Ballistic (46 page)

Sixteen years and four months later…

I’m super nervous.

I have a date. My first, ever. He’s coming here to meet my parents. My crazy, overprotective, awesomely in love parents. It wasn’t a request
, but an order. They said if a boy wants respect he needs to earn it, which meant coming into the lion’s den to get me. I don’t worry about Pop so much as I do my Mom. I’ve heard stories about her, but it’s hard to believe my mom was ever anything but the sweet and sometimes mushy woman she is now. I mean, yeah, I catch her in the garage sneaking a cigarette, wearing gardening gloves and goggles, but if I called her out on it, she’d come clean. My mom doesn’t lie. She’s taught me about everything and most recently, a lot about boys. If I have a question, she has an answer, so it’s no surprise she has a list of questions for my date and I had to promise not to forewarn him. I kept my promise. That’s big in my house. The only thing bigger, is being honest. My mom is a powerhouse and my hero. My Pop though, his life lessons are real. He isn’t just talking the talk either. If you could see how much he loves my mom and me, you’d get it. She and Pop never go a day without telling me they love me and they’ve never babied me, being the only girl raised with two rowdy boy cousins who were more like my brothers.

My cousins don’t have the same rules as
me. They have it so easy. They date all the time. Believe me, I’ve had my own share of fights when girls step over the line with them. You don’t mess with my family. I know my Uncle Rafe told them about my date and I’m surprised they aren’t here to beat the guy to death. Uncle Rafe is hilarious and super protective of me. In truth, he’s kind of like a giant kid who tells bad jokes and farts, blaming it on Aunt Macy. My Uncle Rogan though, he’s my favorite. He also gives the best advice. He and Aunty V never had kids, but I don’t have a single memory that doesn’t have them both in it. Each year on my birthday they take me up north to the dunes for a weekend of four wheeling and bonfires. Just the three of us. Aunty V also keeps me up to date on old school music. She said today’s music is for pussies and future porn stars—her words, not mine. Aunty Jules and Uncle Max are unique to me because when Sebastian got hurt, they would tell him to man up, but if I was hurt, my Uncle went berserk. The only one who can calm him down in my Aunty and she says it’s his alpha side coming out to play. She also says that it’s the quiet ones who you need to watch out for. She was right. Uncle Max is seriously bad ass when he wigs out. Aunty says it’s hot.

My date, Tony
, goes to Brother Rice. I almost met him at a football game. He’s a defensive back and so gorgeous. He found me in the crowd and when I left before I could speak to him, the very next day he found me at school. For two weeks after that, he would show up wherever I happened to be. My friends say it’s creepy, I think it’s sweet and shows initiative.

Opening my door to go wait in the living room, I stop dead in my tracks. My entire family is here. Slapping my hand to my forehead and groaning, I’m tackled by Sebastian first
, followed by Jonas and both are frigging giants. I’m super small like my mom, but I look a lot like my pops. But if you ask anyone here, I have my mom’s temper and my pop’s ability to reason. Then if you ask my Uncle Rogan, he says I’m the perfect mix of lethal and sneaky.

“Her hair!” my mom growls
. “Don’t fuck, I mean, mess up her hair!” My mom was always trying to watch her language. It’s hilarious because she swears like a bi-polar truck driver, but when she corrects herself, it’s even better because she literally can’t do it.

“Get off,” I growl and they both scramble away like wimps. I may be small
, but my Mom, Aunty V and Aunty Red taught me well. Aunty Macy did my hair for me and she would freak if they messed it up. She was big into teaching me fashion. That’s the one thing my mom didn’t try to teach me. She left that to the master.

“He’s here,” Uncle Rogan
growls, opening the door.

Oh god, oh god…

“You her date?”

“Yes sir,” he says
, reaching out his hand. “I’m Tony. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Tony? No shit. I’m the uncle,” he says
, returning the shake. “That’s her uncle,” he says pointing to Max “and that’s her uncle,” he points to Rafe. “And that’s her father,” he says pointing to my pops who just inclines his head. “Ain’t gotta worry about none of us though. Guessin’ you should be meeting her mother and her aunts. Come on in.”

He does without hesitation. Ignoring everyone in the room
, he looks straight at me. “Hi, Vera,” he says, smiling.

“Hi
, Tony.” I smile back. “These are my cousins Sebastian and Jonas,” pushing me out of the way, the boys fly forward.

“Holy shit
, I mean crap! Sorry, Aunty!” Jonas says grabbing Tony. “Long time no see man. Great game last week.”

“Had I known you were related to Vera, I would have taken it easy on you.” he says
, laughing. “What are the odds?

“Of killing you if you mess with Vera? Pretty high.” Sebastian
says.

“Knock it off,” I growl again
, but then my mom steps forward with my Aunties flanking her.

“I’m Lina,” she says
, pulling him in for a hug. My mom is a total hugger. Like, all the time hugger. No lie, she even hugs strangers. “This is Jules, Macy and Venessa.”

“Hello,” he says
, taking in the estrogen suddenly filling the room. Here we go.

“So,” she says
, squaring off and when she does it, you forget how tiny she is. “I have four questions for you.”

“Okay.”

“One,” she says, holding up a finger looking way up at him. “You will have her home by curfew?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Don’t ma’am me. It makes me sound responsible. Two,” she says, with another finger. “You will treat her with respect?”

“Yes.”

“Three,” she says, while everyone else smirks. “What do you think of the Lions?”

“I don’t.” he says with a smirk and right then and there
, I wanted to marry the boy.

Trying to hold it back
, Mom giggles, holding up one last finger. “Four,” she says. “Can you fix a flat tire?”

“Last week the answer would have been no,” he says looking over at me smiling, “but since then Vera taught me how to do it, so today the answer is yes. Well, unless Vera wanted to do it
, that is. She’s much faster than I am.”

“Well
, Tony,” she says, hugging him, “you made the cut. Must be something with the name. Have fun and make good choices.”

“My father wanted me to tell you hello,” he says
, trying to disengage my mom who can’t seem to let go. Walking over ,he chest bumps the boys, proceeds to shake hands with my uncles and finally my pops. “I’m Mickey’s boy.”

“No shit
, I mean crap,” she laughs. “I think I still owe him a favor.”

“He told me a bit about that,” he smiles knowingly at my mom.

“Take care of my girl,” my pop says, patting him on the back. “Say hello to your father for us.”

“Yes sir,” he says
, nodding to my pop, then he takes my hand while my whole family watches.

I went on my first date that night with a boy that had me home by curfew, was respectful and kissed like a god. Granted
, that kiss took place four blocks from my house, but whatever. When I came home, my mom and I sat on the deck and I told her all about it. She smiled, shared more advice about taking it slow and told me that my pop was her real first date and that you never forget it. After her second glass of wine, (my mom cannot hold her alcohol), she also told me that until my pop she didn’t believe in god. She changed her mind on that, though. She said that god must exist because my pop exists. She believes he was sent to save her so she could save him back. Then she said when she had me she was convinced not only that god was real, but that He had an awesome sense of humor.

Pop told me once
, (while wearing an apron), my mom didn’t know love all of her life. That was hard for me to comprehend because I look at my mom and see nothing but love, so whatever happened before I came along had to be epic. Seriously, my mom was the happiest person I’ve ever met.

Tony came back that weekend for a party at my house. He played football with me and the boys, chased me when I ran and the entire time my parents watched with smiles on their faces. I may not have my mom’s gift for sensing the truth but, I do have a knack for knowing what’s to come.  I  know that I will have a love like theirs with a man named Tony.

A love to go ballistic for.

Lap dances for the following humans: Melissa Gill, Brenda Wright, Tee Tate,
every
reader and blogger who took a shot on a new author that says fuck a lot. To my entire family, my core group of besties and my Voxer babes just… Thank you.

Even if Eminem never reads me, he still needs to know that
if it wasn’t for him, this series wouldn’t have happened.    So, yeah thanks, Slim!

To Detroit Rock City, rock the fuck on!

K.S. Adkins is a full time everything. When I'm not wifing, mothering or being bossy, I'm reading, writing or shooting. A full time realtor, lifelong Michigander and all around lover of all things guns and Detroit, I believe in freedom of foul language, gratuitous nudity, tattoos and mosh pits. I've recently taken up drinking wine and feel like I'm really making progress with it. I think my chances at finding a place within the Romance genre is 50/50, but I suck at numbers so what do I know?

My stories are written with heavy dialogue and are Detroit
-based. If you don't like heavy dialogue or Detroit, don't read my stories. My characters are typically dark and fairly fucked up so if you want sappy characters without issues, don't read my stories.

I love violence, guns, blood, naughty words, awkward sex, rap, metal and untraditional people. Every fight scene was tried and tested by me
. I have the bruises to prove it too.

I write romance
, but my characters are not always romantic. Each is a work in progress. My stories are about strong women and the alphas who try to tame them, but never do.

At the end of the day
, you may not like my stories, you may also think I suck as an author and that's okay, but I have to tell you, I had the best fucking time writing them and for me, that's what it's all about.

I love new likes so hit me up on Facebook @ K.S. Adkins or Twitter @ Hoodwrites and let me know if you loved it or hated it
. ♥