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“What the fuck,” I whisper to myself.
I’m not sure why I stand there watching him sneak out the back, but I do, and I’m in complete shock about the whole thing, too. Shaking my head, I move out of the condo and walk swiftly toward my car. I don’t run because I don’t want to make a complete scene, but I’m trying to get to the car as quickly as possible.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, I start the engine, then put my phone in the hands-free holder so I can see where I’m going to be going. Pulling up Samson’s locator, I grunt. He left his fucking phone at fucking home.
I haven’t slept in three days. I’m exhausted and running off energy drinks and nothing else. And now this shit. I fucked up. I fucked up big time. I wouldn’t be surprised if my dad beat my ass for this shit, that’s how big this fuckup is.
I hurry toward Samson’s place and pull up to the back, but whatever car he got into is gone. I don’t know what to do. I’ve never been someone who is confused. I’m confident, and I always have a backup plan, no matter what happens, but I don’t with this.
Reaching for my phone, I touch the contact icon and scroll to Coleman’s number. I’m not ready to call my dad just yet. If anyone will know what to do next, it’ll be my big brother. It only rings once before he picks up.
“Is everything okay?” he demands as his greeting.
“Yes and no.”
“Talk.”
“Cousin Samson has a burner phone. Why?”
There is a moment of silence, then Coleman clears his throat. “What are you doing?”
“Meet me somewhere, not your office,” I bark.
He lets out a sigh. “I have a meeting at the passport agency department in thirty minutes. Meet me there ASAP.”
He ends the call, and I head straight for that building. I don’t ask him why he has the meeting there, mainly because it doesn’t cross my mind, but also because I do not give a fuck. It doesn’t take me long to get there, minutes really, and I pull into the parking lot, finding a spot up close so I can see my brother when he pulls in.
The last thing I wanted to do was tell him anything about this, knowing that my father wants to keep it on the DL, but at the same time, I think I’m going to have to admit that I need a little help.
Which is fucking awful, and I immediately hate myself for this shit.
All of it.
I should not involve him, but right now, I feel like I’m spiraling, and I’m afraid I’m going to do something really stupid. Although, this is already kind of stupid.
ALLISON
Parker and Claire both look at me from across the room. We are at my new store. It’s got beautiful marble floors, soft-blue-painted walls, and even a checkout counter with a glass case for display items. I already know what I’m going to put in there. The expensive diamond-encrusted nipple clamps and everything that is high end goes in that case.
“Well,” I call out, “what do you think?”
I can’t even guess what they are thinking. Their expressions tell me nothing. But then Claire frowns, and her brows snap together as she takes a step toward me. “You’re going to do all of this, get it ready and open it while you’re pregnant?” she asks.
“I’m pregnant, not dead,” I point out.
Her lips twitch into a small smile, and she nods her head a few times before she lets out a sigh. “What about maternity leave? You have to take time off after having a baby, and if you have a C-section, that’s more time off.”
I haven’t even gone to the doctor, let alone thought about anything she’s telling me. I glance down at my feet before I slowly lift my gaze to meet hers.
“I can’t wait a year to open this place,” I inform her.
“From a business standpoint, you need a plan.”
She’s right. I do. I need more of a plan. Sure, my ideas worked out great in my head without a baby to think about. But I definitely have a baby to think about now, and I don’t have much of a plan for that.
“I still can’t believe this has happened,” Parker mutters as she brings her water to her lips and takes a long drink. “This whole thing is just crazy.”
She’s not wrong. It is crazy, and she would think it was even more so if she knew the truth. The whole truth. Sucking in a breath, I shift my attention away from Parker and look around the store. I love it. I know it was basically given to me with immorality, lies, and secrets, but I still love every part of it.
