He headed towards his rental, feeling a little woozy. Shit. He probably shouldn’t be driving right now. But a taxi to Nan’s would cost a fortune. Looked like it was a motel for tonight. Tomorrow morning, he could visit Nan then head out to her place.
For some reason an image of the slightly-built female from earlier entered his mind. Maybe tomorrow he could apologize again and show her he wasn’t a complete jerk.
2
Where was the pearl necklace? She’d found the matching bracelet and earrings, but the necklace was nowhere to be found. She searched through the jewelry boxes. Penny had five of them. To say she loved jewelry was an understatement.
Gigi would clean up the mess before she left. She bit her lip as she checked the time, or maybe not if she didn’t get a hurry on. She half-crawled under the dresser, wondering if the necklace had fallen under there. But she couldn’t see anything.
Shoot! Where was it?
“Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my grandmother’s house?”
She let out a scream at the sound of the booming voice. Instinctively she tried to rise and smashed her head against the dresser.
Idiot. Idiot.
Heart racing, she squirmed out from under the chunky piece of furniture and turned to look over her shoulder guiltily as she stood. She rubbed her aching head, tears stinging her eyes from the pain. Her body shook, a rush of adrenaline accompanying the surge of fear that had engulfed her body.
Being yelled at was a huge trigger for her. She guessed nobody liked being screamed at, but when you’ve been verbally and physically abused for most of your life your reaction tended to be more on the extreme end.
Which is why she found herself barely able to stand, her body hunched in on itself as she waited for a blow.
“Fuck! You’re the girl from Nan’s room! Did you steal her house key? Is that why you’re here? To rob her?” He looked around the room, spotting the open jewelry boxes. “You’re taking her jewelry?”
“N-no,” she whispered, but her voice was reed thin, so quiet she didn’t think he heard her.
His gaze slammed into hers. Gone was any hint of kindness or warmth she’d seen yesterday as he’d apologized to her. In its place was a blazing fury that had her throat seizing, the air trapping in her lungs.
Breathe, Gigi. Breathe.
Trembles continued to rock her body as she stood there.
“What the fuck! I can’t believe this. My nan lies dying, and you come to steal her stuff? Who the fuck does that?”
She shook her head. No, she’d never. . .how could he think that?
Because he has no clue who you are.
He ran his hand over his face. He looked almost as tired as he did yesterday. A pang of sympathy filled her.
Jesus, Gigi. This guy thinks you’re a thief. He’s probably about to call the cops and you feel sorry for him?
“No? No, what? You’re not stealing my grandmother’s jewelry? Then what are you doing here?”
“I. . .I. . .I. . .”
Fuck. Shit.
“Just get out,” he said tiredly.
What? Get out? Out of the room or. . .
“Get out of my grandmother’s house now and I won’t call the cops. But first give me the key you stole.”
She couldn’t leave. This was her home.
“But. . .I can’t go. . .”
His face grew so hard it frightened her. Gigi felt her stomach roll over. She’d been eating as little as possible since Penny was admitted to the hospice. There was plenty of food in the cupboards, however it didn’t feel right just to help herself. She got room and board as well as a small amount of money each week for helping Penny. But now she felt like a freeloader.
You should leave. You shouldn’t be here.
It was time to go. At least she had some money saved, it would have to tie her over until she found another job. But it would hurt her to leave this place. It was the first real home she’d ever had.
It’s not yours. Penny isn’t your family. You need to leave.
“O-okay. . .I need to get—”
“You’re not listening to me,” he growled. “Get out now or I call the cops.” He drew out his phone as he spoke.
Leave without her belongings? But. . .
He tapped at his phone screen and she let out a loud squeak, racing out of the room. She was terrified of cops. She’d watched them arrest her father too often to count. She left the keys on the kitchen counter and grabbed the backpack she’d had ready to go visit Penny then she raced out of the house.
Adrenaline pumped through her. Fear had her running even though she needed to slow down and conserve her energy. She looked behind her, worried she’d see him chasing her. She didn’t know why he would when she’d done what he wanted, but panic was making her slightly irrational.
She turned, and her foot slipped into a pothole, her ankle twisting with a sharp wrench as she fell to her hands and knees, scraping both of them painfully. She let out a pained cry, tears racing down her face as she grasped hold of her foot.
Shit. This was all she needed.
Gigi sobbed as her ankle throbbed painfully. It was already starting to swell. How was she going to walk? The sun beat down on her heavily and she became aware that she was sitting in the middle of the driveway. She needed to get out of the sun. It was still a couple of hours away from midday, but it was already hot and humid. Her t-shirt and shorts were starting to stick to her uncomfortably.
She took off her backpack, glancing briefly at the scrapes on her hands and knees, both of which were encrusted with dirt.
Crap. This was all she needed. She wiped the tears off her face then drew out her wide-brimmed hat and stuck it on. Finally, she slathered on sunscreen. She took a drink from her small water bottle. She needed to get out of here. Even though she couldn’t really afford it, she was going to have to call a taxi. No way could she walk to the bus stop on this ankle. She pulled out her cheap cell phone. It was the kind you could only call or text on.
She stared back at the house, sitting up on the hill. It was a beautiful old Queenslander with a wide porch. It looked majestic against the hills behind it. Would she ever see it again? Losing her stuff would hurt financially, but losing her home, her beloved Penny. . .
That was something she wasn’t certain she could ever get over.
* * *
Penny’s house lay close to a wealthy coastal town with huge mansions and gorgeous ocean views, but that wasn’t where Gigi had the taxi driver take her. Instead, he drove her to the caravan park on the outskirts of a small, inland town, where she rented the cheapest cabin she could. It wasn’t like she had any choice. Even at the cheap weekly rate the kind woman at reception gave her, it was going to cut into her savings big time if she couldn’t get a job soon.
First things first, though, she needed to get inside and out of the sun. Already she could feel it affecting her. Or maybe it was just the stress of this last week catching up with her. Or what happened earlier today. Tears welled but she blinked them back as she limped painfully into the cabin. Both the taxi driver and the lady at reception had offered to take her to the hospital. But the last thing she needed was to sit for hours in the emergency department.
All she wanted was to lie down and rest. Although first she needed to find something to put over the cut on her leg. She’d wrapped her spare shirt from her bag around it to stop it from dripping all over the taxi drivers cab.
The fact it was still bleeding was a bad sign. She’d missed her specialist appointment two weeks ago. Penny had grown so ill and Gigi thought it was more important to stay with Penny than work out how to get to her appointment.
The cabin she’d rented was clean. It was just a small studio room with an attached bathroom and tiny kitchenette, but it was far nicer than any of the places she’d lived in growing up. She limped into the bathroom to wash her scrapes. Fatigue beat at her, her body begged her to lie down, to rest.
She glanced into th
e mirror in the bathroom at herself. Her thick, caramel-colored hair had slipped out of her simple ponytail, strands sticking to the back of her neck and face. It was pressed flat on top from where she’d had her hat on. Thank God, she’d had it packed in her bag.
Her face was pale except for the beginnings of a rash on her cheeks. No, no, no.
Having her Lupus flare up right now was the last thing she needed. She grabbed a face cloth and wet it, gently wiping her face and neck. Her cheeks were sunken. She’d lost weight, which wasn’t good. She hadn’t been eating right or resting well and it was starting to show.
“You know better, Gigi.”
With shaking hands, she washed her hands then sat on the toilet seat to clean her knees. The deepest scratch was still bleeding. Shit. What was she going to do?
A knock on the cabin door startled her. No one knew where she was. No one would care either. She limped painfully towards the door and opened it to find the lady from reception on the other side. She had to be at least ten years older than Gigi and where Gigi was thin and sallow-looking this woman radiated health and well-being. She gave Gigi a concerned look then held up a small first-aid kit and an ice-pack.
“Hi, I’m Kate,” she introduced herself. “I brought these for you. Thought they might help.”
“Oh, t-thank you.” She wasn’t used to anyone doing anything kind for her. Those pesky tears welled again but she couldn’t let them drip free. She reached for the stuff gratefully.
“You let me know if you want to go to the hospital, love,” the woman told her. “Gary can mind the reception desk for me while I pop you ‘round.”
“Thank you, that’s so nice of you,” Gigi told her. “This will be enough. I’m sure I’ll feel much better tomorrow.”
Kate gave her a skeptical look but nodded and stepped back. Gigi shut and locked the door with a sigh. She hoped like hell her words were true, but she had a bad feeling that things were destined to get worse from here on out.
* * *
Macca stared down at his grandmother. He hated feeling so helpless. He’d give anything to be able to help her. A headache throbbed and he rubbed at the back of his neck. Since kicking that little thief out this morning, he’d been restless. Uncertain.
He was never uncertain of things. He was used to making quick decisions. He didn’t second-guess himself.
So why did he feel like he’d made a horrible mistake?
He shook it off. Whoever Gigi was, she shouldn’t have been in his grandmother’s house, going through her stuff. He’d probably been too easy on her. He should have called the cops. Except there had been this look in her eyes. She stared at him like a lost little girl, and he couldn’t do it.
Maybe you should have spanked her instead.
Right. And get himself arrested instead. He sighed. Ever since his friends and co-workers had started to find their Littles, he’d been feeling kind of down. He’d longed for a Little of his own for years. The ache was growing almost every day. Macca had a hugely protective streak. Which was probably why he hadn’t called the cops on Gigi this morning. Most likely a mistake, but he didn’t expect he’d ever see her again.
A low noise came from his nan and he stood, leaning over her. Normally, her light blue eyes sparkled with warmth and life, she wasn’t one to let anything hold her back. She’d never appeared fragile to him.
“Nan? Are you awake?”
She blinked her eyes, looking confused. “Oh, Alexander. What are you doing here?” She stared around the room, looking puzzled. “This isn’t my room.”
He had to take a slow, deep breath to keep his emotions from overcoming him. He’d been warned she might be disorientated if she woke.
“You’re not at home, Nan. You haven’t been feeling well.”
“I’m in the hospital?”
“Yes,” he lied. The hospice unit was far nicer than any hospital he’d been in, but he didn’t want to tell her where she actually was. Pain hit him hard and fast, threatening to knock down the wall he’d erected to protect himself. He couldn’t let anything through. If he broke right now, he might not be able to put himself back together.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked.
“Alexander.” She stared at him. “You’re really here?”
“I am.” He smiled at her warmly.
“You look tired,” she murmured. “Are you sleeping? Eating?”
That was his nan, always caring for everyone else.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “I’m here to look after you.”
“Oh, I’m in good hands. Georgina always takes good care of me.”
“Georgina?” He stilled. A bad feeling filled him. “Who is Georgina?”
“My right hand,” his nan said with a fond smile. “Such a good girl. Have you not met her yet?”
He had a bad feeling he might have.
“Does she shorten her name to Gigi?”
“Yes. You’ve met her then?” She glanced around. “Where is she?” A note of panic filled her voice.
Fuck. Okay, so it seemed he owed Gigi a big apology.
“I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” Macca told her soothingly. “She was here yesterday when I arrived.”
“She was? Oh good. I worry about her, when I. . .when I. . .” A look of sadness flooded her voice. His heart seized. Emotion smashed against his shield.
Just hold on a bit longer.
“Don’t worry about Gigi. She’s a big girl. She can look after herself.”
“No. . .no, she’s special. She’s so sweet and kind but she can’t look after herself. And she has no one else. Promise to take care of her for me, Alexander.”
“Of course, I will,” he told her. “Do you know where she lives? I’ll go check on her later.” Where he’d probably have to grovel for being a complete ass this morning.
“That’s easy, she lives. . .with. . .me.” His grandmother’s eyes fluttered shut. Fuck. When he’d kicked Gigi out this morning he’d really fucked up. Obviously, Nana cared about her. Shit. This made things harder. Maybe Nan had her contact details at home. He could call her and explain. Definitely grovel.
Why didn’t she tell him who she was?
Maybe because you were a complete ass to her.
He sat by his grandmother’s side for a few more hours, but the feeling of anxiety wouldn’t leave him. Something told him he needed to find Gigi. And now, not later. He stood and kissed his nan’s cheek.
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” he promised her.
“She can’t hear you.” The voice was one he knew all too well and one he’d been hoping to avoid for as long as possible. He turned with a sigh.
“Father.”
“Alexander.”
“You know I don’t go by that name.”
His father grimaced. “Macca is a ridiculous name. It was fine while you were in high school, but you’re a man now, Alexander.”
“I was just leaving,” Macca told him, stepping forward.
“Surprised you came,” his father told him. His dad’s stomach strained against his expensive shirt, as though he was still buying the same size he’d worn ten years ago.
His thinning hair was combed over to hide his bald spot.
“Of course, I came. You should have called me earlier. I didn’t even know she had cancer.”
“Why? You haven’t been back to visit her for years. I didn’t think you would care.”
Macca’s hands clenched into fists. He didn’t usually have much of a temper, but his father always had this ability to bring out the worst in him.
His father knew only too well why Macca hadn’t visited. Although he might not know that he met Nan every year in Hawaii. They were due for their annual trip in a few months.
Why hadn’t she told him?
“Unless you’re hoping you end up in her will,” his father said slyly. “You’ve wasted your time if you did. All she’s got is that property and a few stock investments.”
Did he really just imply th
at Macca was here for his grandmother’s money? That bastard.
The old man got a gleam in his eyes. Macca recognized that look. Greed.
“If she does leave the property to you, I’ll buy you out at a fair price. I know you want nothing to do with your family.”
Macca narrowed his gaze at his father. It was true he wanted nothing to do with the asshole who fathered him, but there was no way he was offering this out of the goodness of his heart.
Because James McKenzie didn’t possess that organ. No, he wanted Grandma’s house. Why? It had to be worth a bit no matter how his father might downplay it. The beautiful old house lay on acres of farmland and had a view out to the ocean.
“I’ll even take it as is, where is. No need to clear anything out.”
Okay, now he was really suspicious.
“What makes you think Nan left it to me?”
His father narrowed his gaze as he looked at Nan. “We all know she cared about you the most.”
Was he jealous? No that was a ridiculous thought. His father could have repaired his relationship with Nan at any time, but he was too arrogant and selfish. He didn’t care about anyone but himself.
“I’m leaving.” He paused. Should he ask him? Would he even know? He sighed. He had no other way of finding her right now. “Do you know Gigi? Grandma said she’s been living with her and helping her.”
He had no idea why Grandma hadn’t told him about her.
“Ah, the charity case. Yeah, what about her?”
“Have you got any contact details? I need to get in touch with her.”
“Just go to your grandmother’s house. She’s probably there, eating all the food and wasting power.” His father’s eyes grew calculating. “Now that your grandmother isn’t there, you can tell her that her services are no longer required. She needs to get packed up and leave by tonight.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t already done that.”
“I’ve been in Sydney. Meant to do it before I left, but with all the time it took to arrange to have your Nan moved into here I forgot about the girl.”
Warrior Daddy Page 2
