Page 63 of Gifts

“Yeesh, the eye-fucking out here on the patio is making it humid.”

My eyes dart to Mary and she’s grinning. Maya and Addy laugh, but Bev gives her a little frown.

I look over at Asa one more time and he rubs his clipped beard before directing his attention back to the men.

Humid—warm and wet is a good description for the climate right now.

*****

Asa

I look away from Keelie and have to beg my dick to relax. Especially after last night.

I’m forty-three and way past fucking around. I’m particular about where I put my cock and it hasn’t been anywhere but my hand for a while. The idea of Keelie interested me the minute she put her small hand in mine to introduce herself when I changed that guy’s tire on the side of the road. Every bit of contact I’ve had with her since has built on that exponentially, and now my craving for her is off the charts. To be in her bed last night just about did me in.

On top of all that, I’ve got Emma to worry about, whoever shot up my house, and I still don’t know why someone set up Levi. My ex-wife is freaking the fuck out about what happened to Emma and wants the kids to come to California. And there’s no way I’m leaving Keelie and her small children alone. No fucking way.

To say the past twenty-four hours have been intense is an understatement, yet every time I see Keelie’s tongue wet her lips, I imagine it tasting my cock right before I fist her long hair and slide myself inside her sweet mouth.

“Right. I’ll let him know.” Grady’s voice is low since Chloe’s sleeping on his chest. He sets his phone down on the table next to him and settles his hand on Chloe’s back. These men and their babies—never imagined them this way after working with them all these years. “That was Jarvis. He’s been looking around.”

“And?” I lean back in my chair. Vivi and Cayden are playing just beyond the patio in a sandbox and the three of us are sitting around the unlit fire pit.

“He couldn’t find Raymond Wallace. He’s scoured all the places I sent him and where we knew he trolled. No one’s seen him for days, either. I don’t know if we scared the shit out of him or what, but he can’t be that hard to find, especially for Jarvis.”

Grady and Jarvis are close, but they would be. Grady and I went head-to-head over him in the beginning years ago. I prefer recruits who can at least control their fucking tempers. Jarvis has somehow toed that line, yet still jumped off the deep end so many times, I don’t know how he hasn’t gotten burned. But if I can benefit from it now, I will.

Grady’s eyes move to me. “Terry Mosher was easy to find.”

“He should be. He still lives at home and is suspended until the district decides whether or not to expel.” Mosher is a shithead kid who thinks he’s bigger than he is. He definitely thought he was untouchable until last week.

“He followed him until he stopped at a gas station and was able to get him alone. At first Mosher acted like he didn’t know about the shooting, but finally fessed up. Not only had he heard about it, but once Jarvis pushed, he finally gave up a couple names who drive blue sedans. This was a couple hours ago. He’s still poking.”

“Did he say if they’re related to any group?” Crew asks.

“Not yet, but that should be easy to figure out,” Grady says as he rubs Chloe’s back when she starts to fidget.

“I want those names,” I demand. “I’ll have Carson run them. He could have something back in a couple hours.”

Crew picks up his phone and raises a brow. “I’ll let Jarvis know, but it’s not like he’s on the payroll for this. This shit’s like a game to him, the crazy fuck.”

I hear a burst of laughter from the women and look over to find Keelie loose and happy. This is good. She needs this after yesterday. But then I look toward the house and think about Levi, and especially Emma, and all the shit that’s gone on recently. I’m past thinking that this could be happenstance or a run of bad luck. Someone’s targeting my family and now Keelie’s been dragged into it. This shit needs to stop so I can get my daughter better, let my son enjoy the end of his senior year, and move things forward with Keelie and her kids. And no way are Levi and Emma going to California, I just got them.

I want it all and that means I need to fix this.

I set my beer bottle down on the patio and stand, glaring down at Crew and Grady. “You tell him to send me those names and do it now. I’m tired of people fucking with my family—I’m ready to put an end to it. That crazy fucker can come along for the ride, but I’ll be the one to end it. I’m gonna go check on my kids. Tell him I’d better have those names in the next ten minutes. I’m sick of this shit. I’m ready to move on.”

I don’t give them a chance to respond and head for the back door.

*****

Keelie

If day drinking were an Olympic sport, I’d be a gold medalist. Asa Hollingsworth could travel from afar to watch me compete with the world’s best—but I’d conquer all.

However, day drinking is also exhausting.

I don’t know how much wine I had since I never saw the bottom of my glass, but the hours flew. Eventually, hunger engulfed my children and they became miniature spawns of Satan. After all the day drinking and being so relaxed I didn’t have a care in the universe, I’m over being embarrassed by my children’s childish tendencies. I mean, every kid gets grumpy when they’re hungry, and most don’t love to do their homework, and I’m pretty sure all siblings bicker and fight. If Saylor hasn’t scared Asa off by now, I wasn’t worried when she acted like the world was going to come to an end if she didn’t have fish crackers yesterday.

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