Ice (Regulators MC 1)
Looking back to my paperwork, I sigh. It is always something around here. Dealing with bullshit has a way of making a man feel old before his time. Luckily, there is always a woman ready to spread her legs for me to make me feel young again.
Morgan
A month later…
“Oh, my God, what have you done?” I ask as I enter Brooke’s kitchen to pick up Madyson.
“Ummm, hi, Morgan,” my sister greets innocently. A little too innocently considering the sight in front of me.
The kitchen is a disaster. An entire container of flour must cover every inch of countertop and the floor. I see a bowl of what looks like an egg mixture, possibly with milk, sitting out on the counter with black specks floating in it. There are packages of cookies laid out across the table, the counter, and even one on the floor. The popping of the deep fryer scares me as I continue to take in the disaster before me.
“Do I want to know?” I ask, shaking my head at the two teens.
“Deep fried Oreos,” Brooke pipes up cheerfully.
“What?” I laugh.
“We finished our homework early. I, like, don’t ever cook. Grams taught me to bake, but we don’t have the stuff. Mady said you love deep fried Oreos, so we thought we would make some for you and my dad.”
“I take it this was not a successful endeavor, since I do not see batter covered goodies anywhere.” Holding in my laughter is hard as I watch the seriousness of the girls’ expressions.
“Neither of us knew what you are supposed to coat the cookies in,” Madyson explains.
“Pancake batter,” I say, smiling at their thoughtfulness.
“Oh, hell, why didn’t we think of that?” Brooke rubs her hands on her very pink and extremely old lady apron.
“Come on, let’s clean this up. I’ll help you make dinner, and then we’ll make a batch for dessert. For future reference, the internet is your friend.”
Turning behind her, Brooke pulls out a yellow with lace trim apron and tosses it to me. I put the garment on and raise my eyebrow in question.
“Grams said, in order to be successful at something, you must first dress the part. If you walk in looking confident, you will become confident and therefore succeed, including cooking. So, we all have to look the part. Aprons on, hair pulled back, wash your hands, and make it happen,” Brooke informs me confidently.
When she talks about her grandmother, her eyes dance in happy memories. I love the few times she has been around and shared with Madyson and me. Not having had these experiences, it is amazing to listen to.
Two hours later, the girls have helped me prepare a pasta bake for dinner and three packages of deep fried deliciousness. Just as I am emptying the last dish from the dishwasher, in walks the man of my nightmares. Okay, he is not really a nightmare, though he is far from a dream.
“What the fuck? You tryin’ to move in because you can’t afford the rent?” Ice greets coldly.
My stomach tightens, my palms sweat, and I want nothing more than to crawl in the oven and roast to avoid him. In the two days we stayed here, while Madyson recovered, he had not one nice thing to say to me. No, he spent the few times I did have to deal with him grilling me about my sister and giving advice on getting her under control. I thought for sure after that he wouldn’t let Brooke hang out with her. However, he has made sure the girls have transportation after school to come to his house and do homework until I get off work to pick Mady up.
Since the day after Madyson recovered from being drugged, I have actually been able to go to work without worrying about what my sister would get into afterschool. In the month since, I have let the girls spend every afternoon here at Ice’s house and every weekend with me. Granted, on those weekends, one of those bikers follows Brooke and hangs out in the parking lot of my complex. It is very unnerving to me, but at least Brooke is still allowed to be around Madyson.
Having Brooke around my sister is one of the best things I can give her. She is still reeling from my parents’ abandonment. She might not admit it or talk to me about it, but I can tell being kicked out of their house has really shaken her up in ways that is staying with her. Seeing her haunted in such a way breaks my heart. I am determined to do everything I can to fill the parental role our crappy parents never tried to maintain.
Now I am worried this prick in front of me is going to compromise one of the few good things Madyson has going on in her life. I don’t know what exactly I did to make him think I crapped in his Wheaties, but I have basically hit my breaking point with him. He is so sour he makes the Grinch pale in comparison.