Chapter 4
Dominik
I shook my head, because why in the world was I the only one who saw the vinegar side of her? Talia had one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever seen.
Yeah, Carter’s woman, Harlee, was something else.
Garrick’s woman, Tatum, had he not realized what he had in front of him, I would have cock blocked every motherfucker who thought he stood a chance with Tatum.
Because if there was a woman who was good enough for Garrick, it was her.
Alec’s woman, Cassie, was sweeter than sugar.
Ethan... well, I was starting to think there was just no hope for him.
Carter – I have some sweet ideas.
Garrick – Hey, Harls.
Carter – Hey G!
Ethan – Where is our brother?
Carter – He’s taking a shit.
Carter – Told him not to get that taquito from that gas station.
Carter – But did he listen? No.
Talia – Sounds like him.
Garrick – Ditto.
Alec – I agree.
Ethan – Yep.
Me – Definitely.
Bronson – Oh yeah.
Carter – I’m back.
Talia – Okay. Ideas?
Garrick – We did the cruise last year.
Ethan – We did the beach the year before.
Me – Did New York a few years ago.
Alec – How about a trip to the mountains?
Talia – I love that idea.
Me – Got a buddy who has a cabin, see if he knows of places.
Talia – Thank you.
Bronson – Got a buddy too, I’ll reach out.
Carter – Sounds good.
Garrick – I can get back to Tatum now, right?
I laughed as I read his text.
Damn, but the boy was gone for his wife.
And I didn’t blame him.
Not one motherfucking bit.
***
I was on my way to work and knew that today was going to be a shitshow.
“Motherfucker, speed limit is fifty-five, not fucking forty. That pedal to the right? Yeah, that’s the gas, fucking use it.” I growled.
What the fuck was wrong with some people?
Yeah, I get it.
Had you had hazard lights flashing or some shit, I wouldn’t be saying shit.
Butttt ya don’t.
Then, yeah, you guessed it, the motherfucker slammed on his brakes and turned left without a fucking turn signal.
Turned left for a fucking yard sale.
Almost slammed into the back of his little truck.
I blew my horn because I’m a prick like that.
“Goddamn. Buy the next year’s model. That one has fucking turn signals. Fucking Ford Ranger.”
I was still seething as I pulled into the garage parking lot and parked my car.
I knew it was going to be even more of a shitshow because today was the one day a month we offered oil changes to every vehicle. Didn’t matter the year.
I was on my eighth car when I glanced up and saw Talia.
She smiled at Garrick as she talked to him.
He shook his head, gestured at the board behind us, and then he pointed at me.
She made her way over to me and said, “Hey, so the door on my Jeep got hit. Can you look at it and see if it can be fixed?”
I shook my head and got back to work.
“You won’t even take a few minutes to look at it?” she asked.
I eyed the car that I was working on, then looked at her, “Ain’t got time.”
She nodded, “After you work on this car?”
I shook my head.
“Why won’t you at least look at it? It wasn’t my fault.” She said.
I shook my head, “That’s what you said last time.”
She growled, then shook her head, her shoulders slumping in... defeat.
Then I watched as she walked away, opened the passenger side door, climbed into the car, and then to the front seat, and started her car up.
I sighed as I shook my head and started in her direction; however, she pulled out of the lot before I could make it to her.
It was maybe half an hour later when I watched as Chief Klein’s police issued patrol car pulled into the lot.
I noticed him scanning the lot and then into the bays.
I tagged the red rag off the frame of the car and headed out to him, wiping my hands as I did.
I lifted my chin, “Chief. Help you with something?”
His head turned as his eyes came to me, “Yeah, looking for Talia’s car.”
I sighed. Then I chuckled as I asked, “Other people file a report?”
He lifted a brow then shook his head, “No. I need to get Talia’s statement. I’m hoping she dropped it off here, then headed to the hospital.”
It was my turn to lift my brow, “Hospital?”
He nodded, “Yeah. Some woman backed out into her car. She said her leg was hurting.”
Fuck.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled to her name, Sparkles , then I hit dial.
It rang three times, then went to voicemail, and I knew she was pissed, “This is Talia. If this is Dominik, you can go fuck yourself.” Beep.
That made me feel like shit.
Then I left a message, “Talia, call me back.”
I hung up, then shook my head, looked back at the car I had been working on, sighed, and gazed at the board.
A pissed off customer or knowing that she could possibly be hurt?
I chose her.
Damnit.
To Chief Klein, I said, “I’ll find her. Give you a call.”
Just then, as I was climbing into my 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback, painted solid black, I called her Cola . The interior was candy apple red when my phone rang.
I pulled it out and saw it was Caine.
I hit the button and said, “Yeah?”
“Talia just called, we’re swamped, can you take a look at her Jeep?”
I sighed, “Where is she?”
He sighed, “Told her we didn’t have time, then man, I swear to fucking Christ, sounded like she was on the verge of tears. She hung up on me.”
I hung up on him and whispered, “Fuck.”
Then I started my car and started the process of trying to find her.
The keyword in that was trying.
It was two hours later that I headed to the hospital.
And thankfully, her Jeep was parked in the lot, and when I caught sight of her driver’s side door, I felt lower than a piece of shit.
It was concaved in.
Fuck. Me.
I parked my car near her Jeep and headed to the doors.
My phone had been blowing up, but I had ignored it.
Until now.
I saw Garrick’s name and called him. He answered on the second ring, “Never known you to blow off on one of our busiest days, what’s up?”
“Talia asked you to look at her Jeep. Right?”
“Yeah, but we were swamped.” He said.
I nodded, “Said the same thing to her. She tried to take it to Sawyer’s, but they’re swamped too. Chief Klein informed me that a woman backed into her jeep. Been driving, trying to find her after he told me she complained about her leg hurting.”
“Fuck me. Shit.” He said.
“Found her Jeep at the hospital. Brother, the entire door is concaved in.” I told him as I entered through the doors.
“Shit. Okay. I’ll rally everyone.”
I hung up and pocketed my phone as I reached the front desk, and an older woman asked, “How can I help you, sir?”
“My best friend’s little sister, Talia Griggs. Can you tell me where she is?”
After she told me where she was, I headed in that direction.
And fuck me.
The sight of seeing Talia’s little body lying in a hospital bed with Chief Klein sitting there taking her statement, I was trying to keep a rein on my temper.
Thankfully, I finally got it under control as I waited until they finished.
Apparently, A Ford Expedition, driven by a woman who was busy on her phone, had backed right into her driver’s side door.
Chief Klein nodded at her, then stood up.
I walked in then and lifted my chin at the Chief, then my phone pinged.
Misty Griggs – We’re here.
I looked at Talia, “Your mom, dad, brothers, and the girls are here,” I told her.
Her eyes, which were red and swollen with... fucking tears.
Fuck.
I can’t remember the last time I saw tears in her eyes.
Talia shook her head and then said, “No. Tell them to leave.”
“Talia,” I said.
She growled, then opened her phone and shoved it in my face, “Tell them to fucking go, Dom.”
Daddy-kins & Mommy-kins Text Thread
Garrick – Talia’s car is messed up. She’s at the hospital. Who can go?
Carter – Damn. Why did they give her a driver’s license?
Ethan – What he said.
Mommy-kins – Boys.
Daddy-kins – It’s the truth.
Garrick – Dom said it wasn’t her fault.
Carter – Right. And I’m a priest.
Ethan – And I’m a female.
Alec – And I’m a Seal.
Daddy-kins – And I’m not a father.
Mommy-kins – Enough.
Talia – Wow. Thanks.
Talia – Pretty sure it was a Ford Expedition that backed into my Jeep so hard the driver’s side door is pushed in, because a woman was busy on her phone, wasn’t my fucking fault.
Talia – My hip and left leg hurt, but who gives a fuck?
Daddy-kins – Shit.
I finished reading it, then handed her phone back, and opened my mouth, but before I could, she shook her head, “Leave too, Dom.”
My nickname on her lips, I didn’t fucking like it, so I said, “Dominik.”
She sighed, “I don’t give a fuck anymore. I’ve bent over backwards to be nice to you. To do things for you. And this is how you repay me? All you had to do was ask me to wait, that you’d make time. But you didn’t do that. Now get the fuck out.”
“Sparkles,” I said.
“Get the fuck out!” she screamed.
Then a nurse came into the room and was eyeing me, “Sir, you need to leave.”
I crossed my arms over my chest, “No.”
She sighed, “If you don’t leave, I will be forced to call security in here.”
Talia’s voice shook, “Dom. Please. If I’ve ever meant anything to you, even a small sliver, get the fuck out.”
I took in her face, the set line of her jaw, the tense lips, the tears I could see forming in her eyes.
She didn’t know it, but she meant everything to me.
It was high time I started acting like it.
I went out to the waiting room and saw everyone there waiting.
I took a seat beside Garrick and sighed, “She wants everyone to go. You all hurt her with that text.”
Frank nodded, “Got that.”
Carter pinched the bridge of his nose, “When the fuck are we going to learn?”
Ethan sighed, “It’s gotta be hard being the baby of the family.”
Garrick nodded, “Told her we wouldn’t do it again, make her feel less than, and we did that.”
Alec shrugged, “That was payback. The last time I’m pulling it.
Misty snapped, “I told y’all to stop. Y’all didn’t listen to me.”
Then she headed to the hallway, no doubt to go find Talia, as did Harlee, Tatum, Lila, Cassie, and Everly.
Garrick sighed, “I’m on the couch tonight.”
I lifted a brow, “Why?”
“Tatum told me that she was tired of me not making time for Talia, and this was the last straw.” I nodded.
Carter nodded, “Harlee said the same thing.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back.
I was staying.
When the women didn’t return after half an hour, we all knew that Talia had let them stay with her.
Frank’s phone rang. He pulled it out and sighed, “Yes, my love.”
He was quiet as he listened, then he winced, “Fuck.”
“Yeah.” Then. “Okay.” Then. “Right.” Then he looked at me and said, “Looks like he’s staying.”
Then he hung up the phone and said, “Talia’s going to be fine. Just badly bruised.”
Garrick nodded, “I had Dain and Chance take her Jeep to the garage after I saw the door. Either have to replace the door or get a new vehicle.”
I was half tempted to pull my phone out, find her a new vehicle, and buy it for her.
But that would likely result in a good kick to my balls from Talia.
That wasn’t happening.
Two hours later, when I saw Talia being wheeled out in a wheelchair, I got up and then walked over to them.
Misty stepped in front of me and shook her head, “You go on home. We got her.”
I stepped around Misty, and then knelt in front of Talia, “Garrick said your either going to need a new door, or a new vehicle.”
She laughed sardonically, “Took me possibly getting hurt for y’all to care about it. Nice to know.”
Then Harlee wheeled her around me, and the women followed.
I stayed there, staring at the tile as I sighed, “Fuck me.”
A day later, a phone tree was activated to an extent.
Shit, no one knew what Talia did had come out in the open.
And to say I was floored, well, that would be an understatement.
Harlee and Tatum bought Henrietta’s groceries on Monday, delivered them, and cooked her a week’s worth of meals.
Cassie, along with Everly, drove to Jacob Hooper’s house and helped clean.
Lila drove over to the library and read stories to kids on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
And all my texts to Talia went like this.
Me – Talk to me.
Me – Talia.
Me – You can’t be pissed at me forever.
Me – Come on, Sparkles.
And when I didn’t get a reply from that one, I ran my hand through my hair.
My days didn’t seem right for some reason.
And like an idiot I knew the reason... I hadn’t seen or talked to Talia in almost five days.
That was why I found myself sitting outside her apartment door.
Yes, I had a key to her place, don’t ask me why I did.
But I just did.
And any other time, I would have just let myself in and waited on her.
However, as pissed as she was at me... I didn’t think that would go over well.
And when three hours passed, and I got looks from her neighbors, and no sign of Talia, I sighed, hung my head for a brief moment, then I got up and headed to my car.
***
My eyes were locked on Talia as her parents hugged all of us, but not once did her eyes come my way.
I waved with everyone else as Frank and Misty drove away to head to a cabin that my buddy Larson Graham knew was for rent this summer.
Then I watched as Talia broke apart from everyone and headed out to her new SUV.
She had gotten a Chevrolet Tahoe, in white, because apparently, Harlee raved about the safety features it had.
And she had gone alone.
She didn’t ask Garrick or me to go with her so we could check out the vehicle.
I watched as she climbed into her new SUV and then left.
Garrick sighed, “She still isn’t speaking to me.”
Carter nodded, “Same.”
Feeling eyes on me, I looked over to see that it was Bronson. He lifted a brow in silent question. I shook my head, “Nope.”
Alec sighed, “Me neither.”
Ethan nodded, “Knew she was upset, but didn’t realize she was this upset.”
Then I said, like a dumbass, “I’ll start pushing her buttons again. See if that helps.”
Yeah, Dom, good idea, piss her off even more.
But fuck me.
She was the only one who could give it back to me as good as I threw it at her.
Sure, sometimes I crossed lines, but that was just the way it was with the two of us.
With that said, I pulled my phone out and typed a text message.
Me – Sparkles, that backup camera, use it, alright?