Keeping Her (Savage Brothers Second Generation 2)

“Red, I told you I’m not married,” I growl her anger beginning to fuel mine. This damn woman is more stubborn than any I’ve ever met in my life.

“Your whore then,” she spews out with hatred.

“She’s not a whore, damn it, Red. Her name is Daisy!”

“I don’t give a fuck what her name is. You should have told me about her! I never would have…”

“What, woman? You never would have spread those legs for me if you’d known about her?”

Her entire body flinches like I just slapped her and the look of hurt in her eyes is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s haunting.“Yes!” she snaps, and although the anger has come back, the hurt is still in her eyes. I rake my hand through my hair, feeling frustrated.

“Fuck, Red, this isn’t what I wanted…this is not what I wanted to say. I came here to explain,” I mutter, wondering how things got so out of control, especially so quickly.

“There’s nothing to explain. I thought you were different. It turns out, you’re just like all the rest,” she says.

I take this moment to make myself a vow that if I ever find out who the fucking shit for brains was that hurt her, I’m going to double his pain for every tear he made her cry. I should be pissed at Jasmine for jumping to conclusions about me, but I didn’t explain it very well in the beginning and I know without a doubt she is carrying some major scars from her past.

“Fuck, Red, you’re a hard woman.”

“Obviously not hard enough. Will you stop standing in my door please? If not, I’m calling my dad and I really don’t want to do that.”

“Your dad? Your dad a cop, Red? That seems like something you should mention since you’re accusing me of keeping secrets.”

“I’m not accusing you of keeping secrets, you are keeping secrets,” she mutters. “Hawk, call Dad and ask him to get over here. Tell him I’m having biker trouble.”

“Cops can’t do shit to me, babe. They can try, but you better believe, I’ll be back for you.”

“Dad’s not a cop, Grunt. He’s much worse. And I could hate you even more for what you’re forcing me to do,” she murmurs.

“What am I forcing you to do, Jasmine?” I ask her, my voice deceptively soft.

“Call my father and admit to him that I screwed up yet again,” she murmurs. Her words aren’t what cut me though. It’s the tears I see shining in her eyes that my girl refuses to shed.

“You didn’t screw up, baby. You can trust me,” I tell her, my gut clenching, because that’s not being completely honest with her. Am I fixing one mess, just to have a bigger one down the road? I can’t help it though. I’m not giving her up.

I can’t.

“Hawk!” Jasmine yells. “Are you calling?”

“Calling, Sis.”

“Sister? That’s your brother?” I ask, feeling better at least about that. Jasmine doesn’t answer. Instead she turns her back to me, walking away.

“Hey, Mom, is Dad around?” Jasmine’s brother says into the phone, but at this point Jasmine could call in the entire police force in the state of Kentucky. I don’t give a damn.

“Don’t move, Red,” I growl.

She turns around and looks at me.

“Can’t you just leave me in peace, Luke?” she whispers, the words broken.

“I’ve come to take you home, Red. I want to introduce you to Daisy.”

“I don’t have any inclination to meet your other woman, or hell, I guess I’m the other woman. Whatever, I’m out of this ride.”

“Daisy is my daughter, Red.”

“Uh…Dad…I’ma’ gonna have to call you back,” I hear her brother say in the silence. I ignore him. Instead, I’m staring at Jasmine who looks at me like I’ve lost my mind and hell…

Maybe I have.24Jasmine“If you’re lying just to get me to Virginia, Luke, I’m going to kick your ass,” I mumble staring out the passenger window of his truck.

“I’m just glad you’re using my name again,” he replies, but I don’t turn to look at him.

My head is a mess and I don’t know what I’m doing here. All I know is that after he dropped his bombshell about his daughter, he refused to leave unless I went with him. I knew that even though Hawk hung up with my parents they would come over. I didn’t have much choice. I either went with him or stuck around for the war that was surely to be raged when Dad saw Luke in my living room.

I chose the easier option.

It’s not that my father would be against me dating a biker. I think he might even like Luke, if he gave him a chance. But, he wouldn’t give him a chance and that doesn’t have anything to do with Luke. It’s much more to do with my past choices. I know eventually, I’m either going to have to ignore it and let time heal the open wounds between my parents and I, or confess to them. Since that last option holds about as much fun as a colonoscopy without medication, I’m ignoring it for now.