of my life hungry, hurt and terrified.
She had eighteen years to come back for me…to take me away from
that life–from him. But she didn't. Would you do that to your
daughter?"
"Don't turn this on me," I argued, but she'd
hit me hard with the daughter card. "This isn't about…"
"Would you leave Hope with a man you knew was
capable of beating her to a pulp?" she demanded in a hushed tone.
"Would you leave our baby daughter with Jimmy Bennett?"
"No," I admitted through clenched teeth. The
thought alone made me want to put my fist through the fucking wall.
I thought back to the day Jimmy showed up at the hospital, the day
before Lee was discharged.
I'd been in the cafeteria getting Lee a
coffee when he arrived. Lee swore to me that he'd only been there a
couple of minutes before I came back, but I wasn't sure. She had an
awful habit of covering up for that man. She couldn't help it, it
was built into her psyche after spending years of her life covering
up her bruises and burns. Jesus, I'd never felt anger like I had
the moment I walked into that room and witnessed him slapping my
fiancée across her face. I lost it. Completely fucking lost my
mind. I would have put that child-beater out of commission if the
damn security guards hadn't arrived. When I'd calmed down enough to
make a phone call, I had Kelsie ship that piece of shit back to
where he came from with a check. It had pained me to give him
anything, but twenty thousand dollars was a small price to pay for
his departure. I wanted him out of her life. Permanently. That
piece of scum would never so much as stand too close to his
daughter or my daughter again. Not while I'm breathing…
"Then why?" Lee begged in an exasperated tone
as she sat back in her chair. "Why can't you support me on this? If
you knew what my life was like because of that woman. The things
he…"
"Then tell me." I dropped Hope's spoon down
and gave Lee my full attention. I wanted her to talk about this.
Maybe if she said the words out loud she'd realize it was her
father who did all the damage. "Tell me."
"What's the point?" she said in a weary tone
before pushing back her chair and standing. "You've already picked
a team."
"Lee, don't run…" I started to say as she
backed away from me. I frustrated as hell as I watched her rush out
of the room.
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I groaned
loudly. "Daddy's in trouble, Hope," I mumbled, pulling my phone out
of my pocket as I fed Hope another spoon of yoghurt. "Have you got
room for daddy in your crib tonight? I think mommy needs a time
out."
Hope answered me by spitting yoghurt on my
shirt. "Thanks for that, angel," I muttered as I pressed the answer
button on my phone and held it to my ear. "What's up?"
"Kyle?"
I sat straight up when I registered the voice
on the other line. "What do you want?" I said coldly. I'd never
liked that guy and after he sold me out to the papers I liked him
even less. He'd better have a damn good reason for calling me.
Dixon sighed heavily before he spoke. "I need
to talk to you."
"Forget it, asshole," I snarled. "Run along
to the papers. Fill them up with more of your bullshit. I'm
done."
"It's about Derek," he growled. "He arrived
at my place last night and went on a rampage. Trashed the whole
damn house."
I sagged in my chair. "How much damage?" I
asked wearily. This shit had to stop. Derek needed to get a handle
on himself. He couldn't keep behaving like this and I sure as hell
couldn't keep chasing after him. All I seemed to be doing was
running around after everyone.
"Two windows, the front door and I need to
replace my TV," he said before adding, "He needs help, Kyle. That
guy needs to be checked in for some serious fucking treatment. He's
lost his grasp on reality."
"I'm dealing with it," I growled. I didn't
need Dixon Jones telling me what I already knew deep down. I knew
Derek wasn't himself, but he wasn't fucking crazy. The man was torn
apart. You couldn't stick a plaster on a broken heart and
She had eighteen years to come back for me…to take me away from
that life–from him. But she didn't. Would you do that to your
daughter?"
"Don't turn this on me," I argued, but she'd
hit me hard with the daughter card. "This isn't about…"
"Would you leave Hope with a man you knew was
capable of beating her to a pulp?" she demanded in a hushed tone.
"Would you leave our baby daughter with Jimmy Bennett?"
"No," I admitted through clenched teeth. The
thought alone made me want to put my fist through the fucking wall.
I thought back to the day Jimmy showed up at the hospital, the day
before Lee was discharged.
I'd been in the cafeteria getting Lee a
coffee when he arrived. Lee swore to me that he'd only been there a
couple of minutes before I came back, but I wasn't sure. She had an
awful habit of covering up for that man. She couldn't help it, it
was built into her psyche after spending years of her life covering
up her bruises and burns. Jesus, I'd never felt anger like I had
the moment I walked into that room and witnessed him slapping my
fiancée across her face. I lost it. Completely fucking lost my
mind. I would have put that child-beater out of commission if the
damn security guards hadn't arrived. When I'd calmed down enough to
make a phone call, I had Kelsie ship that piece of shit back to
where he came from with a check. It had pained me to give him
anything, but twenty thousand dollars was a small price to pay for
his departure. I wanted him out of her life. Permanently. That
piece of scum would never so much as stand too close to his
daughter or my daughter again. Not while I'm breathing…
"Then why?" Lee begged in an exasperated tone
as she sat back in her chair. "Why can't you support me on this? If
you knew what my life was like because of that woman. The things
he…"
"Then tell me." I dropped Hope's spoon down
and gave Lee my full attention. I wanted her to talk about this.
Maybe if she said the words out loud she'd realize it was her
father who did all the damage. "Tell me."
"What's the point?" she said in a weary tone
before pushing back her chair and standing. "You've already picked
a team."
"Lee, don't run…" I started to say as she
backed away from me. I frustrated as hell as I watched her rush out
of the room.
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I groaned
loudly. "Daddy's in trouble, Hope," I mumbled, pulling my phone out
of my pocket as I fed Hope another spoon of yoghurt. "Have you got
room for daddy in your crib tonight? I think mommy needs a time
out."
Hope answered me by spitting yoghurt on my
shirt. "Thanks for that, angel," I muttered as I pressed the answer
button on my phone and held it to my ear. "What's up?"
"Kyle?"
I sat straight up when I registered the voice
on the other line. "What do you want?" I said coldly. I'd never
liked that guy and after he sold me out to the papers I liked him
even less. He'd better have a damn good reason for calling me.
Dixon sighed heavily before he spoke. "I need
to talk to you."
"Forget it, asshole," I snarled. "Run along
to the papers. Fill them up with more of your bullshit. I'm
done."
"It's about Derek," he growled. "He arrived
at my place last night and went on a rampage. Trashed the whole
damn house."
I sagged in my chair. "How much damage?" I
asked wearily. This shit had to stop. Derek needed to get a handle
on himself. He couldn't keep behaving like this and I sure as hell
couldn't keep chasing after him. All I seemed to be doing was
running around after everyone.
"Two windows, the front door and I need to
replace my TV," he said before adding, "He needs help, Kyle. That
guy needs to be checked in for some serious fucking treatment. He's
lost his grasp on reality."
"I'm dealing with it," I growled. I didn't
need Dixon Jones telling me what I already knew deep down. I knew
Derek wasn't himself, but he wasn't fucking crazy. The man was torn
apart. You couldn't stick a plaster on a broken heart and
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