AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s how it should be, right?”
“At least according to me. And you, Maddie? Are you seeing anyone?”
I didn’t want to share Jamie with anyone, not yet. And definitely not his cousin. “Nope. No time. What about one of these,” I asked and held up Ava Rose. “Plan on making babies anytime soon?”
“Probably, yeah. Right now we’re just practicing.” She wiggled her black brows suggestively before she collapsed in a fit of laughter. “Wow, that laugh felt really good.”
Sometimes I forgot that Maisie and Bonnie had been good friends at one point. That wasn’t always clear, not in the time I’d spent at Ashby Manor. “Is it hard for you, having her gone?”
Maisie smiled but her rapidly blinking eyes told me that she was thisclose to tears.
“It’s beyond hard, Maddie. I feel terrible for Calvin and all that he’s going through, but I also feel awful for me. Does that sound bad? Selfish?”
“Not at all.”
“Bonnie was my best friend since I got here. She was like my sister and my confidante for so many years, and now she’s just…gone. We won’t get to raise our babies together.”
Her words broke on her tears and those tears turned to anger.
“What the fuck was she even doing with Mueller anyway? He’s a fuckin’ pedo pervert. None of it makes sense to me. I wish she’d have come to me and told me what was going on.” She took Ava’s little hand in hers. “And now baby girl doesn’t have a mama.”
It didn’t make sense, and I could see the gears churning in Maisie’s head, but whatever conclusions she came up with, if any, she kept to herself. She let out a long breath and said, “Well, I just wanted to stop and check in. Take care of you, girl.”
“Always.”
“See you soon. Gotta get back to the grind.” She gave me a quick hug and lifted Ava for a snuggle session. Then she left almost as fast as she had entered. I was grateful she stopped by. Couldn’t have too many allies in this mansion.
It was good to know I wasn’t the only one who thought the whole Bonnie thing stank to high hell, but Maisie was a member of the family, and she had the freedom to say such things. I didn’t.
I kept my opinions to myself, and my eyes wide open because it was the only way a poor girl who grew up in a trailer park with a revolving door of stepdads and fake uncles could survive.
There was so much drama in this big ass house, so I decided to focus on Ava—and Molly.
If Molly was even alive.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Jameson
I sat back with an ice cold beer in my hand and a smile on my face. I should have been having a good time. The music blasted classic rock through six-foot speakers, shot glasses never emptied, and half-naked chicks were happy to show off newly bought tits or freshly drawn tats.
It was the same Friday night I’d experienced with this same group of men and women for as long as I could remember, except tonight, none of it felt real. Authentic.
Everything was off. Like I didn’t belong here anymore.
Charlie clapped me on the back and flashed a wide smile. “Hey man, glad you could make it. I want to apologize. I was going through some stupid shit with Savannah and being the new Prez, Mom and Dad busting my balls. You’re my brother, man. I love you.”
“We’re cool. Just don’t let it happen again.” I smiled. Glad to have some semblance of a brother back.
Charlie nodded, silent and contemplative. “You know, it’s harder having a kid brother who’s a cop than I thought it would be.”
“Regretting that you gave me your support?”
“Hell, no. I’m proud of you. Glad you’re out there helping the community. You have a lot of Mom in you. I just really wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
“Fuck, yeah, you do.” Charlie smiled again, and I let out a loud laugh. Then he whistled and yelled across the room. “Hey, Chickie, can you bring that bottle of Patron over here?”
“She still here?” I felt like I hadn’t been here in years. Although I knew it had been only months.
“Always, man. Lousy fuck but makes a helluva waitress.”
“Please tell me you aren’t fucking her.” I snorted after she left the bottle on the table.
Charlie put the bottle to his lips and took a long pull. I cringed. “Nope, just that one time when I’d just turned eighteen. Damn, Mom was pissed at her.” He laughed. “She was almost forty, I think. Bitches be bitches for sure.”
It was good to laugh with my brother again over random bullshit. Still, I wondered if a time would come when I would have to choose between being a cop, an Ellison, or a Reckless Bastard. I didn’t have any answers, so I shook that shit off with a shot of tequila and a long pull of my beer.
