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“She was broken when you left,” Judy says with a frown. “I think it helped her to be angry and have someone else to focus on. Christian changed her. Changed us both.”
“He’s already changing me. I’m not going anywhere ever again. I’m going to speak to Autumn—”
“Speak to Autumn about what?” Autumn interrupts me, coming to kiss her mother on the head and taking the seat on the other side of me.
Clearing my throat, I push my coffee mug in her direction and turn my chair slightly to face her. “I don’t want you working at that club,” I say, checking her face for signs she’s pissed.
Sipping my drink, she flits her eyes to her mother, then back to me. “It’s not ideal, but it’s how I make enough money to pay the bills.”
“It’s not safe, baby. That motherfucker put his hands on you and will only make your life harder. There’s no way you’re going out on that pole, Breezy. You did what you had to, but I’m here now, and I’m going to take care of you all.”
“Lucca,” she whispers, frowning.
“I have quite a bit of savings from the sale of the bar and a job that will see us through. You can finally do what you’ve always wanted and become a teacher.”
“Morning, Daddy,” Christian chirps from the doorway, taking off running and launching himself at me. My heart nearly explodes in my chest. Insta-love is a real fucking thing. It’s madness. I didn’t even know this kid existed less than twenty-four hours ago, and now I’d give my life for his—take on the whole fucking world for him.
“I’m chopped liver now,” Autumn snorts, stealing my bacon.
I hug my son and grin over at my girl. This is what happiness must fucking feel like.
“I’m with Lucca, by the way. If you want my opinion.” Judy shrugs, pushing her eggs around her plate.
“My boss won’t take it well,” Autumn says, chewing her lip.
I beam down at our son. She’s not going to fight me on this. “I’ll inform him. You don’t ever have to see him again,” I tell her, tickling Christian’s tummy when he looks up at me in wonder.
His giggles fill the room, and I see a tear build and leak from my girl’s eye.
“Christian, come, let Grandma get you dressed,” Judy says after we finish our meal. “Then you can help me in the garden while Mommy and Daddy talk.”
Once they leave the room, I drag Autumn into my lap and swipe her tears away with the pads of my thumbs. They just keep coming. So many tears, but at least they’re happy ones. “This is the start of our new life, Breezy. I don’t want to see any more tears in your eyes.”
“They’re happy tears.” She sniffles. “I feel so happy. I’m terrified I’m going to wake up and find out it’s all a dream.”
Grasping her cheeks, I kiss her deep and long, until she’s gasping for air. “This is a dream. We’re living the fucking dream, baby.”
Walking into the club in the middle of the day casts a whole new light on the place. The girls dancing on the poles look half-assed and bored. The bartender I usually deal with is replaced with a badly aged woman, fake tits far too many sizes bigger than her frame. Wrinkles like a road map litter her face, showing signs of a hard life. “What can I get you, darling?” she asks, sugary sweet.
“I need to see the boss,” I tell her.
“If you have a complaint, you can leave a comment card and we’ll be sure to get to it.” She snorts, narrowing her eyes at me.
Speak of the damn devil. The smug, woman-beating prick saunters from the back room reading something on his phone.
Giving the bartender the finger, I march over to him. When he looks up, I jut my head forward, connecting with his nose, relishing in the crunch.
He stumbles backward, his phone dropping to the floor and blood pissing from his nostrils like I turned on a tap. “Motherfucker,” he sputters, cupping his face.
I eye two bouncers heading my way, so I act quickly, lifting my leg and booting the bastard in the balls. When he doubles over, I bring my knee up to connect with his face. He lands on the floor in a heap just as I’m grabbed from behind.
“Summer fucking quits, prick,” I snap.
I’m dragged through the club and thrown into the bright light of day out the side door. I land with a thud, the asphalt scraping my hands.
“You’re banned,” the biggest fucker barks.
“I have the real deal at home, assholes.” I smirk, taking the immediate kick to my gut like a champ.
Coughing up my insides, I wrap a hand around my stomach and get to my feet.
This place is in the rearview for us both.
