“Caitie don’t do that.” Shit I’ve been trying to teach her not to push things in the light sockets it’s an ongoing battle, which I’m losing handily.
“Baby being a naughty girl?”
“Da da.” She lifted one of her stuffed toys up to me before stuffing it in her mouth and grinning.
She’s so fucking cute how can I stay mad at her?
Her mother is off Xmas shopping with her grandmothers and her aunts. Why the fuck a kid that’s less than a year old needs all this shit is beyond me. The basement’s already wall to wall with gifts and shit. The house looks like Santa and his elves threw up all over the damn place, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many decorations in one place at once. The tree scares the crap out of me because I swear it’s going to topple over on my little girl since she likes pulling on it and shit. And I’m not sure those decorations are safe. They seem like choking hazards to me. I found a way to nail the tree into the ground though, which was just one more thing for the peanut gallery to laugh at.
She dropped the bear and was off and toddling towards the brightly wrapped gifts under the tree, set on destruction no doubt. I picked my little darling up so she couldn’t get into any more trouble tearing into the gifts and looked for something to entertain her with until her mother got home.
“Come on baby you want to play with your blocks?”
I don’t let her watch TV, Elena didn’t let us do that shit when we were growing up and I agree with that. Plus I have way more fun playing with her and teaching her things. Daddy couldn’t have taught her the ABCs if she was sitting in front of the TV all day now could he?
We built shit for a half an hour before I went to fix her something to eat.
“What should it be today Caitie bear? Bananas, pears, carrots?” She banged away on her highchair and babbled away at me as I pureed her banana, which was her favorite.
I fed my girl while playing airplane with her to make it more fun. Of course she didn’t go off to sleep like every other kid does so I was back on entertainment duty after cleaning up the mess she’d made of her face. She pointed to the unlit fireplace and I groaned. What’s with this kid and fire? I lit the fireplace and she clapped her hands in glee. She rocked back and forth on my lap talking a mile a minute about who knows what. I always play along like I know every word because I’d read somewhere that communication was very important. She soon grew bored and wanted down so she could go off and do something else. I looked around at all the shit in the room from beneath the tree to the middle of the floor.
“Stay away from that fire or I’ll get your butt Caitlin.” Who am I kidding? The kid gets away with murder.
Truth is my little princess is spoilt. I may or may not play a part in that endeavor but so what? I’m her dad I’m supposed to. She’s always finding new shit to give me heart palpitations, constantly getting into shit. Lately her new thing has been the fireplace she’s fascinated by the flames. I’m raising a little pyromaniac. She would sit there for hours just gazing at the fire. I had the thing covered with a protective screen so she couldn’t hurt herself but I still worry about her getting in there somehow because she’s proving to be as hardheaded as her mother. Those books sure didn’t give me the sense that she was going to be this damn smart at her age. I shudder to think what she was going to get up to in a year or two. I checked my watch for the one-hundredth time; it’s like that every time Angel leaves the house without me. She still doesn’t know her vehicles have trackers on them so I can protect her as much as I can even when I’m not there. I took my eyes off Caitlin for one minute and by the time I turned around she was at the fireplace trying to pull the screen off. How the fuck?
I didn’t think just reacted and when I reached her side I swatted her hand and told her no. Well fuck me.
Her little face scrunched up, her lip trembled and big fat tears filled her eyes; gutted.
“No baby, please don’t do that.” She looked at me like I’d gut punched her. I’ve never felt so low in my life. It was the first time I’d ever hit her and it wasn’t even really a hit. Her cries tore at me and I found myself apologizing and promising myself that I’d never do that shit ever again. She clung to daddy’s neck and thankfully the cries didn’t last too long because I couldn’t have borne that. I spent the next ten minutes walking up and down with her in my arms talking to her. Anything to get the memory of daddy smacking her hand out of her head, I’m such a sap. She was back to her shit as soon as I put her back down. Giving me sneaky looks just like her damn mother, go figure.
“Come here you.” I snatched her up before she burnt herself and looked around for something to keep her occupied.
The doorbell rang and I could hear the ruckus going on outside before I reached it. Shit, just what I needed to make my day better. Dad, Drake and Cy were standing there fighting to see who would get inside first. The three of them were a sad sight. Ever since my kid was born there’s been a running competition between them as to who was her favorite grandpa. Cyrus had claimed his place as honorary grandpa and he wasn’t letting go for nothing. I usually just ignored their dumbasses. Now here they were loaded down with bags. I didn’t want to say anything but they were almost as bad as Elena and Tina. Those two were always showing up here with shit.
“Can I help you?”
“Hand over the kid and no one gets hurt boy.” Dad held out his arms with a big stupid grin on his face. At least he didn’t look high he knew the rules.
Caitlin was going crazy in my arms her arms and legs going a mile a minute. Her three favorite old guys were here. Her variation of grandpa that sounded more like grappa was chortled as she reached out her arms. To keep the peace I held onto her as I stepped aside to let them in.
“Don’t you three have work? Cy what’s going on down at the shop?”
“Son it’s Sunday the shop’s closed.”
“Yeah I forgot, so that means you two are off today too?”
“What’s with all the questions boy? Hand over the kid.” Daniel tried taking her out of my arms but I sidestepped him.
I put her on the floor so she could do her own thing. I wasn’t getting involved they’re idiots all of them. I watched as three grown men who at one point or the other in the last year and a half have had their share of enjoyment at my expense acted the fool. I thought of getting my ever-present camera and recording this travesty but I had enough footage of them to last a lifetime.
“Your wives kidnapped my woman like hours ago can’t you two find anything better for them to do?”
“It’s Xmas son, for women it’s one of the only times other than birthdays that they don’t need an excuse to shop, let them have their fun.”
“What’s all this crap anyway?”
I toed the bags that were so full of stuff they were toppling over. I don’t think anyone has come here since the baby was born without something in their hands and no matter how many times we tell them not to that she has everything she could possibly need they just ignored us.
“It’s for Caitlin hands off.” Dad dropped down on the floor with a new teddy bear in his hand trying to entice her away from the other two.
“That’s cheating Daniel. Come here Caitie come to grandpa Drake.” His bear was bigger. Are you shitting me? These freaks are out of control.
For the next two hours they ran my poor kid ragged until she conked out on the living room floor. Babies like women, make men stupid.
“I need a smoke after all that, she’s growing so fast it’s getting hard to keep up.”
“It’s not the baby druggie it’s that shit you’re always smoking.”
“Do not oppress me copper.”
Here we go, it’s always the same thing with these two. Cy just laughed at them and headed into the kitchen for something to drink.”
“I guess you’ve been behaving it’s been a while since I heard about one of your boneheaded moves.”
“Dad I like you better when you’re blazed and for your inform
ation I don’t make boneheaded moves you people are just too lax. I keep up with shit. Kids need all kinds of protective shit I don’t care what any of you fools say.”
“Yes son they need to be protected not insulated.”
“He’s got a point there Colton.”
“Yeah well I don’t happen to agree Drake. I’m heading shit off at the pass she’s never going to get hurt ever.” He should know what I was talking about after what had happened to his daughter. I’d be fucked if that shit was ever going to happen to Caitlin no fucking way.
Even Cy laughed at that one, I don’t understand it. Don’t all fathers feel this way? The fuck I care? I do, that’s enough for me.
“Colt you want a beer while I’m in here?”
“Nah, I don’t drink while I’m on daddy duty.”
“Boy one beer isn’t gonna hurt you, you’re becoming deranged.” Dad shook his head at me.
“Whatever pothead, that’s my choice.”
“Damn Colt I have to say I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“What do you mean Drake?”
“I don’t know man, you really take this fatherhood thing seriously. Not what I would expect from the tough biker guy. Don’t get me wrong I admire you for it. I’ve just never seen it. Hell I’m a cop and even I wasn’t that protective when Katarina was growing up.”
“That’s my boy.”
“What so now you’re gonna take credit for his actions? Aren’t you the one who’s always telling him that he’s lost his mind? By the way Colt thanks for sending the flowers that was really nice I spoke to the guy at the cemetery.” Cy passed the other two their beers before sitting down.
“Yeah well that’s nothing.”
“To you maybe, to me it means a lot that you remembered so thanks. I was thinking of maybe going out there after the holidays.”
“Let me know and we’ll get the guys together. Since the shop will be closed I’m sure they’d want in.”
“That would be good I liked that the last time.”
“Good so we’ll do it. Shit I can’t ride I’ll have to take the truck with my girls.”
“They can ride with your mom and I.”
“Nah dad but thanks. We’ll take the truck it will be Caitie bear’s first road trip.”
“So what you’re never going to ride again?”
“I ride all the time old man it’s just that there’s a time and place for everything and that ain’t it. When Caitlin’s older maybe.”
We talked for a while about bullshit, mostly about the women. It seems every conversation revolved around them in some way or another. Drake was blushing like a teenage girl because dad and Cy kept teasing him about the fact that his runaway wife was back after all these years. When they started talking sex or more to the point when the pothead started giving out sexual advice that was my cue to tune them the hell out. It did do my heart good to see Cy so happy though. It was hard to imagine him not being here, like he’d always been part of the fabric that made us what we are. The guys involved him in whatever they had going on down at the shop. Sometimes I had to remind them that he was an old guy, and maybe he didn’t want to go drinking all night or drag racing or whatever hell raising crap they came up with. Kat was just as bad but since the baby she’d calmed down a bit so I no longer had to keep an eye on the two of them. But Daniel and Drake really made him feel welcomed. They included the old guy in their shenanigans and they bickered like old friends.
They finally left a little while later and I put the baby down in her crib to finish her nap. I checked my watch and realized it had been hours since the women had left to go shopping and Kat knew she wasn’t allowed to be gone that long without checking in no matter who she was with. I’m sure if dad was still here he’d be rolling his eyes and muttering at me but later for that shit. I got my cell and hit one.
“What the fuck Katarina where are you?”
“Colton calm down, we’re almost done.”
“What are the rules Kat? You’ve been gone more than five fucking hours, how much shopping can you possibly have to do? You’ve already bought out the damn mall and you know I don’t like you driving after dark.”
She laughed like this shit was funny but I know better, my wife is a fucking magnet for trouble no joke. Things have been quiet for the last little while and I’d like to keep it that way. There’ve been a whole lot of new changes around here and I’m doing all I can to keep up but this one is like a whirling dervish. She’d started working with my grandfather, learning the ropes of the company and she seems to like it. He’s been giving her a crash course in business management or some shit and she’s pumped. I’m happy for her but I do miss her. Now we’re not together all day like we used to be. I had a hard time with it at first especially the leaving Caitlin with someone while we both went off to work but we came up with a solution that worked for us when she was six months old. Kat only had to be at the office in the beginning to get the hang of things and I guess get to know her employees but she could do most of her work from her new office at home. For three long months she’d gone in and I’d taken Caitlin to mom’s or Tina’s. Now she stays home with her mother and I see them everyday at lunchtime when I come home. Or sometimes they come see me on the job when I can’t get away. Our little life is working out just fine but every once in a while Kat loses her damn mind and does some shit that makes me nuts, like this shit she’s pulling today. Elena and her hen pack think I’m full of shit but they don’t understand. The shit she’s been through is never too far from my mind, neither is the shit I’ve had to do to protect her. I take her safety very seriously and I’m not gonna stop no matter what anyone says including her.
“Colt I’m with your mother and mine nothing’s going to happen.”
“Home, now.”
I hung up the phone and went to check on my daughter. Yes I’m a little obsessive so what I have reason to be. All the shit we’ve been through in the last two years who could blame me? Kat’s problem is that she knows I’ve got her back no matter what so she thinks she’s invincible. I’d rather avoid any more fuckery than having to off another motherfucker for crossing the line. Her hardheaded ass is gonna land me in the clinker I swear. Her ass better be here in the next twenty minutes or there’ll be hell to pay. Every other month or so, I have to threaten to cut her off from the hen pack because they have no respect for my rules. Elena like her husband thinks that I overreact but whatever. Elena with her pampered ass never got dragged off by a madman set on raping her or was never held down by a group of men set on the same. Kat had that shit in her past it’s part of her life and will always be. If I have to be over protective to make sure that shit never happens again, or that she never has another dark moment because of it, then so be it.
Chapter 2
Women are strange fuckers; that’s all I’m saying. She came running into the house like a bat out of hell after hours of shopping, with not one bag in her hand. I started to ask her what the fuck they’d done all day until I got a look at her face. Terror! What the fuck? I automatically went into fight mode until her next words stopped me cold.
“Colt I think I killed someone.”
“What the fuck?”
I grabbed her to me because she started shaking like a leaf.
“Baby calm down what the hell happened?”
All she did was point back out the door. I passed her the baby who’d woken up less than ten minutes after I put her in her crib and went outside with my heart in my throat. What the fuck did she mean killed someone? My mind was already in clean up mode.
Fuck me there was a body under the front wheel of her car. I walked over and knelt down not quite grasping what I was looking at. It was a female, that much was obvious from the clothing and the hair. I didn’t see any blood but she wasn’t moving at all. Putting my ear as close to her chest as I could get it under there I started breathing easy again once I sensed movement. Thank goodness but I wasn’t sure what I should do next. Was I supposed
to move her or not?
“Hello can you hear me?” Nothing, something was off why wasn’t she moving? If she’d been hit hard enough to get knocked unconscious shouldn’t she be in the middle of the driveway?
I went back into the house to my wife and kid and called the paramedics. While we waited I stood in the doorway to keep an eye on the female on the ground. She still hadn’t moved but my gut was going the fuck off. That was never a good sign.
“Tell me what happened Kat.” I ran my hand up and down her back soothingly while blocking her and Caitlin’s view. Caitlin didn’t know what was going on. All she cared about was that mommy was back after being gone for what to her must seem like days and she wanted to play.
“I don’t know what happened I didn’t see her. I turned onto the driveway and all of a sudden she was just there.” She started crying, which was just going to fuck with my head and I needed to keep it clear to deal with whatever the fuck this was.
“ Come here she’s not dead baby and she’s not bleeding so it might not be that bad. Whatever this is I’ll take care of it so stop worrying. Come on you’ll upset the baby.”
She finally started to calm down a little but I knew she was still really upset.
“Where are they? Why aren’t they here yet? She’s been lying there for more than ten minutes already that can’t be good Colt do something. Maybe we should put a blanket over her.”
“They’ll be here Angel. What the fuck was she doing in my driveway anyway?”
“Colton.” She admonished me and glared but whatever.
Okay so I’m not the most trusting motherfucker out there so sue me. I watch the news, people have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves these days how the fuck do I know this wasn’t a set up? She was breathing, wasn’t bleeding and I’m pretty sure my wife hadn’t run her over on purpose. So what was she doing there, how did she get here on my driveway?
The paramedics and the cops showed up; I wasn’t too jazzed about the fucking cops talking to my wife until I remembered that they knew her, they worked for her father after all but still I spoke to them first. I didn’t want them spooking her.
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