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“Can we get ice cream?” I smile down at her.
“Yes, we can get ice cream after I pick you up.” She beams up me and skips along beside me. I feel her grip tighten on my hand as her school comes into view. I hate that I have to send her away daily but it’s not like her mother had life insurance or anything. I had to drop out of college to raise her and get a full-time job that I fucking hate. My boss is a sleezy fucker and makes passes at me daily. Sarah, the head teacher, smiles at us as we walk through the door.
“Morning, Miss Amelia.” Mela smiles shyly up at her. I crouch down in front of her and smile reassuringly.
“I tell you what. You be a good girl today and no tears, we’ll get ice cream after I pick you up and we can watch movies till late tonight.” Her face morphs into pure happiness. She nods eagerly and places a quick kiss on my cheek before grabbing her bag and following after Sarah. My heart bursts with love, that kid has no idea how much she has changed my life and given it a purpose. I check my watch and curse, I’m gonna be late.
* * *
Iburst through the front door and shoot Sally an apologetic smile. She shoots me a look telling me Kevin is pissed that I’m five minutes late. I dart in the back, put my bag away, and come out the front and tie my apron around my waist, then slide up next to Sally at the till.
“How pissed is he?” I whisper.
“On a war path,” is all she manages to get out before he calls for me. I cringe when customers turn their gazes to me. I trudge slowly into the back past the kitchen to Kevin’s dirty little office. He stands behind his desk with the bottom of his stomach resting on top. I mean, couldn’t he at least wear a shirt that covers his whole gut and not have the bottom hanging out? His balding head gleams under the exposed light, brown eyes filled with lust as he scans them over me. I fight the gag that wants to break through at the thought of him mentally undressing me. His ginger mustache curled at the ends—his breaths sound like someone is breathing into a paper bag. The man is severely overweight.
“I’m sorry I was late, Mela–”
“Don’t make excuses. Get that kid sorted earlier in the mornings. I don’t pay you to be late.” I fight the angry remark that wants to tear out of me at the way he speaks about Mela.
“Yes, sir. It won’t happen again.” The tension flees his body as his gaze drops to my ample chest causing me to cringe in disgust.
“You know, if you would like, I could take you to dinner and we could discuss boarding schools for her?” I clench my hands into fists at my sides.
“She’s four years old,” I grit out through clenched teeth. He shrugs and waves me off.
“Still, I’m sure there’s some out there that take the sprogs at that age.” It takes everything inside me to not tell him to go fuck himself. If I didn’t need this job so badly I would have quit months ago, but I have bills to pay. Like a good girl I smile and fucking thank the disgusting pig for the offer before going back out front to help Sally take orders. I will my tears back down. I hate that I have to take his shit. Christine never had a fucking will or anything in place and my only saving grace was she never named the father on the birth certificate. I don’t legally have guardianship of Mela, though to everyone that knows her they all think she is my kid. It's nearly the end of my shift and my feet are killing me, my hair reeks of grease and my back is aching from bending all day. I head over to the corner booth where a man sits, I don’t even look at him to ask for his order.
“What can I get you?”
“My kid.” The anger in his tone has me looking up from my pad. He’s wearing a ball cap low over his head and a pair of sunglasses that conceal his eyes from me.
“Excuse me?” Surely, I must have heard him wrong. It’s been a long as fuck day and I just want to pick my girl up and go home. He reaches up and removes his cap, his brown hair with flecks of blond is plastered back against his head, he grips the edges of his glasses and slowly lifts them. A feeling of dread settles inside me, something bad is about to happen… I can feel it. When he places the glasses atop his head and I see his eyes I drop my pad and pen. Green eyes that I know so very well stare back at me. Unlike the loving eyes I’m used to seeing, his hold so much hatred and anger inside them. I stumble back a step and shake my head. He darts out of the booth so quickly for a man his size and grips my arms holding me in place. I stare up at him open mouthed. I can feel other patrons gazes on us but I’m too caught up in him to even care.
“I want my kid, Allison.” A cold shiver rushes through me. He knows my name, he knows about her. Tears prick the corners of my eyes as I shake my head unable to get my voice to work.
“You gonna have to unhand her now, sir!” He snaps his gaze over my head to look at Sally. She may be old and fragile but let me tell you, Sally is from the south and that woman doesn’t take no shit from anybody!
“Stay out of this,” he hisses.
“Nah-uh. You just go on ahead now and release Miss Ally and get on out of here.” He pulls his gaze from her to focus back on me, so many emotions in his eyes but the most dominant one is hatred. It sends a shiver down my spine.
“I want to see her, Allison. You have till tomorrow to make contact or I’ll be here again and next time, I won’t be leaving without my daughter.” He releases me with a hard shove. I smack into the table behind me and grip the edge so I don’t fall. He reaches into his pocket and I freeze, waiting for him to draw his gun and shoot me where I stand for daring to take his child from him. I know exactly who he and his family are. I will never allow him to pull my niece into his lifestyle and corrupt her like he did my sister! He pulls a card out and closes the space between us before slamming the card down beside me, causing me to jump. He leans down until I feel his lips brush against the shell of my ear, causing my body to react in a way it shouldn’t. “Don’t fuck me around. You won’t like what happens if you do.” I nod like an idiot. He pulls back and shoots one last scathing look at me before turning and storming out of the diner. I slump forward and gasp for air as soon as the door slams closed behind him. Sally rushes over and rubs her hand up and down my back.
“You okay?” I nod. “You know who he is?” I nod. She releases a disproving sigh which has me standing up straight to face her. “It’s not my business who you spend your time with. I don’t need to tell you that he isn’t a good man to have around young Amelia.”
“He’s her father,” I whisper.
Chapter3
Allison
After getting ripped a new asshole from Kevin I clocked out and picked Mela up, stopping to get ice cream on our way home. We’re cuddled up on the couch with her sleeping next to me with her head in my lap. I run my fingers through her hair and war with myself. I don’t believe his threat was empty. I know he meant what he said, I could see it in his eyes. If I don’t call, I know he will come back. But if I call him, I can maybe make this work in my favor. I ponder it for a few minutes before gently sliding out from under Mela, not wanting to wake her. I pull the throw blanket over her and take a deep breath. I always knew it would be a possibility that he would find out about her but I just thought I had more time to… figure things out by then, I guess.
I grab his card from my purse. All it says is King Murdoch and his number. I try to talk myself into it, just get this phone call over with but I’m scared. He has the money and resources to take Mela from me and he has every right to do that, she’s his kid. The thought of losing her has an ache forming in my chest and a lump rising in my throat. I can’t let that happen! I dial the number and don’t even think as I push call. It rings three times before he answers.
“Yeah?” I open my mouth but words fail me—what the hell do I even say? “Who the fuck is this?” His angry tone has me snapping out of my stupor.
“I-it’s Allison.” I hate that I sound so meek. There’s a slight pause before he speaks again.
