It was sick, but it was what it was.
*****
Seattle, Washington
"Sis." Lance walked toward me as I jogged down the hall to the baggage claim. There was an urgency inside of me to see my brother. I crashed into him and tucked my face into the crook of his neck as I cried. "It's okay. I'm here. We're going to get through this together."
I nodded, but held on tightly to him and cried as my response. I wasn't normally so dramatic, but everything felt muted, wrong without my father in the world. It took a few minutes to pull myself together, but I finally did.
"It's not fair." I moved out of Lance's arms and walked to the baggage claim.
"I know it's not." He wiped at his face and reached for my bag, lugging it off the belt. "Is Niki coming home too?"
"Yeah. It's not until tomorrow though." I slipped my arm into my brother's and walked with him to the door. "Have you seen anyone yet or made any arrangements?"
"No. I got in at three this morning." He released my arm and held the door for me. "I plan on going to see Danny and maybe Alan today."
"How is Joe?" I wrapped my arms around me, unnerved by the fact that it was wet and cold in Seattle. It was late spring for shit's sake.
"No clue. I'm going to see him later today too. You want to come?"
"No. I don't want to see anyone just yet." I took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm not sure I could hold myself together around anyone but you and maybe Niki."
"And that's perfectly fine." He moved up to a small red Honda and popped the trunk. "You want to drive or want me to?"
"You can." I got in the car and leaned back, closing my eyes. Weariness sat on me like a well-worn coat. It was nice to be home for the first time in years, but I hated the reason for being there. I waited until Lance was in the car to speak up again. "Have you talked with Danny?"
"No. I told him to call me, but he didn't. If I know him well enough, he's pretty fucked up over this too."
"Of course he is. Daddy meant the world to him too." I turned and looked out the window at the dismal weather. "I'm thinking we'll do the funeral on Friday. That will give us time to get everyone in town. That sound okay to you?"
"Yes. That gives us two days." Lance reached over and took my hand. "We're going to figure this out."
"Figure what out?" I turned my attention to him as anger burned down to the depths of my soul. "Figure out that everyone we love is gone besides each other?" My voice cracked again.
"Terra. Don't do that. Dad wouldn't want you to-"
"You don't know what Dad would have wanted, Lance. We left him, remember? We both split and left him alone with one thing to focus on and love. That fucking baseball team."
"Sis."
"No. Please. Just leave me be for now. Please." I pulled my hand from his and turned back to the window. There were no words that could heal my heart, not yet at least.
I just prayed no one else would try and help me get over it.
I wasn't anywhere near ready, and I couldn't see a time when I would be.
Life was fleeting. Short. Fucked up and ugly.
At least mine was.
Chapter 9
Daniel
I somehow made it home the night before. My emotions were all over the fucking place and I couldn't shake the fact that Terra needed me. Truth be known, I was probably the last person she needed. I was a horde of bad memories mixed among the good ones to her. The only place I could find her where she still loved me was in my dreams.
"Danny," she whispered roughly, her mouth against the side of my neck as she lay curled up behind me.
I woke and blinked a few times, trying to decide if I were lost in another dream. The soft brush of her fingertips down my chest and over my stomach left me not giving a shit where I was. As long as she didn't stop touching me, I'd have stayed there forever.
"What, baby?" I gripped her hand and pulled it down further until I got her where I wanted her. She stroked my cock, and my body lit on fire. The delicious press of her breasts against my back had my balls tight.
"You awake?" She licked the side of my neck.
I groaned and squeezed my ass, pressing forward to force my engorged cock through her tight grip. "Fuck, yeah, angel. I'm awake and hard for you."
"I love it." She ran her hand down my shaft and scraped her nails carefully over my balls.
"Fuck," I moaned and pulled her hand from me. "Suck me off?"
"Anything you want, Danny." She moved back, and I rolled onto my back, praying like hell that I could stay in the dream long enough to feel her lips around my dick.
"I just want you." I almost lost my breath as she moved up from behind me and crawled down my body. Her dark red hair tickled my stomach, and I reached down and slid my hand in it as she reached my cock. "I love you so much, baby."
"Not as much as me, but it's okay." She gave me a sexy smile. It was our cute little saying we'd been handing over to each other most of our lives. Or when we were together at least. Her pretty pink tongue ran over the long length of my erection, pressing down on the thick vein that ran along the base of my dick.
"Fuck," I groaned again and lifted my chin as my eyes closed. She was everything I wanted in my life as a partner, but the heat between us in the bed put it over the top. We've never properly made love, but I'd tasted every square inch of her, and she had returned the favor more times than I could count.
Her soft moan caught my attention, and I opened my eyes to watch her take the full length of me in her mouth. She glanced up, her eyes watering a little from too much dick, and I fell in love all over again.
"Please don't leave me," I whispered and gripped the side of her face, pulling her down the last inch.
She flicked her tongue over my head, and the world disappeared. I grunted and lifted my hips as she used her hands and mouth to milk the fuck outta me. Never in my life had I enjoyed something so much.
"Come here." I reached down and grabbed her under the arms, pulling her up my body. "I want to feel your sweet little pussy wrapped around me."
"Be careful with me," she said seductively as she pressed her elbows against the bed by my face and rolled her hips. The movement teased the head of my cock and forced a little of it inside of her.
"I'd never hurt you." I ran my hands down her back, wanting so goddamn bad to push her down on my shaft and fuck her with the wild intensity I felt building up inside of me. Soon. Not her first time, but soon.
"But you did. You do every day." She sat up and slid down my cock, her body not nearly as tight as I'd expected. "So I'll fuck you this time and walk away, just like you fucked me in the past."
"What are you talking about baby?" A cold sweat washed over me, and the pleasure I'd expected to feel fled from the scene. Had she been with another man? Of course, she had. No fucking way she was going to wait on me. How stupid was I?
Did I really care? No. Not in the slightest. I had her now and she wasn't going anywhere.
"You know what I'm talking about, Danny." Her expression tightened just before she got off of me and stood at the edge of the bed. "And now, you killed my dad."
I woke up with a gasp, my dick rock hard and weeping, but my heart torn to shreds. Fuck me for telling Martin he needed to come hang with us. It was my fault, and she'd know that soon enough. I'd never win her back, and yet there was no way I wasn't trying. I'd fight against myself every fucking inch of the way, but if she were coming back to Seattle, I was taking what was mine, emotions, and feelings be damned.
****
"Hey." I walked onto the field later that day and stopped beside Joe, our head coach. He looked like a ghost, but I understood why. Him driving the car when he and Martin were hit had me wondering why the hell he was even on the field so soon.
"Danny." He nodded my way. "Get out on the field. You're almost late, and I'm in the mood to chew someone's ass. If you want it to be yours, keep standing here."
"Nope. Just wanted you to know-"
"S
ave it, kid." He nodded toward the field. "Go."
"Yes, Sir." I jogged out onto the field for a warm-up round before the game. No one looked ready to play. Our catcher, Gary stood from his kneeling position as I walked onto the mound. He pulled his mask off and gave me a sad smile.
I let out a sigh and walked toward him. There was no fucking way for any of us to ignore the situation, not that we wanted to. We'd be lucky to hold our own during the game thanks to the weight of Martin's death hanging all around us.
"Hey. You doing okay?" He stopped in front of me, the old guy kind and an all-around favorite on the team. He was closest to Martin outside of me and the coaches.
"I've been better. I need to call Lance, but I just can't bring myself to do it. It's my fault that Martin's gone." I swallowed hard but squared my shoulders. Where I'd wanted to keep the information to myself, I couldn't with Gary, and I knew I wouldn't be able to with Lance. It was half the reason I hadn't called him yet, though I knew I needed to.
"Bullshit kid." He reached out and gripped my shoulder. "Martin was his own man. You had no control over him."
"I agree with that." I stared the old man in the face as the crowds poured into the stadium. "I'm the one that made him feel like he had to come out with us though."
"And he did." He squeezed my shoulder and released it. "It's not your fault. You're not God, and the sooner you realize that the easier your life will become."
I snorted. I wasn't humble, but I sure as hell didn't think I was a god. "What about the funeral? Any word on that yet?"
He pulled his cap off and glanced around before settling his steely eyes back on me. "From what I understand, Terra and the rest of the family are coming in today or tonight. The funeral will be on Friday to give them time to make arrangements and get the word out. I'm sure it's going to be a packed house."
"Do they have a place big enough to hold everyone?" I ignored the deep desire to see Terra and hold her tightly against me. She wouldn't want my comfort, and I couldn't blame her.
"No clue, but you know Terra. She'll figure it out."
"I wish she didn't have to." I took a deep breath. "She should just get to be Martin's daughter this weekend."
"She'll always be Martin's little girl, Danny, but she's a grown woman now. She's so much more than you might remember." A smile played at the side of his lips. "How long has it been since you've seen her?"
"Seven years." I didn't hesitate. I didn't need to. I'd caught a glimpse of her on TV or haunting the stadium when Oakland came up to play from time to time, but I hadn't stood in front of her in a lot of years.
"Well, the timing is off and quite shitty, but I'll warn you to hold onto your hat, boy. If you were in love with her back then, you're going to have a hard ass time not tripping over yourself to get to her now."
"I'm going to the funeral as a friend," I mumbled. "I'm not interested in anything else."
He nodded and turned to walk back to the plate, his voice carrying behind him. "Yep. You keep telling yourself that."
Chapter 10
Terra
"T? You up?" My brother's voice slipped under the closed door of my bedroom. Staying at Dad's house while I was in Seattle was a blessing and a curse. I knew once I got past the funeral that it would feel good to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and laugh the night away with my brother beside me. We were the best of friends, but for some reason, I felt disconnected from him right now. Hell, I felt disconnected from everyone.
Defense mechanism.
"Yeah. I'm up." I rolled out of bed and grabbed my robe, pulling it on and tightening it. He extended a cup of coffee as I pulled the door open.
"For you."
I smiled and took it, glancing down to see that it was the light brown color that only he and my dad got right. "Looks like a dessert." I forced a smile.
"Just like you like it?" He moved back, his dark brown eyes warm and welcoming.
"Yeah. Thanks." I moved out of the bedroom and stopped in front of him. "I'm sorry about yesterday."
He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me, cradling me against his chest. "There's nothing to apologize for. I have no clue which part you're talking about, but I'm good. I just wish I could take all of this away for both of us."
"Me too." I moved back and waited for him to turn and walk down the hall before following him. "Let's make some breakfast and then I guess meet with the funeral home or maybe Dad's lawyers?"
"Unfortunately, both." He walked into the kitchen, and his phone rang from across the room. "I hope that's Danny."
"Why?" I took a seat at the breakfast table and tried to keep my voice even. Just the mention of Danny's name and a million emotions rose up inside of me. Some good, some not so good at all. I knew I'd have to see him the next day at the funeral, but I was dreading it. Some part of me was so fucking angry that he'd denied me his first time and yet I'd saved mine for him.
What a slut he'd become, and me? I was still holding on for a great wedding night with a guy that didn't exist. What a joke.
"Cause he hasn't called and he's avoiding me." He picked up the phone and walked over to sit down next to me as he answered it. "This is Lance."
I motioned for him to put it on speaker. He gave me a silly look but did as I asked.
"Hey man. It's Danny." My heart leaped into my throat at the sound of his voice. I might have melted to the floor like a damn drama queen had my brother not been watching me for signs of an emotional explosion.
"Hey. I was wondering if you were going to call." Lance leaned back and crossed his legs. "You doing okay?"
"I've been better." Danny's voice sounded like masculine sensuality. "I should have called Lance, but I've been so fucked up over this. I loved your dad, man."
Tears burned the back of my eyes. Of course, he loved daddy. He’d been half-raised by him like the rest of us, and when I left... Danny stayed beside him and played on his team.
"I know, man. We're going to get through this. No worries on not calling. I know you were working through all of it." Lance let out a long sigh. "We're meeting with the lawyers and the funeral home today. They've already buzzed me ten times since the accident."
"The funeral home has?" He sounded confused.
"No. My dad's lawyers. I swear to God those guys just don't get it." Lance glanced up at me. "Terra got in okay yesterday, but she's a hot mess."
I gave him a look and mouthed, 'really'?
Danny's voice softened. "I bet. She was always your dad's favorite out of all of us."
Lance chuckled. "Yeah. She was."
I wiped at my tears and stood, not sure I could listen into any more of Danny being sweet about me.
"I keep dreaming about her again, Lance. Dreams where she loves me again, man."
My brother snatched up the phone and took it off speaker, giving me a less than pleased look and walking off to another room of the house. As if it were my damn fault that I'd heard Danny's confession. It sort of was.
He dreams of me? Of me loving him?
That old familiar feeling of desire to belong to him roared to life inside of me, but I forced it behind the depression from losing Daddy. It was my time to mourn, not dig up old relationships and dust them off. Danny and I had made our peace angrily years before. We were nothing to each other, no matter how much I wanted us to be.
****
"When is Niki coming into town?" My brother glanced over at me as we rode to the lawyer's office. The visit with the Funeral home had been fast and so much better than I thought it would be. They'd be taking care of everything, and what they couldn't do, Lance was doing.
"She should be in tonight sometime. I told her just to come out to dad's house. She can stay with us."
He nodded as he pulled up to a huge high rise. "I'd like that. Is she bringing Benji?"
"No. Her Aunt is watching him." I unbuckled and got out of the car, turning to look at my brother over the top of the roof. "Danny still talks about me?"
&
nbsp; "Some." He shrugged and walked to the door, opening it and moving back. "He's not fallen in love since we were kids. I blame you for that."
I laughed and walked in. "Whatever, Lance. You know how much I wanted the two of us to be something, and twenty isn't a kid. He chose his path."
"And you chose yours." He pressed his hand to the small of my back and directed me to the left down a long hall. "Listen, you know that Dad just changed his will, so I'm sure there's going to be an investigation."
"What?" I glanced over at him as my voice rose. "Why would they investigate? I didn't ask him to change it."
"It's just standard procedure. Just try not to bite this guy's head off. He's not the most tactful person in the world."
"Great," I mumbled and stopped at the opening of a huge, overdone office.
"Mr. Tan? We're here about our father-" Lance started, but the small Asian man cut him off.
"Martin Harmon's kids. Come on in, please." He motioned for us to sit down at a round table in the center of his office. "Can I get you a coffee, water, tea?"
"No. We're fine." Lance moved up beside me as we walked over and took our seats.
I shook my head no.
"Alright. Firstly, please accept my condolences. Martin was a great man and loved you both more than you probably know." He pulled out a file. "There were recent changes to his will, and we'll set up everything next week to start working through the file and the disbursements, but I need some papers filed." He glanced up at both of us. "Terra was named as the next owner of the team here in Seattle. You're both aware of that?"
I turned to my brother, choosing the worst time to fight over the team, but I wasn't taking the cash cow and leaving my brother with a house and half a bankroll. The team made more money than everything else put together.
"Let's just co-own the team, Lance." I reached out and gripped his wrist as it sat on the table.
"No. I'm not interested." He shook his head and gave me a warning look. "Dad and I discussed this at length before he changed the will. I'm busy in New York with a new research project."
"Then I'll run the team and move back here to help with it, but you need to get half the revenue." I dished him up an equally motherly look.
Stealing First: (A Bad Boy Single Father Billionaire Novel) Page 6
