Wicked Ties (Steele Security Series)

by Justice, A. D.

  “April it is. Now, it’s time to try on your spurs,” he said as he jumped up and ran down the hall with Chaise wrapped around him, laughing hysterically.

  “Couldn’t ask for a better start to a new life,” Chaise said dreamily.

  EPILOGUE

  The hissing of oxygen flowing through tubes, the dinging of patient call lights, and the sterile smell of the hospital brought back memories of Brianna’s hospitalization—a memory Noah would much rather forget. This visit to the hospital was under different circumstances, but no more desirable.

  Chaise had received an urgent phone call from Sara Steele, their mother. Steve was in the hospital and the news was not good. He was rushed by ambulance to the emergency room during the night and was taken straight into surgery. Sara was frantic to reach all of her children. Steve was in pain but awake and asking to see them.

  When Noah first heard the news, he was hesitant to agree to see him. He didn’t think the hospital, post-surgery, was the best place for a family reunion after so many years apart. Sara insisted, however, and between Brianna and Chaise, Noah really didn’t stand a chance.

  Noah, Brianna, Bull, and Chaise all walked silently down the corridor to Steve’s room in the ICU step-down unit. His condition was being carefully guarded but he wasn’t in such dire straits as to need the constant monitoring of the ICU nurses.

  Chaise held on to Colton’s hand tightly as they walked. The impending visit weighed heavily on her mind. The anxiety level began building in her chest and she knew the only thing that kept her attack under control was the fact that Colton was with there with her. She felt him squeeze and tug on her hand lightly, asking her to look at him.

  “I’m here, baby. Whatever you need, I’m here for you,” he said warmly.

  She nodded and squeezed his hand as she leaned into his side. “I can’t imagine doing this without you here.”

  The beeping of the heart monitor and the ticking of the IV machine were the only sounds in the room. Sara was asleep sitting up in her chair and Steve was resting in the hospital bed with his eyes closed.

  Brianna said, “Maybe Bull and I should wait outside the room to give you and Chaise time to talk to your mother alone.”

  Noah shook his head, “No. This is my family now—you, our baby, Chaise, and Bull. We go in together.”

  Noah walked into the darkened room first and Sara sleepily opened her eyes. When she saw Noah, her eyes grew wide and she jumped up from her chair. As she rushed to him, with her arms widespread and tears in her eyes, Noah felt the regret wash over him. It had been too many years since he’d seen his mother.

  He wrapped his arms around her and whispered his greeting in her ear. “Hi, Mom. How are you holding up?”

  She pulled back and looked from him to Brianna, who stood proudly beside Noah. Sara’s eyes dropped to Brianna’s small bump and her hands flew to cover her mouth. “Noah?”

  “Mom, this is my wife, Brianna. Brianna, this is my mom, Sara,” he replied in hushed tones.

  Sara looked at Brianna and suddenly threw her arms around her neck. Sara hugged her tightly as she cried softly. Brianna patted her on the back and whispered soothing words to her.

  Sara opened her eyes and saw a large, formidable figure behind Brianna. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw his arm was wrapped around her daughter, Chaise. Turning Brianna with one hand, Sara used her other arm to grab Chaise and pull her in for a group hug.

  When Sara let go of them, Chaise made her introductions. “Mom, this is Colton, my fiancé. Colton, this is Sara, my mom.”

  “Fiancé?” Sara asked and both Bull and Chaise nodded. “I’m so glad I didn’t miss the wedding! Or my grandbaby’s arrival!”

  “You aren’t having a family reunion without me, are you?” a weak voice called out.

  All heads snapped to the direction of the voice. Steve’s automatic pain medicine dispenser gave him another dose of pain medicine as Noah and Chaise moved to his bedside.

  “Hi, Dad,” Chaise replied. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better now that the two of you are here,” he answered. “I have something I need to say to you both.”

  Noah took a deep breath and readied himself to leave and take his family with him if Steve decided to start his usual rant. “Go ahead,” Noah replied.

  “I’m sorry, kids. I’m so sorry. I love you both and I want you back in my life. Not just because of this, but finding out you have Stage Three colon cancer is definitely a wake-up call for how you’ve lived your life. I look back and I’m not proud of the type of father I was to you two. I want a chance to make it up to you. I want to walk my baby down the aisle. I want to be a good grandfather,” Steve choked up on his last words.

  The room was silent. Both Chaise and Noah were stunned speechless at his admission and his request. Noah looked around at his family and they each nodded their approval.

  “Apology accepted, Dad,” Noah replied quietly. “Let’s be a family again.”

  The pain medicine took effect and Steve soon slipped back into a deep sleep. Despite the prognosis, Chaise knew that her family would be whole again. Somehow everything would work out as it was intended to be.

  They stood, gathered around their sick father, chatting and making introductions as Steve went in and out of sleep. Their future was ahead of them and no matter what it brought, Chaise, Colton, Brianna, and Noah would face it together.

  There is strength in numbers and in family ties.

  THE END

  GUARDING HEARTS

  BY

  LL COLLINS

  RELEASING MAY 23, 2014

  Prologue

  Ellis

  He sat, still as stone, transfixed on the beady eyes of the judge that was about to deliver his fate. From his right he heard a small cry, and his gaze immediately swung from the judge to look at him. He didn’t look at Mandy. He couldn’t. The baby kicked his feet as she put a bottle in his mouth, and tears filled Ellis’ eyes without warning. He gripped the cheap suit he was wearing to keep from getting up and going to Mason. He wasn’t allowed to touch him. The fact that she brought him here today was just to torture him, to remind him again that he had royally screwed up.

  His eyes slid up to hers and he searched them for any sign that she might call this whole thing off. What he saw there was exactly what he predicted. She enjoyed every second of this. The small smirk playing on her lips made his gut clench. This wasn’t someone’s life to her, it was a game. She knew she was going to win and he would never see him again.

  “Ellis,” his attorney whispered from his other side. When Ellis didn’t respond, his gaze locked on the two people he knew he’d never see again after this day, he whispered it a little louder.

  Blinking his eyes, Ellis forced himself to look at the attorney that was probably fresh out of law school and being forced to help worthless trash like him. His mother wasn’t even here, but that wasn’t a surprise. She was off getting high somewhere. She could care less what happened to him. There was no one in this room that cared about him.

  “Keep your eyes off them, buddy. It’ll only make it worse.” Ellis didn’t know how this day could possibly get any worse. He knew he screwed up. It was the way he did things. What else could anyone expect when he grew up the bastard child of another screw up? But this time, he didn’t mean it. When he had ended up in juvie, he knew he deserved it and didn’t care. It was better than being at home. This time, though, he knew he would leave his heart in this courtroom today. He would never be the same again.

  Stealing one more glance over at the two of them, Ellis turned his attention back just as the judge started speaking. Taking a shaky breath, he wished he could crumple on the floor and cry, beg the judge not to do this, not to let her do this to him. But he was a man, and he couldn’t. He forced his eyes to the judge, squirming as the man delivered his fate.

  “In the case of Ellis Warner vs. Mandy Wright, to determine parental rights of the minor child, Mason Wright, I have come to a dec
ision. There has been an overwhelming amount of evidence here, as well as testimony. Due to the past of the father, Ellis Warner, the lack of support he has, as well as the disturbing events that brought us to this point, it is my final decision that the best interest of this child is to remain with his mother. Ellis Warner, your parental rights are hereby terminated. You are to have no contact with Ms. Wright or your son in any capacity. It is as if they no longer exist on this earth. I would suggest that you get your life straight, son, and move on. You have a sentence to fulfill and some community service after that. You still have a chance at having a life, if you choose to turn it around. You’re only seventeen. Let this be a learning experience for you.”

  Ellis pressed his lips together so he didn’t cry, but his eyes filled with tears anyway. He knew that this was going to be the outcome, but hearing it made pain radiate throughout his body. He couldn’t help it, he had to look at Mandy again. One tear dripped down his cheek as his eyes met hers. She looked away quickly as Mason squirmed in her arms. Ellis looked at his baby boy for the last time. His dark hair, the same as his, his little chunky body. He knew that, behind his closed eyelids, his eyes matched his as well, green with blue in them. He would never know what would become of his son, and maybe that was for the best. Ellis knew he wasn’t any better than his deadbeat father, or his drug addicted mother. He was worthless. Mason would be better off without him.

  “Let’s go,” the bailiff announced from behind him, making him jump. He was going back to be locked up, but none of it mattered. He was dead inside anyway. Today was just the final blow. He looked over his shoulder one more time to see Mandy watching him, Mason asleep on her shoulder.

  Chapter 1

  Ellis- past

  The officer opened the door, allowing him to pass. He was handcuffed with his hands together in the front. Another officer walked behind him until all three of them were in the room. It was cold, so cold. Ellis looked anywhere except where he knew he would be forced to look. He concentrated instead on the hands of the officer as he unlocked the cuffs.

  Shaking out his hands, the officer met his eyes. He saw sympathy in his eyes, and it angered him. He didn’t need anyone feeling sorry for him. He wanted to scream obscenities from the top of his lungs and tell her how much he hated her. He wanted to tell her all the things he never had the nerve to say. How if she had loved him, she would’ve never left him starving to death so she could take the last of her money to get high. She would’ve never slept for days, not caring if he went to school or had a bath or if he was even home or not. And she wouldn’t have brought countless men through their welfare-grade apartment so she could get her fix. Never once in his life did he remember her saying she loved him. But he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

  Of course, it was his fault. Because he existed, her life had gone to shit. She had told him that so many times, he could hear every syllable like she was standing right in front of him. She never wanted him, she was stuck with him. He looked just like his piece of shit father. And since he had been locked up, having walked right down the path his mom had laid out for him, she had finally done it. This was it. He hadn’t been around to make sure she didn’t take too much, disappear for too long. Now, he was officially alone. He had no idea who his father was, only that he looked like him and had his last name. She had been estranged from her family for longer than Ellis had been alive, and he had no idea who they were, either. He was seventeen years old, and wished for nothing more than to be in this room with her. He was cold, dead inside anyway.

  Ellis looked up and noticed there was a man in the room with them. He found himself wondering if this guy had to do this often, show people their dead loved ones. Dead. His mother had been dead for a very long time. He remembered wishing for that often when he was a little boy, so that maybe he could have two parents that would adopt him, love him, like his friends at school. The ones that had nice, neat packed lunches with notes from their mom, had playdates, and sleepovers. He had no idea what that even meant, but he wished for it. He never felt guilty for that, because feeling guilt would mean that he felt something for her. She had never been a source of comfort or love for him, so that was a feeling he didn’t know. He alternated between hoping she would disappear and never come back to hoping one of his teachers would realize that no one took care of him. Unfortunately for him, his mother could put on a good front with people when she wanted to act like a doting mother.

  He thought he had found someone that loved him when he met Mandy. He had clutched onto her like a drowning man to a life preserver. For a while, their relationship had been everything he had lacked in his pathetic life. When he had found out she was pregnant, even though he was only sixteen years old, he had never been happier in his life. He was going to be a father, and would love that child the way he never was loved.

  Except it didn’t turn out that way. He was doomed to repeat the idiotic decisions of the only parental figure he had ever had, and just as fast as he had Mandy and Mason, they were gone and he was locked up in the juvenile detention center where he deserved to be.

  “Ready?” Officer Richards said gently. He had a soft spot for him, and Ellis had no idea why. Ellis rarely spoke and wouldn’t interact with anyone.

  Ellis looked at him and nodded once. What he wanted to say was, ‘let’s get this over with’, but he didn’t want to give these guys any insight into his head. Officer Richards led him closer to the man that was standing behind what must be his mother. She was in a simple casket, whatever the state provided for people who had no one who cared about them. He found himself wondering where she would end up being buried, but wouldn’t ask. The other officer, whatever his name was, stood at the door behind them. He guessed death wasn’t his thing. Join the club, buddy.

  The man standing behind his mother’s casket nodded at him and opened the lid. Ellis wanted to look away but he couldn’t. Never in his life had his mother been so—beautiful. She was dressed in a blue dress he knew wasn’t hers, and her brown hair was washed and combed nicely around her face. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping, and the makeup on her face wasn’t smudged, days old, or garish. It was tasteful and elegant. Everything that his mother wasn’t.

  His eyes raked back and forth, taking her in. He wanted to feel something, but all he felt was numb. He knew that no matter where he ended up after this, he was free of her. For the first time in his life, he wouldn’t have to be a parent to his own mother. He would never have to clean up vomit, hide in his room and plug his ears from the sounds of his mother with yet another man, or have fear gripping his heart as he tried to wake her up from yet another near overdose.

  He turned away, and Officer Richards watched him. He knew he was looking for any reaction, but he wasn’t going to get one from him. If they hadn’t made him come here to make sure it was her, he would’ve been okay with not ever seeing her.

  “Is that her?”

  Ellis nodded, and Officer Richards turned back to the man standing with his mother. “That’s her,” he confirmed for Ellis. “Come on, buddy. Let’s get you out of here.”

  Ellis allowed the officers to lead him out of the room and back to the awaiting transport van, his eyes watching his feet take one step at a time. He thought it was quite ironic that here he was, saying goodbye to his farce of a mother, while the person walking him down the hallway had just acted more parental than anyone he had ever had in his life.

  Chapter 2

  Ellis- present

  Ellis stared at the date written on the board in the front of the room they used for debriefings and meetings. Andrew was talking, but all he could do was look at the date on the board. July 10th. He was thirteen today. His son Mason. Where was he now? Did he still look like him? Was he a good boy? Was Mandy married? Did she give Mason little brothers or sisters? He asked himself the same questions every year, but he would never know the answer to any of them.

  He dreaded this date every year. Even though he wasn’t the same man he h
ad been thirteen years ago when he had become a father, there were some things that just didn’t heal, no matter how much you grew as a person. And every year on this day, he couldn’t stop the overwhelming feelings of grief from coming. Mason was his blood, and he wasn’t allowed to be around him ever again. He could never tell him that he was his father. It was like he never existed. And just like Ellis, Mason was growing up not knowing that he ever had a father that loved him.

  Everything in Ellis’ life was devoid of emotion, except when it came to Mason. He swore that he saw him everywhere. Every year, as he grew older, he would scan the faces of kids he came across, looking to see his son in one of them. He looked for his dark hair and light green-blue eyes. He looked for a mini him. But no matter how many times he did a double take, thinking it was him, he knew it wasn’t. Mandy left Miami not long after the court hearing, and she certainly wasn’t here in Sunset Beach.

  “Psst,” a voice in his ear broke through his thoughts and made him jump. He turned his face to see Devin watching him. “Where are you, man? You’re spaced out.”

  Ellis shook his head, forcing his eyes back to Andrew. “Sorry, just tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.” As much as he treasured Devin’s friendship, there were just some things better left alone.

  “So, I got an interesting call,” Andrew said. Ellis knew he had completely missed whatever he had been saying for the last several minutes, so he tried hard to focus.

  “Seems that we have a big country singer coming into our area for a concert and the head of her security team called earlier requesting additional security while she’s here. I guess she’s not only doing a couple concerts around Florida, but is also shooting a music video here on the beach. This isn’t a normal thing to ask guys like you to do, they would usually ask the police department, but her head of security and I go way back so he called me. If any of you have ever done security before, you know the money is usually good. In this case, the money is phenomenal.”