“I’m sure it will turn up once you’re sober.” I was freezing my balls off, and I didn’t want to hear his shit.
“I’m not that fucking drunk.” He pulled out a cigarette.
“You’re not lighting that thing in my car.”
He grumbled and then shoved it back in the pack. “Fine. I swear you’re worse than those pigs.”
“Those pigs, as you like to call them, have saved your ass more times than I can count. So, why don’t you show some fucking respect?” I took out my keys and hit the locks.
“Whatever.” Blaine opened the door and dropped into the passenger seat, and I slid in next to him behind the wheel.
His “whatever” attitude had my temper boiling. I grabbed his fucking arm and pulled him to me. “You think this is a fucking joke?”
He was so close to my face that I could taste the alcohol on his breath, but I didn’t care. He needed to learn I meant business. I was done being the lenient big brother who let him get away with murder and destroy his life with alcohol and drugs.
His whole body was electrified and shaking, and his eyes bore into mine as if he could will me dead.
“I’m not going to put up with your shit anymore, Blaine. This bullshit stops now!”
I headed to his apartment which was only about five miles away, and if it weren’t for me paying his rent and keeping his shit together, he’d have lost it already. “I want you to do fucking better. Get a job and quit being a pain in my ass, or I’m cutting you off.”
“Fuck you. You’re not Dad, and you can’t cut me off.”
“I’m in charge of your fucking trust until you’re twenty-five, and if you don’t straighten your shit up, I’ll make sure you don’t get it then.”
“You’re not my fucking father. I had one of those assholes. I don’t need another one.”
“Yeah, he treated you so badly. The man paid your fucking way much longer than he did mine, and he entertained all your fucking dreams, while I had to give mine up to come back here and wipe your fucking ass for you. I make sure your rent is paid, I make sure you’ve got food in the fridge, I make sure you don’t have to get a real job and can focus on your fucking talent, which you’re throwing away by smoking, snorting, and drinking like a motherfucking fish.”
I pulled into the space next to his car. Thankfully, he hadn’t been in the thing when he got busted. I grabbed his arm and held him in his place. “I’m not fucking around. Clean your shit up! I’m not coming back down to bail you out, and trust me, next time, there will be bail.”
“Yeah, threaten to abandon me. You’re just as fucking bad as he was. What would you fucking know, anyway? He was constantly on my ass after you left, Missy fucking hates me, and you abandoned me a long fucking time ago.”
His words loosened my grip, and he jerked away, slamming the door behind him as he made his way into his building. I hadn’t meant to abandon the kid, and the only reason Missy acted the way she did was because she’d given to him until it hurt. He’d already let her down one time too many.
I watched his place until the lights came on upstairs in his apartment. Then, I drove away, knowing I had to make one more stop before I headed back home.
“What are you doing here so early?” My sister Missy was a natural beauty, and she looked a lot like our mother, especially wearing her hair in a towel with the long robe which billowed away from her legs as she stepped into the house, waving me in.
“I didn’t mean to wake you guys or anything. I just got back from county lockup and thought I’d stop by.” I was hoping to talk with her about Blaine, but she turned to me, shaking her head.
“You should have let him rot there.”
“Come on, you don’t mean that. He’s our baby brother, Miss.”
“You haven’t called me Miss in ages. And it’s not going to butter me up. I don’t care about Blaine and his issues, and I’m not letting him close to the girls again, so he can put them in danger with his neglectful fucking attitude.” She lowered her voice as not to let the girls hear her use foul language. They were both at the bar with their dolls tucked beside them, eating their morning cereal.
“He feels like shit about that, I’m sure.”
“He let them wander out into the street because he was passed out drunk. I almost lost my girls because I was dumb enough to let him babysit. He hit the liquor cabinet the minute I was out the fucking door. The girls could have been killed. So yeah, fuck him. I raised his sorry ass, and that’s the thanks I get.”
“You did raise him, Miss. You’re more of a mom to him than Mom ever was, and he told me that you hated him. I could tell it breaks his heart. He thinks I abandoned him to go to the military.”
She gave a little shrug. “Maybe he’s right about that one.”
“Ouch.” I rubbed my chest. “I didn’t abandon anyone, and I really take offense to that since I dropped my dreams to come back here and run the business.”
“I didn’t twist your arm. Dad died. What could I do? He didn’t want me to run the company. Not that I’d want that nightmare. And he didn’t want to leave it to Greyson.”
“He should have. I don’t know what I’m doing. Greyson’s spending too much time training me to do a job he should be getting paid for. I’m already determined to give him a huge bonus this year.” I walked over to the counter where the girls, Tiffany and Macy, were focused on a word search on the electronic tablet between them.
“Hi, Uncle David.” Tiffany, who was the more outspoken of the two, flashed me a smile. “We’re trying to find all the words before the time runs out, so we can free the princess from the witch.”
The music on the device was going faster. “It sounds like you’re almost out of time.”
“Yeah.” She gave a little shrug. Then her eyes lit up. “There it is, Macy!”
They hit the word just in time, and they both slapped hands as the screen turned black and a little princess ran across the screen before she turned into a butterfly.
“Great job, girls.” I gave them high fives, and then they hopped off their stools and headed to the couch to turn on some cartoons.
I turned to my sister, who was standing by the coffee maker with her arms folded across her chest.
“They love their uncle,” she said.
“Yeah, they’re pretty great. You’re very lucky, you know? I can only dream of having it so nice.”
“Nonsense. It’s time you start trying for this. It’s the best thing, and you’re going to make an amazing father and husband.”
“Preferably not in that order.” I didn’t have much hope for something so wonderful, but it was nice to dream.
“Yeah, well, you never know what life’s going to bring, but you deserve everything you want.”
“Thanks, Miss. And what about Blaine? Does he deserve happiness, too?”
“He deserves a swift kick in the ass, is what he deserves.” She let out a long breath and then rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll call him and check on him, but I’m not making any promises to see him. Just a quick call to make sure he’s healthy and let him think I’m thinking about him.”
She pursed her lips, and I could tell she was having second thoughts about being so rough on the guy.
“That’s all I’m asking. Let him know you don’t hate him.” I walked over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. If there was one thing I knew about my sister, it was that she had a forgiving heart.
“Fine, but we need to go to the estate and finish up there tomorrow. Will you meet me over there?”
I couldn’t refuse her, I’d already canceled on her once before. “I’ll be there.”
She tilted her head and gave me a scolding glare. “Promise me this time you’ll show up.”
“I promise.” I raised two fingers to make my vow.
Chapter 4
Allison
If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was someone who couldn’t be on time. Doug had not only called the night before to pos
tpone getting Sierra for the weekend but when he said he’d arrive before ten, he meant whenever the hell he felt like it.
Sierra didn’t care, and it wasn’t that I minded either, but it was hard enough to get her to go as it was and hard enough to get him to step up and be a father, too. I’d felt like I was the only one in my life having to be responsible, and I was at my wit’s end dealing with Doug.
To kill time, I browsed through the job listings and searched for something better. I loved working with Katrina, and she’d done me a solid by getting me the position, but I couldn’t work there forever. The tips were shitty most days and not the real money I needed to be making if I wanted to send Sierra to a good college someday.
I skimmed the listings, hoping to be a marketer or an advertiser, but most of the listings were nothing more than coffee fetchers, and I was doing that now. I thought of David’s family. His father had owned one of the largest advertising agencies in the city, and I wondered if there were any positions open at DeVant. It might be worth looking in to.
And that was when I heard the asshole’s car pull into my driveway.
“Come on, Sierra. Your father’s here. Grab your bag, and remember, it’s just one night. You’ll be back in no time.” I didn’t want her to pout in front of her dad.
I opened the door and led her out.
“Hey, kiddo!” Doug opened his arms, and she went over and gave him a big hug. “How’s my best girl?” He pulled her close and then carried her bag to the car. “Get buckled in, sweetheart.”
He turned from the car and shut the door. As usual, his smile faded into a menacing grin that quickly morphed into a scowl.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit much for her to bring for one night? Why are you always having her bring that much shit?”
I looked over his shoulder to make sure she couldn’t hear him. “It’s one bag, Doug, and she’s a kid. She needs toys. If you kept some of those things at your place, then she wouldn’t have to lug them back and forth.”
He turned and smiled at Sierra and then turned back to shake his head at me. “No way. Me and Cindy don’t want to be tripping over that bullshit all week. She can pack it with her, but just tell her to take it easy next time. That bag weighs a fucking ton. Speaking of, you put on a little weight?” He leaned in and looked me up and down before giving a little laugh.
“Nope, I sure haven’t, Doug. You look a few pounds lighter, though. Oh, wait, that’s just your hair. I can see it’s getting thinner.”
“Yeah, well, Cindy likes it. And that’s not all she likes if you know what I mean. Of course, you were always such a fucking dead lay, you probably don’t.” He stood closer, looking down his nose at me as if he wanted to hit me, but close enough to kiss me.
I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me. It was what he was always trying to do. I’d learned to stop being scared of his tough talk a long time ago.
He’d turn it off and on like a switch, but as long as he never treated my daughter the way he treated me, I’d let him live.
“Have a nice time with our daughter, Doug.” I turned and walked away, not wanting to play his stupid games anymore. How he could think I really cared about his girlfriend, when I had been the one to leave his sorry ass, was beyond me, but it never failed that he acted like an immature asshole every time he came around. It was fucking exhausting.
The only painful part was that I hated to see my baby have to go with him, which is why he insisted on getting her, even if it was an inconvenience for him.
He had no paternal instincts whatsoever, and knowing she didn’t want to go with him just made it ten times worse. I went inside and stopped in the middle of my living room. It always felt so empty when she left, like all the air had been sucked out of it by Doug the asshole.
I didn’t want to stay there alone, so I called my mother. She answered the phone with her usual enthusiasm. “How are my girls?” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Doug just left.”
Mom cleared her throat. “Oh. What’s he doing dropping by on a Saturday?”
“It’s Sierra’s weekend with her father, but he was unable to get her last night. I’m sure he and Cindy had something they wanted to do, but he claimed he was working late.” That was usually the reason. He was busy living the life he wanted, while I had to be the responsible one. It wasn’t fair, but I was glad it was that way and would see to it that it never changed. I’d lay my life down for my daughter if it killed me.
“What did he find to bitch about this time?” It was really pathetic when even my mother knew how he acted.
“He thought that Sierra’s bag was too heavy. Anything to have something to bitch about.” I let loose a long breath and raked my hand through my hair. “I was wondering—”
“You don’t even have to ask, honey. You know you’re welcomed anytime.” She’d been letting me come home to spend the night with her and my father since the divorce when things got too lonely, and we’d spend the night watching old classic movies.
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll bring some popcorn. Is there anything else I need to pick up?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“I’ll be on my way, shortly.”
I got off the phone and went to get myself freshened up. I had laid around most of the day and hadn’t bothered to dress up for the asshole’s arrival. I brushed out my long, blond hair, pulled it up in a ponytail, and swiped on some mascara and gloss so I would feel made up enough to stop at the store on my way to my parents’ house. I pulled on some faded, holey jeans and a Foo Fighters concert tee I’d had since college.
I was about to walk out of the house when I realized I’d left my computer open to the classified ads. I sat down in front of the screen. I had been thinking about David DeVant, and before I closed it, I decided to look him up. It had been years, and I still got giddy just thinking about him.
The search engine pulled up his pictures. David was rarely shown with a woman on his arm, but I knew he had to be dating someone. He was so gorgeous, and as I took in every single pixel of his hotness, my body warmed thinking of the last time we’d seen each other.
I tried to push the memory away. Missing Sierra, I felt miserable enough. I didn’t want to sit and think about what could have been with David. If only I’d kept in touch with him instead of going back with that asshole Doug. But David had a life in the military and big dreams that I would never be a part of.
I shut the computer down and grabbed my bag before heading out to my parents’ house.
Before I even got to the store, Doug was calling with a complaint. “Hey, I just remembered. Cindy’s parents asked us to come by tomorrow, so I’ll be bringing Sierra home about ten in the morning.”
“Dammit, Doug, why even take her at all? And not only that, but I’m not even home. If you want to ditch her that early, you’ll have to bring her to my parents’ house. I’m staying the night with them.”
“Whatever, I can do that. I don’t need your fucking mouth about it, either. I get her on my weekends, and it shouldn’t mean dick to you how I do it.”
“You’re supposed to follow the court’s instructions.”
“You know, if you want to be a bitch about it, then do something about it if you don’t like it. Take me to court again, see if I give fuck all about it.” He hung up the phone, and I wanted to scream, but I pulled into the store parking lot and went inside for my father’s favorite popcorn.
I pulled up at my childhood home and felt a huge weight as I walked into the house and hugged my mother.
“What’s got you down, honey?”
“Nothing. Doug’s being an ass. He called to tell me he’s dropping Sierra off in the morning, but I told him to come here. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course, it is. We’ll get to see our granddaughter, too.” Mom and Dad exchanged a smile.
My father was making himself a PB and J. “Twice the lovin’.” He licked the knife and tossed it into the sink.
&nb
sp; “I brought popcorn, so don’t spoil your appetite.” I shook the box, and he smiled before taking a big bite of the sandwich.
“Your father doesn’t know how to spoil an appetite, honey. Only feed it.”
Dad wrapped his sandwich in a napkin. “There’s a great classic movie coming on tonight. I’m not sure you’ve seen this one.” He always said that, but it usually turned out I’d seen it.
“I’m just going to step out and call Katrina, and then we can get it started.”
“Okay, cupcake.” Dad headed to his chair, and Mom took the box of popcorn and threw a bag in the microwave as I stepped out on the front stoop and dialed her number.
Katrina didn’t answer, but I left a message and turned to look up at the house across the street. Mr. DeVant had been dead nearly a year, and the huge house had stood empty since. The place was still perfectly manicured, with the gardeners still performing their duties to keep the place looking alive, but I could tell the place was empty and had been for a while. I remembered the way it had been when we were kids, with David’s car in the driveway, Missy’s purple curtains in the window, and Blaine’s toys scattered on the front lawn.
My heart missed the times when life was so much easier, but for all the trouble Doug caused me, I wouldn’t trade my daughter for the world.
To be continued…
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About the Author
Hey there. I'm Weston.
I'm a former firefighter/EMS guy who's picked up the proverbial pen and started writing bad boy romance stories. I co-write with my sister, Ali Parker as we travel the United States for the next two years.
You're going to find Billionaires, Bad Boys, Mafia and loads of sexiness. Something for everyone, hopefully. I'd love to connect with you. Check out the links below and come find me.
My One and Only: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 139