“Babe.” Nico stands in front of his wife, trying to calm her down.
“I'm sorry, Jessica. I didn't think. I just want her to get better.” Nicholas rubs his forehead, looking down to the marble floor of our kitchen.
“I need to go. I’ve got a shift. I’ll call Austin and Travis.” She storms out, leaving us all wondering what the hell just happened.
“I'd like to meet Dr. Fitzpatrick.” I look to Nico, who nods in agreement.
“Striker?” I hear Daria call.
“Shit, she's home early.” I rub my hand over my face, trying to think about how the hell I'm going to explain all this.
“Striker, we have three hours before Emily comes home, and around an hour before I have to be a milk machine for Evan. I hope you've had your protein bars and energy drinks because you're going to need it.”
“Jesus Christ. Do you two ever sit and just talk?” Nico mutters.
“Striker?” Daria walks in, and I notice her blouse has been unbuttoned halfway, obviously wanting to get right down to it. “W-what are you all doing here?”
“We're just leaving.” Nicholas clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable at the way Daria has walked in with her tits on show for everyone to see, and basically telling our whole family we're going to be screwing until Evan wakes up.
“Daddy?”
“Pumpkin, I'll call you later.” Nicholas kisses her cheek and leaves.
“Yeah, um, I'll be seeing you. I'll get that information.” Nico looks at me, telling me he's going to look into the Fitzpatrick guy. He hesitates in front of Daria. “Make sure there's no one in the room before you start flashing.”
“Thank God I didn't walk in naked.”
“Jesus Christ.” He shakes his head and leaves.
“I'll pick Emily up today,” Dad suggests.
“Barron, you don't have to do that.” Daria shakes her head.
“It's fine. It’s been a while since we had one on one time. Besides, I think you two need to talk.” Her eyes swing from Dad to meet my gaze. “I'll see you later, sweetheart,” he says before leaving.
“So, you wanna tell me why everyone is being weird?” Her questioning gaze narrows on me.
“Weird?” I collect the glasses from the table.
“Striker, I’m not stupid. I saw Jess when I pulled up, and she looked pissed.”
“I didn’t say you were stupid.” I start rinsing the cups out and place them in the dishwasher.
“Well?”
I look at her pleading eyes. “Fine, we’re discussing your Christmas presents.”
“I’d rather just have you tied to my bed all day and night, doing whatever I want to you.” Her eyes roam lazily down my body and she bites the corner of her lip.
“Babe, come on. I want to spoil you.” She walks over to me, her hand on my chest, sliding down farther until I catch it. “Baby, can we talk?”
“I’d rather not.” She reaches up to my neck and bites down. I step back out of reach. Her head jerks back, shocked I refused what she was offering. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Daria. I just want to talk.”
“When have you ever wanted to talk instead of screwing me?”
“I always want to talk, Dee. You just make it impossible sometimes and distract me.” She breezes past me, going into the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of wine. “Baby, what are you doing?”
“Having a drink before Evan wakes up.”
“And you think drinking with a baby in the house is the answer?”
“Are you questioning my parenting?” I walk over to where she’s sitting and try to take her hand in mine, but she snatches it away. “I’ll tell you what, you stay home and look after our seven-month-old son, and I’ll go out and do God knows what. How about that?” she shouts, standing and walking away.
“Daria!” I shout, walking behind her. “Stop.” She slams her car door and speeds off.
Shit.
I pull out my cell and dial Blair. “Blair, I need you to follow Daria.”
“Sure thing, boss. Where is she now?”
“I don’t know. Check all the bars and stay with her. Do not let her drive.”
“I’ll keep you updated.” He hangs up. I run my hand through my hair and pull in frustration. I hear Evan beginning to stir from his nap, and I run-up to his room, picking him up and cradling him against my chest, kissing his dark blonde head.
“Your mom is going to be the death of me, buddy.”
***
“There are three bottles made up in the fridge. I shouldn’t be late back. There’s plenty of food and drinks in the fridge for you, and here’s some cash if you want to order something.” I give Hannah instructions. Daria gave Hannah a nanny job last week to get her away from the clubhouse. She didn’t want her to be a whore; she’s eighteen. I wasn’t comfortable with her being there either. So, she offered her the job and our guest house to live in.
“Okay. I’ll be fine, Striker. Go do what you have to do.”
“Thanks, Hannah.”
Nico called not long after Daria ran out of here and said he had found out some intel on our doctor friend. I’m on my way there now to meet him at the doctor’s office. Every bar I pass on my way there, I want to go in and search for Daria and drag her home, but I don’t. I need to talk to this doctor about what he did to Daria years ago, and make him pay for it. Blair is with her, and I trust him one hundred percent. I approach a big glass building, a typical therapist building. I see Nico already there pacing like a caged animal. He wants to get his hands on this Dr. Fitzpatrick as much as I do.
“Hey,” Nico greets me outside the doctor’s office building.
“Let’s get this over with.” I sigh, walking past him towards the door.
“You all right, man?”
“Fine, just want this asshole to pay.” I press the buzzer.
“What did you tell Daria when you left?”
“Nothing.” My tone is clipped.
“You just left without a word?”
“No, I mean, she wasn’t there for me to say anything.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
He pulls my arm to look him in the eye. “Striker, what the fuck is going on?”
“Nico, just leave it. Ask Jess to get her brothers and Jake here tomorrow. We need this intervention to happen now. Otherwise, we’re going to lose her for good.”
I press the buzzer again. Someone is coming out of the building, so we sneak in and make our way to see the good doctor.
“You can’t go in there,” the receptionist says, startled by our presence.
“It’s okay. My brother here has an appointment.” I smirk, opening the door to find Doctor Asshole pounding a woman around Lauren’s age. “Well, well. I thought there were laws against patient and doctor relations?” The older woman squeals and Fitzpatrick pulls out his dick, covering it with some papers he had on his desk.
“Who are you?” he breathes out
“Depends on how you co-operate.” I open his filing cabinet. “You see, my brother here has some issues. Issues he can’t control, and he needs to let off some steam.”
“Denise, I’ll see you tomorrow.” My eyes land on the woman he was banging. She’s small, smaller than Daria, with dark hair and green eyes. She’s skinny, with a face full of Botox. I tilt my head a little, recognizing her from a news article that was on the wall of Daria’s bedroom beside her trophies.
“Denise? Denise Denver?”
“I haven’t been Denise Denver for years.” She sneers like the name Denver is dirty and she shouldn’t be associated with it.
“How is your daughter?”
“I don’t have a daughter. Never have.” She storms out, and I want to so badly go after her, but I have more pressing matters to attend to.
“So, Dr. Fitzpatrick. We need to talk about my brother's issues.” I step closer. Thankfully, he’s pulled up his pants, covering himself. “You see, he doesn’t
take too kindly to people messing with his sister, who, by the way, happens to be my wife and mother to my kids.”
“W-what? I- I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He backs up, trying to get away from me, but Nico is behind him.
“Sure, you do. I mean, it was fifteen years ago, so let me remind you. Fifteen, dark blonde hair, hazel eyes, small build, great ass and tits.” I feel all kinds of dirty talking about a fifteen-year-old like that, but I need him to say he remembers, or I can’t touch him. He stands a little taller and his chest puffs out when the realization seems to hit him. “You remember?”
“Daria.” He whispers her name like he’s remembering an old lover. “I was only doing what I was instructed. Denise, she told me to do it, and in return, my daughter would get into the best school.”
Nico leans into his ear, whispering in a menacing tone while he holds him back, but he tries to fight against him. “So, you filled a teenager's head with lies? What kind of sick bastard are you?”
“You breathe her name, even think of her, and I will come back and kill you, you understand me?” I pull him by the shirt, bringing him closer to me. He nods. I swear he almost pissed his pants. “Now, burn all the files you have on her and burn that CCTV. We were never here, you understand?”
“Y-yes.”
As we walk out, something isn’t sitting right with me with the way he looked when he said Daria’s name. His eyes brightened with lust thinking about her. It makes me want to go back up there and make good on my promise and kill the fucker. I have a feeling deep in my gut something more happened in that office. I know Jess enough to know she wouldn’t freak out the way she did if it was just a few lies and comments. She would be pissed, sure, but the way she snapped at Nicholas? There has to be more to this than she’s letting on, and I’m determined to find out.
“You coming to the clubhouse?”
“No, I gotta get back for Evan, and if Daria comes home.”
“Daria’s going to be fine, Striker. If we all pull together, we’ll get her back.” He squeezes my shoulder. I nod.
I hope so.
***
It’s two in the morning before Blair calls and says he’s bringing a wasted Daria home. I couldn’t sleep until I knew she was safe.
“Thank you, Blair.” I shake his hand, and I look to a drunk Daria hanging on his arm. She’s barely able to hold her own weight she’s that wasted.
“Anytime.” I take Daria’s arm, and she falls into me, her face squashed into my chest. “You need help?” Blair asks, looking between us.
“Nah, I’m good. It’s late. Why don’t you go sleep in the spare room?”
“Thanks, but I need to get home.”
“Okay. See you later, man.”
“I love you, Blair,” she slurs, trying to get to him. “You’re like my little brother. Forever my savior.”
I lift Daria up into my arms into the bridal position and carry her up to our room. Her head snuggles into my chest as she takes a large inhale of air. Placing her onto the bed, I begin taking off her shoes. Her hand touches my hair. I look up at her, and her eyes fill with tears. “I love you, Striker.”
“I love you too, baby.” I lean up and kiss her head.
“So many things I want to tell you. So many things I need to let you in on. But I can’t risk it. I can’t risk losing you.” She flops back and starts to softly snore before I can ask her what she meant.
After I cover her with the comforter, I sit and watch her; she’s crying in her sleep, begging someone not to do something. I can’t help but wonder if it’s me she’s begging to stop, like a flashback of when we found each other again, and I basically kidnapped her. She starts to get increasingly agitated. I get up from the chair I was in and take her in my arms. She calms almost immediately. Her arm wraps around my waist, pulling me closer to her like she needs protection from something. My heart breaks when she sobs again, begging someone to stop.
“What’s got you so afraid, baby?” I whisper.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Striker
“Striker!” Daria’s furious voice bounces off the walls of our house. She slams the door for good measure. I look to Jess, Nico, Austin, Travis, Jake, and her parents, who are all looking at me for an answer. Answers I haven’t got. Dad said that it would be best for him to sit this out. There was enough people to get her talking and he would look after Emily, Ezra, and Evan. He told me if I needed him just to call and he would ask Fran to sit with the kids so he could come over. “You and Nico have got some fucking explaining to do!”
Nico jumps when he hears his name. She appears at the doorway, her face red, and I can hear every breath she’s taking through her nose, like a bull ready to charge. I’ve never seen her so pissed. She scans the room and sees everyone staring.
“Why are you all here?”
“We’re worried about you,” Lauren says. “You haven’t been yourself lately.”
“What are you talking about? I’m fine.”
“Pumpkin, you’re not fine. You’re drinking, lashing out.”
“Did he tell you that?” Her blazing eyes land on me. I straighten my back and feel my muscles tighten. I need to calm my own temper because this won’t help to get her talking. “Did he also tell you what he and Nico got up to two days ago?”
“No.”
“Cupcake, we want to help you. The dick deserved to get a talking to after what he did to you. He’s lucky that’s all we did to him.”
Daria's eyes widen impossibly big; I swear if this were a cartoon, her eyes would have popped out. She looks at Jess, whose eyes match Daria’s. “You told them?”
“No.” Jess makes a move to take her hand. “Daria, please. I didn't tell them anything. I would never. I told you I would take it to the grave and I meant it.”
“How could you, Jessica? I trusted you. After everything, I thought you would have my back no matter what.” The betrayal and hurt in her eyes shines brighter than the sun. She shakes her head, taking a step back, trying to create more space between them.
Tears fall steadily down Jess' cheeks. “I do. I didn't betray you, Daria.”
“But you did!” Daria raises her voice a little. “You told them the one thing I swore I would take to my grave. I told you in confidence, and because I was scared.”
“Daria? Scared of what?” Jake asks, trying to get to the bottom of this.
“I know.” Jess steps forward again, and Daria steps farther back. “I swear on Ezra's life, I didn't tell them anything.”
“You’re lying!” she screams, her hands raking through her hair. She pulls in frustration. I have never seen her speak to Jess like this; I don’t even think I’ve ever seen them argue the whole time I’ve known them.
Jess straightens her back. “I may be many things, but I am no liar. How long have you known me? Twenty-five years, Dar. Twenty-five goddamn years and I have never betrayed you. Ever.”
I look between them and glance at Nicholas, who is just as lost as the rest of us.
“Pumpkin, what is she talking about?”
“Like you all don't know.” She scans the room, looking at Nico and me. “These two went to Dr. Fitzpatrick’s office and fucked him up. Tell me they didn't do that for anything other than finding out what that asshole did to me.”
Dr. Fitzpatrick? That's what this is about?
She takes a wide footed stance with her arms folded across her chest, glaring between Nico and me. “I got a phone call to help Jake Snr. on a case because Lydia had a family emergency, and lo and behold, it was him wanting to press charges against these two fucking idiots.”
“Daria, I swear I only told them about him feeding you lies to make you bend to Denise's orders. Nothing they didn't already know.” Jess looks at us with angry blues.
Daria shakes her head, color draining from her face. Turning on her heel, she runs up the stairs.
“Jessica?” Nicholas speaks first when we all stare at Jess for an explanation.
“I swore fifteen years ago I would never tell, and I'm keeping my promise.” With that, she walks out.
“Nicholas? Any ideas?” Jake speaks, looking over at Nicholas.
“No, but I know where I can find out.” He stands without another word and walks out of the house.
“What the hell is going on?” Jake snaps, looking around the room and running his hand through his hair.
“I have no clue. All I know is that that young woman is hanging on by a thread. If we don’t get to the bottom of what lies in her head soon, she’s going to break with no turning back.” Austin stares ahead toward the stairs where Jess and Daria disappeared.
“Austin, go.”
He looks at me, shocked that I’m asking him to talk to Daria alone. I have to push my jealousy of their past and the fact he’s still in love with her to the side. “Look, I still fucking hate you. But you're the only one who hasn't tried to talk to her.”
He nods his head slightly and walks up to our bedroom.
I watch his retreating back, hoping he can get through to her.
***
Daria
“Daria, I swear to you I didn't say anything to them.” Jess walks into my room. I grip onto the edge of my bed, squeezing my eyes closed, trying to rid the memories of the past, but it all comes screeching back like a wrecking ball.
My breath becomes more ragged.
“Daria. Breathe for me.” I feel Jess' calming hands on me, trying to relax me. But I can't. The visions are too vivid. Too prominent in my head. Thick, hot tears fall from my eyes.
“Make it stop. Make him stop,” I whisper between breaths. I claw at my skin; I feel like it’s happening all over again.
“It's okay, Dee Dee.” A male voice speaks, and strong arms replace Jess'. “You're going to be okay.”
There's only one person, other than my grandma, who calls me Dee Dee.
Austin.
“What's going on?” Austin asks me, his voice soft and so unlike the president of a motorcycle club. “We're all worried about you. The drinking, the erratic behavior, and the way you're treating Striker. I mean, I hate the guy, but from what Jess has said, he's tried everything to help you.”
Nothing Else Matters (Demons Disciples MC Book 2) Page 27
