“Yeah? Who was it?”
She shrugs, “I don’t know. He didn’t say his name, but it was very creepy.”
“Okay. Explain.” She starts telling me about the man and what he said.
I stand up. “Motherfucker!”
She jerks. “Clay, are you in some kind of trouble?”
I shake my head. “No. Well, maybe. It really has nothing to do with me.”
She looks at me, obviously confused. “Huh?”
I sigh, she knows more than anyone else about my past, so I should just tell her. “I just got back from Ft. Walton, I had to meet with an attorney about some of my parents’ estate that I had no idea about. I guess none of it came into play until I turned twenty-five.”
She nods. “And your birthday is next week. So what do these people want?”
I lay my head back on her couch. “If I was taking a stab in the dark, they want me to pay off my dad’s debt to them. The money is from some investments that my dad made with their money, or money he stole from them. I’ve never been sure how that all went down.”
She sits back on the couch, mimicking me. “I knew that guy gave me the creeps, he was just cold. I think you need to tell the guys what’s going on. These people could kill you.”
“I’ll tell you what. You tell me what’s going on with you, and I’ll talk to the guys.” I look at her with my no-bullshit face.
“I started having some of the same symptoms as pregnancy and I was really worried. It was not long after Gia came out and said she was pregnant. But emotionally, I was a wreck. My first date with Gavin was to the hospital gala. I fell apart that night. My hormones were all over the place. He did some testing and I thought for sure I was going to be making your life double hell, but that wasn’t it.”
If she tells me she has cancer, I may fall apart right here. I love this girl too much to lose her. Holy shit, I love her.
“Firecracker, you’re scaring me.”
“I have endometriosis. They say that the doctor who treated me when I had the miscarriage should’ve done a D&C. The resident who treated me thought that I should be fine, but I guess I had a mild case of endometriosis back then. I guess the scar tissue that developed from the lack of care caused it to go into overdrive. I’ve had some cysts come up that have thrown my hormones out of whack and some discomfort at the same time. So it just kinda snowballed all at once,” she says quietly.
“So does this mean you’re at a risk for cancer? What is endo- whatever?”
“Well, possibly, but not highly likely. It’s where tissue builds up over our female crap and causes a ton more problems. Trust me, it’s more than you want me to explain. Although without treatment, I may never have kids. With treatment, I might not have kids. It’s all been highly emotional for me. You’re the first person besides Gavin I’ve told. Well, I guess you could really say you’re the only person I’ve told because in reality, Gavin told me.” She quickly wipes a tear from her eye. Fuck, he was there for her and I wasn’t. “I went from being scared to death that I was pregnant again, to being scared that I may never get pregnant.” She shakes her head. “I have to talk to my sister about it.” She snorts. “She’s pretty sure I’m pregnant, thanks to you.”
I make a frowned face. “Sorry. I was really freaking out the other night, plus I was a little drunk.”
She pulls her feet up under herself on the couch. “So what are you going to do about the other situation?”
“I’m gonna talk to the guys. I don’t need this to blow back on them. They’ve worked too hard to have the careers and the families they have. They don’t need old bullshit from my past to mess it up.” Fuck, they’re probably already watching all of us. I have to protect my Firecracker.
She nods. “Okay, what do you say we call the guys over here? Better yet, let’s go to Huck’s and call everyone there. I need to get some baby snuggles.”
I stand up from the couch. “All right, let’s go.”
I’m going to get her back, I’m gonna prove to her that I’m worth it. But it concerns me that they came to her in the first place. That means they have people watching my every move already. I have to convince her to stay with me, to be with me, for more than just her safety.
CHAPTER 20
JADE
Sitting in Huck’s living room with everyone staring at us isn’t exactly how I intended to spend my evening. My sister is actually crying because Clay just told them about his parents’ murders. I could tell it really bothered him to share the details. He’s never been one to talk about it, but it was almost like he removed himself from the conversation. He just seemed so far away when he was speaking. It makes my heart hurt for him and it hurts that his parents never got to see the man he’s become. Everyone knew that his parents were dead, they just didn’t know how they got that way. Then when he told them about the guy approaching me, everyone’s facial expressions went stiff, like guard dogs on alert.
Lox shakes his head. “Damn, man. I’m-. I-. Fuck. I don’t know what to say. That’s some crazy shit. I know we need to do something, I’m just not sure what that is yet.”
Sloan just stands up and hugs him. They all left Krista, Lincoln and Slick with Elaine and I’m currently holding a sleeping Harm. He’s such a good baby.
Finally, my sister looks across the room to me with a smirk. I knew she was going to say something. She never has been one to hold her tongue. “Well, is there something else you need to share with us? You’ve been avoiding all of us like the damn plague.”
I swallow hard. “Um. Well.” I wipe a tear from the edge of my eye while I look down at Harm.
Gibbs sticks his hand up, rushing to defend me. “It’s not what you guys are thinking. I know because of my big mouth everyone thinks she’s pregnant. She’s not, I jumped to some conclusions due to the fucked up mess that I was going through. When she gets ready to share, she will. I’m sorry that I even put her in this situation.”
I smile at him with tears in my eyes. That’s Clay for you, always trying to protect me. “It’s okay, Clay. I’ll try to explain everything to them.”
He speaks softly, “Firecracker, you don’t have to. Not if you aren’t ready.”
I shake my head again. “No, I need to.” I quietly try to communicate what I’ve been going through over the past few weeks. My sister is once again crying.
The guys look at me with a sadness. For these guys to be macho MMA fighters, they love babies, so the idea that someone may have to go without having one upsets them.
Huck rubs his hands over his face, then quickly sits forward, clapping his hands. The sound causes Harm to flinch in my arms. “Okay, this is all some heavy shit. We need to figure out what to do about the assholes from Mike’s.”
Lox nods, looking at Clay. “Yeah, we had dealings with those assholes a few years ago when we first got started. They were involved with a really big drug group around Pensacola. We almost got our asses shot in a bar over the shit. Not cool.”
Huck and Sly give each other a look and then Lox. He glares at them. “Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”
Those two start laughing and Sloan looks at them. “Is there something you two would like to share with the rest of the group?” she says, amused.
Lox stands up. “Fuck no! Come on, babe, we gotta go get the kids.” He turns and glares at the twins, then he looks at Clay. “Let me know what we need to do.” Clay nods as they leave. My sister is sitting across from me with a look on her face like you have some fucking explaining to do.
I let go of a deep breath. “Kara, I’m sorry. I know I should’ve talked to you sooner, I just wasn’t ready.”
She stands up. “You do this every time, Jade. Every fucking time something is wrong, you hide it from me and Mom.” She motions to Clay. “Every time, you turn to Gibbs first.”
“No, I didn’t turn to him. It all came out right before we got over here. Once again, it’s my personal business. If I can’t have kids then that’s my place to share when I’m ready,
and I wasn’t ready yet. So step off about it. If Clay hadn’t kind of forced my hand, I wouldn’t be talking about it now.”
Everyone is staring at me. I guess I didn’t realize how upset I was. I think I kind of went off.
Chelsea tries to break the tension. “So uh, Gibbs, do you think these guys are part of some cartel or something? I still have a few connections on both sides of that equation.”
I laugh at Chels’ words. Meaning she has cop friends and some cartel friends from her time in Miami. It’s weird, the guy she was seeing for almost six years was married. He was Russian and his wife was some kind of Latina woman. Weird part is she’s actually somewhat friends with his now ex-wife. The guy is in prison, it was this whole fucked up situation, but she’s with Huck now and deliriously happy. Which is kind of shocking because deliriously happy and Huck have never been in the same sentence. Huck’s always been hard to read and kind of a dick, but with Chelsea he just fits.
Clay shakes his head. “Thanks, Chels, I’ll let you know if I need you to pull out the big guns. They are part of, or well, they used to be part of a cartel that ran out of the Gulf Coast. Not sure now. I’m going to do some thinking and a little research.”
Harm whimpers in my arms. Chelsea stands up and gives Clay a look. “Get me the info, we can at least find out what they’ve been up to.” She steps over to me. “He probably needs to be changed and fed.”
“I can do it, if you want me to.” I need to get out of this room. It’s starting to feel like it’s closing in.
She grins. “How about you help me?”
I nod and follow her down the hall while Huck, Clay, Sly and my sister talk quietly. I’m sure part of it is about me, but I’m past the point of giving a shit tonight.
“Are they going to do some hormone therapy or something for the endometriosis?” Chelsea asks while she’s changing Harm.
“Yeah, they are changing up my pills now. It’s been pretty emotional. That’s really part of the reason I’ve tried to keep to myself until they get it regulated.” Which is very true. The other night I was yelling at my TV calling some guy in a movie a son of a bitch. Then in the next thirty minutes, I was balling my eyes out. Talk about emotional whiplash.
“You know, a lot of people who have that problem have kids. My mom’s friend had it for years while I was younger and she was trying to conceive. Plus, there are always different options other than the norm,” she says quietly. I know she’s trying to comfort me but give me privacy at the same time. Chelsea is just that way.
I nod. “Yeah, I know. It just makes me pissed all over again at that asshole, Brett. I’m pissed again at Gia. I am just pissed that I feel like so many options are being taken from me. You know?”
As she’s redressing the baby, she looks at me. “Yeah, you thought you were finished with school, you could start to gain some sense of normalcy and that life could really start. I remember. Funny thing is life has its own way of fucking up our plans.” She holds Harm tightly and smiles at him. “Yes it does. Yes it does. Huh, lil man?” she says in a baby voice. “This little guy right here and the total hottie in the living room are proof that it has a way of working out.”
“Thanks, Chels. I am sorry I kept everyone in the dark, but so much other shit was going on and now this.” I motion back down the hallway.
“Hey, you keep your head up. I thought my life was wasted and that moving home was the worst thing in the world, but I made a little bit of amends with my dad, my mom and I have made so much progress and I gained these two,” she finishes before leaving the room.
I sigh, thinking to myself. Maybe I’ll gain Gibbs in all of this.
CHAPTER 21
GIBBS
Huck leans toward me as soon as Jade is out of the room. Kara went to the bathroom as soon as the other two left, I’m sure to wipe her face. “You think you’ll be able to get a handle on this, brother? He tracked Jade to her work and she’s been avoiding you for a couple of months. It makes me wonder, just exactly how long have they been watching you?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing. I just need to think, I never thought I’d have to deal with this shit again.” I rub my hands over my face. “When she called me, I never would have dreamed that this was what she was calling me about. I was going to stay in Tallahassee tonight, catch a semi-pro hockey game. When she called me, I told her I’d be in tomorrow, but I could tell in her voice something was wrong. I knew she was scared. I’d only gotten a call like that from her one other time. I just knew she was going to tell me that I was going to be a dad. Honestly, as fucked up as it is, I was happy. When I showed up, I could see it in her eyes. She was terrified.” I shake my head. “I have to keep her with me or something. I know she’s gonna fight me on it, but I just can’t.” I drop my head into my hands with my elbows resting on my knees.
I hear footsteps coming in the room. “What’s wrong?” I hear Firecracker’s voice.
Sly grunts a little as he stands up. “Nothing, everything just hit him. The seriousness of it all got to him.”
I look up as Huck walks across the room to her. “You need to stay with someone until we sort this out. It would probably look less suspicious,” he gives a little shrug, “if you stayed with Gibbs. They must think you guys are together or something. Plus, I’m gonna say this and I’ll sound like an asshole I know, but the rest of us have small kids. We don’t need to draw attention to our homes.”
Kara goes to step forward and say something but she’s cut off by Sly. “Huck is right, babe. As much as I want to protect them, they’re both smart people. You’re pregnant and Princess is a bad ass toddler. We can talk to Jacob, see if he’s got a security guy we can trust. Get some extra shit set up at Gibbs’ house.”
Chelsea nods. “As much as I hate to agree, the guys are right.” She turns more to me. “I know a few guys who do systems, too. They need a system like the one at my parents. Each panel has a panic button that calls 911.”
Firecracker stomps forward. “I can’t live with Gibbs, I’m dating Gavin! I have a job and a life. I just got stuck being the messenger in all of this.”
Chelsea steps toward her. “No, honey, you were targeted. They must’ve been watching you for a while. These kind of people are calculated.”
“What am I going to tell Gavin? Oh sorry, some drug people are chasing Clay and they think he and I are together, so I have to live with him. Sorry.” She gives a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure that won’t go over well since Gia ran her fucking mouth about our past.”
“Damn it!” I yell, bolting up out of my chair. “Do you think I want this? I get it, you’ve moved on! You don’t have to keep throwing it in my face that I fucked it all up.”
It takes Sly stepping in between us for me to realize that we’ve basically moved into each other’s face. “Guys, chill out. Back up.” He motions for us to back apart. “Now, is this ideal for either of you? No. Do you two have some shit to work out between each other? Yes. Is this the best option though? Yes.” He backs up, shrugging, taking Kara’s hand and starting for the door.
Kara tugs back and let’s go to hug Jade. “I love you, little sister. Please do what the boys are asking. You know they only wanna do what’s right.”
Jade nods sadly. “Yeah. I know. It’s just really fucked up.”
~*~*~
I have to be in the middle of another wet dream. Firecracker standing in my kitchen in a pair of skimpy panties and a thin tank top is the kind of shit those dreams are made of.
The wood on my floor creaks as I step in the kitchen, startling her. “Shit!” Then she squats behind the island in my kitchen. “Fuck. Get out.”
“I’m not gonna get out. I just woke up and came in here to get something to drink. I’ll get that and go back to bed.” I reach in the fridge and drink some juice straight from the carton.
“Gross,” she barks.
“Hey, I guess I could come around over there and grab a glass,
but you’re over there huddled like a fifteen-year-old girl.” I shut the fridge back. “You act like I haven’t seen you in way less than that.”
“That’s not the point. You know, the only reason Gavin is going along with all of this is because we are supposed to just be roommates.”
“Fuck Gavin!” I prop back on the counter. “How do you go from casually dating him to the shithead being able to tell you what to do?”
“He’s not telling me what to do and yes, we are casual, but I’m trying to do right by him.”
I shove off the counter. “Do right by him? That’s bullshit. Did you ever think I might need you as my friend through all of this?”
“I’m here now!” she screams, slamming her hands on the counter
“No, you’ve made it perfectly clear that you’re stuck here now. Plus, I wasn’t even talking about this. I’m talking about the whole thing with Gia. I needed my friend and you took off and ignored me. Good thing I didn’t do that to you when you called me from Birmingham.”
She’s crying now and throws a roll of paper towels at me. “That’s not fair. Plus, you kind of did. When I told you I wasn’t ready to date back then, you blew me off.”
She goes to storm out of the kitchen but I stop her, snatching her into my chest. Burying her face in my chest, she sobs and I kiss the top of her hair. “I’m sorry, Firecracker. I shouldn’t have thrown that in your face. I’m a dick.”
“Yes, you are, but you’re right. You’re always there for me and I dropped the ball,” she mumbles into my chest.
“It’s okay. What are you doing up anyway?” I ask her as she pulls back a little.
“Getting ready for work. I have to be at the hospital by four-thirty today. We have a safety meeting. Ugh.” She groans. “I couldn’t do it without some of my own coffee. That crap they have at the cart is horrible.”
I laugh. “So you’re still a coffee snob, huh?”
Gaining Gibbs (Marco's MMA Boys #4) Page 9
