by Ash, Nikki
“What’s wrong?” he practically shouts hearing the fear in my voice.
“Umm… We are at the store and someone wrote on my car. I need you to come and get us. I don’t know what to do.”
“I will be right there! Stay in the store. Stay in plain sight. Ok? I am going to three-way the police so we don’t have to get off the phone.” Caleb calls the police and tells them to meet him at the store.
Once Caleb and the police arrive they take pictures and ask questions. They say they are going to ask the store about cameras to see if they can see who did it.
“Why are they threatening me?” I ask the officers on scene. I am not even the one testifying against them. I wasn’t there. Only Caleb is testifying. Marco is underage so he gave his statement but we agreed we feel it is best for him not to testify.
“My guess is they are hoping the threats will force Caleb to drop the charges out of fear for you.”
“Which I won’t do,” Caleb says putting his arm around me and pulling Marco into his side.
“The court date has been moved up because the prosecutor found significant evidence of drug trafficking and are ready to nail several of the guys,” the officer says. “I think this is their way of trying to get Caleb to back down. With his testimony to the attempted murder charges, these guys will be going away for a long time.”
Caleb offers to take my car through a car wash on his way home and insists I take his truck home with Marco.
We get home just as my parents are pulling in. I don’t want to worry them so I don’t bring up why we are running late. They help me bring in the groceries and then I make introductions.
“Marco, this is my mom and dad, Lori and Bill. Mom, Dad, this is Marco.”
My mom grabs Marco in a hug and tears spring to her eyes. Even though she hasn’t met him yet she has listened to me talk about him the last couple months and has seen all the photos I have posted and sent her. She already views him as her grandson.
“Nonsense! You call me Nana and him Pop.” She continues to wrap Marco in a hug until I insist she let him go so he can breathe.
“I don’t really mind,” Marco says and I can see the tears shining in his eyes. The thought of a child crying because of receiving love and affection makes me want to pull his mother out of the grave and beat her, but I stop the thoughts because the truth is she was sick. She had a lot of problems and wasn’t given the chance or opportunity to fix them. I can’t waste my energy being mad at her. I just want to feel blessed I get to have Marco in my life.
Caleb walks in and sees all of us practically in tears and looks horrified.
“What the hell happened?”
“Nothing,” I say laughing through my tears. “My mom was just very excited to finally meet Marco. Mom, Dad, this is Caleb. Caleb, this is my mom and dad.”
“Nice to finally meet you Bill and Lori.” He gives my dad a handshake and then gives my mom a kiss on her cheek.
There’s a knock at the door and in walks Hannah and Gavin with presents in their hands. Hannah has met Marco several times and insisted he call her Aunt Hannah once she found out I am adopting him.
“Hey kiddo!” Hannah hands him the gifts and gives him a hug.
“Are these for me? But it’s not my Birthday.” Marco looks confused.
“I don’t need a reason to buy my favorite nephew gifts. Now go open them!”
My mom says she is going to the kitchen to start brunch and insists we all hang out while she cooks. Since Marco is busy with the new stuff Hannah and Gavin brought him I mention to Hannah about Caleb needing an attorney.
“So, it’s not really my story to tell but Caleb was left some clubs his dad owned and his stepmom is fighting him for them. Do you think it would be possible to help him?”
“I can pay you of course,” Caleb says. Hannah waves him off. Money is the last thing she needs. Gavin comes from old money and between the two of them being attorneys they are not struggling to make ends meet.
“Caleb, why don’t you come and see me this week?” She hands him her card. “And we will sit down and discuss your options…” She looks at her phone and then says, “Actually I have a cancellation for tomorrow morning. Would that work for you?” He looks over the card and then to me. “Yes, we will be there,” I tell her.
“Thank you,” Caleb adds.
“Hayley! Look what Aunt Hannah got me!” Marco waves a pad of paper and colored pencils in the air. He had mentioned he loved coloring to us one day at lunch and of course she remembered.
“Thank you so much!” He runs over and gives her a hug.
“You’re very welcome, kiddo.”
Hannah and I join mom in the kitchen helping her finish up brunch while the guys set the table and pour drinks. Once the food is set out and we are about to dig in, Hannah says they have an announcement to make.
“So, we were hoping to do the whole Engagement, Marriage, then baby thing in order but…”
“Oh my God!” My mom yells getting up from her seat to give Hannah and Gavin a hug.
“Yep! We are expecting. I am only three months along but we have decided to move the wedding up so we are married before the baby comes.”
“Congratulations!” I say getting up to give each of them a hug. My dad and Caleb both congratulate them as well. We all start eating when Marco says, “So that’s what it takes to have a baby? You just have to be together?”
I drop my fork on my plate—it makes a loud clanking sound—and look to Caleb for help. But of course, he’s got a shit-eating grin on his face. Ok…guess I will be handling this one.
“Well Marco, it’s more than that. Two people have to love each other and when they are ready they choose to share a bed and they create a baby.”
He nods and goes back to eating. I hold my breath hoping he is done. I definitely plan to have the sex talk with him, but I am hoping this will pacify him while we are all eating and we can discuss this in private.
“Ok, so does that mean you and Caleb are going to have a baby since you guys shared a bed and you are boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Oh, my word! He just had to go there. He is lucky I love his cute little behind.
Caleb cracks up laughing until I give him a death glare. He attempts to control his smile but I can still see it peeking through.
“You and Caleb are together?”
“When did this happen?”
“How did I not know?”
Between my mom, dad, and Hannah I am being bombarded with questions that I have no idea how to answer. What I would like to do is take a biscuit and chuck it at Caleb’s head. I grab ahold of the biscuit in one hand and just as I am about to take aim and fire, he takes my hand in his and smiles warmly.
First, he answers Marco’s question. “Marco, there’s a little bit more to creating a baby, and after Nana and Pop and everyone leave we will sit down and discuss it, ok? As for right now, no we are not having a baby.”
Then he says, “And yes, Hayles and I are dating and yes we slept in the same bed last night. I care a lot about her.”
Everybody seems to accept his answer and thankfully goes back to eating. I look over at him and he leans in and whispers, “And I fully plan to practice those baby-making skills… Every. Single. Night.”
His words cause my cheeks to heat and I quickly look around grateful nobody heard him. I squirm a little in my seat and he chuckles next to me, then reaches over and takes a bite out of the biscuit I had envisioned hitting him on the side of the head with.
Twenty-Four
Caleb
It’s Monday Morning and after putting Marco on the bus, Hayley and I head downtown to her sister’s office to speak with her. On our way, I stop at the bank to get the recording my dad left for me in the safety deposit box. I figure if Hannah is going to hopefully represent me she should be aware of all the evidence I can bring to the table in hopes of Gloria dropping her lawsuit for the two clubs. I am hoping we can get her to drop them sooner rather than la
ter. There are employees that need to work to make a living and if we don’t figure this out soon I am going to eventually have to dish out more money to keep them employed.
After I run in to get the recording, which was exactly where my dad said he left it, we go to Hannah’s office. Once inside she ushers us straight back to her office and closes the door.
“Ok, what do you have for me?”
How do I even begin to explain all this? Thankfully Hayley is here and takes over.
“Caleb received two clubs from his father when he passed away. Technically his stepmom ran them but his dad owned them outright and left them to Caleb. Now his stepmom, Gloria, is fighting for them.”
“Ok… what am I missing?” She’s a lawyer; so of course, she senses there is more to the story. And she isn’t asking Hayley; she’s asking me.
I clear my throat and then proceed to tell her everything. Starting with my stepmom forcing me to have sex with her at fifteen to her pimping me out to other women.
“And you said your dad left you a recording of her confessing?”
“Yeah.” I pull the flash drive out of my pocket and hand it to her. “I haven’t heard it yet. I just grabbed it out of the safety deposit box on my way over.”
“Do you mind?”
“No, go ahead.”
She plugs it into the side of her computer and after clicking on the file presses play. I hear my dad’s voice come over the speakers. It’s crystal clear like he knew he would be recording.
“Gloria, I want a divorce.”
“I don’t really think that’s what you want, Adam. I would hate to have to turn you in for insider trading.”
“I don’t care what you do anymore. I can’t be with you knowing you forced my son to have sex with you and then forced him to have sex with other women. It’s disgusting. I should have divorced you sooner.”
“Don’t be mad because he was better in bed than you! And give me a break. I am less than ten years older than him. You are almost twenty years older than me, Adam.”
“Yeah but you had sex with him when he was fifteen years old, Gloria! You were of legal age when we got together. And then when I caught you guys, you made it sound like it was entirely his fault. None of this was his fault. I lost my son because of you.”
“No, Adam. You lost your son because you are self-centered and chose to save yourself over him.”
Hannah hits stop on the computer. “Well, I would say we have enough to definitely scare the shit out of her, and if she still wants to go to court, between the letter from your dad, the will, and the recording we have a very strong case. What you need to understand though, is if this goes to court it will become public knowledge about you being raped and used as a male escort. Are you ok with that?”
I know what she is saying. In today’s society, a man being raped isn’t the same as a woman being raped. As a UFC fighter, the attention this will get will be ridiculous even if I am not extremely popular. This is exactly what I said to Hayley, but when Hayley told me she would be by my side I knew my decision. I am not letting Gloria get away with this.
“I understand and I am willing to deal with the shit storm that will follow. I can’t let her win. Let’s hope she walks away without fighting.”
“Ok, I will file a response with the court requesting mediation and hopefully when she sees the evidence laid out against her she will be smart enough to cut her losses and walk away.”
“What should I do about paying the employees? I have had to pay them all for several weeks now. It was only supposed to be one week then it turned to two. Now I have been paying them for weeks.”
“I will also put in that if she chooses to take it to trial she will need to pay half of the employees’ incomes while the clubs assets are frozen. I will give you a call once I know anything.”
Damn she is good.
“Thank you so much. If you need anything from me please let me know. Who do I see to pay your retainer fee?”
“Don’t be silly, Caleb! We are practically family. Family doesn’t charge family.”
“Thanks, Hannah.”
Hannah comes around her desk and gives Hayley a hug and then we head out.
After we leave the office, Hayley says she is going to pick up Marco from the bus and then she needs to go to the gym to meet with a couple fighters.
“I think I will join you guys. Kayla mentioned I am allowed to do light workouts again.”
“Ok, sounds good. Let’s go home first so you can change and grab your gym gear.”
Once we get home, I run into my room to grab some workout clothes. I am walking through the house half-dressed checking my phone when Hayley stops me.
“You can’t walk around the house like that Caleb; It’s not fair. You are such a tease.”
“How long do we have until we need to get Marco?”
She looks down at her watch. “Not long… like half an hour.”
“I know a lot we can do with that time.” I pick her up over my good shoulder and giving her ass a smack bring her into the room to spend the next thirty minutes proving to her I am not a tease.
Once we get to the gym Hayley takes off to her office to get some work done, Marco heads to the ring to check out the guys fighting, and I head to the treadmill to warm up.
“Well look who it is!” Kaden jumps on the treadmill next to me.
“You ready to get back to training, yet?”
“I am getting there. Doc said I could do a light workout but no fighting yet. I need to strengthen my leg and shoulder first plus my chest still hurts like a bitch.”
“Well I am ready when you are,” Kaden says staring down at his phone. Whatever he’s reading must piss him off because he shoves it back into his pocket and turns up the speed so fast one would think he is trying to literally run from whatever is bothering him.
“You good?” I ask trying not to sound like a gossiping little girl.
“Yeah, just dealing with a stubborn ass woman.”
I laugh at that. “Ashley?”
“Yeah, she is working as a cocktail waitress at a shitty strip club to make extra money instead of letting me help her out with her bills. Like I said… Stubborn!”
“She was crying the other day when we went to get Marco from her house. Some shit about you two almost fucking but you stopped it…” I just let that hang there.
Kaden winces slightly at my words then lets out a strangled breath. “Fuck man… She’s my best friend. I am not about to treat her like all the other no-named women I have hooked up with over the years. She deserves better than a drunken fuck.”
“Better like more… like you want to be with her?” Yeah, we are totally sounding like chicks right now.
“No, like I don’t do the whole wife and kids shit. She’s my friend and that’s the way it needs to stay. If I fuck her it will ruin everything and that’s not going to happen.”
It’s common knowledge Kaden was married at some point years ago… so he definitely did the wife shit… but this was all before I met him. Whatever went down must have been bad because he doesn’t discuss it and he always makes it clear he will never settle down again.
A few minutes later Bentley and Kayla walk over. She is holding Chloe and Bentley is holding Faith. Kaden and I both stop running to say hi.
“We have some great news!” Kayla says.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Kaden asks. We both wipe the sweat off our hands and face before grabbing the babies from their parents. I can definitely imagine Hayley and I having one of these one day soon. Faith coos and giggles at me as I hold her above my head and blow raspberries on her belly.
“DCF approved for us to adopt Chloe! We go before the judge next week to make it official.”
“That’s amazing!” Hayley says, coming over and giving Kayla and Bentley each a hug.
Marco joins us and takes his sister from Kaden giving her kisses on her cheeks. She smiles and coos at Marco.
“I will still be ab
le to see her, right?” he asks Kayla.
Her eyebrows furrow and she steps closer to Marco. “If I didn’t know how much Hayley and Caleb love you and how much you love living with them, Bentley and I would be adopting you and your sister together. You are welcome to visit her anytime you want Marco, and she will always know you are her brother and how much you love her. I will always be grateful to you. You brought her into our life. You cared for her when your mom wasn’t able to.”
Her answer seems to make him happy but it upsets Hayley. “Marco, do you want Kayla to adopt you? Do you want to be with your sister? I would never want you to be away from her if you want to be with her. I know you originally said you wanted to live with me, but I will understand if you want to live with her now.” Hayley’s eyes fill with tears but she wills them not to spill over, trying to stay strong for Marco.
She looks at me and my heart breaks for her. She loves him so much she would do anything to make him happy, even if that means giving him up before she even adopts him.
“Marco, sweetie. If you want to live with Kayla I promise I won’t be mad.”
I walk over to Hayley and put my arm around her.
“Please don’t cry,” Marco says giving her a hug.
“Hey bud, listen. She isn’t crying because she’s mad or anything. She loves you and wants you to be happy.”
“It makes me happy living with you guys. I don’t want to leave. I just wanted to make sure I could still see Chloe all the time like I do now.” He hugs Hayley again.
She sniffles. “I am so glad you want to live with us and you will always be able to see Chloe any time you want.”
“Well on that note… I think we should all go out to dinner and celebrate!” Bentley says breaking up the emotional tension.
“I agree!”
“But after my MMA class,” Marco chimes in. We all laugh and head over to the kids’ ring to watch their class. Since I got hurt Cooper has been running most of the classes and when we get over there we see him and Bella warming up with a few other kids.
“Hey Marco!” Bella calls out waving him over. Marco runs over to her and warms up with her.