A Carpino Series Collection, Books 1-3

by Brynne Asher

  “Good morning,” I call as I walk in and see Jordy and Cara eating cereal at the island.

  I get “Heys” from the kids, but it’s hard to concentrate on them when I look at their dad. He’s leaning against the sink in nothing but his athletic shorts again with a cup of coffee in his hand. His eyes are warm and I have to bite my lip to keep from smiling from the quiver I get from his look. It’s all I can do not to run and throw myself at him in front of his kids.

  He smirks and I force myself to look away. I move to his coffee cups, knowing where most things are in his kitchen from cleaning it. In fact, I learned half of his cabinets are bare. Cam doesn’t seem to have a penchant for kitchen gadgets, that’s for sure.

  “We get to stay home today,” Cara announces with a big smile.

  “That’s what I hear.” I smile back while doctoring up my coffee, thinking Cam needs real cream. Coffee with milk ruins the experience.

  “How’s your head?” Jordy asks, his little boy face frowning.

  I glance at Cam quickly and his face goes tight with concern for his son. I look at Jordy and say brightly, “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m as good as new.” He nods, looking back to his cereal but I go on, “I’ll make you all dinner tonight. What sounds good?”

  “Chicken nuggets,” Cara says quickly.

  “I like fish sticks,” Jordy adds.

  I frown at both of them. “Pick something that doesn’t come from a packaged box out of the freezer.”

  They look at each other and I hear Cam grunt. He’s biting back what looks to be a chuckle and I ask, “Do you only feed them processed foods?”

  “They eat apples and bananas.” He grins. “Sometimes carrots.”

  I roll my eyes and look back to the kids who are making faces at the mention of carrots.

  “How about this—I’ll make Rice Krispie chicken. It’s like a big chicken nugget.” I look to Cam before finishing. “But homemade.”

  “I don’t want salad,” Cara says, screwing up her face.

  “What do you like that’s green?” I ask her.

  “Nothing,” she says.

  “I’ll make Double Broccoli,” I announce. “You can try it.”

  “No,” Jordy exclaims at the same time Cara whines, “Ew.”

  “Darlin’,” Cam breaks in. “None of us like broccoli.”

  “Have you ever had Double Broccoli?” I ask.

  “I don’t even know what that is, but my guess, it’s still broccoli but more of it. So I’m assuming we really won’t like it.” He tips his head before lifting his mug to his lips.

  “Everyone likes Double Broccoli,” I announce. “That’s where it gets its name. You have to make double because everyone likes it so much. I’ll make sort-of-homemade macaroni and cheese—it has pepper jack in it. But you have to promise to try my broccoli.”

  “I like macaroni and cheese.” Jordy smiles for the first time.

  “I do, too. I promise you mine’s better than anything your dad has ever managed to make out of a box.”

  Jordy grins. “Cool.”

  I look at Cam and he’s smiling at his son. I sigh and fall a little bit more as I stand in Cam’s kitchen on Athica Lane with him and his kids.

  Cam breaks me out of my dadmire trance and says to me in a way he’s complaining, “I guess I’ll eat Double Broccoli if it means I get better than boxed mac-n-cheese.”

  “You’ll see. You’ll be begging for more,” I inform him arrogantly.

  His eyes are warm when he says in a way I don’t think he’s talking about broccoli, “I know I will.”

  I have to lift my mug to my mouth to keep from smiling and I can’t help but fidget. By the gleam in his eyes, I can tell Cam catches it and smiles as he announces to our group, “Everybody get ready. We’re rolling out in fifteen minutes.”

  My phone rings again—it’s been ringing all morning. But this time I can’t bring myself to send it to voicemail because it’s my dad and my dad’s different. I’ll always answer a call from my dad.

  I barely get out a, “Hello,” before he interrupts me.

  “What happened?” he demands over the phone.

  I look down at my cappuccino as I wait in the coffee shop for Brian. He finally texted back, though it was short and curt, and agreed to meet me for coffee. I’m fifteen minutes early, I wanted to get a quiet table in the corner so we could talk. I have his favorite iced tea waiting on him since he doesn’t drink coffee.

  “It’s not so bad. The tires were slashed and a window was broken. There wasn’t any body damage. Other than my deductible, my insurance will cover it,” I explain, trying to make the vandalism sound not so bad.

  “I don’t care about the car. I’m talking about you. Sophia said you pushed your way into something for her neighbor and got knocked around. Are you okay?” he demands, not sounding happy.

  “Oh. I didn’t push my way into anything but I’m fine,” I defend myself. “I thought you were talking about the car.”

  “Your mom said you haven’t called her back. Tell me what happened,” he says.

  I sigh before going into detail about last night, giving him the truth about what went down with Cam’s kids, the creepy guys, and Bekki.

  “I’m really okay. I know everyone’s worried but I’ve been busy and haven’t had time to call everyone under the sun. Please don’t worry,” I say softly.

  I hear my dad pause before he sighs. “Sweetheart, I’ll always worry about you.”

  “I’m okay,” I insist.

  “I’ll call in some favors to look into who was arrested and what’s happening. Come to the house tonight, I want to see for myself that you’re okay. If your mom’s not fixing dinner, we’ll take you out,” he says, planning my night.

  “Sorry, I can’t. I told Cam and the kids I’d make them dinner. They’re still a little shaken from what happened last night.”

  Then … silence.

  I wait a few more beats and just when I think we got disconnected I call out, “Dad?”

  He responds instantly. “I’ll come to you.”

  “What?” I exclaim.

  “I’ll come after dinner. I won’t bring your mom—she’d make a spectacle. But I need to see that you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine. There’s nothing to see,” I insist.

  “Listen,” he starts. “You’ll never be a dad who has a baby girl who got herself tossed around by a group of thugs—you don’t get to make that call.”

  “Has everyone forgotten that I’m an adult?” I ask sarcastically.

  “You’ll always be the baby,” he spits back. “I’ll stop by after dinner. It’s done. Now tell me, what’s Cam doing about his ex-wife?”

  “Dad—” I start.

  “Enough.” He uses his dad voice on me before going on. “What kind of custody arrangement does he have?”

  I huff into the phone, “He has them all but two weekends a month.”

  “She left his two young children unattended. What’s he doing about that?” he pushes.

  “He’s calling his attorney today. He said sometimes it can hold things up because he’s in Texas,” I explain.

  “I’ll ask him about it tonight,” he says when I look up to see Brian walking toward me wearing a frown.

  “I’ve got to go. Thanks for checking on me.”

  Brian gets to my table and roughly yanks out the chair across from me to sit.

  “I’ve got a meeting,” my dad says. “See you tonight.”

  “See ya,” I say before disconnecting as I look across at my angry friend.

  Brian doesn’t offer a word.

  “Thanks for meeting me,” I start.

  His voice is cold. “What do you want?”

  “We need to get this out in the open, work through it so we can get back to where we were.”

  “That other guy seemed to work through it well enough,” he bites.

  “He shouldn’t have said what he said. It wasn’t the time or place. I’m sorry
that happened,” I apologize.

  Brian narrows his eyes before leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. “You’re with him.”

  “Please.” I lean forward, putting my forearms on the table. “I need to fix this. I feel bad and I don’t want to lose your friendship.”

  He glares at me. “I don’t want you as a friend.”

  I instantly sit back in my seat, his words hitting me like a physical blow.

  “I’m tired of having you as a friend,” he goes on with a menace to his voice. He leans forward and levels his normally warm brown eyes on me, but today they’re anything but warm. They’re cold and sharp. I don’t like the way he looks when he seethes, “I’m tired of having something at my fingertips that I want but can’t grasp. I’m tired of being with you, but not being with you. I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of pretending I don’t want what I’ve wanted, for-fucking-ever. You don’t show an interest in anyone and then all of a sudden you want this older guy with kids? Fuck, I see it all over your face the two times I’ve seen you with him. You know how I recognize it? Because for years I’ve dreamed of you looking at me like that. Well, I’m done pretending. I can tell you’re in deep but mark my words—he’ll hurt you. I’ll be watching and waiting for it to happen. And I promise it’ll happen. I’ll know when it does, but from here on out, I have no desire to be your friend. Don’t call me for coffee and don’t call me to chat. I’ll be waiting, Paige, and I’ll come to you.”

  With that, he pushes off the table, sloshing my cappuccino and the tea he didn’t touch. People turn to stare when they hear the angry screech of his chair cut through the small coffee shop. As I reach to settle our drinks, Brian stalks away, looking as angry as he proved he was with his words.

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to settle my pounding heart. Avoiding the stares from around me, I take a deep breath trying to recover from Brian’s outburst. That was not the way I hoped that would go. He wasn’t the same person I’ve known since college, the close friend I’ve had for years.

  That was someone different.

  That was someone very different.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Control

  Cam

  Tony, Sr. arrived alone right after dinner, as Paige said he would. After looking his daughter over and talking to her for five minutes, he must’ve approved of her state of being—both mind and body. He then turned to me, crossed his arms, and frowned. “Tell me what you’re doing about your kids.”

  My eyes shot to Paige and she bit her lip while giving her shoulders a little shrug.

  “Paige, do us a favor. Distract the kids so Cam and I can talk,” Tony told his daughter.

  I explained there was nothing to talk about. I called my attorney and we have a conference set for Friday.

  Tony asked when my kids’ mother had custody again.

  I told him the weekend after next.

  He pointed out that’s only seven business days and it might as well be three when it comes to court proceedings.

  I thanked him, but told him my attorney would take care of it.

  He then informed me he checked in on the situation since his daughter was involved. He found out my ex was out on bail but the other guy arrested was still being held on outstanding warrants. They’re looking for the other two, have some leads as to the connection between them and fucking Bekki. But his contact couldn’t give him any specifics on that yet. He hoped to have more soon. His niece is married to an FBI agent and he’s checking in on it, too.

  It was then I realized I’d be king of the jackwagons if I didn’t accept the help he was clearly offering, getting this shit taken care of sooner rather than later. I don’t need next week rolling around worrying what will happen to me when I don’t let her have my kids, because there’s no fucking way they’re going with her again. I don’t care what the courts say.

  I sighed and looked to Paige. “Do you mind getting them ready for bed?”

  She shook her head no and, with a small smile walked straight to her father, reached up to kiss him on the cheek. “Thanks, Dad.”

  She left to find my kids, but before Tony could speak, I said, “I hate that she was dragged into this. I regret more than you know she was put in harm’s way and was hurt trying to protect my kids. I’ll do everything I can to make sure it never happens again, to any of them.”

  “That’s good to hear,” he said. “I’m here to make sure it doesn’t happen again, either. I know my daughter better than anyone. I know she’d do it again in a heartbeat, so we need to fix this fast.”

  With that, over the next hour-and-a-half, Tony got all the history and information he said he needed. He didn’t see a problem getting temporary sole custody with her pending charges. We exchanged information and he said he’d contact me when he knew something. I told him to bill me and he said we’d work it out later. I knew what that meant and I had to grit my teeth because I didn’t need him doing me any favors.

  It was more than uncomfortable when he left, saying goodbye to his youngest daughter when she didn’t look like she was leaving anytime soon. I remained collected and acted like it wasn’t a big deal for the woman I’m seeing to be at my house at barely ten o’clock at night. The Carpinos clearly have some possessive issues when it comes to the baby in their family. But for crying out loud, she’s a woman.

  Even if I did just deflower her last night.

  That about sums up the evening. I shut my front door after shaking her dad’s hand and turn the lock but leave the front lights on. It’s late, but not as late as it was last night, and the kids are in bed. I turn to look at Paige, cross my arms but say nothing.

  She looks back and shifts her small frame.

  I feel my jaw get tight.

  She frowns.

  I narrow my eyes.

  Shifting her weight again she lifts her eyebrows, making her big brown eyes bigger. “Well, I think that’s all good. There’s no way any judge in his or her right mind would allow Bekki to have them back after last night. At least for now, until you get something permanent in place.”

  I move to her.

  She straightens and turns toward me as I come around the sofa calling out, “Cam?”

  “Still smells like broccoli,” I say as I reach her, putting my hands low on her hips.

  She hangs onto my upper arms. “That always happens when you roast something at a high temperature. The smell lingers. If you have a candle, I’ll light it.”

  “I don’t have a candle.” I move forward, taking her with me.

  “I’ll go to the store, stock you up,” she says shuffling backwards. “Everyone should have a candle.”

  “I told you not to talk to your dad,” I start.

  “You can’t tell me not to talk to my dad.”

  “You know what I mean.” I turn the corner to the hall.

  “I didn’t ask him to represent you. That was all him, but I told you he’d do it for me, which he did. And seriously, would you quit pushing me?” she quietly hisses since we’re passing the kids’ rooms.

  “I know he did it for you.” I almost growling my words. I turn the corner moving her into my room and shut the door with my foot. “If I was him, I’d do it too. But it doesn’t make me happy your dad feels the need to step in to keep you safe because you got yourself hurt during a dangerous state of affairs because of my shit. Not to mention your car being slashed up at my house.”

  “That wasn’t your fault,” she defends me.

  I grab the hem of her top and pull. “I know, but it’s still my shit. I don’t like feeling powerless when it comes to taking care of those I want to take care of. So it really doesn’t make me happy your dad felt the need to step in.”

  “What?” she asks softly as I rip her shirt off and pop her bra.

  “Baby, pay attention.” I unbutton her shorts. “I don’t like not having control in my life and for the last week-and-a-half, my life has been out of control. One minute you’re fighting with me, the next you’re
painting my girl’s toes. Then I hurt you, which I really fucking didn’t like. Then you’re so sweet I can barely see straight. You throw yourself into the mix, getting yourself hurt trying to keep my kids safe, and just when it puts a hole in my gut watching Cara take to you, I see you with Jordy. Watching my son cling to you almost did me in. Then the moment comes when I’m sure I’ve got you figured out and think there’s nothing more you could possibly throw at us, and what do you do? You go and make fucking broccoli taste good. So yeah, Paige, I’m not feeling much in control right now.”

  She folds her arms over her tits, but I don’t care. I rip her shorts down, bringing her panties with them and when I stand she looks up to me, for once speechless. Thank the good Lord, I don’t think I can take her saying anything right now.

  I pull my tee off before picking her up at the waist and she lets out a surprised yelp. She rounds my waist with her naked legs and pussy pressed up against my abs. I take two steps to the bed and putting a knee there, I move her to the middle, letting her go to wrap my lips around her hard nipple.

  Pulling her into my mouth, I put my other hand between her legs and find her wet as always. I slide one finger in her gently, letting my thumb drag over her clit. Feeling her chest rise and dip quickly, I let her tit go and move to her mouth.

  “If all that isn’t enough, you gave me this,” I say against her lips in a low voice as I continue finger fucking her, but lightly. “This baby, is all mine. And I need to take care of this and the rest of you. I don’t like others stepping in when I want to take care of you on my own. Are you with me here?”

  “I guess,” she breathes against my mouth.

  “I’m beginning to think the only time I can get you to do what I want is when I get my hands on you.”

  Her hips jerk and I see her eyelids droop when she half-heartedly agrees, “That might be true.”

  “I’ll remember that.” I give her two fingers and enjoy the sweet she’s giving me. “You still want me tonight?”

  She opens her eyes and puts her hands on my jaw. “Yes, Cam.”