Melancholy
Page 23
We hear the sound of a bike rumbling up the driveway, and I stare at Maddox. Here we go. A few moments later, the front door swings open and Mack enters. He looks at Maddox, then his eyes turn to me and he stiffens. “What the fuckin’ hell have you got...that baby for?”
“He’s your son, Mack. She couldn’t take him.”
“No,” he barks. “You didn’t get to make that choice.”
“I did, and I would do it again. Go ahead and scream at me, this is your son, you fucking selfish asshole. His mother is dead. There’s no way you’re just letting him get passed off. You’re a better man than that.”
“I know his mother is dead,” he bellows so loudly I flinch. “You think I don’t fuckin’ know!”
“Come on,” Maddox says, taking Mack’s shoulder. “We’re gonna figure this shit out right now.”
“I can’t have that baby,” he almost pleads, sounding desperate.
“We’re gonna sort it out,” Maddox says again.
“Fuckin’ can’t...”
God, my heart breaks for Mack.
It breaks for the baby.
It breaks for his mother.
I don’t know how we’re going to fix this problem...
THE END
Don’t worry! Mack is getting his own story, and it’ll be released in October so you don’t have long to wait! Here’s the first chapter! Enjoy.
ANGUISH – Releasing October 2014.
CHAPTER ONE
“You can’t be serious, Jaylah!”
I turn and scowl at my best friend, Josie.
“It’s a job, it gets me away from the house. If I’m away from the house, I’m not so easily tracked,” I point out, popping a piece of carrot into my mouth and chewing loudly. Josie glares at me.
“You’re not a nanny!”
I snort, choking on a piece of carrot and throwing myself into a coughing fit. When I’m done, I straighten, patting my chest and rasping, “How hard can it be? Changing nappies, feeding...it’s a piece of cake.”
“It’s a child...” she gapes. “You know...not a dog!”
I wave a hand. “It’s live in, it’s good pay, and it’s only a baby.”
“Babies poop, and cry, and spew...”
“So do dogs,” I point out.
“Jesus, Jay...there’s got to be something else.”
I take a step closer. “I have Gregor after my ass. He doesn’t play nice. I need somewhere he can’t find me. He won’t find me there; it’s two hours away. I can pay him off and then it’ll all be over. It’s a thousand dollars a week including food and a room! All to look after one baby...”
Josie sighs and shakes her head. “I can see there’s no talking you out of this. At least go and make sure it’s what you want before saying yes...”
I smile. “Good news...I’m going right now to meet the child and his father.”
“Oh God,” Josie groans.
“It’ll be fine,” I wave my hand, grabbing my keys with the other. “You’ll see.”
~*~*~*~
It’s not fine.
Oh no. It’s far from fine.
I’m standing in front of, what is quite possibly, the most dazzling man I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s Native American, of that I’m sure. He’s got these chocolate eyes and dark hair that, I won’t lie, makes me want to punch him. It’s that beautiful. Long and thick, flowing around his shoulders. He’s tall and muscled, wearing a leather vest over a dark, tight tee.
Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy.
“Ah....are you, um, Mack?”
He looks me up and down, slowly. “Yeah.”
God. His voice. Like melted honey, mixed with cream...oh man.
“Oh, good. I’m Jaylah...I’m here for the, ah, nanny position.”
His eyebrow quirks. “You’re a nanny?”
My spine straightens and I put my hands on my hips. “Excuse me, buddy, but I’ll have you know I’m the best damned nanny there is.”
He stares at me, expressionless. He’s a hard man; you can see it in his eyes and the firm expression that seems set in his face.
“What did you expect?” I go on. “Mrs. Doubtfire?”
His lip twitches, but he doesn’t smile.
“You available all day, every day?”
I tilt my head to the side. “I don’t get a day off?”
“No.”
“You want me to babysit...every day?”
He stares at me, like that’s already obvious.
“What are you, like some fancy businessman or something?”
I already know that’s a joke before it leaves my lips, but I say it anyway. He gives me a ‘seriously’ look, and I realize it really was a stupid question.
“Okay, well, clearly you’re not a businessman, but what could possibly keep you so busy you need me to look after your kid seven days a week?”
“None of your fuckin’ business,” he snaps.
“Keep your shirt on,” I huff. “I was only asking.”
“You either want the job,” he says, his voice low and deep. “Or you don’t.”
“I do,” I point out. “But I have a life, you know...friends and stuff...”
“You can visit them, with the baby.”
“Seriously?”
He does that staring thing again.
“Only one thousand dollars a week? To basically be the child’s...mother?”
“One and a half if you start now.”
“One and half thousand?” I breathe.
“No, one and a half fuckin’ dollars.”
Oh, a smartass. Nice.
“And I live...here?”
He nods sharply.
“And...you live here?”
He looks like he wants to slap my stupidity right out of me.
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
He nods. “Come in.”
“Wait, aren’t you going to ask me some nanny questions. Like, what are you going to do if my child runs onto the road and gets hit by a car?”
He gives me a strange expression. “He’s a baby. Come in.”
“What about if he chokes?”
“Baby...” he grinds out. “Drinks fuckin’ milk.”
“Climbs through a window?” I call out, following him inside.
He grunts.
“Plays with your hairdryer?”
He stops, turns, and gives me a mortified expression.
“What?” I say, shrugging. “You have nice hair...it’s only an assumption.”
Okay now he looks like he wants to punch me, or throttle me...
“I mean seriously...you’re not going to ask me anything?”
He growls. “You a murderer?”
“What? No.”
“Rapist?”
I gape. “Ew. No.”
“You cook?”
“Ah, yes.”
“You capable of heating a bottle?”
“Yes.”
“Gettin’ up when he cries?”
I nod.
“Then you’re hired. Now move.”
Bossy.
We step into a really nice, really modern place. The cool floor is pleasant against my feet as I follow him into the lounge room. I skid to a halt when I see all the people on the lounge. There are a few really pretty girls, but the rest are males. Big, burly males that look like they’ve dropped out of heaven and been rolled in leather. They’re gorgeous.
They’re also...oh no.
Oh no no no.
Mack nods to one of the girls and she stands, walking over to me, a baby wrapped up in her arms. She stretches it out to me with a smile. God she’s pretty, like a mini Pocahontas or something. Her eyes sparkle with humor at my expression. I reach out, take the baby and hold it close. I’ve never held a baby...shit...where’s his head?
“I’m Santana,” she smiles, warmly. “Welcome.”
I turn back to the group, who are all staring at me and I’m about sure I’m going to pass out.
I know who they are. I’ve seen the news.
/> Motorcycle club. The biggest in the city.
Jokers’ Wrath.
Oh God. I’m a nanny for a biker.
This could be interesting.
*****
YOU WILL SEE MORE OF JAYLAH AND MACK’S STORY SOON!
Plus – you will see more of Krypt and Ash, Santana and Maddox and all the other guys in the club!
Don’t miss it!