heart and I honestly think that she would want me to do what I felt was best for my family now."
"You're a smart man Madison, and I couldn't be more proud of you. You know that, right?"
"Always Gran, always."
I squeezed my gran tightly and then excused myself to go pick up Kayla from school. I could only imagine how hard it must be for her to be back there, given everything that had happened over the last little bit. There was just one place I needed to go first.
****
I pulled into the parking lot of the local seedy motel about twenty minutes later. I only had about a half hour before I had to pick up my girl, but I was hopin' this wouldn't take much longer than a few minutes.
I put my truck in park and rehearsed what it was that I needed to say to my father. Just as I was opening the door to my truck, I saw his grizzly figure walk out through the door of his room. I quietly closed the door to approach him, when I saw another guy follow out behind him. From this distance I couldn't quite make out the face, but from what pictures the authorities and Joey had shown me, there was no mistaking who it was.
What the fuck! How did these two even know each other and what in god's name were they doin' here with one another? I watched from behind the driver's side of my truck as they shook hands and then the other guy left in an unmarked vehicle. I watched as he drove past me, before I made my move in my father's direction.
"We need to talk." I shouted.
"I'm not so sure I have much to say to you." He growled.
"Well, you may not have anything to say to me, but I gotta a whole helluva lot to say to you. So listen up, because I'll only say it once. Leave town. Stay away from my family and me and that includes Kayla's family as well. There's nothin' left here for you."
He walked slowly in my direction and my hands balled into fists at my sides the closer he got.
"Listen here little boy. You don't get to tell me what to do. I'm here for one reason and one reason only, to get what's mine. Now you can either hand it over, or we can do this the hard way."
"What happened to you? How did you become such a heartless asshole in the time you've been gone?"
"Things change, Madison. I've always been this way, it was your momma who thought she could change me and well, the day she died was the day I was done with bein' something I wasn't."
At the mere mention of my mother, my fist went flyin' through the air, connecting with his nose. Blood spewed from the contact I had made and splattered across my shirt. "I said stay the fuck away. I will find out what you're up to and how you are involved with that low life you were just talkin' to. Make no mistake, I will end you and him if need be."
"Is that a threat, Madison?"
"You bet your sorry ass it is. One I intend on keepin'." I spat back.
I turned to walk towards my truck when he mumbled something intangible under his breath. I wanted to turn around. I wanted to know what it was he thought he could threaten me with, but I chose to be the bigger man this time, and walk away.
Chapter 8
Kayla
I sat solemnly on the brick retaining wall, waiting for Madison to pick me up. It was only five minutes past since the last bell had rung, but I guess I assumed he would want to be here waiting for me. I watched as the parking lot slowly emptied out and eventually there was no one else left except for the football players cars. I was checking the clock on my cell phone, when I heard Joey's voice becoming increasingly louder. I wasn't in the mood to deal with him today, but I suppose I didn't have much of a choice.
"Hey KJ, whatcha doin' out here all by yourself?"
He sat down on the wall next to me, gently nudging my arm. "Hey Joey, just waitin' for Madison."
"Seems like you're always waitin' on him. How are you feelin'?"
Nobody knew about my pregnancy yet. I made it extremely clear to Madison and Cami not to say anything. I wasn't ready to deal with all of that on top of the accident. I hadn't
"You're a smart man Madison, and I couldn't be more proud of you. You know that, right?"
"Always Gran, always."
I squeezed my gran tightly and then excused myself to go pick up Kayla from school. I could only imagine how hard it must be for her to be back there, given everything that had happened over the last little bit. There was just one place I needed to go first.
****
I pulled into the parking lot of the local seedy motel about twenty minutes later. I only had about a half hour before I had to pick up my girl, but I was hopin' this wouldn't take much longer than a few minutes.
I put my truck in park and rehearsed what it was that I needed to say to my father. Just as I was opening the door to my truck, I saw his grizzly figure walk out through the door of his room. I quietly closed the door to approach him, when I saw another guy follow out behind him. From this distance I couldn't quite make out the face, but from what pictures the authorities and Joey had shown me, there was no mistaking who it was.
What the fuck! How did these two even know each other and what in god's name were they doin' here with one another? I watched from behind the driver's side of my truck as they shook hands and then the other guy left in an unmarked vehicle. I watched as he drove past me, before I made my move in my father's direction.
"We need to talk." I shouted.
"I'm not so sure I have much to say to you." He growled.
"Well, you may not have anything to say to me, but I gotta a whole helluva lot to say to you. So listen up, because I'll only say it once. Leave town. Stay away from my family and me and that includes Kayla's family as well. There's nothin' left here for you."
He walked slowly in my direction and my hands balled into fists at my sides the closer he got.
"Listen here little boy. You don't get to tell me what to do. I'm here for one reason and one reason only, to get what's mine. Now you can either hand it over, or we can do this the hard way."
"What happened to you? How did you become such a heartless asshole in the time you've been gone?"
"Things change, Madison. I've always been this way, it was your momma who thought she could change me and well, the day she died was the day I was done with bein' something I wasn't."
At the mere mention of my mother, my fist went flyin' through the air, connecting with his nose. Blood spewed from the contact I had made and splattered across my shirt. "I said stay the fuck away. I will find out what you're up to and how you are involved with that low life you were just talkin' to. Make no mistake, I will end you and him if need be."
"Is that a threat, Madison?"
"You bet your sorry ass it is. One I intend on keepin'." I spat back.
I turned to walk towards my truck when he mumbled something intangible under his breath. I wanted to turn around. I wanted to know what it was he thought he could threaten me with, but I chose to be the bigger man this time, and walk away.
Chapter 8
Kayla
I sat solemnly on the brick retaining wall, waiting for Madison to pick me up. It was only five minutes past since the last bell had rung, but I guess I assumed he would want to be here waiting for me. I watched as the parking lot slowly emptied out and eventually there was no one else left except for the football players cars. I was checking the clock on my cell phone, when I heard Joey's voice becoming increasingly louder. I wasn't in the mood to deal with him today, but I suppose I didn't have much of a choice.
"Hey KJ, whatcha doin' out here all by yourself?"
He sat down on the wall next to me, gently nudging my arm. "Hey Joey, just waitin' for Madison."
"Seems like you're always waitin' on him. How are you feelin'?"
Nobody knew about my pregnancy yet. I made it extremely clear to Madison and Cami not to say anything. I wasn't ready to deal with all of that on top of the accident. I hadn't
Similar Books
The raw emotions of a woman
Suzanne Steinberg
Now You See Her
Joy Fielding
Colonel Rutherford's Colt
Lucius Shepard
Alien Jungle
Roxanne Smolen
The True Prince
J.B. Cheaney
Sugar Daddy
Rie Warren
The Summer of Cotton Candy
Debbie Viguié
Mothers Who Murder
Xanthe Mallett
The Winterstone Plague (The Carrion Cycle)
David Scroggins