Probably because I’d been so sick.
“Bullshit. Don’t lie to make yourself sound better to your boyfriend.” Eric’s angry tone reverberated through the house.“Mary’s been in daycare since she was born. That cheap place is crap because you wouldn’t help.”
What?
I just stood there gaping at him because it didn’t make any sense.
“What the hell, idiot? Shut the front door next time.” Missy’s sharp tone coming from behind me had me fighting the urge to jump. “Now what the fuck are you doing with my kid? I have errands to run and you’re wasting my time.”
“Trying to decide if the little shit is going to jail.” Rohan turned around, glaring at Missy like he didn’t care what she was going to say. “He’s been terrorizing Knox because somehow your little shithead is under the impression that Knox was mean to you.”
Missy didn’t react at the terrorizing accusation and I thought that was because she didn’t know and didn’t care, but themean to youcomment had her eyes going wide for a split second.
Fuck.
“She knows. That’s her tell.” I didn’t bother explaining what it was to Rohan but he must’ve seen because he made a soft agreeing sound. “She told him something and she knows what set him off.”
That was all Master needed.
“Would you like to explain where all the money Knox has been sending you is going? He’s under the impression he’s been paying for you to be a stay-at-home mom to a baby you don’t seem to have with you.” Rohan chuckled and shook his head. “Because she’s at daycare, isn’t she?”
God.
Missy rolled her eyes. “What did you do to my kid? I’m not going to ask again.”
What had we done?
“You’ll ask it as many times as it takes for me to get a fucking answer.” Rohan’s stonewalling tone made it feel like I was being protected by a mountain. “Your little shithead has been breaking into Knox’s house to make him think he was crazy.”
I wasn’t sure if it’d been too easy for him to do it or not, but I was glad Rohan didn’t mention that part. He just glared harder and kept going with his amazingly angry tone. “He’s somehow under the impression that he needed to protect you from your big bad brother. You know, the one who’s beenpaying all your fucking bills.”
Well, most of them at least.
“It’s...it’s better for a baby to be home with its mother than in daycare. I read...I read studies on it.” I’d read a lot of stuff about raising babies because I’d written a series on single dads a few years ago. It’d sold really well but it made it obvious to me that I was not supposed to have children. “She couldn’t stay home with Eric when he was little, so I wanted to make it up to her.”
Clearly, I was an idiot and his stay in daycare hadn’t been the cause of his assholery.
Maybe I was a wuss?
Possibly a victim of some sort?
“I might need a therapist?” Or at least a spanking. “I don’t think I’ve been making the best decisions.”
Rohan kissed my head. “We’ll get it figured out later. Right now, we’re drawing some boundaries.”
Yes, boundaries first and therapist later. That way I could tell them I’d already started making progress and they wouldn’t think I was hopeless.
“Thank you for your help with this.” I wasn’t sure what else to say but that could’ve been because my brain just wasn’t working right.
“You’re welcome.” Rohan rubbed my back, not taking his eyes off my crazy family for a moment. “Is it okay if I handle the rest of this?”
“Yes, please. I just...I don’t know what to do anymore.” I’d tried being nice but that’d been the wrong way to handle it.
“That’s okay.” Rohan’s hand came up and squeezed the back of my neck, sending waves of soothing pressure through me. “I do.”
Having a Master was incredible...and I was going to let him know that once we had some privacy.
“You’re going to collect your child and his moron friends. You’re going to make sure they understand how badly this could’ve turned out for them. Then you’re going to leave.” Rohan’s calmly delivered orders had the hurricane in my stomach slowing.
