Insolent (Crimson Elite 4)

“Papa.” I look to the time and see it’s late.

“I’ve been calling and calling with no answer.” Actually, we’re ahead in this time zone, so it’s not as late for him as it is for me.

“I was working and just got home,” I tell him.

Dad huffs into the phone. “I wish you would stop that nonsense and come home where you belong.”

“I’m where I belong right now, Daddy.”

“Fine. I just want to make sure you’re fine. Do you need any money?”

“No—”

But before I can finish, he’s already talking. “I just transferred you some more.”

I groan at him, but he doesn’t care.

“If you plan to live this silly life to show us you’re an adult now, you have done so. Now it’s time to come back home.”

“No.”

“Olympia Cavanagh,” he says my full name.

“Yes, Papa.”

“You’re going to give your old man a heart attack.”

I laugh. “That’s not possible.” I almost forget what happened while I’m speaking with him, almost. “You’re way too young and fit for a heart attack.” He is, he looks damn good for his age.

His laughter on the other end of the phone sends me to a happy place. “You wait until you have a daughter, then you’ll understand what it’s like when she disobeys you at every turn…” He pauses. I brush off his comment, choosing not to react to it.

“I don’t disobey you at every turn, I just refuse to live my life the way you and Barren do.”

“Speaking of… call your brother. Tomorrow, though, he will be asleep right now.”

“I will.”

“Goodnight, baby.”

“Goodnight, Papa.”

His views of the way a woman should be and her place are not the same as mine. Hell, they’re most likely the same as women living in the 1920’s, but despite all that, I love him so much, and I’m extremely thankful for him. Even if he wants to lock me in the house so I can never escape, and that’s just not going to happen.7DarbyMy hands come down fast and hard. He whimpers at me and tries to push me away. That shit isn’t working, I will fuck his shit up. Blood covers my knuckles, more than likely a mixture of his and mine.

Who the fuck knows, who the fuck cares?

One punch—for sneaking around in my club.

Two—for scaring Olympia, which he clearly did.

Three—for touching her.

Then the rest—the rest is because he shouldn’t be here.

Poor fucking guy or not, I don’t give a rat’s ass.

“D, step back now.” Falcon’s behind me. His hand touches my shoulder, pulling me from the fog I was just in.

I stare down at my hands then to the man who was sneaking around. Oh fuck! Even thinking about it makes my blood boil all over again, and I want to continue to hurt him.

“Did he see anything?” Falcon asks, checking around to see if anything is out of place.

“No.”

“Okay, good, leave him then.”

I swing around to face him. “He tried to get to Olympia, then he touched her.”

Falcon’s shaking his head. He points to one of the cameras in the corner that only we know about.

“He didn’t, she kneed him before he could. Now go the fuck home to your son.”

Shit! My son.

My hands are covered in blood—they can’t touch someone so pure, so innocent, so not stained by all the fucked-up shit in this world. It wouldn’t be right for him to have to touch me.

Falcon opens a bottle of water and starts to pour it over my hands. “Is it her or you?”

I guess he’s asking me why I got so worked up. We’ve had strangers hanging around before, and not once have I beat them to a bloody pulp.

“Both, but mainly me.”

“You need to get laid.” He whistles, throwing the bottle into the bin, then walks past me to his own car.

He’s right, I do need to get laid.

“Creed will be here in ten to move him, so when the asshole wakes he won’t wake here, around the club. Get home.” Falcon nods his head to me and takes off.

I do the same, going straight home to see Ma asleep on the couch, and Charles in his own cot through the monitor which is sitting next to her. I touch her shoulder and she wakes. Without a word, she starts to leave.

“My father will be here in a few days.”

She reaches for her jacket, slides it on, and then opens the door. When she turns back to me, she has a smile on her face. “I haven’t seen that man for years. I bet he was happy when you told him?”

I don’t answer, she knows how he is. He doesn’t get emotional, he’s a man where everything’s turned off. Why change now?

“Goodnight, Darby.” She closes the door behind her and leaves me in a quiet apartment yet again.“I’m not coming in today.” I scowl as I talk over the phone in a video chat with Echo. His blond hair needs to be cut and pushed out of his face.