Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
T he next day, Parker jogged up Chelsey’s front steps and rang the doorbell. He was determined to talk to her even if it meant doing so through the door. It had to be today. It had to be before he told his Atlanta’s Finest team about his past and then asked for their help.
In hindsight, the secrets he planned to reveal to everyone was something he should’ve done already. He trusted all of them more than he ever trusted anyone, but he honestly thought his past was behind him, and maybe it still was. Either way, it was time they knew who was in their midst.
“I don’t want to talk to you,” Chelsey said by way of greeting when she swung the door open.
“But I need to talk to you, and it needs to be today,” Parker countered.
Her hair was in two messy ponytails on each side of her head, and based on the yellow, rubber gloves in her hand, she’d been doing some cleaning. He took note of the old ratty Atlanta Hawks T-shirt and cutoff jeans that showed off her sexy legs. He had always been a leg man, and hers were the first thing he’d noticed on her.
She definitely didn’t look like the sex goddess from the night before. Still, Chelsey was the most beautiful, sexy woman in the world. Even when she was glaring at him, like now.
Any sane man would probably walk away until she was in a better mood. Parker couldn’t. She was his heart, and he couldn’t go another day without her in his life. He wanted a second chance with her but first, there were things she needed to know about him.
Chelsey knew the good. Unfortunately, he now had to tell her some of the bad. He just hoped she gave him another chance once she learned about his past.
“Please, Chelsey. I need you to know why I broke things off between us. I need you to know the truth about me.”
He wasn’t sure what she saw on his face or heard in his voice, but her expression softened. Without a word, she let him into the house.
The place smelled like pine cleaner and furniture polish, and as he glanced around the open floor plan, it was clear that she’d been doing some deep cleaning. She wasn’t the neatest person in the world, and it wasn’t unusual to see a jacket on the arm of the chair or shoes in the middle of the floor.
Not today, though. Today everything was in its place. Pillows on the sofa and love seat had been fluffed. The hardwood floors gleamed, and the family pictures on the mantel had been reorganized and shined up. She’d been busy.
Chelsey dropped the gloves onto a nearby table and folded her arms across her chest. Parker’s eyes immediately zoned in on her luscious breasts. This was not the time for him to be lusting after his woman, but damn. He couldn’t ignore the way her pebbled nipples pushed against the thin material of her T-shirt. Nipples that he had teased, licked, and sucked into submission more times than he could count.
His body stirred at the memory of how good her full breasts used to feel in his hands. How amazing she’d felt hugged up to him, and how much he missed what they’d had. More than anything in the world, Parker wanted her back, but it wasn’t just because the sex had been incredible. No, it had more to do with the fact that she completed him. His life had been empty before she came along, and she filled it with love, compassion, and fun times. The last few months without her had been hell.
“Eyes up here, Buster,” Chelsey bit out.
Parker’s gaze shot up, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Damn, he missed her sass. He missed everything about her from her bow-shaped, kissable lips, to the way she screamed his name whenever he was buried deep inside her sexy body.
He sighed. This was not why he came over here, but being this close to her, made him want to carry her to the nearest bed or any flat surface. It didn’t help that he hadn’t been with another woman since the first time he’d made love to Chelsey. No one else would do. She was it for him. The complete package.
“Parker, I don’t have all day to stand here, and if I’m honest, I don’t give a—”
“My father killed my mother,” he interrupted, knowing he had to talk fast. “And I couldn’t tell a soul. To this day, no one knows she’s dead and died at the hands of my father.”
Chelsey’s mouth dropped open, but then she closed it quickly. She stared at him, horror in her eyes and her hand over her heart. Each time she opened her mouth to speak, she closed it again.
Okay, maybe he could’ve figured out a better way to start, but this was going to be one of the hardest conversations he’d ever had. He wasn’t exactly sure how to share everything he wanted and needed to tell her.
“Oh, my God, Parker, I…” she started but stopped and shook her head. Then she reached for him, linking her fingers with his and pulling him further into the living room. “I am so sorry. I knew your mother passed away, but I had no idea she was killed.”
That was something they had in common. Her mother had been killed during a bank robbery when Chelsey was an infant. While he’d had twelve years with his mother, Chelsey never knew hers.
Another difference in the way they’d grown up was that she’d been raised by a father and three older siblings who adored her. She had once told him that they had showered her with so much love that she never got a chance to miss the mother she never knew.
“How? Why? We’ve talked about our mothers. Why didn’t you tell me this before?” she asked.
Parker rubbed the back of his neck. He’d had more than enough opportunities to tell her the details about his mother’s death, as well as the other stuff about his past. Yet, he had kept quiet.
“I wasn’t ready, and if I had told you, it would’ve led to more questions that I couldn’t discuss.”
“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” she asked quietly, and he didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. “You claimed to love me. Yet, you didn’t love me enough to trust me with that information.”
“Wait!” he said, the word snapping out like a whip crackling through the air. He got in her face so fast that Chelsey tensed and took a step back. Which put her against a wall.
Parker placed his palms against the wall above her head, locking her in before bending slightly to make sure they were at eye level. He needed her to see the truth in his eyes and hear what he was about to say.
“I love you more than I have ever loved another human being! So get that thought about me not loving or trusting you out of your head,” he growled, but seeing her wide eyes, he reined in his emotions enough to not totally freak her out.
“Chelsey, I know my behavior lately has been all over the place, and I’m so sorry about that. I’m hoping to clear some of that up today, but baby, don’t ever think that I don’t love you. I love you so damn much it hurts,” he choked out, then swallowed hard. “I will always love you; whether you give me another chance or not, you will always own my heart.”
She nibbled on her lower lip and blinked rapidly as if trying to hold back tears. None fell during the seconds that ticked by as silence fell between them. But then she caught him off guard and pounded her fist against his chest with enough force to have him stumbling back.
“Ow,” he said, rubbing his chest.
“Dammit, Parker! I’m trying to stay mad at you, but when you say mushy stuff like that…” Her words trailed off and she dropped her gaze.
Relief flooded through him, and Parker couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips. He stepped forward and got back in her face, glad to see she was softening toward him.
He lifted her chin with the pad of his finger, and when their eyes met again, his heart squeezed. The love brimming in her dark orbs matched what he felt for her to the depths of his soul.
“Baby, I am so sorry I hurt you,” he said. “I’m an idiot, and hopefully after we talk, you’ll understand why I thought I had done the right thing by breaking up with you.”
Her dark eyes met his before her gaze dropped to his lips, lingered, and then returned to his eyes.
Parker wasn’t exactly sure what she was thinking, but he was sure they wanted the same thing. Without hesitation, he cupped her face between his hands and lowered his head until his mouth covered hers. He marveled in the softness of her pillowy lips that were warm and sweet. This was what he needed. His emotions had been out of balance before he arrived, but in this moment, he felt a calmness settle over him. A calmness he hadn’t felt since before they parted ways.
He tried to tame his eagerness, but it had been weeks since he had tasted her. Weeks since he held her in his arms, and weeks since he’d known that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
As their tongues explored the inner recesses of each other’s mouth, Parker slid one hand behind her neck and lowered the other to her waist. He pulled her flush against his body and deepened their connection.
Chelsey might’ve drove him crazy with her sass, but no one soothed his tattered soul the way she could.
His heart thumped uncontrollably as the kiss turned more intense, and a rush of pleasure pulsed through him. She filled him with hope, while also making him long for more. There was no doubt she felt his erection pressing against her stomach. It was impossible for him to be this close to her and his body not react to her nearness. She felt too damn good, and all he wanted to do was carry her upstairs and make mad, passionate love to her.
But he needed to get back on track. Not only did he want to tell her the rest, but he wanted to make something else clear.
Though he didn’t want to break their connection, Parker slowly lifted his mouth from hers and gazed into her eyes. “I’ve missed you so much, and I know I mishandled things between us. I just…”
Compared to the type of family Chelsey had and the way she’d grown up, Parker knew he wasn’t good enough for her. Whenever he thought about his upbringing and the man who had raised him, he didn’t feel worthy of someone like Chelsey. But that didn’t stop him from wanting a chance to prove to her that he could be everything she wanted in a man.
“Hear me out for the next few minutes, and I’ll explain where my head was at when I thought it was best to put some distance between us.”
“You’ve had plenty of time to tell me what’s going on. Why now?”
He released a long breath, unsure of what to say.
Yes, he could’ve told her months ago, but when he’d broken up with her, he thought he’d be leaving town. He thought he’d be protecting her and everyone else around him. Back then, he thought the less they all knew, the better. Now he wasn’t sure. There might not currently be a threat to his life. Yet, that could easily change.
“It was too dangerous.”
“And it’s not dangerous now?” she shot back.
Even when he told her months ago that they had to break things off, he suspected she knew he hadn’t told her everything. His reasons had been lame, even to his own ears.
“It might still be too dangerous, but I’m ready now. I’m ready to tell you everything about my past that I wasn’t ready to tell before.”
Silence pulsed between them before Chelsey nodded. “Okay, we can talk but have a seat and give me a minute. I need to freshen up a bit.”
Parker took a step back. “All right, but I could come with you and help,” he said, trying to lighten the moment some.
“No, absolutely not. I don’t trust you or myself to be anywhere near a bed right now.”
Parker laughed. He didn’t bother telling her that anything he’d do with her on a bed, he could easily do on the sofa. Hell, they could even do it on the floor, on the stairs, and even in the bathtub. It didn’t matter as long as he was with her, and they were naked.
Instead of saying any of that, he kept his mouth shut and watched her fine ass swish back and forth in those short shorts as she started up the stairs.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Give me five minutes.”
Ten minutes later, Chelsey returned with her curly hair hanging loose around her shoulders and mascara making her pretty eyes pop. She was still wearing the same T-shirt, but to Parker’s disappointment she had put on a bra. A lace one, based on what he could see through the thin material of the shirt, and her bare feet were now covered in thick red socks.
“Now, I’m ready for us to talk.”
“God, you’re beautiful,” Parker said, his heart squeezing as he stared into her gorgeous brown eyes. It didn’t matter what she wore, she was the most alluring woman he’d ever met.
Her features softened and she gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”
He gave a slight nod. They were off to a good start. That should excite him, but he was anxious about their talk. What would he do if she decided she didn’t want to be with him? What if she blew a gasket at the fact that her life could’ve been in danger while they’d been dating?
He didn’t have the answers to those questions, but if he wanted a future with her, it was past time to come clean.
“Do you want something to drink or eat?” she asked.
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
She stared at him. “In all the time we were together, you have never turned down food. Even when no one offered you food, you wanted something to eat.”
He chuckled and sat on the sofa, patting the seat next to him for her to sit.
“Yeah, I’ve been hearing that a lot lately. Let’s just say, I’ve been having some stressful months, and I guess I just haven’t had an appetite.”
Instead of sitting next to him, she sat in a wingback chair across from the sofa. That was probably best, because if she sat near him, he’d want to touch her. Actually, he’d want to do more than touch her. So, yes, keeping some distance between them was good.
For the next few minutes, he told her about the day his mother was killed. Parker didn’t leave anything out, including how he couldn’t tell anyone about what had happened and how Wolf made the body disappear. It had been such a dark time in Parker’s life, and talking about it brought back all the hurt, anguish, and hatred he had for Wolf. There was no doubt Chelsey could feel what he felt for his father.
Parker told her about Wolf being the leader of the Diego Kingz, and how he’d been grooming him to take over the organization one day. The sick bastard hadn’t given a damn about him except for when Parker did something to make him proud. Like sell drugs or beat the crap out of someone who was encroaching on the Kingz’s territory.
“Even before my mother was killed, I hated Wolf. I hated everything about him and the Kingz. I vowed then that I would one day destroy him and the organization.”
“Dear God,” Chelsey said, looking at him with horror in her eyes. “You were a child. How could he treat you so…so…”
“Like I was a worthless piece of shit?” Parker said, knowing that wasn’t what she was trying to say, but that was how Parker felt at the time. There was never any love between him and his father, and there never would be.
“I had no idea,” she said quietly as if talking to herself. “I can’t believe your father is the leader of an organized crime syndicate. And his name is Wolf?”
Parker knew this was only the beginning of her questions; questions he really didn’t want to answer.
“That’s his street name,” he said. “Chelsey, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to know his real name. Baby, you can’t discuss him with anyone. You can’t Google him. You need to act as if you’ve never heard of him. If you start poking around—”
“I won’t, and I won’t say anything about him to anyone. Tell me. What’s his name?”
After a long hesitation, Parker conceded. “His name is Maverick Farron, Sr., and he’s an evil, self-serving, narcissistic, SOB. I hope you never meet him.”
“Senior?” she said with her perfectly arched eyebrows scrunched together. “Does that mean you’re a—”
“I was a junior before I changed my name.”
“ Maverick ,” she said, as if testing out the name.
“Don’t even think about calling me that,” Parker said, his tone hard. “I’ll never answer to it.”
“Okay, I won’t, but what was your street name?”
Again, he hesitated. Why’d she want to know? That was part of his past life. A life he had completely removed himself from, and it was painful and unnerving to think about any of it.
But when Chelsey continued watching him, patiently waiting, Parker said, “My street name was Knuckles.”
“ Knuckles? ”
“Yeah,” Parker shrugged. “I fought a lot.”
Which was putting it mildly. After his mother’s death, he acted out and fighting was his therapy. How many times had his principal threatened to kick him out of school?
And on the streets? Everyone knew not to fuck with him. He’d been out of control and hadn’t settled down until he got to high school. He couldn’t afford to get expelled from school. Otherwise, it would’ve messed up his future plans of getting away from California and making something of himself.
As if knowing he didn’t want to discuss name changes, his street name, or even fighting, Chelsey didn’t ask him anything else about that subject.
Instead, she asked, “What does any of this have to do with you breaking up with me? I don’t understand.”
Parker released an unsteady breath. Now came the tough part of the conversation.
“When I was seventeen, almost eighteen, my father tried to kill me, and he thinks he succeeded. He thinks I’m dead.”