AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My only answer is silence. I try to go back to sleep, but eventually I become too restless and get up to use the bathroom.
As I exit my room, I cross paths with Jaxon. He takes one look at me and starts to turn around to leave, but then pauses and looks back at me.
“You okay?” he asks.
I think it’s the first time he’s actually spoken to me and it takes me a moment to reply.
“Yeah,” I say.
He presses his lips together, studying me. “My mom used to date this guy when I was younger and he liked to smack me around a lot, so I know how it feels.”
24
BLAISE
Instead of going downstairs right away,I linger. It makes me nervous that she has a concussion. Plus, her dad is out wandering around, and who knows if he’ll return? It’s not just that that has me worried, though. No, it’s the people her dad’s gotten mixed up with. Like my dad, for starters.
Yes, he’s my father, but that man is corrupt, and so is anyone who works for him. Hadley’s dad isn’t technically working for him, though. He’s just working off a gambling debt that he’s owed for over a decade now. He’s lucky my dad let him off that easy and gets to work as his little bitch. Normally, when someone owes my dad money, especially for that amount of time, things don’t end well for.
I don’t know why my dad is letting him off the hook so easily, especially considering who he is. I’d quatI could ask, but my dad and I rarely talk, and when we do, he usually tells me nothing but bullshit lies. The best day of my life was when I got guardianship of my brothers and we were no longer obligated to talk to him. Well, not as much anyway. A monthly visit was his stipulation before he signed over guardianship to me.
When I’m almost certain Hadley is asleep, I do a quick sweep through of the house, making sure all the doors are locked. Next, I peer out the window, looking out at the street, frowning at the car parked near the corner.
The tinted windows and luxury are a giveaway that the owner more than likely doesn’t live around here. My bet is it’s the other people Hadley’s dad has gotten mixed up with, something I discovered today while we were at the gas station and I saw Mel in one of Axel’s men’s truck.
Axel is my dad’s rival who does a lot of dealings in drugs and runs some gambling sites. Yeah, Honeyton’s really corrupt, mostly because the people who taint the town are rich enough to buy off the police, my dad and Axel being two of them.
If my dad finds out Mel is working for him, there’s going to be hell to pay. And he may not just go after Mel.
Since the person currently parked outside is either one of my dad’s men or Axel’s—I’m betting the latter—that means Mel may have pissed off Axel. That man seems to have a knack for that. He seems to have a knack for doing a lot of shitty things, like beating his daughter.
My jaw twitches as I remember how angry I felt when I saw him hitting Hadley. It reminded me too much of when my dad hit my mom.
I heard a scream first and looked out the window. Then I saw red and heard nothing but my blood roaring in my heart. I probably would’ve beat Mel’s ass if he hadn’t bailed like a fucking coward. Although, Rhyland probably wouldn’t have let me get that far. He’s always been able to think more rationally when it comes to intense situations, mostly because he tries to stay as upbeat as possible. I sometimes think he uses humor to cover up his emotions. And he’s been extra humorous since Hadley barged into our lives.
I think deep down he might kind of be starting to like her. And I get where he’s coming from. The girl is tough as hell and strong, and not just physically. Most people would’ve broken the fuck down tonight, yet she held it together. Underneath that tough exterior, though, she’s got to be hurting. I know because I’ve been there, especially when my mom died. And whenever I’m around my father, but that’s for a different reason.
I stay near the window until the car drives away. Then I lie down on the sofa, but I don’t doze off right away, my mind in worry mode.
I think about Alex and how I’m going to convince him to get away from our father’s world and into rehab. I also worry over Jaxon and if he’s ever going to get over this no-talking thing, something that started right after our mom died. Rhyland’s probably the easiest, but his racing concerns me. He’s getting more and more reckless every day. Scarlett’s a handful, too, but she’s only here some weekends. She mostly lives with her mom, though her mom’s new drug addiction is starting to make me question if perhaps she should be living with us full-time.
Yeah, my life is full of stress. Now even more so.
Hadley, Hadley, Hadley. She’s stuck in my mind. I want to help her get her sisters back, yet I’m not sure how I’m going to do that, or how I’ll balance helping everyone out. I barely have time as it is. But something about Hadley feels oddly familiar, and not just because she reminds me of myself. I’m unsure where the familiarity comes from.
The first day I saw her, I knew she was different from other girls. Hot as hell, for sure, and her toughness turns me on, even if that makes me fucking twisted. And that kiss … it was hands down the best fucking kiss I’ve ever had. Well, up until she kicked me in the dick. That part sucked big time.
I guess I sort of deserved it in a way, for being an ass to her when I first met her. But I was trying to protect Alex. Well, that and I suck at flirting. Rhyland’s always giving me shit about having no game. He’s right, but I spent most of my teenage years trying to be a parent. Even before I got guardianship, I took care of my brothers and my sister.
“You okay?” Rhyland asks as he wanders into the living room.
I nod, stretching out on the sofa. “Just trying to sleep.”
He plops down on the chair across from me. “You could’ve put Hadley in my room. I didn’t mind. And I’m the one who told her she could stay with us.”
I yawn. “My room’s cleaner.”
“True.” He slumps back in the chair and grows quiet for a second. “You know, it’s weird, but I swear Hadley seems familiar.”
