Page 35 of Devil

When the door opened, and Desiree walked in with her guard, she smiled and then moved to the seat across the table from me.

“I’ll be outside the door if you need me,” the guard said.

“Good, we won’t be long.” The guard nodded and walked out.

“You’ve grown into a handsome man, Lance,” Desireesaidand looked me over. Her hair was dull brown, and her green eyes sunken. She had dark circles under hereyes,and her face was pocked and broke out from all the drugs. When she smiledearlier,her teeth showed the signs of a meth user.

“This isn’t a reunion, Desiree. I’ve brought paperwork for you to sign relinquishing your parental rights over Neely.”

“What happens if I don’t want to?”

“I will fight you in court for her. It will take a little longer, but I will win. You’re going to serve time and not just a fewmonths,so I will win easy enough. Don’t be selfish, Desiree. You had two chances to be a mother, some women don’t even get one. And you failed both times.” I pushed the papers across the table. “Look them over, but sign when you’re done. When you are ready to sign, the guard can witness it, already cleared that with the courts here.”

She picked up the papers and looked over them and asked a question that had been bugging me about Neely.

“How did she not get taken away from you when she was born? No waywouldthey have let you out of a hospital with a baby addicted to drugs.” She sat the papers down and sat her hands down on top of them.

“I was clean and only hooking when I got pregnant with her. I was shocked when I went to theclinic,and they told me I was pregnant. I was forty-five. After she was born, I metErnie,and he was easy to work with. Didn’t take as big of a cut as some of the other pimps, plus I could make extra cash selling product. So, Neely wasn’t born addicted toansweryour question. I didn’t start using again till she was like three months.”

“Well, that is something you gave her. Are you ready to sign? I need to get the guard in here.”

“Preacher—” I stuck my hand up and cut her off.

“Not going to listen to you talk about my dad. You could tell me he slapped you around, killed in cold blood, and I wouldn’t give two shits. He is the one who sat with me while the drugs worked out of my system. He is the one that raised me. My own mother couldn’t stay clean long enough to give birth. You don’t get to say his name. You are proof that not all women are born with mothering instincts. Once those papers are signed, you are not to contact us. You will never see Neely grow up, nothing.Preacherwas there for me, and I will be there for her.Yourjob as amotheris over for both Neely andmeas soon as you sign on the dotted line.”

I got up and knocked on thedoor,and the guard came in.

“She’s ready for you to witness her signature.”

The guard handed her a pen and stood beside her as she flipped the pages to get to the last one where she needed to sign. She paused with the pen over the paper.

“Sign it, Desiree. Give Neely one thing while you are still her mother—a better life.”

Desiree Locke signed the paperwork, stood, and walked out with the guard. I leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. One more thing finalized to get my life on track.

Jag needed to file the paperwork and get whatever else done to go along with it. I was just relieved that when all was said and done, and we rode home to Black Hawk, one thing was left to do to complete my life.

Chapter Sixteen

Bailey

“Almost two weeks and all I get are texts at night telling me he loves me and hopes I will understand. Who says shit like that in a text?” I pulled the clean paper down on the exam table and set out a new tray.

“Are you going to tell me what is going on with you? You’ve mumbled to yourself all week. Are you not happy working here?” Mac asked. I hadn’t told her about anything because how could I when I didn’t know myself what the fuck was going on.

“Sorry. Lance has been gone for almost two weeks. He is supposed to be back sometimetoday,and he said he would let me know because we needed to talk and he hopes I will understand.”

“Understand what?” Mac asked.

“Exactly! He wouldn’t say. Said it had to be in person.”

“Okay. Have you asked Sami and Carly if they know what is going on?”

“Yes, and they don’tknow,or they can’t say.Theysaid Lance wanted to talk to me and that Crusher and Speed told them to butt out. I didn’t want to put them in themiddle,so I didn’t push.”

“Are you going to Black Hawk and wait for him?”

“He said he would call me if heweren'tgoing to be too late getting in. If not, he would call me in the morning.”

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