend of mine and I would hate to see someone in her club get taken advantage of. You see, Cinta is for lack of a better word, a Sugar Baby. She dates rich men, usually around her father’s age, and takes advantage of their generosity. Word has it she and a few of her friends have a little robbery ring going. They meet a mark, have sex with him. Get him to trust them and then clean out his bank account. If he complains, they threaten to release a secret video of them having sex. From what I heard it’s very lucrative.”
“Lady, I don’t know where you heard this information, but I am no fool. I would have picked up on that by now.”
“These girls are pros. One of them even made a sex video with one of those reality TV stars that went viral. Apparently, he refused to pay her, so she released it and ruined his career. Cinta was on that boat when it happened. Her mark paid her. I hate to say it, but Cinta is finessing you. You’re just another one of the ‘sugar daddies’ she uses to pay her bills.”
Fuck! I had heard about Captain G getting caught up in a sex video scandal, but I thought it was taken care of. I had no idea his career was ruined behind it. But not Bird, She wouldn’t, would she? I shook my head at the woman who looked like the cat who ate the canary. She was enjoying this a little too much for my liking. Who takes pleasure in other people’s misery?
I walked away from her with my head full of doubt and indecision. Truth was, I really didn’t know Cinta. We had only just met, and I had fallen hard. Was I foolish enough to let this woman take advantage of me? What if she was working with Messy Mandy? That bitch hated me. She did say they went to the same school. Was it a coincidence that she showed up here at Bike Week? Hadn’t Cinta also said she frequented that website ran by Mandy’s friend?
I didn’t want to think bad of her, but she worked in this hotel fora little over minimum wage I’m sure but dressed in designer gear. Her damn underwear cost more than she made working here for a week. Not to mention that expensive car and luggage. Something was amiss and I was going to get to the bottom of it as soon as she made it up to my room.
The door to my suite opened and there stood suspect number one. Was I really about to do this? I knew Babydoll was evil, but even she had limits. She was a friend of Mouse’s. Nobody with half a brain would cross the first lady. I had to believe her. Cinta skipped up to me and reached up for a kiss. I pulled away and put some distance between us. I couldn’t think with her touching me. Why the fuck was my body still reacting to her?
“Smoke, what’s wrong? Did I take too long with my dad?”
“Is he really your dad? Maybe he’s in on this thing too.”
“Um did you fall and bump your head? What’s wrong with you?”
“Are you a Sugar Baby?”
Her face fell. So it was true. Hells Bells!
“Where did you hear that? Let me guess, my fucking aunt. To answer your question, no I am not a sugar baby, but I have close friends who are. From time to time I party with them. They are a fun bunch.”
“So you were a part of the Captain G fiasco on that boat? The man’s life is ruined!”
She laughed and shook her head. It was no laughing matter and she was pissing me off.
“I don’t know where Babydoll got her info, but Captain G’s life is far from ruined. The woman in the video is besties with my friend Paradyce. She and Captain G are engaged and living their best life. As a matter of fact, they have a new show coming out this fall. What else did that bitch tell you?”
“She said you are a part of a ring of women who go around robbing men and threatening to expose their sexual exploits if they prosecute.”
“And you believed her? You really think that little of me? For your information, I’m not one of those ‘hustler’ girls out here trying to take a man for all he’s worth. I’m fly as hell and I know my worth. You know, you really disappoint me. You’re a fucking actor for goodness sake. Don’t you keep up with your own industry. That lie my aunt told you is the plot from that movie that stars J. Lo and Keke Palmer. Next time pay attention.”
Hells Bells! Bird was right. That storyline came straight out of that movie. It was a blockbuster hit. I should have known better. Should have trusted my girl.
“Bird, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to think. She was very convincing.”
“I’m sure she was, but you should be able to recognize when someone is acting. It’s what you do for a living, right?”
“Baby, come here.”
“Fuck you! If you let that bitch, who you already knew was a manipulative liar, get in your head, I don’t want anything to do with you. I realized earlier today that I loved you, but you don’t deserve my love. You don’t deserve me.”
“Gotdamn it, Bird. Don’t leave like this. Baby, please talk to me.”
It fell on deaf ears. My girl was gone. She marched her fine ass out of my room and out of my life. I was going to kill that Babydoll if it was the last thing I did. But first, I had to get my girl back.
Cha
pter 9
Cinta
I
couldn’t believe it! Smoke, the one person who I trusted to have my back, just accused me of being a hustler. I was so pissed I had to get out of there. If I had stayed any longer, I would have smacked his stupid face. I was done. Finished. He was no better than the woman I thought was my mother. Could he really think I was a whore out here in these streets robbing men? There was no way I could be with a man who could be manipulated into thinking so little of me. Especially, not when he knew I had just gone through the same thing with my family. I never even had the chance to tell him about my dad’s confession. This was officially the day from hell.
In an effort to clear my mind, I hopped in my car and peeled out of the parking lot of the hotel. That was short lived as the fucking traffic was at a standstill, again! I needed to get out of there before I murdered someone. Heartbreak and road rage made for a very dangerous driver. I was dying a slow death sitting at the stop light that had rotated several cycles while I remained in the same spot. My head was throbbing and all I wanted was to teleport to some far away land where men weren’t stupid assholes. I had no idea where that was because from my experience, they all were just alike.
Getting out of the car, since it seemed I was going nowhere fast, I sat on the hood of my SUV and watched the waves of the ocean in the distance. I never even saw him when he approached the car. In a flash, Smoke had me lifted off the hood of the car and in his arms. I fought him tooth and nails. He lost the right to touch me when he pretty much called me a whore.
“Get your filthy hands off me, you dirty stinking ape.”
It was a reference to the Planet of the Apes remake he starred in a year ago. He chuckled which pissed me off even more.
“Stop fighting me on this Bird. I mean it.”
He shoved me in the car, but before he could shut the door, I managed to kick him in the thigh. I was aiming for his junk, but he moved out of the way. Fucker.
“Bird, I get it that you’re mad at me, but don’t ever do that shit again. Had you kicked me in the nuts, I don’t know if I could control my temper. I love you, but don’t think because I won’t hit you that I will be your punching bag. Keep your hands, feet and anything else you want to use as a weapon to yourself.”
Why was that shit hot? Nope. He will not rope me back in. I refuse to let him back in to break the rest of the remnants of my heart. I was done with love. When he sat his happy ass in the driver’s seat of my car and put the car in gear, I sat up and took notice. Where does he think he’s going?
“I hate to break it to you, but we’re in the middle of a traffic jam. The seas are not going to magically part for you just because you have a star on the Walk of Fame. That’s not how this works.”
“Watch and learn, Baby Bird.”
The next thing I knew, the man was backing up onto the sidewalk. He spun my vehicle around like he was in the Daytona 500, effectively landing us back in the parking lot of the hotel.
“What did you do that for? In case you didn’t notice, I am trying to leave this place.”
“And leave you shall, but on the back of my bike. It navigates this traffic better than your Audi ever could. Get out.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, Garrett Sutherland!”
“Go ahead and scream it to the heavens. I no longer care. You’re more important than blowing my cover. Hang on!”
The crazed man snagged me out of the back seat, placed a helmet on my head and plopped me on the back of his bike. He mounted, started the engine and took off down the damn sidewalk. I kid you not. The man was insane. He was doing top speeds on the walkway. I don’t know how many people had to jump out of the way to avoid a catastrophe.
“Help! Somebody help me. I’m being kidnapped!”
I screamed, but the only thing it garnered was snickers. They must have been used to the wild behavior during Bike Week because nobody really batted an eye. The next thing I knew we were headed up I-95N. About 45 minutes later we were pulling into a driveway of this beautiful beachfront home on the outskirts of St. Augustine. Smoke pulled up to the gate and entered a security code that gave us access. Without one word, he got off the bike, threw me over his possessive shoulder and hauled me into the house. The key was dangling on his keychain.
“Whose house is this?”
“This is my house, Bird. I’m hoping to make it ours.”
“Well, since there’s no us, it couldn’t possibly be ours.”
“Well, I guess I’m going to have to keep you here until you change your mind. Come on, you hungry? Let me cook for you.”
The man sure knew how to apologize. The spread he laid out in front of me was fit for a queen. Impressive. The tricky bastard knew food was my weakness. I still wasn’t about to forgive him that easily.
“Well, go on and eat. I made all this for you.”
“I don’t break bread with assholes.”
My traitorous stomach decided it was time to announce my hangry status by growling long and loud! Damn it!
“Baby Bird, if you don’t stop playing and eat this food your man made for you. Let me take care of you Bird. Go on and eat. Don’t punish yourself because I’m a dick.”
Well, I was starving, and that food smelled good and looked even better. Fuck it! I’ll just have one burger, a hot dog – no bun and some pasta salad. Maybe some fruit and a spoon of those baked beans, too. Okay, and just one or two of those chocolate chip cookies. That’s it. No more.
I piled my plate and began devouring my meal like a mad woman. In case you missed it, when my heart hurts, I feed my stomach the calories. I looked up from my plate to see Smoke watching me eat with a smirk on his face. He was pleased with himself. It almost made my toss the plate aside. Well, almost doesn’t count, now does it.
After clearing my plate from the table, Smoke came to stand over me as I sat looking up at him. He offered his hand to me and I reluctantly took it. I was still angry, but I would go with him. It wasn’t like I had much choice. He led me to an outdoor oasis in his backyard. It was decorated with plush patio furniture and lots of huge colorful pillows. He settled down on a pile of pillows and pulled me to sit between his legs. As we sat there watching the ocean, he wrapped his big arms around me, holding me close. I didn’t want to like it, but it just felt so damn good. The combination of his masculine scent, the sound of the waves and the warm breeze blowing was my kryptonite. I knew I shouldn’t, but I allowed myself to melt back into his embrace.
“Baby Bird, I’m sorry. I should never have believed that woman. It was my insecurities of having women want me for my money at work. I never truly believed you robbed men. I just allowed that bitch to fuck with my head. I promise, if you give ma another chance, I will never doubt you again. I love you, Cinta.”
“Yeah, I love your stupid ass too. If you ever hurt me like that again, I am going to make you wish for death. Got it?”
“Hells Bells, Bird. You got a man all twisted up in the game.”
We laughed and talked all night long. Watching the sunset over the water was so beautiful. Having Smoke lay me down and make love to me was even better. This wasn’t the hot, reckless abandon fucking we had done in Daytona. This was a slow, emotion filled love session that left my nose wide open. If the man thought he was getting rid of me after that tender, romantic display, he had another thought coming. That’s how stalkers are made.
The next morning I awoke to my phone blaring. I was a little groggy and didn’t know where I was at first. I hadn’t slept outside since I was ten when my dad took me camping. This was much better. The ocean, the breeze and my man were still surrounding me with love. Oh shit, let me get that phone.
“Hello.”
“Good Morning. May I please speak to Cinta Olson?”
“This is she.”
“Miss Olson, this is LaRue Rousch of Rebecca’s Serenity. You applied for a position with our company and I wanted to speak with you about an opportunity.
This was
my dream job calling me. I wasn’t ready. I quickly sat up, causing Smoke to shoot up like his ass was on fire.
“What’s wrong, Bird? You okay? Who are you talking to?”
The man was shouting like I wasn’t sitting three inches from him. I covered the speaker portion of my phone to muffle the sound.
“Shhh, I’m on the phone.”
“Hello, sorry about that. Yes Miss Rousch I would love to hear more about that opportunity.”
“Cinta? Do you go by another name, like maybe Baby Bird?”
How in the hell did she know that?
“Um, yes but only one person calls me that. How did you know?”
“Because I heard his loud ass in the background. Bird, this is Mouse. I can’t believe this. Girl, does Smoke know you applied for a job with the Predators?”
“Wait, what? The Predators? But I thought this was a job at a non-profit.”
“It is. We have our hands in a lot of businesses. Rebecca’s Serenity is just one aspect. Well, I have reviewed your resume and since you’re Smoke’s ole lady, you have the job if you want it.”
“Oh my goodness! Thank you so much, Mouse!”
“It’s cool. I’ll send you the details with salary, start date and everything you’ll need to bring on your first day at work. Congratulations and I look forward to working with you! This is going to be great. I knew I liked you. I’ll see you soon.”
“See you soon!”
“What is the first lady doing calling your phone? Was she looking for me?”
“No baby, it turns out that dream job I told you about last night is actually with Rebecca’s Serenity – owned by The Predators. I had no idea a biker club ran a non-profit. When she realized that I was your ole lady, she offered me the job!”
“Congratulations Baby Bird. Now let’s talk about where you’re going to live. Since the job is in Jax, you may as well stay here. You can watch the place for me while I am working in Atlanta. I usually come home on weekends to be with the club, so this will be perfect. What do you say? You want to live with your ole man?”