No one spoke as we drove with the two kids in the truck ahead of us. All the lights were on in the house and I know my wife’s nosy ass is gonna grill me like she works for the NSA. “You two go on up and get settled. You’re in the guestroom kid.”
I gave him a look to let him know that we were still there. Until he puts a ring on her finger there will be no sharing of beds in my house. Shit, where’d that thought come from?
“Is everything okay? What happened?” Kat came rushing from the kitchen.
“Everything’s fine, none of ours is hurt and I’m hungry.” Gotta get her off the scent.
“Was it that boy? The one who’s been messing with Caitie?”
“Yeah it was him. You shoulda seen it, she knocked his ass out cold.”
“She did? Good for you Caitlin.” Bloodthirsty fuck. She kissed our girl and sent the two of them up the stairs. Everyone was pretty much wide-awake and there was a pot of coffee brewing.
Dana Sue made some manly sandwiches the way I like, lots of meat and cheese and my nosy ass wife was too hyped to notice. It wasn’t long before the women started to wilt and we sent them off to bed while we stayed seated around the kitchen table.
I waited until the coast was clear to ask the burning question. “What gives Mancini? What kinda badge you got that shut that cop down?” He’d been quiet since we came back but I know by now that his quiet isn’t the same as everyone else’s.
The others sat forward all ears. “I’ll tell you soon, but first I need to talk to that friend of your mother’s.”
“Who Char?” He nodded his head and took a sip from his fancy water bottle. What the fuck?
Catalina
I should’ve given him more, should’ve crushed the whole bean and emptied it in his drink the bully. My chest was tight with anger as I stayed awake long after mommy put me back to bed. Now I’m just laying here listening to the adults talk downstairs.
I can’t hear what they’re saying, just the drone of their voices as they sit in the kitchen but I know it’s about what just happened. It’s because of me that Todd came back early, because of me that he was almost killed. If I get my hands on that Brian…
I turned over and petted Bunny who was sitting up on guard next to my bed instead of lying down as he usually is. My poor dog has been frazzled by all the excitement lately, what with all the new people in the house. It’s a good thing Bunny’s good with babies; he loves babies.
My heart was only now beginning to settle after hearing my sister’s screams. I thought for sure the bad men had got her, but it was that stupid Brian making trouble again.
I didn’t even get to finish what I was doing on the computer and I was so close. I was supposed to be in bed but I’d been hiding beneath the covers with my computer that daddy had given back to me.
Nia’s working on the stuff I got from the drone while I was taking a break. I want to make something special for uncle Hank and aunt Cierra but now I’m too worn out to finish. My mind just won’t settle and I don’t want to mess it up.
Even though he’s a big old meanie for telling daddy everything, he still let me be there when baby Tatiana was born. And, he made sure I got the sliver of the chord I wanted and part of the placenta. And he didn’t even ask what I needed if for, because he trusts me. I love uncle Hank.
Poor Caitie, she was scared out of her mind. If I see that Brian at school tomorrow I’m gonna fix him but good. My computer chimed alerting me to an email incoming. I got up to take a look and my eyes widened on the screen.
MANCINI
Shit, I didn’t want to do this, not this soon, there’s still work left to be done, but I’m left with no choice. This is why I hate dealing with cops, they’re ass backward as fuck. That kid was obviously in the wrong but they still had to keep reaching. Of course if I wasn’t over tired I would’ve handled the situation better, but I haven’t slept a wink since my little girl was born.
I’d spent most of the day holding my little angel, totally amazed at the miracle that I’d helped create and realizing that no matter what I’ve done, what I’ve achieved, nothing tops her and she can barely fit in my hands she’s so tiny.
I knew love, the first time I met her mother I understood love. The kind of love a man has for a woman, for his life partner, soul mate whatever the going word is these days. But until I held that little one in my arms, I didn’t know that there is a love that goes beyond anything I could’ve ever imagined. And in loving her, my love for her mother has grown into something even more astounding.