Chapter Eleven
Pee Wee
When I pulled up to my house the next morning, I felt like I was floating on cloud nine. I was going to be a daddy again.
Until I saw those two pink lines, I hadn’t even realized I wanted any more kids.
The thought honestly hadn’t even crossed my mind. I had committed myself to staying with Diana for the sake of my boys, which meant having any more children was out of the question.
My whole world, which had felt like something was missing for so long, was just suddenly… whole and ri ght.
“What’s got you smiling like a love-struck fool?” Denali asked, a big grin on his face as he hopped down from the passenger side of Klutch’s new F-350.
I shrugged. “Just in a good mood.”
I wasn’t quite ready to share the news just yet. I needed to get the shit with Diana handled first.
Dropping out of the cab of his lifted truck, Klutch slammed his door and joined us on the sidewalk. “It doesn’t look that bad.”
I snorted. “It’s fucked, dude. Wait until you see the inside.”
That was when a dark sedan pulled up at the curb, and a man in a red polo and khakis climbed out with a clipboard in his hand.
Show time.
“Mr. Reid?” he called, approaching with his hand extended.
“Yeah,” I nodded, grabbing his hand and giving it a shake.
“James Tanner, Liberty Insurance. Let’s take a look at what we’re dealing with, shall we?”
“Yeah.” I started towards the front door. “This place was a fucking mess when I locked it up the other night,” I added over my shoulder .
Mr. Tanner nodded. “You’d be surprised at the stuff I’ve seen.”
“I can only imagine.” Unlocking the door, I shoved it open and instantly shuffled back when the overpowering stench of mildew slapped me across the face.
“Jesus,” I coughed.
Where water had sat for a couple of days, mold was already starting to grow.
The carpets were brown and soggy, and the drywall had turned to mush. Every piece of furniture was ruined.
It was a fucking disaster.
“Water damage,” James muttered, making a note on his clipboard.
“Yeah,” I said, stepping carefully across what used to be my living room.
“It could be worse,” I heard Denali say from behind us.
Walking the adjuster around the house, I pointed out the things I noticed, and was surprised at the things I hadn’t noticed when Denali pointed them out.
I was glad he offered to come along, because there was way more shit in need of repair that I’d even realized.
Fucking Diana .
Up the stairs, things weren’t nearly as bad. Or so I’d thought.
Like downstairs, Denali pointed out all the things that would need to be repaired or replaced.
To say it was going to be a fucking headache was an understatement.
Stepping inside Brody’s room, it wasn’t terrible except for the soaked floors and some water damage on the lower portion of the walls.
Bentley’s room was much the same, with the exception of his guitars that had been propped in the corner. The wood was already swelling and splitting from the moisture.
God, I hated that fucking bitch.
My boy had taken precious care of the instruments, and because of Diana’s bullshit, they were completely ruined.
As I turned to head back downstairs, a picture on the desk caught my attention. I couldn’t help but smile when I picked it up. The boys were at their first high school football game, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, grinning like idiots. It had been a huge win.
The grin fell off my face.
I couldn’t believe Diana had actually done this.
It wasn’t me she was hurting with her bullshit. It was her own children .
I couldn’t even fathom doing anything that would affect my children. Then again, that was the difference between her and me.
I’d step in front of a bullet for my boys. She’d shove them in front of one to save herself. We were not the same.
With the picture clutched in my hand, I moved down the hall to inspect the damage in my room next.
“You okay?” Klutch asked from the doorway.
“Yeah,” I shrugged, tossing the photo onto the bed. “Just thinking about what a fucking cunt Diana is.”
Klutch nodded, leaning against the doorframe. “Demi was just saying there’s a special place in hell for mothers who fuck with their kids.”
“She’s right.” I ran a hand over my face, suddenly feeling exhausted. It was going to take so much work to get this place in any kind of shape to sell.
“How’s McKenna taking all this?” Klutch asked. “The boys moving in and all.”
I stared at him for a moment, debating whether to tell him.
Fuck it.
He’d find out soon enough.
“She’s pregnant.”
Klutch’s eyes went wide. “No shit? Congrats, brother.” He stepped forward, pulling me into a back-slapping hug.
“Thanks,” I said, feeling myself smiling again.
The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs had us turning towards the doorway.
“Pee Wee! Klutch!” Denali called. “Insurance guy’s done.”
We headed back downstairs to find Denali and the adjuster standing in the living room.
“So what’s the verdict?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
James sighed, flipping through his notes. “The damage is extensive, Mr. Reid. We’re looking at full replacement of all flooring, drywall, insulation, and much of the electrical system. The foundation doesn’t appear to be compromised, which is the good news.”
“And the bad news?” I pressed.
“The mold is a concern. It’s spreading quickly in this humidity.” He gestured around the room. “We’ll need to get a remediation team in here immediately, but even with that, the repairs will take months.”
Denali stepped forward. “Insurance will cover it though, yeah?”
James nodded. “Yes, the policy covers water damage. There will be a deductible of course, but we’ll handle the majority of the repair costs. ”
Relief washed through me. At least that was one less thing to worry about.
“Thanks,” I said, shaking the man’s hand again. “I’ll be in touch.”
After walking him out, I came back in to find Denali and Klutch talking in low voices.
“What’s up?” I asked.
Denali looked up. “Memo called while you were outside. The divorce papers were served to Diana yesterday.”
A flicker of satisfaction ran through me. “Good. About fucking time.”
Denali’s eyes darted to Klutch.
“What?”
“It might not be that simple,” he warned. “She told the process server she’d see you in hell before she signed them.”
I snorted. “She doesn’t have much choice. She abandoned the kids and destroyed the house. No judge is going to side with her.”
“Speaking of kids,” Klutch chimed in, a smirk spreading across his face, “our brother here has some news.”
Denali’s eyebrows went up. “Something up with the boys? ”
I shook my head. “No, but McKenna’s pregnant,” I said, unable to keep the pride from my voice.
Denali stared at me for a long beat, then broke into a grin. “I’m guessing you’re happy about this news?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I’m happy. It’s still early, though, so we’re keeping it quiet for now.”
“Of course,” Denali said.
We went back to discussing the next steps for the house when the front door slammed open.
All three of us had our hands on our weapons in an instant, spinning toward the sound.
Diana stood in the doorway, eyes bloodshot, her hair a mess.
She looked like she’d been on one hell of a bender.
And she had a fucking gun in her hand.
“What the fuck?” I muttered, slowly raising my hands.
“You think you can toss me aside for that whore?” she screamed, waving a gun erratically.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Denali and Klutch slowly moving to flank her, their hands hovering near their weapons.
I shook my head.
“Diana,” I said, keeping my voice calm, “put the gun down.”
“Fuck you!” she spat, tears streaming down her face. “You ruined my life! Seventeen years, Brock. Seventeen fucking years I gave you, and for what?”
I took a step forward, my hands still raised. “You don’t want to do this. Think about the boys.”
She laughed, a manic sound that raised the hair on the back of my neck. “I do want to do this, Brock .”
“Diana, please,” I tried again. “Whatever is going on in that head of yours, this isn’t the answer.” I really wanted to say whatever was going on in the crazy fucking head of yours, but I didn’t think that would go over so well.
Just by looking at her, I could see that Diana wasn’t all there anymore.
Her hand shook, the gun wobbling dangerously as she pointed it at my chest. “You don’t get to tell me shit anymore.”
I needed to get her to put down the gun. “What happened to you, Diana? This isn’t the woman I married.”
“The woman you married?” She laughed again, that same unhinged sound. “You never even wanted to marry me. I had to threaten you after I got pregnant.”
“That’s not true,” I lied. It was one hundred percent true. The bitch trapped me, but saying as much wasn’t going to help the situation. “We were young. We made mistakes. ”
“You were supposed to love me,” she hissed. “I gave you two sons.”
“You did,” I agreed, taking another careful step toward her. “They’re the best thing we ever did together. Think about them, Diana. Think about what you’re doing right now.”
Her expression faltered for a split second, uncertainty flashing in her eyes.
Catching movement behind her, I saw Beast approaching silently from the porch, his weapon drawn.
“It’s over, Diana,” I said softly. “Give me the gun.”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “It’s not fair,” she whispered, brokenly. “Why does she get you? Why does she get the life I was supposed to have?”
Before I could answer, Beast’s voice rang out from behind her. “Drop the gun!”
Eyes widening, Diana spun around and pulled the trigger, getting off a shot.
By the grace of the gods, the shot went wide, going straight into the drywall.
I didn’t even hesitate. Charging her like a linebacker, I tackled her onto the wet floor, sending the gun sliding across the floor.
She was screaming and crying, fighting against me like a wild animal. “I hate you!” she shrieked. “I fucking hate you!”
My hands found her throat, and for a split second, I considered squeezing the life out of her.
Then Brody and Bentley’s faces flashed in my mind.
I couldn’t do that to them. I couldn’t look them in the face knowing I’d killed their mother, no matter how much the bitch deserved it.
Releasing her throat, I rolled off of her.
I couldn’t fucking believe it. The bitch had actually come there to kill me.
“Call the cops,” I told Beast, my voice hollow.
He nodded, pulling out his phone while Klutch and Denali moved in to secure Diana.
Looking at her now, I could see it.
She was a broken shell of the woman I’d once known.
Maybe I should have felt guilty in some way, but I didn’t.
I felt nothing but relief that I could finally start my life with McKenna and my children.