“And you thought you would just spring this on me without talking to me first?” I asked, grimacing at her.
That was the type of shit I was talking about.
“What is there to talk about? She is your daughter, and you clearly have plenty of room around here,” Gardenia voiced, her penetrating onyx orbs piercing Harbor from across the room. “Unless you don’t. Still in the business of housing strays?” She mocked, rolling her eyes.
“Daddy, do you not want me to live here with you?” Ivy asked, disappointment and sadness dripping from her big doe eyes.
I reached out to cup her chin and stare down into her angelic face. My daughter. A princess and future queen. She had so much to look forward to in life. And I wanted to be there for it all. She had no idea the sacrifices that I had and would make for her.
“Baby girl, I would like nothing more. That’s not what this is,” I insisted, cutting my eyes at Gardenia menacingly forputting me in this position with my only child. “Your room is always ready and waiting for you here.”
“That’s right, so let’s take your bags up and get you unpacked,” Celine insisted, both hands on Ivy’s shoulders as she leaned in to kiss her cheek lovingly.
I could tell she was more than happy to have her around. I wasn’t always here, so Celine might get lonely and have nothing to do. I could tell even having Harbor there helped her some days. My daughter stared past me at the stoic woman seated at the table.
“Who is she?” Ivy whispered, bringing her eyes up to me.
“She is… a guest. She’s working on a few things for me with business. Why don’t you let Celine take you up and get settled in? We can talk in a little bit.”
“Okay,” Ivy replied, leaning in to hug me once again. Before she left the room, she encased her auntie too. “Love you, Aunt Denia.”
“Love you too, baby girl, and don’t forget to FaceTime me every single day.” Gardenia pecked her cheek and smiled, but as soon as Ivy was gone, she turned that shit upside down. The dark glare behind her eyes when she looked me up and down was mixed with a little lust. I knew she wanted to sample the dick and always had, even when her sister and I were rocking together. She tried to play that cool shit when underneath it all she wanted what almost every bitch in my presence sought. My intense eyes, and muscle build drew bitches to me like a magnet.
“It’s time for you to step up and play an active role in her life. Not just sending gifts and money. Unless you are too busy with your… ‘business companions’.” She flared her nostrils and grilled Harbor from where she stood.
“You dropped her off. Get the fuck out of my house, Denia. Thanks for the warning.”
“She has all of her medical records and everything else so that she can get enrolled in school. Call me if you need anything.” Her eyes wandered over me once more, and she spun around to leave.
I didn’t even bother saying anything else to her as she sauntered out of the room. I blew out a sharp breath and shook my head while remaining at the counter. From across the room, I locked eyes with Harbor. This was going to complicate things around there. I didn’t tell my daughter the details of what I did, and I didn’t want her getting too curious and getting close to this girl in the least.
“Good at covering up the pain, but it’s getting old…”
Harbor
The night of the abduction…
“Who the fuck are you,and why am I here!” I shrieked at the man standing in front of me and grabbed a statue off a nearby table.
The shit looked expensive as fuck, but I didn’t care. I hurled it across the room at him, and he dodged it swiftly. I reached for any and everything I could and tossed it at him, and he managed to miss them all. Ledge—that was his name because I had heard it—was threatening. He was tall with dreads thathung past his shoulders. His dark eyes were blazed with rage as his nostrils flared and his chest heaved. He brought his hand up and aimed a finger at me.
“Sit the fuck down and keep calm before I knock ya big ass head of ya shoulders,” he ordered, his other hand resting on his hip where his pistol was waiting.
“No!” I shouted, getting in his face. “Why the fuck am I here?”
I could tell his patience was running thin, but I didn’t care. He brought his arms up and shoved me back so hard I landed on the queen-sized bed just behind me. Ledge stepped between my legs, hovering over me as I trembled. I had no idea what he was going to do, but it left me frazzled and my heart pounding erratically. With a tight grimace over his face, he knelt over so that his large upper torso was pressed against mine. I watched him tuck his bottom lip between his teeth angrily while mugging me before his hand fell on my throat.
“I said calm the fuck down before I put this pressure to you. Understand?” He narrowed his eyes at me.
A door opened nearby, and then a voice so strong it made my heart pause filled the room.
“Ledge,” the deep baritone said, startling me.
Ledge lifted himself from on top of me, and both of our eyes fell on the doorway. There stood another man. He was tall and very muscular with the prettiest fucking eyes I had ever seen. I could tell through his black button-up Tom Ford shirt that his arms were cut. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his slacks and studied both me and Ledge. His little pit bull in human form backed off me, but kept his face twisted up as he did so.
“She’s asking to get fucked up,” Ledge growled, and his partner came inside with slow strides toward me as I sat up on the bed.
Reaching for my throat, I rubbed away the pain that he had inflicted while sucking in a few deep breaths. Fucking coward!
