Page 48 of Reckless Encore

“Yeah.” She nodded. “Of course. We’ll slaughter that fucker. We’ll slaughter them all. One by one. We’ll destroy the whole bloodline if we have to.”

He glared. “You’re not taking this seriously.”

“And you’re taking thistooseriously.” She pushed from the bed, coming to stand in front of him. “There’s nothing we can do. We can’t change what happened. It’s done. The only thing we have control over is how we act toward them in the aftermath.”

“I’m still good with your suggestion to slaughter them all.” His brows remained locked tight, his anger thick. “One by one, just like you said.”

“Blake,” she warned. “You need to calm yourself and think about this from their perspective. They’re not babies anymore.”

“So they’re old enough tomakebabies?”

“No. That’s not what I’m saying. I’m merely trying to point out they’re at an age where we can’t dictate their lives for them. Soon, they’ll be going to college and moving out of home. And if we push them away prematurely, the damage could be irreparable.”

He continued glaring. Not at her. Through her.

It was clear he had no plan to step back from the ledge any time soon.

“She’s your daughter.” She grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers, like she had so many times through the years. “And he’s the son of one of your best friends. One wrong move and you’ll destroy something important.”

“That’s the plan,” he snarled. “I want to destroy his face.”

She released a soundless chuckle. “You talk a big game, Blake Kennedy, but you know as well as I do that you love that kid.”

He doesn’t respond. Doesn’t quit his glare.

“I understand you feel betrayed and blindsided” she continued. “Hurt, too. Believe me, I’m right there with you. I’m struggling to come to terms with my daughter making such a huge life decision without coming to her mother for guidance. But that’s what teenagers do.”

He released her hand and dragged his feet to the bed. “I’m sorry. I know you’re hurting and me losing my shit doesn’t help. I just thought I had years before this type of thing happened. I’d hoped she’d be a thirty-year-old virgin.”

“Well that aspiration was pure stupidity.”

He laid back on the mattress, his hands under his head. “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to find some alcohol and drink until we chill. Then we’re going to come to terms with our babies growing up, while we keep telling ourselves we need to let them make their own mistakes, like we made ours.”

“Getting dicked by Ryan’s slimy jerk-face son isn’t a mistake either of us would’ve ever made.”

“He’s not a slimy jerk-face. You love Tyler.”

“I’d love to see his nose broken into a million irreparable pieces.”

“Blake,” she growled.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m mellowing. Give me time.”

She climbed onto the bed and snuggled beside him. “We also need to realize these moments are a blessing.” She placed her arm around him, hugging him tight. “They’re good kids. All of them. We raised them right.”

He turned silent, not filling the growing void.

Their Reckless family had been through a lifetime of drama together. Unending tours. Even more albums. The complicated births. The heartbreak of Melody not being able to conceive. School bullying. Paparazzi issues. Numerous mid-life crises.

When one of them suffered, the pain filtered through them all.

But the instances filled with love and friendship far outweighed them all.

She nuzzled into him. “Remember when she took her first steps.”

“Yeah. It was at Lynch’s house. We were all there for lunch.”

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