mixed up in biker politics, so I tell her his real name now that I know it.
Sophia looks up at me and I can see some of Tricky in her expression. My chest squeezes tight. I don’t want to hurt when I look at her. I want to think that whatever good Tricky had in him, he gave it all to Sophia and that is why he was so evil. “I will always worry,” she whispers as tears burn in her eyes.
“Oh, sweetheart.” I hug her tighter to me. “You don’t need to be scared anymore. Your father is gone. He can’t hurt us anymore. You will never see that monster again.”
“Is it wrong…what I mean is, I hate Dad for how he treated us. For the stuff he did to you, but is it bad if part of me is sad for him? Is there something wrong with me? Am I gonna be bad like him?” My heart clenches and I rub her back, hating that she even thinks there is something wrong with her.
“You are nothing like your father. You are smart, funny, and kind. All the things he could never be. It’s okay to feel sad and confused. He wasn’t a good man, but he was your father. A bad one, but still your father. There were a few times things were good, do you remember? When he took you to the zoo, or how he custom made your bed?” She nods against my chest. Those good moments were few and far between, but he wasn’t always a terrible father to her, just, most of the time. “You need to process your feelings baby girl, there is no right or wrong way to feel right now.” I know I am going to need to get Sophia into some counseling. Tricky really screwed both of us up in the head. It might not hurt if I went myself too. “Don’t worry your pretty head. We’re going to be okay. We have each other.” My daughter and I lived through hell and I will be damned if we will let another man dictate our lives.
Sophia eventually goes off to her room and I tidy up the apartment. I’m sore and tired but I know moving around is good for me. I can’t lay around here feeling sorry for myself. I hate spending Tricky’s money, but I’ve earned it for the shit he did to me. The first thing I am doing when I feel better and don’t look like a meat grinder got a hold of me is selling that damn strip club that he made me dance at. Then I am selling that house of horrors and taking Sophia and this new baby far away from here. Away from bastard bikers. In time Grady will forget all about us and move on to his next fuck.
A knock sounds at the door and I figure it is the food I ordered before Grady showed up making a scene. I don’t bother with asking who it is, but I damn well wish I had. It’s Susan. My cunt stepsister.
Chapter 24
Susan
“It’s true. Tricky nearly killed you. Happy says you got him first though.” I can’t help but smirk as though some sick part of me is proud of her for doing the deed. Nikki looks like shit but even under all the bruises she is still pretty.
“What do you want, Susan?”
“I wanted to talk to you about Grady. Can I come in?”
She steps aside and I walk inside unsure of how to start off this conversation. But it is a conversation we should have had a long time ago. I was horrible to Nikki and now that Mother is gone and no longer controlling me, I know what I need to do. I need to apologize for all of the terrible shit I put Nikki through. I tortured her but I don’t want to be that person anymore. I feel free for the first time in my life. Free of the hold Mother kept over me. “You shouldn’t be so hard on Grady.”
She laughs. “You think I am going to take advice from you of all fucking people. I don’t know why I even let you in.”
“Me either but here we are. I know I put you through hell and I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry.” She looks away and bites her bottom lip. “You are nothing but a spiteful cunt, and I hate you. You’re the pathetic and weak one. The one who was always jealous of me and for what? You had everything. A mother. A father. The best of everything. You had Cruiz. Now you have Grady. What more do you want to take away from me? Want my baby that is growing inside me too? What? You gonna take my kid too? What about Sophia, you want her too?” I raise my brows, surprised at how worked up she’s getting, normally she would take my shit with her head down.
“Nikki, I didn’t come here to fight with you. I just thought I could help in some way.”
“I’ve had enough of your help to last me a century. I think it is time you go.”
“I’m sorry if I upset you. It wasn’t my intention.”
“You’re poison, Susan. Just do us both a favor—stay away from me. You won again. Grady is yours. I don’t want him, and I don’t need either of you. I never did.”
I bite back a smart remark. I didn’t come here for that. I thought I could settle things between us by being the bigger person but maybe I had it right and Nikki is just another stupid bitch who got hers. I tried. Happy will have to understand that she is unreasonable. I even tried to get her to be civil with Grady. That has to count for something. I deserve a brownie or a new bracelet.
To think I was even going to host a baby shower at the clubhouse for her. Hmmph. I storm out of her penthouse. Happy never gave me my own place. I was stuck living at home until I moved in on Grady and fixed up his shithole of a place.
Maybe if Happy had cared half of what he does for Nikki, for me, then I might have been a better person than what I am. It’s his fault I am like this. His and Mother’s. They never did love me. I was just always in their way. All Happy wanted was the picture-perfect family and all Mother ever cared about was making sure she upheld that image for him, while also trying to one up her own sister, her twin. Look at us now. Look what they turned me into.
Chapter 25
Grady
“I’m surprised you called me. What changed your mind?” I ask Nikki. It’s been a few days since I last spoke with her. Sure, I have kept watch over her, but I have been giving her some space. I know she went through a lot and I don’t want to push too hard too fast but been dying to fuck her.
“Honestly, I don’t know why I called but you said you wanted to go to the appointments.”
“Damn right I want to be there. Told you, Nikki, I’m a part of this.” I step in her space. What I really want is to taste her mouth, but I hold back. I can see it in her eyes. She’s scared of what I might do with Tricky out of the way. “Don’t need to be scared of me, princess. I’m going to take care of you and this baby. Sophia too.”
“Not now, Prospect. I can’t have this conversation with you,” she pleads.
“Why don’t we start with you calling me by my real name.”