Tainted Love

by Stacy Claflin

  “Is that what you’re worried about?”

  “No. I’m just pointing it out. It’s you I’m worried about. You got detention and you keep hiding your arm. Now you’re mad at Braylon. What’s the matter?”

  The air felt like it was pressing in on her. Emma was probably telling the truth about being worried, but pointing everything out made everything seem worse.

  “I won’t tell anyone, no matter what it is. Did you meet someone else?”

  “No! It’s not like that. My family is royally screwed up, and it’s even worse than normal lately. I didn’t want Braylon to get involved, but he did. It wasn’t his place.”

  “Was he trying to help?”

  “Probably, but he did the opposite. And he didn’t even ask me what I thought. He just did what he thought was best, but he doesn’t know. He doesn’t!”

  Emma’s eyes widened with each word Ava spoke. “What did he do?”

  “He got someone arrested.”

  She covered her mouth with her free hand. “For real?”

  “Do I look like I’m kidding? I mean, the guy had it coming, but he’s going to get out. Then he’s going to hurt people.”

  “Is your family part of the mafia or something?”

  “My dad’s the police captain. Do you really think we’re in the mob?”

  Emma shrugged. “It’s kind of sounding like it, the way you’re describing it. Is the guy who got arrested going to kill people?”

  “He could.”

  “Really?”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me. Especially after being arrested. He always told me that if he went to jail because of me, I wouldn’t live to regret it.”

  Emma dropped the cone on the ground. Pink ice cream splattered on both of them.

  “Now do you see why I’m not speaking to Braylon?” Ava brushed the dessert off her pants.

  “Who is this guy? Is he a mob boss?”

  “I don’t know anyone in the mafia!”

  “Then who is he?”

  “Just some jerk I happen to be related to. Now I have to figure out what to do when he gets out. He’ll come after me now. That’s for sure.”

  “Can’t you get a restraining order to keep him away?”

  “Like a piece of paper is going to keep him from me. Plus, I’m not the only one he’s going to hurt. I have more to think about than just myself.”

  “Maybe Braylon can help.”

  “He’s already done enough.”

  “But does he know that turning that dangerous guy in made things worse for you?”

  Ava shook her head.

  “If you tell him exactly what’s going on—more than you’re telling me—he can do something to make it right.”

  “He can’t protect my family from a psychopath. Besides, I don’t want him ending up next on the hit list.”

  Emma straightened her back. “There’s an actual hit list? Like in the movies?”

  “In the fact that he has plans to hurt certain people, yeah there is a list.”

  “But the guy’s in jail, right?”

  Ava nodded. “For now.”

  “You think he might get out?”

  “People get out of jail all of the time.”

  “Even people like that?”

  Ava frowned. “Trust me. I know what I’m talking about. Things go wrong all the time. People like him have resources. If he knows someone with money, he just has to make a call, then one way or another he’ll find a way out. Lawyers, bail, who knows what else? They have ways.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “Keep as many people out of it as possible, which is why you can’t tell anyone about this.”

  Emma swallowed. “You think he’d come after me?”

  “If he thinks you might be dangerous.”

  “Me? Dangerous?”

  “If he thinks you’d rat him out. You know, like Braylon did—but it looks like I’m the one who told my dad.”

  Emma chewed on a nail. “Is it safe for you to be at school?”

  “Yeah. It’s fine.”

  “Even though…?” Emma’s voice trailed off and she looked around.

  “He’s in jail, right? What can he do to me?”

  “But you just said he can get out.”

  “And if he did, my dad would let me know right away. If he gets out, then I need to worry.”

  Emma turned back to her. “I’m worried now.”

  “You’re fine. He’s obsessed with me.” Ava felt bad being so vague, especially since Mason could potentially go after Emma like he’d threatened with Hanna. But even if he did that, it would only be to get Ava to do what he wanted. And she would, to protect her friends and family. It wasn’t their fault. She was the one he wanted.

  And she would face him. She’d been more than ready before Braylon had made things worse.

  “What are you going to do about Braylon?”

  Ava shrugged.

  “You aren’t going to break up with him, are you?”

  “That’s the last thing I want.”

  Emma met her gaze. “That’s not what I asked. Are you going to break up with him?”

  “I don’t want to, but if it comes down to keeping him safe, then yes, I will.”

  “Oh, Ava.” Emma took her hand.

  “As long as he stays in jail, there’s nothing to worry about.”

  Emma frowned.

  Ava didn’t believe it herself, either.

  Meeting

  Nick picked at his food, his mind miles away, his stomach twisting at the thought of eating.

  Genevieve rested a hand on his leg. “Everything okay?”

  He turned to her and tried to smile. “A lot on my mind.”

  “Understandable. Can I do anything?”

  “Just don’t take it personally that I’m barely eating the food you brought over.”

  She kissed his cheek. “Never.”

  He waited for the kids to finish eating, then he asked everyone to go to the living room before they scattered.

  Parker groaned. “Why?”

  “We’re going to have a quick family meeting.”

  Hanna jumped from her chair. “Yay! I love family meetings.”

  Parker muttered something under his breath.

  Nick glared at him.

  He didn’t apologize, but he trudged to the living room without another word.

  Once everyone was settled, Nick sat next to Genevieve and looked around at each of the kids individually. “We all know that becoming a family is going to take some adjustments. There’s a lot we haven’t talked about, and that’s why we’re here now—to open the gates of communication. We won’t be able to get through everything tonight, but we can at least start with whatever’s on the top of your mind.”

  “And nothing’s off limits,” Genevieve added. “This is a safe place to say exactly how you feel. Respectfully, of course.”

  Silence hung in the air. The kids looked around everywhere except at her and Nick.

  He gave it a few moments before speaking. “Really? Nobody has anything to say?”

  Genevieve put her hand on his. “I can start. It can be intimidating to be the first to speak up.”

  Nick relaxed a little. She was definitely handling this better than he was.

  She tucked her long black ponytail behind her back and took a deep breath. “I think we’re all a little nervous, or maybe I’m only thinking of myself. I’m a little nervous.”

  All the kids looked at her with varying degrees of surprised expressions.

  Genevieve smiled. “Today, I fought with an armed robber. Kicked the gun from his hand, struggled with him, then finally cuffed him—all while my partner was taking down another gunman. But you know what? My heart is pounding harder now than it was then. Really.”

  Hanna’s eyes were wide. Parker an
d Ava looked at her with respect. Tinsley swallowed.

  “As excited as we all are about the engagement,” Genevieve continued, “we still have questions. Concerns. Things are going to change, and none of us knows exactly what that means. There are still a lot of unknowns—will we all move into a new house, or will Tinsley and I come here? Will you have your own room? Someone else telling you what to do? What will it be like with all of us living under one roof? Are you wondering any of these things?”

  Hanna and Tinsley nodded, then so did Ava, and finally Parker.

  “I have a lot of questions, too. I can only imagine that you all have plenty of your own. Change is scary, even when it’s good. Even things we look forward to can cause stress and anxiety. Did you know most arguments happen around the holidays?”

  “Why?” Hanna asked. “That’s the best time of year.”

  “Because it’s a change of routine. People get anxious. There are expectations and unanswered questions. It makes people edgy.”

  “It’s true,” Parker said. “Mom and Dad used to fight more around Christmas.”

  Ava shoved him. “Don’t bring up Mom in front of Genevieve.”

  Nick started to say something, but Genevieve beat him to it.

  “It’s okay.” She nodded. “I don’t want any of you feeling like you can’t talk about her. She’s your mom, one of the most important people in your lives. I’m not threatened by that, nor am I going to try to replace her. I really believe you have enough room in your hearts for both of us, in different ways. If you want to talk about her, feel free to talk to me. I’m all ears.”

  “Really?” Parker studied her.

  “Yes. You can ask Tinsley. Even though I’ve adopted her, I’m not her only mom. She has two, and that’s just as it should be.” Genevieve turned to Tinsley. “Are you able to talk about your parents with me? To say anything you want?”

  Tinsley licked her lips and then nodded. “You just listen.”

  Genevieve smiled at her, then looked at the other kids. “I don’t want any awkwardness or hesitation. That’s not how I roll. If something’s on your mind, just say it. I’ve been through a lot—things that would undoubtedly surprise you—and I can be very understanding. Just give me the benefit of the doubt, and I’ll do the same for you. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out how we feel. Let’s work it out together, okay?”

  Nick’s heart swelled. This was going a hundred times better than he’d hoped. He’d been thinking about the meeting all day, but hadn’t come up with anything half as good as what Genevieve had just said. She really was exactly what he and the kids needed. Hopefully, they could be what she and Tinsley needed.

  “We can say anything?” Parker raised an eyebrow.

  “Respectfully, yes.” Genevieve nodded. “Is there something you want to say now?”

  He shrugged.

  “Think about it.” She turned to Ava. “What about you? Any questions for me? Or anyone else?”

  Ava glanced away. “I don’t know.”

  “That’s fine. If you guys want to talk to me alone, we can do that later. I’m more than happy to talk without an audience. That’s a little less intimidating.” She turned to Hanna. “Do you have any questions, sweetie?”

  “No. I can’t wait to be the flower girl!” She beamed.

  “Are the rest of us going to be in the ceremony?” Ava asked.

  Nick swallowed. That wasn’t something he and Genevieve had had time to discuss yet.

  She leaned forward. “Do you want to be?”

  Ava shrugged.

  “I’d be more than happy to have you and Tinsley as bridesmaids, but I’ll leave it up to you.”

  Nick looked at Parker. “And you can be one of my groomsmen. If you want to be.”

  The mood lightened almost immediately as everyone discussed the wedding. He didn’t care much about the ceremony itself, he was just relieved the meeting had gone so well.

  Then Ava glanced at her phone.

  His stomach knotted. “Is someone texting you?”

  Her expression tightened. “It’s just Braylon.”

  Nick didn’t respond.

  “It couldn’t be Mason, could it? He’s in jail.”

  “If you do hear from him, you need to tell me right away. Do you understand?”

  Ava’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded.

  Nick glanced around the living room—that Corrine had bought. Though she was in prison for life, so much of her still seeped in. Her influence was everywhere, weaving its way through everything in their lives.

  He cleared his throat. “How does everyone feel about starting our new family off with a new home? One that we all pick out together?”

  Parker’s eyes widened. “You’d let us pick out a house?”

  “Genevieve and I would have to approve, obviously. But yes, you can all have a say.”

  “I still want my own room,” Ava said.

  Nick turned to Tinsley and Hanna. “What do you two think?”

  Tinsley just nodded.

  Hanna leaned forward. “Can Tinsley and I share a room?”

  “If she wants to.”

  Hanna grabbed Tinsley’s hands. “Please?”

  Tinsley grinned and nodded.

  “Hurray!”

  Nick and Genevieve exchanged a pleased glance. Things were far from perfect, but at least they were getting better.

  Search

  Jess shoved aside toys and set her glass of wine on the coffee table before settling into the couch and finding a mindless show to stream while she got down to business. The kids had just fallen asleep, so she should have plenty of time.

  Canned laughter sounded from the TV as she grabbed her laptop. Jess glanced up and chuckled at the shenanigans on the screen. She’d seen that episode enough times to know exactly what was going on even though she’d missed the punchline.

  She sipped her drink as she checked her blog comments and emails. A few new haters made their way through, but she blocked them. Technology made her life so much easier. Made it possible to have her life the way it was, actually. Without the Internet, she couldn’t make a living blogging. She’d have to go somewhere for work.

  That thought sent a chill down her spine. It’d be much harder to raise the kids how she wanted. She’d either have to leave them home while she worked or send them to daycare or school. As it was, she didn’t have to do any of that. There was no legal paperwork linking the kids to her, so no truancy officers checking in on the kids who weren’t in school or registered for homeschooling.

  Jess just got to be a mom and take them wherever she wanted. They got to go where they wanted, when they wanted. It was the ideal life, really.

  Without the haters. And stupid hashtags directed at her.

  Which was why she needed to find her next baby as soon as possible. A baby would be the perfect distraction. People would leave her alone after that, for sure. They’d be so enamored by the newcomer that they’d grow to forget about all the drama. Assuming a new online scandal didn’t hit first. People were such sheep. In a month, everyone would forget all about her. Even Alexander would. He’d find some other kid to focus on. One that was actually in danger.

  She laughed at the antics on the television as she closed the tabs to her blog and email, then started her search for a baby. It was so easy, really. So many parents posted pictures of their kids publicly. Not only that, but they shared so much about their personal lives it made it easy for Jess to figure out how difficult it would be to snatch the baby.

  Some moms posted every little detail, making it so simple to find them. Every Monday was yoga—complete with selfies and humble brags about staying fit as a new mom.

  Before too long, she found a few about an hour away. If one didn’t work, she could easily go for one of the other two. If all went well, she’d only be gone from the house for a few hours. She didn’t like leaving
the kids alone, but at least Willow was getting older—she’d be eight soon—and she had a good handle on taking care of the other two. A few hours would be nothing. Willow often took care of the others for longer periods of time when Jess overslept. It was no big deal.

  She looked over the pictures of the babies, her heart warming. Soon, she’d be snuggling one of them. Introducing her kids to their newest brother or sister. She was going to try for a boy, but there were never any guarantees. The first two choices were boys but the third was a girl—a darling that looked so much like Daisy, they could actually be sisters. Maybe they would be. Might be for the best. If she brought home a boy, the haters might accuse her of replacing Connor.

  Her heart sunk at the thought of him. She tried to push the feelings away.

  It didn’t work this time. Usually, it did. Maybe because she was so close to having a new baby. Did her heart feel like she was replacing him?

  She wasn’t! It had been her plan all along to have a big family. Lots of kids, lots of love. All things she’d wanted growing up, but never had. And even better was the fact that she was able to achieve her dream without a man.

  It was almost enough for her to reach out to her dad, who said she’d never be anything without a man taking care of her.

  But Jess was dead to her parents. Even if she managed to become the queen of England, that wouldn’t impress them. They’d still tell her what a horrible person she was.

  She needed them like a fish needed a bicycle.

  They were dead to her, too.

  Jess minimized her browser and looked through photos of Connor. She smiled, laughed, and cried. She’d never missed anyone so much.

  But it wasn’t the time to focus on that. She made detailed notes so she’d be sure not to make a single misstep.

  Now it was a matter of getting a good night’s sleep so she would be at the top of her game the next day. There was no room for error. She was going to come home with a baby the next day, no matter what.

  Visit

  Alex’s pulse drummed in his ears. He and Nick were about to face Dave. The man who had abducted and violated Zoey. He’d thought he was ready but now questioned his sanity.