Word of Honor, Book 2 (26 page)

She squeezed him so tight then, she feared she may break his bones as she grew concerned about her own strength. He chuckled at her gesture as he kissed the side her of her face and caressed her hair.

“Let’s go back to your house and start talking about this weddin’ we gotta plan.” He kissed her on the forehead and spun her around so they could make their way back to the picnic they’d abandoned. The breeze picked up, getting a bit stronger, and blowing the scent of his cologne once again in her direction. He now smelled a bit different as the mixture of her perfume and scent had mixed with his during their lovemaking.

Aaron smelled new…

He smelled like a lesson…

He smelled like he’d been prayed for, adored, and forgiven.

And what a beautiful aroma it truly was…

Chapter Twelve

“B
ECAUSE
I
FUCKIN’
said so!” Aaron slammed the refrigerator door, causing a magnetic chip clip to fall to the ground. He gripped his cell phone a bit tighter, growing angrier by the minute. Galimatias’ ‘Ocean Floor Kisses’ played softly in the background. Mia had gotten him hip to it, widened his horizons. He found he loved a lot of the music she did, and it suited him fine.

“Who do you think you’re talkin’ to, Mr. Big Shot? You think ’cause you beat your case you have the whole world in your hands, don’t you? You’ve always had a God complex. Why am I not surprised?” She laughed into the phone.

“It’s not a God complex, Sarah. It’s knowin’ what the hell I’m doin’ and what I
need
to do. You’ve always lacked direction. I tell you ‘No’, and you throw a temper tantrum, act out like a goddamn child.”

“You’re a traitor and a goddamn sellout! You left the brotherhood.”

“People change and grow. You’ve proven that doesn’t apply to everyone…” He snatched his beer off the counter and gave it a few desperate chugs as her nerve got the better of him. Sarah had a special way of getting under his skin and festering there. He likened the itch to a condition of flesh-eating bacteria.

“I thought you were somethin’ big, somebody special, you know that? Everyone did. Hell, even after what you’ve done, you still have some people thinkin’ you’ll come back. You’re hopeless. I still loved you for the longest… I had respect for you, too, but I should have known you were too weak to go the distance.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” He took another swig from the bottle.

“You’ve got nigger friends I hear now. What do you all do? Sit around eatin’ chicken and dancin’ to rap music with your pants hangin’ half down your asses?”

“I want you to stop using that language around our child.”

“She isn’t here right now and even if she were, so what?! That’s what they are! Nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger!”

“Stop it. I’m serious, goddamn it! Even when I was still involved, I was careful about what I said around her, didn’t want her goin’ to school repeating everything. You’re so damn impulsive and reckless! When are you going to grow up?”

“When are you goin’ to stop goin’ in and out of prison, jailbird?”

“I’m done with that, and stay on topic. Don’t teach her that shit anymore. No more crap about Nazis, the movement, none of it. Let her make up her own mind, Sarah. Give her a chance! You should know better.”

“I should know better?” She laughed harshly. “I’m not your child, Aaron. Watch who you try to chastise. You used to be a bad ass. People listened to you and did what you asked.”

“…And they
still
do.”

“Not because they want to! Only because they know you’re crazy. You’re just fuckin’ pathetic and you don’t take care of your daughter.”

“You’re so full of shit! I would have her way more than you did over the years, and I was payin’
you
money! I told you to keep the legal system out of our business, that I’d take care of it, and I did. But no, you got greedy and put child support on me. They had me payin’ less than I was giving you.” He cracked up. “Served your ass right, but what did I do? I turned around and doubled what they said, and now here you are again with your damn hand out.”

“You should be payin’ your child support!”

“I do! I’ve never missed a month. Not one!” He held up his finger, wishing he could wring her damn neck. He hated how worked up the woman got him, made him feel that hatred, that shit he’d grown addicted to and had used for rocket fuel in his not so distant past. “You even got money while I was in prison. I made sure of it. I want you to tell me what other men do you know that can keep their business going while being incarcerated, be in deep shit for a so-called hate crime, and
still
take care of their kid? You are so goddamn ungrateful. That money is for
Laura
, not for you to spend up on bullshit and booze and that piece of shit husband of yours. Get off your ass and get a job! You’re never home anyhow!”

“That piece of shit as you call him is taking care of
your
daughter, you deadbeat! Show some respect you fuckin’ lunatic.”

“Look, I don’t have time for this. Just tell Laura to call me when she gets in.”

“You need to do right by your daughter. I know you’ve got more money, Aaron.” Her voice grew icy as layers of greed infected her to new heights right before his eyes. “Everyone knows it,” she continued. “You’re rich and only givin’ me a little bit. I had your daughter, for God’s sake! She’s your only child. You’ve left me no choice. I’m takin’ you to court.”

“Takin’ me to court? On the grounds of
what
? I give you cash and checks for Laura’s care on top of the damn child support and not only that, I pay for her tuition and all kinds of other stuff she needs, too. I even pay your damn mortgage every month. You’re unbelievable. Yeah, Sarah, take me to court. So damn greedy! Let’s see what happens
this
time around!”

“Who has the criminal record? Not me. So I suggest you increase the child support by thirty-five percent like I asked or I will see you in front of the magistrate.”

“You really are a piece of work, you know that? Never mind about that. Look, there is something serious I need to discuss with you.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, grappling with his temper, talking himself out of exploding on the woman. “Laura tells me you’re out partying all the time, still, Sarah. She said you’re never home. I got that news directly from
her.
I have no idea why since you don’t have a job. What are you doing with your time?”

“None of your goddamn business! There you go trying to control me again.”

“Control you? I have the right to know where the hell you are when my daughter is involved! Not to mention you leave her with just anybody. Don’t you
ever
leave my child with a bitch you just met again, do you hear me?! I heard all about it. That woman was a damn heroin addict! You are unfit, and don’t even care.”

“Unfit? Isn’t this somethin’ coming from a jerk that just got out of federal prison! Go protect some actress or porn star by jumpin’ in front of a bullet or something.”

“Who else would buy all that bullshit Boone’s farm liquor you keep stashed in the fridge and I know about you getting drunk all the time, too. I have people that watch you…”

“Keep your employees and spies away from my damn house! I am going to report you for harassment, Aaron. I promise you that!”

“Report me, Sarah. I don’t care. Take me to court, whatever. All of these threats… You’ve been gettin’ toasted, comin’ home drunk. I don’t want that around my daughter. I told you to cut that shit out, and I mean it.”

“Let me explain something to you, Aaron. You aren’t running anything. If you keep on with this, I will make sure your visitation is cut off,
completely
. It wouldn’t take much, not with your affiliations and all.”

“Past affiliations, Sarah, and don’t forget, you are still involved with them. I can bring that up in court, too. You’re not the only one who can sling mud around.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right… slinging mud, shit brown… like the colored, nappy headed baboon bitch you’ve taken up with. I keep forgetting my first love and the father of my child is a nigger lover now.”

Aaron felt a chill go down his spine…

“Oh yeah.” He could sense her twisted smile bending and shaping, growing in some obscene way over the phone. “A few of us know about it. Your new girlfriend is a fucking NIIIIIGGGGGER!”

“Shut up.”

“Make me, you nigger fucker! How absolutely
disgusting
! The only reason why I haven’t told anyone about this shit is because I don’t want you gettin’ killed. Our daughter loves you too much. She’d go apeshit.” She burst out laughing. “That’s funny how I mentioned apeshit right then, but yeah, if something happened to you, she’d be really upset.”

“That’s not why.” He chuckled. “It’s because you need the gravy train to keep on chuggin’ and you know if I’m dead you don’t get shit. I’ve got my affairs set up that if something happens to me, Laura is one of the beneficiaries. If something happens to
her
, you
still
get nothing and you hate it. You’re such a materialistic, small-minded idiot, you know that? I can’t believe you called me with this bullshit.”

“You’ve always been arrogant, thought you were better than everyone else. I see nothing has changed.” She sighed lazily as if bored. “I’m done with you, you hear me? You will
never
get me in bed again.”

“Get you in bed? Are you serious?” He burst out laughing. “You’re a damn riot. I don’t want your drunken, whorish ass, Sarah. You ain’t got shit to worry about, I would never ask you for anything,
especially
not that!”

“You’ve repeatedly tried to paint me to be a bad mom and now you’ve gone and stuck your cock in that black animal. How can you even look at yourself in the mirror?”

“Mmmm, what are you cookin’? Smells like jealousy.” He cackled.

“Arrogant piece of shit,” she mumbled. “What a waste of a good fuck and big dick.”

“And you’re just a waste of air. If you put this much energy into raising our daughter, it would be amazing.”

“You wanted some 1950s wife! You gotta lotta nerve treatin’ me like some second class citizen and acting like I’m a bad parent.”

“You are…”

“You could have provided a good life for us with everything that you had, but instead you wanted to try and treat me like a child and be a dictator.”

“That’s all you cared about. What you could get out of me, my reputation, my power, how I fucked you, and the money I could make. I started my company with not one lick of help from you, but you had the nerve to try and get half and we weren’t even married! I would ask you simple stuff, to help make a couple of calls for me, make a sandwich, clean up a bit. I told you I’d take care of you, but all you wanted to do was party. None of that shit even matters anymore though. Why are we even talkin’ about this? The only thing we need to be discussing is Laura.”

“You know what? I’ve known for the longest that you were pissed when I moved on.”

“Pissed when you moved on
?”
This bitch is serious!
“I was
glad
you were someone else’s’ problem now. I never called and asked you to reconcile, not once! Let me make this clear to you, Sarah. I wouldn’t fuck you again if your pussy became the only entrance to heaven and a promise to eternal life.”

“Fuck you, Aaron! More money, or go to court.”

“If you go down this path, Sarah, you will be sorry. I don’t want to be wrapped up in the court system again for
any
reason, and you know this. I’ve been warning you for
years
to stop fucking with me but you keep pushin’ the limit.”

“Pushing the limit? You’re a psychopath, you know that?”

“Do you even actually
know
what a psychopath is? Less than 1% of the population is comprised of actual psychopaths, Sarah. About 25% of them are in prison and I can guarantee you, not for civil rights issues or self-defense. If I were truly a psychopath, you and I wouldn’t be on the phone right now. You’d be unable to communicate, let alone call and harass me.”