This Family of Ours (Raine #6)

by Amanda Bennett

  “Shut up, Joey. I really don’t need your asinine comments. I’ve got a wife that’s pregnant and already on edge, in a confined room with her father that abandoned her as a small girl. She doesn’t need this shit right now. Not after everything that just happened.”

  And suddenly I felt like a complete and utter asshole. “Sorry, man. I spaced that part out to be perfectly honest.”

  “It’s cool.” He shook his head. “Our lives lately just feel unreal. The things that happen to all of us, it’s like something out of a god damn movie.”

  “You got that right.” I laughed.

  “Seriously though, how did we all get here? I feel like it was just yesterday that I met Kayla, and the most drama we were dealin’ with was you tryin’ to steal my girl, and me headin’ off to college. Now I’ve made that girl my fiancé, I’ve travelled the world with my band, and I’ve got an amazing little girl at home and a little boy on the way.” He shook his head as if he wasn’t happy with how his life was goin’.

  “Madi, you doin’ ok?” I stood and made my way over to the chair next to him. “What’s goin’ on, man?”

  “I don’t fuckin’ know, Jo. It seems like as soon I think I’ve got my shit figured out, somethin’ else happens to make me question it all over again. I feel responsible for the kidnapping. I feel responsible for the way she feels since the kidnapping. I feel responsible for draggin’ her into a life that she never asked to live.” Madison dropped his head into his hands as he let out an aggravated groan.

  “I completely get where you’re coming from. I feel the same way about this whole thing with Diem. If she’d never met me, this shit wouldn’t have happened to her. Sometimes I wonder if I should just give up my career, and go back to livin’ a normal life in Abernathy.”

  Both Madison and Glenn’s heads whipped around so fast, “What the hell are you talkin’ about Joey Green? It has been your dream since you were knee high to a grasshopper to play professional ball. Sure it comes with some fucked up shit, but you can’t give up on it just because some bad shit has happened recently. I’ve seen you play ball my entire life. You were born to do this.”

  “I appreciate it, big brother, but shouldn’t I take all of this as a sign?”

  “A sign of what? That there’s some crazy ass paparazzi out there. Why don’t you look at this the way it should be looked at? You need to call the cops and go after this prick. That’s how you fight back, not by quittin’ the NFL.”

  “And we’ll help you with whatever you need. Diem is family, and we never let family fight alone. Hell, she helped take care of Tanya, it’s the least we can do.”

  “Thanks, Madison. Dare I say, you’re a good guy.” I laughed.

  “The best.” He joked as he flung his feet up on the small coffee table, as he put his hands behind his head.

  I shook my head in amusement. “I swear if your ego gets any bigger, we’ll never be able to get you out the door.”

  “Oh please, you’re one to talk.” He joked.

  “So, not to change the subject off of Madison and his ego, but speakin’ of your fiancé, when are y’all actually goin’ to tie the knot?”

  Madison’s face went bright white, lookin’ like he was about to pass out.

  “Uh, are you doin’ ok over there?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, you look real fine.” I laughed. “What is it?”

  “It’s all this wedding stuff. Fuck, man. I know I want to spend the rest of my life with Kayla, but the wedding planning is overwhelming. Makes me question if that’s what I really want. Why can’t we just go down to the courthouse and call it good?”

  My mouth dropped open in shock, “You better hope she never hears those words come out of your mouth. If I can give you some advice when it comes to your fiancé?”

  “Please don’t.” He groaned.

  “Trust me, you want to hear this. The main reason Kayla wants the big country wedding, is because she views y’all’s relationship like she sees her grandparents’. She’s never really had anything to call her own in this life, but your wedding, and your marriage, is something that is hers. It’s somethin’ that nobody can take away from her. Man, I know that piece of paper doesn’t mean much to you or anybody else-“

  “Hey, that paper means somethin’ to me and Cam.”

  I held up my hand, “Not the point, Glenda. Like I was sayin’, that piece of paper symbolizes that you won’t abandon her. That no matter what happens from that day forward, she can always count on you to be there.” I could tell that what I was sayin’ was actually hittin’ home with him, but he made no attempt to respond to anything I had just said. All that mattered now was that the information was out there. I just hope KJ wasn’t goin’ to kick my ass for sayin’ anything to him.

  We had been sittin’ in silence for about an hour when Madison finally spoke again.

  “Thank you, Jo. Honestly. I think I finally understand it now, and better than that, I think I’m finally ok with it. It’s like the fear of it all just dissipated. Who would’ve thought that it would take Josephine Green to talk me off the ledge?”

  We all shared a good hearty laugh, and then Cami, who was just fast asleep, was suddenly awake and reachin’ for Glenn’s hand.

  “Babe, can we please go back to the hotel. I’m exhausted. and these chairs aren’t the most comfortable things for a pregnant girl to sleep on.”

  “Of course we can.” Glenn stood, givin’ us all a hug before Cami and him headed out. “Call us if anything changes.” He shouted as they turned the corner.

  Troy had left about an hour ago, promising that she’d be back later to spend more time with Diem. As for Madison and myself, we now found ourselves bored out of our minds. There was seriously absolutely nothin’ to do in this damn hospital. I was scrollin’ through the newsfeed on my phone, when Madison cleared his throat.

  “So, when is your next game? Don’t y’all play this Saturday?”

  “Yeah, about that.”

  “Holy shit, Jo. You didn’t quit already did you?”

  I gave Madison a cross look, “Hell no. I spoke with my coach earlier, and he said I could miss this game. I gotta fly out to Phoenix on Thursday though, for our last preseason game. Regular season is right around the corner.”

  “Does it ever get old, travelin’ and playin’?”

  “Never.” I looked over at Madison, who now had a forlorn look on his face. “You miss it, don’t you?”

  “Every single goddamn day. Don’t get me wrong, I love bein’ at home with my girls. I get to see Mia growin’ and reachin’ new milestones every day, and I get to see Kayla grow every day.” He laughed. “Don’t ever tell her I said it like that.”

  “I make no promises.” I joked.

  “Ha ha. I miss the rush of it all the most. When you’re standin’ backstage listenin’ to the roar of the crowd as they wait for you to go on stage. It’s a feelin’ I’m sure you’re all too familiar with.”

  “I get it, man. I really do. It most definitely is an indescribable feelin’. I think that would be what I would miss the most. I love the game too though. It’s hard to think of what my life may be one day when I can no longer play.”

  “You’d be a married man with lots of kids runnin’ around, on some land out by all of us, duh.”

  A wide smile spread across my face as I tried to envision what Madison was sayin’. It was picture perfect in my mind, and I almost couldn’t wait to start that kind of life.

  “You guys talked about marriage at all?”

  I was in disbelief that I was actually havin’ this conversation with Madison Raine. Of all the people I imagined havin’ this conversation with, he wasn’t at the top of the list. He wasn’t even on the list if I’m being honest. But this was nice. “We have a bit.” A sudden pang of guilt hit me for not just tellin’ him the truth, but I hadn’t even told me family yet. Ah hell, what have I got to lose? “I’m actually goin’ to ask her soon. Bought the ring and everything
already.”

  “No fuckin’ way, man. That’s awesome.” Madison punched me in the shoulder unexpectedly, “I’m really happy for you, Jo. You deserve to be happy.”

  “Thanks, Madison. That means a lot comin’ from you.” And just like that, Madison and I started bonding. Hell must’ve froze over.

  Chapter 52

  Diem

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Kayla. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night.”

  “Me too, and you’re welcome.” Kayla then turned to me, wrapping me tightly in her arms. “Get some rest, sis. I will be back later to see you.”

  “Sounds good. Thanks again for coming all this way.”

  “Anytime.” She winked. “I’ll see you tonight, Cliff.” Dad simply nodded in agreement, and then Kayla disappeared behind the closed door.

  Dad was suddenly at my side, getting in his hugs just like all the rest. “I’m so glad my baby girl is safe. You gave your dear old dad a heart attack.”

  “And I’m sure you gave Joey a rash of grief when he called to tell you.”

  Dad bowed his head in shame, “I may have told him this was all his fault.”

  “Daddy! You didn’t?”

  “I did. I was upset, he had just called to tell me that my baby girl was in a horrific car accident, and that I needed to get here as soon as I could. It’s a natural reaction for a father to blame others before knowing the truth.”

  “If only you would’ve come running when your other daughter was kidnapped and beaten while pregnant. I’m so disappointed in you, Daddy.”

  “I’m disappointed in myself as well, Diem. And in my defense, I had absolutely no idea what happened to Kayla. Who are these people that you hang out with? Getting kidnapped?”

  “Really Daddy? That’s the reaction you’re having to what I said? You didn’t even ask if your own daughter was ok, or why she was kidnapped. You know, the usual questions concerned parents ask. I can’t believe you right now. You need to leave, now.”

  “Diem, no. I’m sorry. You’re my number one concern right now.”

  “And that’s the problem. Both of your daughters should be your number one concern. I don’t know the man in front of me right now, and I want you to go…NOW!”

  “Diem?”

  “I believe she asked you to leave.” Joey was standing menacingly in the doorway, and I had never been so grateful in my life.

  “Fine.” Daddy went huffing out of the room, and I shook my head in disgust.

  “You ok, love?”

  “No.” I half shouted. “I don’t know why I thought he would actually be different and make an effort. It boggles my mind that he can’t stop being a wanker. It’s like he doesn’t even care about his own daughter. He kept saying that I’m is first concern, even though he just found out that his oldest daughter was kidnapped while pregnant. I swear.”

  “I’m sorry, my love. I can’t believe he’s that selfish.”

  “I guess the only positive thing to come out of this is that Kayla and him will be meeting up tonight to talk.”

  “You seriously think that’s a positive thing? After what you just told me, I can only picture that meeting to be a disaster.”

  I was patting the bed, hoping Joey would take the hint and come sit down, but now he was pacing around the room like a lunatic. “Why are you so upset? I thought that’s what you wanted?”

  “It is, but come on, Diem. It’s almost like you’re setting them up for failure.”

  “Bollocks. I made sure to go out of my way, even after what happened last night, to do this for you. I know you want this for them just as much as I do. She’s going to be married soon, and I for one feel like her father should be there.”

  Joey let out an exaggerated aggravated sigh, “you have no idea what you’ve just done. I can’t believe you think this is ok.”

  “I’m sorry, Jo.” He glanced up at me with those piercing eyes, and I could no longer be mad at him.

  “So...I need to ask you a question.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Diem, I need you to tell me exactly what happened, and then I need you to tell the police so we can go after this asshole.”

  “I knew you were going to ask me that. Jo, I don’t think we should pursue this. What if he retaliates?”

  “I was going to talk to you about that actually. I want to hire a driver for you. He’ll also double as security, but I think after all of this, you need it.”

  “Joey, I don’t want to be treated like a toddler.”

  “And I understand and respect that, baby.” He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. “If anything else were to happen to you, or something even more serious, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Now tell me what happened last night.”

  I took in a deep cleansing breath before laying it all out for Joey. I told him every last detail, and as I was telling him about how I was able to call him, I quite literally lost it. Tears began to stream steadily down my face as I remembered the feeling of thinking I would be away from him for forever. All I could do was tuck myself into his body as his strong arms comforted me in a way I never thought possible.

  “Did you see who it was?”

  I nodded against his shoulder as I tried to dry my tears, “It was that paparazzi guy, Thomas. I saw him clear as day.”

  Joey tensed under my touch as I answered him. “That son of a bitch. I’m gonna kill him.”

  I pushed myself into a sitting position, taking Joey’s face in my hand, “You have far too much to lose. I’ll tell the police everything I know. Let them do their job. Please, Joey.” He nodded against my hand as he pushed his cheek against my palm, letting his eyes flutter shut. I placed a long soothing kiss against his lips. “Promise?”

  “I promise.” His eyes were still closed as I pulled back away from our kiss, and my heart melted in my chest. This man was far more than I could have ever asked for in this life, and I was beyond grateful to call him mine.

  ~~~

  The police arrived a short while later. I reiterated everything I had told Joey, and made sure to tell them that Thomas had been following me for about a week now. I told them all about the place I followed him to, and how I saw the pictures he had developed. After an hour or more of endless questioning I was beyond exhausted, physically and emotionally.

  “Well Miss Reynolds, I believe that’s all the questions we have for now. If you think of anything else that may be pertinent to the case, please feel free to reach out.” The officer handed me his business card, and then all of them were magically gone. I let my head fall back against the bed as my eyes slowly closed.

  “I’m gonna let you get some sleep, love. I have a few things I need to go grab from my house. Do you want me to go by your place and grab anything for you?”

  Without opening my eyes, I responded in a hushed tone. “No, babe. Troy is coming up later and bringing me some things from the house. Thank you though.”

  “Of course. I’ll be back in just a little bit.” His lips fell to my forehead, placing a gentle kiss to my temple as I slipped further and further into sleep, and before I knew it, I was lulled into a dreamless rest.

  Chapter 53

  Joey

  I was just gettin’ to the hospital as the doctor was finishin’ up his discharge instructions for Diem. I was taken aback at how soon they were lettin’ her go, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. She was doing fantastically well, given all that she has on her plate at the moment, but I was still worried whether or not she was well enough to go home just yet.

  “Well, remember to take it easy, and to call if you have any concerns or questions. I’ll see you in about a month, so we can check your progress. Be careful going home you two.” The doctor turned and shook my hand just before exiting Diem’s room, and closin’ the door behind him.

  I slowly made my way over to Diem’s bedside. “Hey there gorgeous. I didn’t know they were sendin’ you home so soon?”

 
“Yeah, he said everything looks great. My vitals are normal, and all my blood tests came back brilliantly. I’m so excited.”

  “Me too.” I muttered as I pulled her into my arms.

  A couple hours later, I was helpin’ Diem up in my truck and headin’ in the direction of her house. Of course I was goin’ to be stayin’ with her until I left for our away game in Arizona, but I was havin’ a hard time comin’ to grips with the fact that I actually had to leave. I knew Troy would take great care of her, but it still didn’t make it any easier for me. We were just about to Diem’s house when I heard a loud yelp next to me. I slammed on the brakes, causin’ my truck to skid to an abrupt stop. I turned towards Diem expecting the worst.

  “What is it? Did you hurt your collarbone?”

  “No, no, no. Oh my god.”

  Before I could ask anything else, she was holdin’ up her phone for me to see what she was lookin’ at. “What the hell?” I snatched her phone out of her hand so fast.

  “How? How did this happen?”

  My hand began to shake as I took in the sight of the picture that had been blasted all over the internet of Diem fast asleep in her hospital room. “I’m callin’ my lawyer.” I tossed her phone back at her as I reached into my front jean pocket and pulled out my phone. I tapped my lawyer’s name in my phone, and then put the truck back in drive as I waited for him to answer.

  “Joey, I’ve been waiting for your call.”

  “I’m sure you have been, Robert.” I fumed.

  “I’m assuming you’ve seen the photo?”

  “Why else would I be callin’ you?” Anger laced every single word I spoke.

  “I’m already trying to get them taken down. As soon as we find out who took them, we will sue.”

  “You bet your ass we’re suin’. And I already know who took them. The same guy that I want to go after for causin’ my girlfriend to crash into the cement barrier on the freeway. You better take care of this, Robert. That’s what I pay you for, and if you can’t, I’ll be sure to find a lawyer that’s competent enough to do so.”