I hated to see her so upset, but there wasn’t a thing I could do about any of it. With Doug paying child support, he had every right to see his daughter. The divorce had been ugly enough, and the man had been unbearable for me to deal with until he found Cindy. Thankfully, she’d calmed him down just a bit. He was happy like he’d been with us in the beginning, when he’d been tolerable.
“I tell you what, when you get back, we’ll stay up late one night and paint our nails and watch any movie you want, and then the next morning, we’ll have donuts for breakfast.” I felt like I was always going to have to make up for Doug being a shitty father.
Sierra smiled and wiped her eyes. “Fine. But can I have two donuts?”
“One. You’re still being punished for biting Stinky’s arm.”
“His name’s not Stinky. He’s Dylan, and he’s got black hair and blue eyes. All of the girls like him.” She turned and looked out the window.
“My first crush had dark hair and blue eyes, too.” And that time, she didn’t deny a thing.
When I got home, just as I had unlocked the door, Katrina called. Sierra ran to her room while I answered the phone and settled down on the couch.
“How’d it go? Is she grounded for life?” She was about as concerned as an aunt could be who wasn’t blood-related.
“She’s okay. She’s more upset that she has to go to Doug’s than she is about being suspended. It didn’t help I promised her donuts for breakfast and a late movie night again.”
“You can’t keep trying to make up for that asshole’s neglect. As much as I want to spoil that baby, she’s going to get hip to your jive and start to take advantage.”
“Hip to my jive?” I laughed. “What are you, a time traveler?”
“Yes, and it’s what all the cool kids are saying back in good old nineteen and seventy-three.” She had something stuffed in her mouth, and her voice was muffled. “You know I’m right. About your kid, not the cool kids.”
“I know. It’s just so hard. Especially since I like donuts for breakfast, too.” I pulled the throw from the back of the couch and tried to get warm.
“You’re doing a great job, mama! So, who’s this boy she’s got a crush on. Did you get a name?”
Good old, Katrina. She had it figured out, too. “His name is Dylan, and he’s got black hair and blue eyes.” My first crush’s face flashed through my mind. Sierra had her mother’s taste in men.
Chapter 3
David
The alarm sounded, and I rose from my bed. I was almost out of my warm bed and on my feet when I realized I was no longer in the military, and it was the phone that was ringing. Fuck. I fetched the thing from the bedside table and then tucked down into my covers and read the unknown number. I didn’t want to answer it, but I knew better than to let it go.
“Yeah?”
An automated voice sounded on the other end. “You are receiving this call from a correctional facility. To accept the call, please press one. To decline, press two and—”
I pressed one and waited for my brother’s voice. “Hey, man. It’s Blaine. I need you to come and get me out. I’m down in county jail.”
“Fuck.” I bit tongue, not wanting to lay into him just yet. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
I hung up the phone and got to my feet. The cold floor made me wish I’d put in a rug or worn socks. I dressed, bundling up so I could make the trip across town.
Was my brother ever going to grow up? I’d been dealing with his shit since my father died, and I knew if the old man were around, he would be staying behind bars a lot longer. I couldn’t leave him there to rot, though. It wasn’t in me. He was my baby brother, and despite the fact that he was a degenerate, I loved the kid.
At twenty-three, he’d been in more trouble than me and Missy combined—times ten, and he was only getting worse. Something was going to have to give. And I had a feeling that this time, it would be my temper. I’d let my heart break for him too many times, and if I didn’t get tough, I was going to be on my way to identifying his body instead of bailing him out. I couldn’t lose him, too.
I sped down to the county lockup, and the sheriff met me out front. “Hey, David. Thanks for coming down.”
“What’s he done this time? I didn’t give him time to tell me on the phone.”
“We got him for public intoxication. I didn’t book him again, out of respect for your father. He was a good man and a good friend, but this is the last time I’ll extend that charity. If I see him in here again, I’m booking him.”
“Yes, Sir. Thank you. I’m just not sure what to do with this kid. He’s been giving me hell since my father died.”
“Your old man had his share of battles with him, but I agree. It’s getting worse, and I suggest you get him some help for his addictions. That kind of behavior is only going to get worse.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “I’ve seen it.” He went into his office and closed the door as a commotion came from down the hall.
“Give it back!” Blaine’s voice carried down the corridor, and when Blaine stepped out, the deputy explained.
“We didn’t find a knife on you, Mr. DeVant.”
“Check again asshole!” Blaine said with a scowl.
I stepped up. “Hey, enough! If they say they didn’t find one, they didn’t. Shut your mouth, and let’s go.” I jerked him by the arm and pushed him toward the door. “You don’t argue with a fucking officer of the law, you jackass. Are you fucking kidding me?”
I was so pissed I wanted to take him down with a headlock and choke him out.
He settled down to a quiet sulk as we crossed the lot to the car. “God, it’s fucking cold. And I did have a knife. It’s the fucking gold and black pocket knife you got me. I can’t believe you’re just going to let those motherfuckers keep it.”
“I’m sure it will turn up once you’re sober.” I was freezing my balls off, and I didn’t want to hear his shit.
“I’m not that fucking drunk.” He pulled out a cigarette.
“You’re not lighting that thing in my car.”
He grumbled and then shoved it back in the pack. “Fine. I swear you’re worse than those pigs.”
“Those pigs, as you like to call them, have saved your ass more times than I can count. So, why don’t you show some fucking respect?” I took out my keys and hit the locks.
“Whatever.” Blaine opened the door and dropped into the passenger seat, and I slid in next to him behind the wheel.
His “whatever” attitude had my temper boiling. I grabbed his fucking arm and pulled him to me. “You think this is a fucking joke?”
He was so close to my face that I could taste the alcohol on his breath, but I didn’t care. He needed to learn I meant business. I was done being the lenient big brother who let him get away with murder and destroy his life with alcohol and drugs.
His whole body was electrified and shaking, and his eyes bore into mine as if he could will me dead.
“I’m not going to put up with your shit anymore, Blaine. This bullshit stops now!”
I headed to his apartment which was only about five miles away, and if it weren’t for me paying his rent and keeping his shit together, he’d have lost it already. “I want you to do fucking better. Get a job and quit being a pain in my ass, or I’m cutting you off.”
“Fuck you. You’re not Dad, and you can’t cut me off.”
“I’m in charge of your fucking trust until you’re twenty-five, and if you don’t straighten your shit up, I’ll make sure you don’t get it then.”
“You’re not my fucking father. I had one of those assholes. I don’t need another one.”
“Yeah, he treated you so badly. The man paid your fucking way much longer than he did mine, and he entertained all your fucking dreams, while I had to give mine up to come back here and wipe your fucking ass for you. I make sure your rent is paid, I make sure you’ve got food in the fridge, I make sure you don’t have to get a real job and can focus on your fu
cking talent, which you’re throwing away by smoking, snorting, and drinking like a motherfucking fish.”
I pulled into the space next to his car. Thankfully, he hadn’t been in the thing when he got busted. I grabbed his arm and held him in his place. “I’m not fucking around. Clean your shit up! I’m not coming back down to bail you out, and trust me, next time, there will be bail.”
“Yeah, threaten to abandon me. You’re just as fucking bad as he was. What would you fucking know, anyway? He was constantly on my ass after you left, Missy fucking hates me, and you abandoned me a long fucking time ago.”
His words loosened my grip, and he jerked away, slamming the door behind him as he made his way into his building. I hadn’t meant to abandon the kid, and the only reason Missy acted the way she did was because she’d given to him until it hurt. He’d already let her down one time too many.
I watched his place until the lights came on upstairs in his apartment. Then, I drove away, knowing I had to make one more stop before I headed back home.
“What are you doing here so early?” My sister Missy was a natural beauty, and she looked a lot like our mother, especially wearing her hair in a towel with the long robe which billowed away from her legs as she stepped into the house, waving me in.
“I didn’t mean to wake you guys or anything. I just got back from county lockup and thought I’d stop by.” I was hoping to talk with her about Blaine, but she turned to me, shaking her head.
“You should have let him rot there.”
“Come on, you don’t mean that. He’s our baby brother, Miss.”
“You haven’t called me Miss in ages. And it’s not going to butter me up. I don’t care about Blaine and his issues, and I’m not letting him close to the girls again, so he can put them in danger with his neglectful fucking attitude.” She lowered her voice as not to let the girls hear her use foul language. They were both at the bar with their dolls tucked beside them, eating their morning cereal.
“He feels like shit about that, I’m sure.”
“He let them wander out into the street because he was passed out drunk. I almost lost my girls because I was dumb enough to let him babysit. He hit the liquor cabinet the minute I was out the fucking door. The girls could have been killed. So yeah, fuck him. I raised his sorry ass, and that’s the thanks I get.”
“You did raise him, Miss. You’re more of a mom to him than Mom ever was, and he told me that you hated him. I could tell it breaks his heart. He thinks I abandoned him to go to the military.”
She gave a little shrug. “Maybe he’s right about that one.”
“Ouch.” I rubbed my chest. “I didn’t abandon anyone, and I really take offense to that since I dropped my dreams to come back here and run the business.”
“I didn’t twist your arm. Dad died. What could I do? He didn’t want me to run the company. Not that I’d want that nightmare. And he didn’t want to leave it to Greyson.”
“He should have. I don’t know what I’m doing. Greyson’s spending too much time training me to do a job he should be getting paid for. I’m already determined to give him a huge bonus this year.” I walked over to the counter where the girls, Tiffany and Macy, were focused on a word search on the electronic tablet between them.
“Hi, Uncle David.” Tiffany, who was the more outspoken of the two, flashed me a smile. “We’re trying to find all the words before the time runs out, so we can free the princess from the witch.”
The music on the device was going faster. “It sounds like you’re almost out of time.”
“Yeah.” She gave a little shrug. Then her eyes lit up. “There it is, Macy!”
They hit the word just in time, and they both slapped hands as the screen turned black and a little princess ran across the screen before she turned into a butterfly.
“Great job, girls.” I gave them high fives, and then they hopped off their stools and headed to the couch to turn on some cartoons.
I turned to my sister, who was standing by the coffee maker with her arms folded across her chest.
“They love their uncle,” she said.
“Yeah, they’re pretty great. You’re very lucky, you know? I can only dream of having it so nice.”
“Nonsense. It’s time you start trying for this. It’s the best thing, and you’re going to make an amazing father and husband.”
“Preferably not in that order.” I didn’t have much hope for something so wonderful, but it was nice to dream.
“Yeah, well, you never know what life’s going to bring, but you deserve everything you want.”
“Thanks, Miss. And what about Blaine? Does he deserve happiness, too?”
“He deserves a swift kick in the ass, is what he deserves.” She let out a long breath and then rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll call him and check on him, but I’m not making any promises to see him. Just a quick call to make sure he’s healthy and let him think I’m thinking about him.”
She pursed her lips, and I could tell she was having second thoughts about being so rough on the guy.
“That’s all I’m asking. Let him know you don’t hate him.” I walked over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. If there was one thing I knew about my sister, it was that she had a forgiving heart.
“Fine, but we need to go to the estate and finish up there tomorrow. Will you meet me over there?”
I couldn’t refuse her, I’d already canceled on her once before. “I’ll be there.”
She tilted her head and gave me a scolding glare. “Promise me this time you’ll show up.”
“I promise.” I raised two fingers to make my vow.
Chapter 4
Allison
If there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was someone who couldn’t be on time. Doug had not only called the night before to postpone getting Sierra for the weekend but when he said he’d arrive before ten, he meant whenever the hell he felt like it.
Sierra didn’t care, and it wasn’t that I minded either, but it was hard enough to get her to go as it was and hard enough to get him to step up and be a father, too. I’d felt like I was the only one in my life having to be responsible, and I was at my wit’s end dealing with Doug.
To kill time, I browsed through the job listings and searched for something better. I loved working with Katrina, and she’d done me a solid by getting me the position, but I couldn’t work there forever. The tips were shitty most days and not the real money I needed to be making if I wanted to send Sierra to a good college someday.
I skimmed the listings, hoping to be a marketer or an advertiser, but most of the listings were nothing more than coffee fetchers, and I was doing that now. I thought of David’s family. His father had owned one of the largest advertising agencies in the city, and I wondered if there were any positions open at DeVant. It might be worth looking in to.
And that was when I heard the asshole’s car pull into my driveway.
“Come on, Sierra. Your father’s here. Grab your bag, and remember, it’s just one night. You’ll be back in no time.” I didn’t want her to pout in front of her dad.
I opened the door and led her out.
“Hey, kiddo!” Doug opened his arms, and she went over and gave him a big hug. “How’s my best girl?” He pulled her close and then carried her bag to the car. “Get buckled in, sweetheart.”
He turned from the car and shut the door. As usual, his smile faded into a menacing grin that quickly morphed into a scowl.
“Don’t you think that’s a bit much for her to bring for one night? Why are you always having her bring that much shit?”
I looked over his shoulder to make sure she couldn’t hear him. “It’s one bag, Doug, and she’s a kid. She needs toys. If you kept some of those things at your place, then she wouldn’t have to lug them back and forth.”
He turned and smiled at Sierra and then turned back to shake his head at me. “No way. Me and Cindy don’t want to be tripping over that bullshit all week. She can pack it with h
er, but just tell her to take it easy next time. That bag weighs a fucking ton. Speaking of, you put on a little weight?” He leaned in and looked me up and down before giving a little laugh.
“Nope, I sure haven’t, Doug. You look a few pounds lighter, though. Oh, wait, that’s just your hair. I can see it’s getting thinner.”
“Yeah, well, Cindy likes it. And that’s not all she likes if you know what I mean. Of course, you were always such a fucking dead lay, you probably don’t.” He stood closer, looking down his nose at me as if he wanted to hit me, but close enough to kiss me.
I wasn’t going to let him intimidate me. It was what he was always trying to do. I’d learned to stop being scared of his tough talk a long time ago.
He’d turn it off and on like a switch, but as long as he never treated my daughter the way he treated me, I’d let him live.
“Have a nice time with our daughter, Doug.” I turned and walked away, not wanting to play his stupid games anymore. How he could think I really cared about his girlfriend, when I had been the one to leave his sorry ass, was beyond me, but it never failed that he acted like an immature asshole every time he came around. It was fucking exhausting.
The only painful part was that I hated to see my baby have to go with him, which is why he insisted on getting her, even if it was an inconvenience for him.
He had no paternal instincts whatsoever, and knowing she didn’t want to go with him just made it ten times worse. I went inside and stopped in the middle of my living room. It always felt so empty when she left, like all the air had been sucked out of it by Doug the asshole.
I didn’t want to stay there alone, so I called my mother. She answered the phone with her usual enthusiasm. “How are my girls?” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“Doug just left.”
Mom cleared her throat. “Oh. What’s he doing dropping by on a Saturday?”
“It’s Sierra’s weekend with her father, but he was unable to get her last night. I’m sure he and Cindy had something they wanted to do, but he claimed he was working late.” That was usually the reason. He was busy living the life he wanted, while I had to be the responsible one. It wasn’t fair, but I was glad it was that way and would see to it that it never changed. I’d lay my life down for my daughter if it killed me.
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