“It’s not stolen, I worked for it. Rich bitches pay a shitload to get their panties scared offa ’em.” He grinned, looking pleased with himself, although I was sure Killer wouldn’t be so pleased that my dad wanted to bail him out with his whoring money.
I shook my head. “You know the club will post bail if he needs it.”
He shrugged. “Wuzn’t sure they would help him, since most of the club hates his guts.”
“Except for the chicks.” I sniggered. “And Jade, but then again, he’s basically a chick.”
“Who’s Jade?”
I indicated to my manager.
My dad’s gaze moved to Jade, who took a quick step back, fear colouring his face. “Yeah, I bet I know why you like Killer, princess,” my dad grunted. “You wanna help yourself to his enormous cock.”
Jade shook his head, obviously too scared shitless to speak. And I couldn’t blame him, because my old man was one scary motherfucker, and it had nothing to do with the tribal tattoo covering most of his face. He was a powerful-looking man, all muscle, his shoulders as wide as Hercules’s, while his dark eyes were as hard as nails, which were right now zeroed in on Jade, who looked like he’d shat his Calvin Klein’s.
“Nah, he’s here to help me,” I said. “Jade’s my manager and music producer. The one who’s gonna make me famous.”
The sneer instantly left my dad’s face, a smile replacing it. “Well, that changes everything.” He held out a hand for Jade to shake. Jade stared at it as though my dad wanted to rip his hand off.
“Jade, shake my dad’s hand,” I said. “He’s not gonna hurt you in a cop shop, you pussy.”
Visibly swallowing, Jade extended his hand, which was shaking all by itself. He let out a squeak as my dad grabbed hold, pumping his hand vigorously.
“I appreciate what you’re doin’ for my son,” my dad said.
I nudged my dad. “By the way, you’re right, Jade would love Killer to fuck him, he even got a boner over him.”
My dad went still, while Jade inhaled sharply. I laughed, the stare down my dad was giving him way more severe than what Clara had given the chick earlier. Jade squeaked again, my dad’s grip obviously having intensified.
“Let go of his hand, Dad,” I said, smirking.
My dad growled, but still let go. He stepped in close to Jade, who went to step back, but instead froze as my dad lowered his head. “I’ll break you in two if you dare touch Killer, understand?”
Jade nodded vigorously.
My dad’s severe expression disappeared. He patted Jade on the head, the gesture clearly done in a condescending manner, though I didn’t think Jade noticed, the guy too petrified.
I laughed, getting payback for Jade one-upping me. Childish, yeah, but highly amusing. I grinned at my dad, glad he was here, not for making Jade shit himself, but just to see him.
“I thought you said you didn’t wanna be anywhere near Killer?” I said.
“Just needa make sure he gets out, then I’ll leave.”
“He might follow you.”
“Which is why I should head out now. I’ll go scab a ciggie from someone and wait until you call me, tellin’ me he’s out.” He patted his pocket. “You sure you don’t need the bail?”
I nodded. “I’m sure, Dad.”
He smiled. “Guess I’m sweet for a while. Won’t hafta fuck any chicks anytime soon… unless I wanna.” His attention shifted to Clara, my dad clearly checking her out, then recognition hit, his eyes going wide. “You bitch,” he snapped, going for her.
I shoved him back, getting a yell from the cop behind the counter. I glanced over at him, noticing that all the other cops were also watching us. “It’s all right, officers, we ain’t fighting, he’s my dad.”
“Then make sure he calms down,” the first copper said.
“Yeah, yeah!” my dad yelled. “Stick your snout elsewhere, pig, this ain’t got nuthin’ to do with you.”
Anger shot across the cop’s face, while a couple of his colleagues stepped forward, looking like they wanted to teach my dad a lesson.
My dad laughed. “Fuck, you lot are more sensitive than the one’s out south.”
“Leave,” the cop he’d insulted barked. “Unless you want to see the inside of a cell.”
“Why? For callin’ you a pig? Ain’t you lot used to that by now?”
“Dad!” I yelled, fucked off he was trying to provoke them, my old man having no fucking sense.
The cop glared at him, his hard gaze shifting to the women who’d been eyeing me up. I looked over at them, noticing the blonde was filming us with some sort of fancy phone.
“Cheese!” my dad yelled, giving her a wide grin.
The woman grinned back, even giving him a wink, my dad a good-looking sonofabitch, despite his so-called serial killer eyes.
I shook my head and grabbed hold of my dad’s arm, yanking him towards the door, stopping at a startled yell of, “Tane!”
We both spun around, spotting Killer emerging through the doorway that led to the cells.
“Shit,” my dad muttered.
He spun around and shot out of the front door. Killer ran after him. I followed to make sure they didn’t get into a fight, especially since I didn’t know which of Killer’s personalities was in control. Killer caught up with my dad by his truck. My dad was fumbling with his keys, trying to get the door open, his hands visibly shaking. Killer grabbed him, yanking my dad into a hug. Dad went stiff, his expression strained. Killer pulled back and planted a wet one on my dad’s lips. My dad shoved Killer away, getting one of his ex’s hyena cackles.
Glaring at Killer, my dad wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You don’t get to kiss me after what you did, you crazy bastard!”
“You’re here!” Killer said, the insult not even registering.
“No kidding, Sherlock,” my dad spat, still looking furious, although there was more than anger in his glare, especially with the way he was eyeing up Killer’s body. He licked his lips, my old man’s dirty mind stamped across his face.
Killer stepped in closer. “Houghton got me off. You wanna go back to my place?” He ran a hand over my dad’s crotch.
My dad smacked it away. “We’re through, Killer.”
“Then why are you here if we’re through?”
“To make sure you’re all right.”
“Which means you still love me. So stay, we can work things out.”
My dad frowned. “You know we can’t, ’specially after what you did to me.”
“I would never have pulled the trigger. I’d rather shoot myself than shoot you.”
“What ’bout Murderer?” my dad said, mentioning Killer’s other personality. “He cocked the fuckin’ gun.”
“He wouldn’t have pulled the trigger. He wants you just as bad as I do.”
“Yeah, in the wrong fuckin’ way. What he tried to do to me…” My dad glanced my way, his words petering off, making me wonder exactly what Murderer had tried to do.
“What did he do?” I asked.
“Nuthin’ that concerns you, son,” my dad replied.
“It does if he did sumpthin’ like I’m thinking,” I snapped, remembering Killer’s comment about Murderer being a top.
My dad scowled at me. “He didn’t make me do anything. I’m a fuckin’ man, not a boy.” His hard gaze moved to Clara, who’d followed us outside, his words obviously aimed at her. “Why are you here, paedo?”
Clara flinched, but she didn’t step back until Killer’s attention shifted to her. Recognition dawned on his face, which proved he hadn’t gone anywhere near her, because he would’ve recognised her straight away if he’d broken into her house. He also seemed unconcerned with her presence, more interested in my dad. He stepped closer to him, taking hold of his hand.
My dad jerked his hand away. “Answer me, bitch,” he snapped at Clara.
“I was going to tell the police that Killer was innocent.”
He continued to glare at her. “Y
ou wouldn’t have needed to if you didn’t make false accusations against him in the first place!”
“She didn’t lay the complaint,” I cut in. “It wuz her mate.”
“Who’s this bitch?” my dad growled.
“It’s not her fault,” Clara jumped back in. “It was all a misunderstanding. Someone broke into our house, leaving a threatening note for me. They also attacked her friend.”
My dad pulled a face. “Why the fuck did she think Killer did it?”
“She knew he threatened me after I got out of prison.”
“That wuz bloody years ago, and I’m sure you have a shitload of people who would love to lynch your scrawny neck.” His hard stare moved to me. “And why the fuck are you defending the paedo? You better not tell me you’re back with her, cos she’ll only cause you more pain.”
I glared at him. “What pain is that, Dad? Cos I heard you lied ’bout those months I lost.”
“For your own good. Shit went down that’s best left in the past, and if you stay with that bitch, it could all come back.” He pointed at Clara. “And you know what those memories are, don’t cha, paedo.”
Clara blanched. “My memories with Dante were good, everything else that happened has got nothing to do with me.”
My dad’s eyebrows winged up. “So good that you went to jail for fiddling with him?”
“There was no fiddling,” she hissed. “It was consensual.”
“A fifteen-year-old can’t give consent, that’s why you went to jail.” His gaze shifted to the people passing by. “Listen up, everyone! This bitch,” he pointed at Clara again, “fucked my son when he wuz only fifteen, while she wuz his teacher.”
Clara’s face dropped, then she was spinning around and running.
“You fuckin’ arsehole!” I yelled at my dad, before taking off after Clara. I ignored my dad’s yell of, “Leave the paedo be!” catching up with Clara in no time, my long legs chewing up the distance faster than she could run. I grabbed her arm to stop her from getting away. She pulled free and backed away from me. Tears were streaming down her face, her expression pained.
I reached out, brushing some of the tears off her face. “Ignore my dad, he’s an arsehole,” I said, feeling like shit she’d gotten hurt.
She smacked my hand away. “Then the world is full of arseholes! Because no one wants me to be with you, even though I fucking love you!”
I didn’t reply, not knowing what to say to that.
She wiped her eyes roughly. “Every time I go near you I get hurt. Every time you come near me I get hurt. It’s never you, Dante, it’s always me,” she said, prodding her chest. “You moved on with your life, but I never did. You ruined me, not because I got sent to jail, not because of the horrid things people say about me, but because I can’t have you. You ruined me.”
She turned and ran.
This time I let her go.
17
Dante
I still couldn’t get Clara’s anguished words out of my head: You ruined me.
Like I’d ruined Beth.
My thoughts went to the last time I’d spoken to Beth, to the moments before she’d been hit by a speeding car, her pained words forever imprinted upon my mind, something I could never make right.
She wiped her face and breathed in through her mouth, her nose sounding blocked from crying. “Don’t you love me?” she asked, her stunning hazel eyes pleading with me to say yes.
“I do, but I…”
“But what?!” she yelled.
“We aren’t good together,” I replied, the words painful to say, but true.
“We are! You’re just upset.” She swiped her long black hair back, some of the strands sticking to her tear-stricken face.
I breathed out. “For good reason. It shouldn’t be this hard, Beth. Can’t you see that?”
“But I love you,” she sobbed, looking broken.
Like Clara had looked broken earlier.
Maybe Clara was right. It was my fault. I’d broken her, just like I’d broken Beth, both women paying the price for loving me. I’d always thought that others were responsible for fucking my life up, not the other way around. Still… I didn’t make those women fall for me, didn’t force them to do anything they didn’t want to do, unlike my old boss had forced me to fuck Kara in front of his clients, or my stepdad had forced himself onto me, and Jasper’s auntie…
I stopped at the last thought, wondering why the fuck I’d added Jasper’s auntie to the list, because she hadn’t forced me to do anything. Not only that, I hadn’t seen her since I was fifteen. She’d moved to Australia, so why the fuck did I think of her?
Jade sat down next to me on his plush couch, interrupting my confused thoughts. We’d returned home straight after the cop shop, but not before I’d blasted my dad again for upsetting Clara. Little good it did, since he was totally unapologetic. I sneered, hoping Killer was annoying the shit out of him, my dad deserving a bit of karma for what he’d done.
Jade thrust a piece of paper under my nose.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking it.
“The number of who you want to call.”
“Who do I wanna call?” I asked, not recognising the number.
“The pink-haired woman who ran off. Call her, ask if she wants the job minding you.”
I frowned. “Why the fuck would’ja want her? And I thought you were gonna hire a dude.”
“I changed my mind, and tell her the job pays extremely well.” He pushed to his feet, his eyes remaining on me. “You seem to like her. Go for it. She obviously cares for you.”
“I doubt she’ll want the job. She said I ruined her.”
“You can’t ruin her unless she loves you. Maybe if you get back together—”
“Whoa! Hold up, li’l man,” I said, raising a hand. “I have no intention of starting a new relationship this soon after what happened to Beth.”
“You need to stop blaming yourself over that, it wasn’t your fault. And you broke up with her for a reason, so don’t push away a good woman for someone you never truly wanted. If Beth survived—”
“She’s not dead yet,” I snapped.
“You know she will be soon. And even if she was perfectly healthy, you wouldn’t be with her. You were the one who walked away.”
“We could’ve rekindled things.”
“I don’t think so. Also, you loved Kara more, and look what happened with that relationship. You walked away from that, too.”
“Cos she wuz violent.”
“While Beth was a liar.”
I frowned, knowing he was right. Beth was a liar. She’d strung me along, trying to make me believe she was carrying my child, not her ex’s child, her ex being my older brother. Fuck! Our relationship was wrong from the get go. I’d fucked my own bro’s woman. Yeah, he may not have wanted her, but I’d still done him wrong. Done myself wrong too, because cheats didn’t make good partners. They were proven liars…
I cut the thought off, realising that Clara had cheated to be with me too.
Jade continued, “So, stop using Beth as an excuse for moving on.”
“I thought you didn’t want me with any woman,” I said, wondering why I went for cheaters. I’d never cheated myself. Or maybe I was exaggerating about going for cheaters, because two women hardly warranted calling me a homewrecker, especially since I’d fucked hundreds of women. Though, I wouldn’t have been surprised if a good portion of those chicks had partners I didn’t know about, especially since most of them were one-night stands.
“That’s not true,” Jade replied. “I’d like to see you with a nice woman, one who treats you right. Not the kind who are only interested in trapping you in a relationship you have no interest in, like what Beth and Kara were doing. I also don’t want you fucking everything with a vagina, like you used to do, and especially while drunk. With how many women you’ve been with, I’m surprised you aren’t infested.”
“Well, thanks,” I said, sarcastically.
“It’s true! You’ve been damn lucky you haven’t gotten a serious illness from all of your dalliances,” he said, putting it lightly, most of my fucks hot and dirty, that was, the ones I remembered. “I also wouldn’t be surprised if there are little Dantes out there,” he added.
I instantly tensed, what he’d said a fear of mine. “Don’t say that! If I have kids, I wanna raise ’em.”
Jade smiled at me, the admiration in his eyes strong.
“Fuck, man, don’t look at me like that.”
“I can’t help it, I love you.” He sighed. “Which is why I want you to be happy, and if the pink-haired woman can do that, then I want you to give her a chance, especially since she genuinely appears to love you, and not the selfish kind of love that Beth had for you. Beth did everything to keep you because she wanted you, not because she wanted what was best for you. While Kara… don’t even get me started on that abhorrent excuse of a woman. But Clara… She was such a sweetheart on the phone, asking if you were all right, how you were doing, and was really upset when I told her how that counsellor had treated you.”
“So sweet that my dad called her a paedo? So sweet she fucked me when I wuz fifteen? Even went to prison for it. How is that sweet?”
“If she was a paedophile, why does she look at you with so much longing?”
“How the fuck would you know how she looks at me?”
“At the police station, she was staring at you. That woman loves you, I could tell.”
“Kara loves me, so did Beth, and look where that got ’em!”
“Then don’t call her, no skin off my nose.” He walked away, leaving me holding Clara’s number. I looked down at it, wondering whether I should just toss it, especially with the way Clara had left. I’d hurt her, she was clear about that. And I would probably continue hurting her if I hung around her, because…
I grunted, annoyed she was putting all of this on me. I got it, she loved me, but that was hardly my fault. If anything, it was hers for getting carried away with me, something she should be told. I pulled out my phone and went to key in her number, ready to tell her just that, but stopped, realising I was using it as an excuse to call her. I exhaled and pressed the number anyway, fully aware of why I was ringing her…
Love Drunk Page 13
