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that was my job. To respect your position. I didn't respect you as a dad, or a husband, but I did as the boss."
"I was the same person." He tells me and I scoff, "Hudson, I'm trying to make amends."
Right, of course he is. I'm wondering why now? "Dad, you were the boss and it was expected of you to be an asshole. You have to be the meanest sonofabitch there is but also a fair one to your soldiers. That was who you were there, not who you should have been at home. You should never, lay a finger on a woman in anger. Never make them so low they contemplate ending their own life and you never disrespect them by cheating on them. You did all three, you weren't a father to me at all. Hell, I can't even remember you being a dad. You were the boss."
His jaw tenses and his nostrils flare, yeah, this anger is what I'm used to, although he's trying to contain it. "I fucked up, with you and with your mom. I'm hoping that you'll let me prove to you that I'm a changed man."
I bite back the sarcastic retort. "Okay."
"I want to start with your mom, do you think she'll be up to seeing me?" He questions, he actually looks sincere, his hands wringing together almost as if he's nervous.
"How about not yet? Ma's trying to get better, seeing you again is going to send her spiralling." I'm not going to let him hurt her anymore. Once she's on her feet and strong enough, then he can apologize.
"I'm proud of you Hudson." His voice hard, almost as if it hurts to say those words. "Proud of the man that you've become. I have no fucking idea how you became so amazing, it sure as shit wasn't me or your mother. As you said we were a fucking disaster."
So the asshole was listening from pretty much the beginning. Jackass. "You both showed me what not to do." I shrug, when you despise something enough, you'll do everything in your power to make sure you don't become them.
He laughs, "At least we showed you something." He shifts in his seat, sitting up a bit straighter. I know that pose, he's got something to say, and whatever he's about to say is going to piss me off. "Son, I know that you and Tina haven't gotten off on the right foot. I'm asking you to, please, bury the hatchet and start fresh. She's not who you believe her to be."
I roll my eyes, "She put you up to this?"
"No, Christ Hudson, you really are a suspicious fucker aren't you? No, she didn't put me up to it, I told her that if she continues with her hostility towards you, I'll divorce her." My eyes widen at his admission. "You’re my son Hudson, I may be an asshole but you're my fucking son. No one treats you with disrespect. But, that doesn't mean you can be an asshole to her."
I huff out a breath, "Fine, I'll be nice." Although, if she says one thing to upset Mia, all bets are off.
He gets to his feet, "Thanks son."
I stand, it's time to go and see Mia. "Don't thank me Dad, we'll see how things go."
He nods sharply as he leaves the room, I won't promise anything.
Leaving the office, I hear crying, my eyes glance to the room on my right. Barney's standing outside, his hand on the door handle. "You going in?" Obviously Lacey's crying, so why is he standing there?
He shakes his head, "No, I've done enough damage to her already." He tells me and walks into his room.
I'm not in the mood to try and decipher his cryptic bullshit. I turn and walk up the stairs, Lacey's soft cries following me as I do so. As soon as I open the bedroom door, Mia's soft snores greet me. Damn it. Glancing at the bed, I smile, her leg’s peeking out from under the sheets, she's weird. I've noticed that when she sleeps she has to have one of her feet out of the sheets, she told me she gets too warm otherwise. Stepping into the room, I close the door behind me and lock it. Stripping down to my boxer shorts, I climb into the bed beside Mia. As soon as I do, she turns into me, her head coming to rest against my shoulder.
The fact that she seeks me out while she's asleep tells me that she's as deep in this as I am. Soon, I'll tell her everything. I just hope she's deep enough with me to accept it.
Sixteen
Hudson
Awkward. That's all I can use to describe the mood in this room. We're all sat around the kitchen table. Dad's talking, trying to keep everyone engaged but it's not working. Lacey and Barney are looking everywhere but at each other, Jagger's sitting there with a damn smile on his face. Whatever he has planned must be going his way, that fucker's never looked so happy. Mia's keeping her head down, she's sad, her best friends going home and she's still not ready to talk to her mom. Glancing at Tina, she's doing the exact same as Mia, head down focused on their breakfast. Not making eye contact with anyone else in the room.
The sound of my cell ringing, interrupts the silence. Tina's glance is one of wariness, whereas Dad, Jagger, and Barney all shift in their seats. All sit a bit taller, they're on edge, this call could indicate anything. Usually if it's anything trivial, my men would call Martin or Jagger, when I'm getting a call it means something serious seeing as my closest men are here with me. Reaching into my pocket, I pull my cell out and see that it's Aaron calling me. Shit, he's the one who manages my bar. He's trustworthy to a certain extent. He owes me his life, and he's been loyal so far.
Getting to my feet, I leave the room. The heat of my men's stares hot on my back. They're uneasy, they'll not settle until they know what's happened. "What?" I answer the phone and instantly hear his deep breathing. "What happened?" I ask after he doesn't answer me, there's a sharpness to my voice.
"Boss, Carmine's been shot."
A buzzing sounds in my ears as my anger rises. "How is he?"
Aaron doesn't answer right away, "It doesn't look good Boss. He'll be lucky to make it through the day."
Fuck. "Who did it?"
"I don't know Boss, they broke into his house and shot him."
