I kicked off my shoes and opened the door none too gently. I was so mad that I activated the car and slammed out of the bay, he barely jumped out of the way. I drove down the long driveway daddy had built that lead from the garage and onto the street. I didn’t even have my permit on me so I wasn’t planning to go far, just around the block and back.
“Oh shit, what am I doing?” Daddy would kill me if he found out. I’m not getting my license until Wednesday and that’s if I pass. He was standing right where I left him when I drove back in at a slower rate. Half the guards were already outside, but there was no way they would’ve been able to catch me at that speed.
“Todd?” He came around the car and pulled the door open, dragging me out and pushing me back against the car. He was pissed. “I…”
“Shut up! Is this what you do when you don’t get your way, you’re gonna act like a brat? Well it didn’t work with your father and it’s not gonna work with me.” He walked away.
I followed him remembering to lock the garage door behind me. “Why are you so mad? I didn’t go far.”
“ A car is a weapon, defensive driving one o one. You got in a snit and drove out of here like a bat outta hell. You could’ve wrapped yourself around a tree. And why? Because you can’t wait?”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to be away from you right now.” What just happened? How did we get here? What’s going on? I just didn’t like that he was starting to act like my father, deciding how far we should go, when we should stop. Who knew he was going to blow up like this? He’s never done it before.
“Todd!” I called after him but he didn’t turn around, just kept going until he disappeared inside. I found him on the couch staring at the blank TV screen. “Can you talk to me, what’s wrong? I was gone for less than five minutes.” The look he gave me was even worse than one of daddy’s mean looks.
I sat down beside him and he got up and walked away, leaving me feeling like crap. This is all so confusing, I don’t get it. Today should be the happiest day of our lives. We’re finally free to be together and he’s acting like…I don’t know what he’s acting like right now.
LYON
It was late in the evening by the time we all made it back. Everyone was still on a high from the birth and the women were hyped up, but no one more so than Mancini, I’ve never seen a man so happy to have a daughter, except maybe Ty. Idiot. Like he didn’t see the shit I just went through in the last few days. I hope I’m around to watch her give him hell.
“What’s wrong with you? What’s that goofy look on your face? You just had three and that damn Cady is shaping up to be a nightmare, don’t give me that look, my seed has retired.” What the fuck is wrong with women that they forget how horrible the kids they already have are at the sight of a newborn baby?
“I didn’t say anything, maybe you’re the one who’s thinking about it.”
“Hmm!” Everyone headed to our house first because no one had had dinner and my parents were still at my house.
Mengele was dead on her feet but she was too excited to stay still. She’s the only one who’d eaten, the rest of us had only had praline ice cream; nasty shit. Hank was back at the hospital with his wife and kid. We’d left to give him time with his family who’d come in for the birth.
“Catalina, how come you knew who Jaxxon and Adrien were?”
“They’re uncle Hank’s brothers.”
“Yes I know but how did you know that?”
“He told me, I spoke to them before daddy.” She was busy looking at the camera, re-watching the shit she’d taped.
“Daddy I need my computer.”
“What for?”
“I have to do something important.” She looked at her mother who was looking confused. “What happened to her computer?”
“Daddy took it to fix it, it had a bug.” My little liar is at it again.
I looked at her through the rearview mirror and she grinned at me. “In fact mommy what really happened…”
Fuck! “I’ll give you the computer when we get inside, your uncle Hank fixed it.” I’ma get her ass back for that. No wonder her brothers are always trying to pound her into the cement. This kid is vicious, just like her damn mother.
We walked into the house where the smell of food met us at the door. Mom was bustling around the kitchen like a maniac. “You’re just in time. We only made one of the roast earlier so we could eat, but I put the last two in the oven the last time you called.”