Bitter Sweet Deception (The Kingsmen M.C Book 4) (11 page)

When
I’
m in my girl like this, nothing else matters. I lean her back against the steering wheel so I can see her, watch her. Sh
e’
s goddamned beautiful. Sh
e’
s perfect. Past or not, sh
e’
s mine.

CHAPTER NINE

CHARLIE

The phone ringing stirs Clink from his sleep. Not me, though. My twelve hour shift was one of my busiest, so between that and the lingering unease from our lunch with mom and Dana the other day, I have
n’
t been sleeping much at all.

Clink must be deep in R.E.M., because h
e’
s slow to rise. I reach over him to grab the ringing device before the call is rerouted to voicemail. He lazily shifts his torso to accommodate my movements, but makes no effort to fully wake. The screen reads 2:48 in the morning as I swipe to accept the call.

“
He- Hello
?
”
 
my voice is strained. Yet another side effect from my sleepless nights.

There is a pause on the far end.

“
U
m…,
”
 
the voice belongs to a woman. A very confused woman.
 “I’
m not sure if this is still the right number. Is this Clin
k’
s phone
?
”

Oh great. Some long lost sweet-butt looking for a late night booty-call is hitting him up. Fan-fucking-tastic. I drop the phone onto his bare chest, with a hollow thud. That does the trick in waking him completely.

“
I
t’
s for you
,
”
 
I inform him as nonchalantly bitchy as I can before leaving his bed to use the ladies room.

I hear the covers rustling as he searches in the dark for the phone. I also purposely leave the bathroom door ajar so I can hear his words. I reach for a small paper cup from the dispenser and pour myself some cool water from the tap while I wait.

His voice echoes through the dark empty room and reaches me,
 “
Yeah
?
”

I sip my water as my anger builds.
Who the fuck does this chick think she is
?  H
e’
s my o
l’
man now. What would Sunny do if some random bitch called Tiny in the middle of the night? Or Li
l’
s? What would she do? Ha. I
know
  what she would do, and it would
n’
t be pretty. I need to step in and let him know that this is in no way acceptable, and if he thinks it is, then h
e’
s gonna feel my foot so far up his a-.

“
Yeah.
I’
m on my way.
I’
ll drive through the night, be there by morning. Jus
t…,
”
 
he sounds hurried.
 “
Just tell him his da
d’
s on his way
.
”

Fuck. This is not at all what I thought it was. I drop my cup in the trash and enter the bedroom, with its light now turned on. The phon
e’
s been tossed into the bed, abandoned. Clink is frenzied, hiking his jeans on and rummaging through his drawers for a shirt.

I eye him, but slow my movements.
 “
Baby? Is everything OK
?
”

Stupid question. Everything is obviously
not
OK.

H
e’
s throwing shirts out of the depths of the drawer mindlessly, eyes darting around wildly
.“I’
ve gotta go get my boy. His momm
a’
s got some shit going on and just left him with her parents
.
”

My mouth drops open. I move to help him, scooting his disoriented body aside so I can select a shirt before h
e’
s emptied the whole drawer on the floor. He stands back, lost, not knowing which way to move.

I find a long-sleeve thermal and hand it to him.

“I’
ll go start some coffee
.
”

I leave him to finish dressing and throw the lights on as I travel through the house, making my way to the kitchen. I make a large pot of coffee and search the cabinets for one of the metal thermoses
I’
d seen days before while organizing the cupboards. Once i
t’
s found, I start to pack a travel cooler with some sandwiches and water bottles.
I’
m not quite finished when Clink rushes in, dropping his boots in a heavy thud to the floor as he sits at the kitchen table to deal with them.

He looks haggard, but adrenaline and worry are fueling him.

“I’
ll drive straight through. Get him and turn right back around. We can make it by late tomorrow night, I think
.
”

I nod.
 “
I can go with you if you need me to help with the driving. We could take turns sleeping
.
”

He closes his eyes, exhaling.
 “
I need you here, Sugar
.
”
 
He now looks around us, at the house.
 “
H
e…
he has
n’
t been here in years.
I…
I do
n’
t even think he remembers me
.
”
 
H
e’
s starting to get upset, but hides it well.
 “
This place is
n’
t set up for a kid.
I….
”

“I’
ve got it, Clink. Do
n’
t worry about a thing.
I’
ll take care of his room, get things ready for him. You jus
t…
be safe and go get him
.
”

He pulls me into him, hugging me around my waist as h
e’
s seated. His words are muffled into my flesh.

“
I do
n’
t know if I can do this, Charlie. H
e’s
…
I…,
”
 
my heart breaks for him.

I know he loves his son, but loving from afar and actually being a parent are two very different things. I run my fingers through his hair, comforting him.

“
You can do this, babe. Yo
u’
re going to be fine. I know you, and I know that you never do
anything
half-assed. You got this
.
”
 
I do
n’
t know if my words are sinking in, but I do know that he has little choice but to believe them.

He nods his head into my midsection, moving the fabric with it, before squeezing tight, hands grabbing my ass, and lifting himself.

“
We
  got this
,
”
 
he whispers before reaching his full height and kissing his lips to mine. I hold him, silently wishing him luck and offering him my strength.

I breathe deep, thinking of all that we are about to come up against.

“
We got this
,
”
 
I repeat his words.

******

“
This one, Li
l’
s
?
”
 
I ask my friend as sh
e’
s inspecting another product on a nearby shelf.

She breaks her concentration from the package sh
e’
s reading to look at mine.
 “
Yup. Tha
t’
s the one
.
”

Thank God! I toss the bundle of children's sheets into the cart. Who knew something as simple as sheets would be so so complicated?

“
Thanks so much for helping with all this
.
”
 
I sweep my eyes over the filling cart to emphasize what
all this
  is.
 “
Are you sure
I’
m not keeping you from your dad
?
”

Li
l’
s decides against the toy in her hand and places it back on its shelf.

“
Nah, I needed a break. Tin
y’
s taking the next few hours so I can get some fresh air before losing my mind
.
”

I nod.
I’
ve been following Butc
h’
s case while at work. H
e’
s been having trouble breathing and now has full-blown pneumonia. I know they discharged him for a day, but he wound up right back in the ER the next morning, drunk and having not taken his meds.

I roll my eyes at his stupidity, careful to hide it from his daughter.
 “
Well,
I’
m glad I could give you a break. And at this point
,
”
 
I rub her belly sarcastically,
 “
I ca
n’
t think of anyone better to help with this stuff. So, what else do we need
?
”

I take a mental inventory of our cart. Bedding, check. Clothes, check. Toys, check. Shampoo, childre
n’
s toothpaste, P
J’
s, a car booster seat just in case h
e’
s on the smaller side
.…
I ca
n’
t imagine w
e’
ve forgotten anything.

“
Hm
m
…”
 
she seems to be taking the same silent tally.
 “
Medicine! You need a first aid kit
.
”

My eyes widen, surprised.
 “
Holy crap! How could I have forgotten that
?
”
 
I admonish myself.
 “
I mean
I’
m a
nurse
.  A first aid kit should have been the first thing on my list. I do
n’
t think
I’
m cut out for this, Li
l’
s.
I’
m not responsible enough for a fucki
n
’ cat! How am I supposed to help take care of a kid
?
”

Li
l’
s steps up behind me and hugs her arm around my shoulders as I stare blankly at my purchases.
 “
Yo
u’
ll do it the same way we all do. Cross your fingers, say a prayer, and just do it
,
”
 
she chuckles.
 “
Beside
s…
yo
u’
ve got more help than you can even imagine
.
”

Her words have a soothing effect on me, but
I’
m still scared shitless. So far,
I’
ve gotten word from Clink that h
e’
s made the pickup and the
y’
ve stopped for lunch while heading back. Other than that, I have very few details to go on. We navigate through the store to the pharmacy section and I throw everything I can find into the cart. Does he need
every
  cold or cough medicine made? No. But w
e’
re gonna buy them, anyway.

A little boy comes running through the aisle, barreling toward us.
 “
Jack! You stop right now, this instant
!
”
 
his mother screams behind him.

The little boy shrieks in excitement and turns the corner, hiding from the woman. I strategically point to his hiding place, informing the lady of his whereabouts, selling him out. She looks tired, worn, but thanks me by mouthing the words quietly while sneaking up on her son.

“
Ah!!!
I’
ve got you
!
”
 
She swoops up and tickles the laughing child. She may be exhausted and physically drained, but the second she holds her son, her eyes light up.
 “
Come on, Jack, le
t’
s go find daddy
.
”