Broken but Breathing (Jinx Tattoos 2)

She shook her head. “Are you listening to yourself?”

“Yes, I am. Making sure things run smoothly keeps us all safe. Things are stirring, and we’re trying to squash it before

it turns into anything of note. I need you to stand by me right now and lend me your trust. You and Joc will be fine here by yourself. I know she’s a handful right now, but we knew it’d be like this going in.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t expecting to have to go it alone. You’re her father.”

“And you help take care of her, too. What’s your deal right now?” he asked.

“I don’t want to make this situation worse,” she admitted.

“You’re far better at this than I will ever be, Es.” He cupped her face. “I don’t want you to worry about this. I trust you with her more than anyone else.” He pressed his lips to hers and her knees went weak. “I’ll talk to her before I leave, okay?”

“You have to go now?”

“Yeah, sweet girl.”

She swallowed down her protest. This was part of being an old lady; she’d signed up for this. She would’ve handled it better if it hadn’t come on the back of a three-month period she liked to refer to as hell. Change was never easy. The bi-weekly visits had moved to weekly, and finally to a new living situation. Jocelyn had taken it hard.

She’d left behind all her friends, what she’d known as her family, and a completely different style of life. To say she wasn’t happy would be putting it lightly. Full of sass and anger, Joc tested them at every turn. It was exhausting. Today they’d brought her and the last of her things up from Lexington. The Miles hadn’t made a move against them legally. At least not in a straight-forward manner. But she wouldn’t put it past them to try to catch them doing something wrong. The pressure made her head hurt.

“Go. She should hear it from you,” Es said.

Images of her girl’s night out with Jole went up in flames. She sighed. She needed the break. Playing a maternal role to a child who saw you as the enemy was a sharp-edged knife. It was everything she wanted right in front of her, taunting her. She placed a hand on her rolling stomach and tilted her head. Dear Lord, please let us get through the next couple of weeks in peace.

A bang came from upstairs. He told her. Snake appeared at the top of the stairs.

“She took it that well?” Es asked.

He shook his head. “She’s pouting, but she’ll get over it once she’s hungry enough to venture down for dinner.”

“Yay,” Es muttered.

Snake snickered. “It’ll get better. At least the horrendous tantrums have stopped.”

“True,” she said, offering up a smile.

He bent down, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him with every ounce of feeling she possessed for him. The road was a scary place to be because anything could happen. He never told her what he was doing, so she had no idea how much danger he might be in. She knew better than to ask, so she treated every run like it was perilous. They surfaced for air and she breathed deeply, resting her head over his heart.

“That thing under your head beats for you and that little girl upstairs. I’m coming back as soon as I can to you both.”

“I know,” she said, smoothing her hand over his pec.

He placed a kiss on her head. “I gotta go or Mike will skin me again. You need anything, call Enzo and Aibhlinn.”

“I know the drill,” she said.

“Yes, but I know your stubbornness is on expert level,” he replied, stealing a kiss. “Walk me out.”

She agreed knowing she’d be receiving calls from the sweet couple. The last thing she wanted to be was a burden when Aibhlinn when she had a two-month-old Padraig at home. The curly haired redhead was the miniaturized version of his father sans the russet curls. She feigned neutrality as she led him to the bike and stole one more soul shattering kiss before he climbed on and she watched him drive away. His motorcycle disappeared on the horizon and tears welled up in her eyes.

She’d been thrown into the deep end of parenting with no instructions. Knowing the theory of child rearing was nowhere near exercising them. All the years of teaching small ones hadn’t prepared her for the angry girl inside. She wanted so badly to help the two find their happiness. Wiping away the tears, she took the opportunity to update Jole about their plans. Her best friend had been less than enthusiastic about the fact that Snake had a child.

“Hey, shouldn’t you be heading to work about now?” Jole asked.

“Change of plans. Snake had to go out of town for work last minute.”

“And your shifts?”