Max looks at me and winks. “Make it forty-five, I am not like the minute men you are used to!” he shouts back. Addison and Kayleigh think that is hilarious. I am afraid if looks are anything to go off of, Colby and Tyler may kill him. Mitch looks uncomfortable, and Brielle looks like she is about to have an aneurysm. “Challenge accepted, baby. Don’t tell me to back down from anything.” He just threw the gauntlet down with Brielle, but that ass needs to realize I haven’t officially invited him to move in with me, and if the antics of those two are what I have to look forward to, he can keep his fine self at his house. I am thinking booty-calls will work out just fine, no overnights unless they are at his house.
“Relax, Camy. Whatever she dishes out I will take, I promise.” He is chuckling. No, this is not a laughing matter. He doesn’t realize his little comment has not only involved Brielle pulling pranks, but also Colby and Tyler. I am sure Mitch will get in on the action because so far he has been like Switzerland . . . neutral. Just jumping on whatever bandwagon is serving up the shit.
“Okay, when you are cleaning up some kind of shit: horse, cow, dog, hell, with her it could even be human shit, but you will not say a word while you are out there with your shovel and wheel barrow or whatever you use to clean shit. I am telling you right now, Max, not one word. You did this. And I don’t clean up shit.”
“Not even our baby’s shit?” Where the hell did that come from? He really needs to lay off the whiskey in his coffee if that is going to come out of his mouth. I am racking my brain to see if he ate some wild berries or mushrooms outside this morning, because he is hallucinating. “Have nothing to say to that?” He is smirking at me. I have a lot to say, just none of it is actual words that can form actual sentences because I don’t know what is floating around in my head.
He laughs at my dilemma and leads me up to the shower. I try to protest because the talk of babies, shit, and cocks this morning has me a bit out of my comfort zone. He won’t have any of that, and once I look at his naked body and lust-filled eyes, my traitorous body jumps right on the band wagon with him. “Fuck me walking,” I mutter.
“I plan on doing that standing, sweet girl. No worries.” He is yet again laughing at me this morning. I am glad I am his built-in entertainment. I am about to put a damper on his mood.
“No babies, no shit in my yard, and no trying to coerce me with your promises of shower sex . . . or any sex for that matter.” His eyes are twinkling as I realize I am naked standing there arguing with him. If his dick standing at attention is any indication, I guess my demands didn’t damper his mood at all. Guess he will be fucking me standing. Not such a bad morning after all.
Chapter 34
Max
February 2019
This case is pissing me off. The run-around Brent is able to pull off with all the agencies is complete and utter bullshit, and he has Franklin Parker all over it. How did one douche create such amazing kids? Cambree’s house will be ready for move in this weekend, all the sisters are freaking because they want Dustin home, they still can’t speak with him. Just the other night I had to calm Cambree and Brielle down before Addison walked in the house and lost her shit.
Then the questions are relentless. How are he and Teryn together? Do you think they will end up together? Is she anything like her father? Holy shit, I feel like I need to wave my dick in their faces so they get the point I don’t do the gossip shit, and make them realize I don’t have a crystal ball and can’t tell them the future. I was honest with them.
First, Teryn was nothing like her father. Explaining the whole story to them, and even the part she shared with us in the interrogation room that she refused to tell Dustin, I can tell the girls are already forming a plan to heal her. That would be great if we could get them here and get this case moving. Then I had to break it down to them how stubborn their brother was . . . a character trait ingrained in all of them. Teryn needs extensive counseling; she doesn’t know what healthy attachments or relationships are. Dustin is the first person she has met that was kind to her, so she has attached herself to him. Dustin is in constant protective mode with her, and he doesn’t leave her side when the counselor from the department tries to meet with her. I think Teryn wants to talk to the counselor, but not in front of Dustin, and she doesn’t want to send him away in fear of making him angry. It is definitely an unjust fear, but she doesn’t know any differently. Again, they take this to heart and think they can help her and get Dustin to see the error of his ways. Good luck with that.
The question is will they end up together? I wish, but I don’t know if that is in the cards for them. I explain that because of how Teryn was raised and abused, it doesn’t look good. She has to be strong on her own before tacking on a relationship, and I don’t know if Dustin is going to let her grow. He is constantly hovering. I can’t blame him because I am the same way with Cambree, but she didn’t have the same upbringing. I explain some of my interactions with her so they can see how socially inept she is. That isn’t a bad thing, but she has never been in a social situation. Dustin can’t look at the big picture because he is emotionally invested in this and wants to protect her, but he is hurting her by doing that. Hopefully, and all the girls agree, if anyone can get through to him it will be Brielle, and then he will have his family to help him cope. I don’t know that Teryn can be healed, and that sucks for everyone involved. I just tell them to brace themselves.
I call Camy to see if she wants to grab dinner and stay at my house tonight. She said she was going to the shelter to pick out her dog after her class at the gym today. I think she needs to hold off on getting a dog, but she won’t budge about that. I can usually get her to see reason, but she is fucking dog crazy and I don’t even know why if all she has to go on is Brielle’s pain in the ass dog. I swear that dog hates you if you don’t have a vagina. I just about get into a turf war over my girl every time we are at Brielle’s. Colby agrees and hates the dog, but he won’t dare say anything in front of his wife. Pussy.
When she answers I can tell something is off by her tone. “What’s wrong? You sound off.”
“Nothing, just running around, and the other girls have called an impromptu dinner, so trying to hurry up.”
“You sure? Did you find a dog?” Why the hell did I just encourage that?
“No, I will have to go another time. Just too much came up today.” She sounds rushed, trying to get off the phone with me.
“What time you done with them? Want me to wait at the farmhouse or you coming to my house?” I can’t wait for her to move in to her house this weekend and soon it will be ours. We have talked about it but made no firm decisions. I have the lease on my house for another two months, so we have time.
When she doesn’t answer right away, I think I may have lost her call. “Well, it will be late. Just go home, and if I get done at a decent time I will let you know.”
“It doesn’t matter what time it is. I can just wait with the guys if that is easier.”
“NO!” Why is she so against me being with the guys tonight? “I mean, Brielle mentioned something about us staying over, doing girl stuff, so I may be all night.” That is all she had to say. Damn.
“Okay. Let me know one way or another. Love you.” I disconnect. I get back to searching for loop holes in this case. I love being a cop, but paperwork blows. Before I realize it, my stomach lets me know it is after six, and I need to eat. I call Camy to see where she is in her plans, and I get her voicemail right away. I have told her about charging that damn phone and to never turn it off. I dial Mitch to see if he knows their plans since Kayleigh is with them.
“Hey, did Kayleigh tell you what time they would finish up tonight?”
“Huh?”
“Girl’s night. Camy mentioned something about them all staying at Brielle’s, but I didn’t think you would go for that with Lukas.”
“Kayleigh is sitting right here with me, I don’t know what you are talking about.” I hear him cover up the phone and ask
her if she had plans.
“Hey Max, there was no girl’s night that I know of, unless it was the sisters only,” Kayleigh tells me. Hmmm, they never do anything without telling or including Kayleigh, so something doesn’t sound right here.
“Thanks,” I tell her and hang up. I call Camy’s cell again, and it goes right to voicemail. It was right after noon when I talked to her last time. I call the farmhouse and get Amelia. “Hey Amelia, its Max. Are Cambree or the other girls around?”
“Nope, they left around one o’clock,” she answers.
“All of them?”
“Yes, once Colby’s parents got here, they loaded up the car and left for the airport.”
“Are Colby and Tyler around?”
“I haven’t seen them.” That is my next call. Fuck it, I am about five minutes away, I will just drive over. In that five minutes I dialed her cell probably eleven times.
I pull into Brielle’s driveway and notice Colby and Tyler outside fucking around with the four-wheelers. I walk up to them, “Where are the girls?”
Colby and Tyler look at me. “Farmhouse with the kids, baking and having sister time,” Tyler answers.
“Wrong answer. Where are they?” My gut is in knots, and their run-around is pissing me off.
“Chill, dude. They all took the kids over there about noon or so, we just got back from the track riding, and the note Brielle left said they were staying there with the kids.”
“Your parents are at the farmhouse, and Amelia informed me they loaded their car with suitcases and left around one o’clock. Cambree told me they were having girl’s night, probably staying here, Kayleigh knew nothing about it, and so you may want to help me figure out what the fuck is going on.”
Colby pulls his cell out and calls Brielle. Right to voicemail. Tyler does the same. Next call they make is to the farmhouse. Colby isn’t happy about what he just heard. “You have got to be shitting me? You were okay with this, and them keeping it from us? Oh, that part you didn’t know about. No, you have done enough, just bring me my kids.” That one-sided conversation I heard wasn’t promising.
“Apparently our women got tired of waiting on the case to move forward, they roped my parents into coming down and helping with the kids until they get back tomorrow without telling them we had no clue. They fucking flew to Florida to present a united front and try and talk to their father and the DA into expediting the trial. They want their dad to drop his support so Brent will be in a jail cell, and Dustin can come home, and Teryn can get the help she needs.” Please, tell me I didn’t hear that right. This is not happening. I immediately call Mitch and inform him so he can call his old chief in Florida and warn him and get some back-up. I call the station and get the desk clerk to run some information for me.
“Well their flight left Knoxville at 2:30 and arrived in Tallahassee at 5:15; it is now 6:45 so that means they have had just enough time to reach their parents’ house. None of their cell phones are on, so Mitch is calling in reinforcements.” I swear, when she gets her ass back here safe and sound, I will lock her in the house every single time I leave her alone. After I tan her hide. I am not even twenty-three yet, and getting there with no gray hair, high blood pressure, or an ulcer isn’t looking very promising if I keep Camy in my life. Massaging my temples and pressing my fingers in my eyes until I gouge them out isn’t helping the throbbing behind them.
“What were they thinking?” Tyler asks in general. What a redundant question, because it is clear they weren’t thinking. At all.
“I get it, really, I get their frustration, but why they think they can put on capes and earn super powers, then go fight off crime I will never understand. Especially my wife, what if she runs into that asshole? She can’t handle that on her own.” I know Colby is about to lose his shit, and I can’t blame him. Brent wasn’t the one who actually put a hand on Cambree, just ordered it, but what Brent did to Brielle, and all she has been through to get over it. Hell, he about made her comatose with just seeing him last year.
“Calm down, let’s wait to hear from Mitch, then we will get a plan of action together.” It is like someone is watching down on me. My phone rings at that moment. I listen to what Mitch tells me; he lets me know his ETA is about fifteen minutes and hangs up.
“Mitch says they were intercepted leaving their parents’ house. I don’t know how things went, but none of them are happy they got ‘busted so fast’ . . . their words. They are being escorted back to the airport and will be home around 11:45 tonight.” And I plan to be there to greet them. “I can see we are in agreement, we will all meet them, but separate cars. They seem to have the uncanny ability to turn shit around and use it to their advantage, so we need to divide and conquer.” As mad as I am, when their lips turn up into a smile, I grin back.
“Ah, fast learner,” Colby tells me. I just nod, hell yes being observant and applying what you learn is the only way to survive. Like I told Cambree, not even kind of fucking normal lives here.
Later that night . . .
To say they were surprised when they saw us all standing waiting for them at the airport, was an understatement. But I was surprised when my sassy girl spoke first, “Be pissed all you want . . . we had to do something, and you Neanderthals wouldn’t have listened to our plan, so we executed it. I don’t know if it worked or not, but we had to do something.” If I wasn’t so damn mad at her she would have been adorable throwing her attitude while flinging her hair behind her shoulder and jutting her hip out. Nope, she was still adorable, but I was more pissed off. Not a word is spoken by any of the guys. We each grab our woman’s hand and lead them to separate vehicles.
I hear Brielle, “Whose idea was it to separate us?” Colby tells her it was mine.
“You just upped the ante. I let it go when you said ‘challenge accepted,’ but you just started a war.” She is steadily yelling at me the whole time Colby is trying to put her in the car. That man gets sainthood.
I get in the car, and before she can start talking, I cut her off, “Not a word until we get to my house. I am pissed, I was scared to death, and I need to drive.”
“I don’t want to go to your house, I want to go home. I can ride with one of them.” Does she ever listen?
“Hush, Cambree. I mean it. You aren’t going home, you aren’t riding with anyone, and you aren’t fucking listening to me. Not a word.”
“I am pretty sure I just left my father in Florida, and I don’t need another one. You telling me what I will do and what I won’t do doesn’t work. You have no reason to be pissed at me, I don’t need your permission to board a plane.” Oh, she is full of herself.
“I am not your father, and don’t ever compare me to that man again. I was worried sick, and you did do something wrong . . . you lied to me. Unless your girl’s night spontaneously turned into plane hopping and visiting long lost relatives who haven’t given a fuck about your life before tonight. And before you try and use that excuse, I know that isn’t what happened. So until we get to my house, not a damn word.”
Finally, she shuts her mouth. Her indignation is still there, and I can’t get over that. How does she think anything about this is okay? Before I can think too much about it, my phone rings. It is Colby. What can he possibly say to me now?
“Hello.”
“Tyler just reminded me to let you know when they are backed into a corner and know what they did wasn’t the best thing, they won’t back down. They will throw attitude, insults, and a fucking fit. It is a defense. If that is what Cambree is doing, she is following Addison and Brielle’s lead, and that means she also knows she was wrong. It won’t stop them from another hare-brained scheme at another time, but at least with this one, she gets she was wrong, but good luck getting her to admit it. And I can’t believe I am about to say this, but I will tell you . . . the ‘I’m sorry’ sex, will fucking blow your mind. It almost makes me pray for some fucked-up stunt on a regular basis.” He hangs up.
I glance over at her, yep she i
s still acting pissed off, and she is throwing quite an attitude. We drive in silence on the way home, and I am running all the conversations through my mind. End result is that she is safe, but just thinking of something happening to her is enough to bring the anger back. I know it is anger bred from fear, but I am still pissed.
Letting us in the house, I take her suitcase. “Anything to say to me?” I ask her.
“You are a douche canoe?” she asks sweetly. Yep, she knows she is wrong.
“I would settle for an ‘I’m sorry.’ Fine, you felt you had to do this, it was wrong and dangerous, but I am not trying to take your choices away, no matter how dumb they are.” Before I can continue, she stomps to the other side of the room and pulls her phone out. I grab it from her before she can dial.
“Give me my phone. You are not going to stand here and call me dumb and expect me to agree with it or listen to it. You can take your self-righteous self . . .” I slam my mouth against hers before she gets another word out. For many reasons, I know what she was about to say was going to piss me off. I wanted to shut her up so she would listen to me, and she was just plain-ass sexy with that speech and attitude. I am so pissed off and turned on at the same time. I am pretty sure once she gets done listening to me we won’t make it to a flat surface before I have her.
I pull back. “I wasn’t calling you dumb, your choices, yes, but never you. What I was going to say before you went off on me was, I was worried. I had no clue where you were, and you did lie to me. I thought we had gotten past all the not sharing and lying parts. You did what you did, but there were other ways to go about it without lying to any of us. That is what I wanted to say.” I see her defenses melt away.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers against my lips.
“Yeah, you wanna show me how sorry you are. There are a lot of offenses to apologize for.” She smirks at me.
Parker Sibling Series Box Set Page 50
