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20
Storm
“Yeah, baby. I will.” David grunted, ending the call as he entered my office. I half expected him to drop into my chair as if it were his, but he didn’t. Instead, he shocked the hell out of me, throwing his arms around me in a giant bear hug after I kicked the door shut.
“Missed the shit out of you, son.”
What the hell?My body went ramrod straight. The last hug I could remember my dad giving me was the day my mom left. I was nine, crying my eyes out as he held me, whispering,We don’t need that bitch.But my old man didn’t know shit. I had needed my mom.
I sucked in a breath as he squeezed me. My mind whirled like a funnel cloud of confusion and nausea pummeled my gut. But I also couldn’t shove him back.
“Wish I’d known about your woman before now. Sugar said, you call her Angel. I like it. Can’t wait to meet her.” He released me and we stared at each other for a long beat.
Who in the hell was this man? An imposter, replacing the father I knew. Maybe he was on some fucked up meth and trippin’ like he used to when I was a kid.
“Who are you, and what the fuck did you do with my asshole father?” There were at least a dozen other names I’d prefer to call him. Since he was here to help find Madeline, I’d show him a speck of respect.
He smirked, slapping me on the shoulder. “Still a Grade-A smartass.”
“I learned it from my old man.”
“Least you learned something from me.” He sat in the chair in front of my desk. “Take a seat.” He jerked his chin to my executive chair.
My mind raced as I eyed him. After all the stress of dealing with Madeline missing, I felt like my defenses were down. I couldn’t deal with my dad being, what? Fatherly? It was throwing me off. We weren’t likethis.
“Jane sends her love and prayers for you and Angel.” He rubbed his hand over his scruffy chin. He never had a beard. By the smell of it, he still wore Brut aftershave. Deep creases were etched into his forehead. His brow was always furrowed. At fifty-five, he was physically fit with salt and pepper hair. He was still a badass motherfucker.
“Thanks.” I had to be in another universe.
As Angel would say,mercy. Jane sends her love? Prayers? They were never religious.
“Gotta say, you’re freaking me the fuck out. Why are you acting like we’re close?”
“Always brutally honest. Don’t you ever get tired of being so blunt?”
I considered him as he stared back at me. Same stormy gray eyes as mine. What was his game?
“No.”
David sighed, relaxing in the chair with his arms crossed over his chest. “We don’t have time to waste talking about us. I just want you to know you can trust me in getting your girl back. You can depend on me, Kaleb.”
Dammit, he used my birth name. He hadn’t said it once since he made me leave home. Before I had a road name, he only called meboy.
“Think you deserve to be trusted and relied on?”
He hiked an eyebrow. “From your point of view, probably not. From Jane’s and your sisters—”
“Half sisters.” I squirmed in my chair, not wanting to go down this road.
He growled low. “They’re my daughters. That makes them your sisters.”
“I don’t even know them.”
“That’s gonna change.” He leaned forward in his chair. “I want my son back.”
I fought the urge to storm out of my office. This wasn’t the time to deal with family shit.
“Don’t wanna deal with this now. My woman is my priority.” I inhaled a shallow breath. “You’re here to help. I appreciate it.”
