Chapter 54
Kaylee satacross from me at Becky’s Kitchen, formerly known as Pam’s Diner. When Pam retired, she sold the business to Becky, who had been one of her employees.
“You’re lucky you got off easy. What were you thinking?” I asked, still trying to understand what had brought on Kaylee’s rebellious behavior.
I had called my lawyer to meet me at the precinct and made the process smooth.
“Sylvia deserved it.” Kaylee broke a fry in half.
“Why do you say that?”
“She hired those women to attack Vivian!” Kaylee’s eyes widened. “And you did nothing about it.”
I sighed. “How did you know about Sylvia?”
She shrugged. “Kids know a lot of things.”
“I dealt with it in my way.” I leaned into the table. “In a way that wouldn’t get me arrested. You’re thirteen. I don’t want this on your record.”
“My dad had one. It’s where I’m headed anyway,” Kaylee muttered, looking sad and defiant.
“Sylvia claimed you dumped hot coffee on her dress, pulled her hair, and called her a bad word. Then she found her Mercedes scratched with the same bad word painted on her car.”
Kaylee stared at me and said calmly, “She is a bitch.”
I wanted to strangle her, but I also understood her anger and her protectiveness toward Vivian.
At this moment, I applauded all parents and guardians for having the patience to deal with teenage angst. I was probably just as bad at my age.
“Language, little girl.” I inhaled a breath. “You’re lucky she didn’t press any charges. There were videos of you damaging her car.”
“No, there weren’t.” She smiled.
“What do you mean?” I arched an eyebrow.
“Because you deleted them.”
The fuck?“How do you know?”
Two cameras were nearby, and I’d asked the PI to delete them immediately.
She shrugged. “I know you can do certain things. I’ve watched you do them at Whiz Kidz. You’ve talked on the phone, asking people to do stuff for you. You’re good with computers, and you have connections.”
Christ. I had to be extra careful around this girl.
“Why did you call me?”
“Because it would break Vivian’s heart.” Kaylee sighed. “Please don’t tell her. She’s taken me in and made me her family. She’s my guardian, the best big sister I could ever ask for.” Tears filled her eyes. “And it pissed me off Sylvia hired those women to attack her. That’s just mean!”
I got out of my seat, walked over, slid into her booth, and slung an arm around her shoulders.
More tears came. “So when I saw Sylvia parking her car, I couldn’t help it. She’s dressed all pretty, but she’s an ugly, mean person! I can’t believe she’s your ex.” She glared at me. “What’s wrong with you?”
I didn’t answer.
I let her cry and spill all her frustration. When she was done, she turned to look at me with embarrassment. “Sorry I got you into this mess. Sorry that you have to buy her a new car, which she doesn’t deserve. Unless you mean a toycar.” A smirk appeared on her lips.
I chuckled. “No, it’s an actual car.”
She sighed, resting a cheek on her hand. “I’ll help you pay for it. You can have all my savings in the bank. Vivian started setting it aside for me.”
I appreciated her thought because it showed she acknowledged her mistakes and was dealing with the consequences.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “Consider this a favor. I might ask you for it back someday.”
“That sounds worse. What kind of favor would a rich guy like you want?” She gave me a suspicious look. “I’ll stick to the savings account. I know it’s not enough, but I’ll pay you more each week when I get a job. Hopefully, I’ll get a good job that pays well.”
That piqued my curiosity. “What do you want to do?”
“Be a cool influencer who takes down mean influencers . . . legally.” She smirked and sipped her lemonade.
What was I going to do with her? How did Vivian handle her?
Needing to do something, I scratched an itch that wasn’t on my head. I didn’t know what to say. In front of me sat a brilliant girl with a bright future. I knew little about Kaylee. All I knew was that she was an orphan when Vivian took her in.
Today, Kaylee had acted out of anger—understandably so—but she also had the clarity to accept her punishment. She knew her crime, and she also knew to call me instead of her sister. Right now she was trying to help pay for the cost of the car.
If I could stop Sylvia from creating more trouble, the car was nothing to me.
How could I not help a special girl who was more aware of herself than some adults I’d encountered? To own up to one’s mistakes or accept an ugly truth was something a lot of adults couldn’t do. Sylvia had refused to accept that she and I were no longer a couple. That refusal had distorted her emotions, which caused her to hire people to attack the woman I love.
Kaylee needed guidance. Her brilliance could benefit this world one day. I saw myself in her. Things could take an ugly turn if she didn’t have guidance or a place to feel safe at this vulnerable stage in her life.
She didn’t know the extent of her successful Heartstrings dating app. She only knew what my team and I had told her. But the software team had analyzed data that showed success and the potential for immense growth. We could launch it after I discussed it with her and Vivian. This was Kaylee’s creation, and my company would give her the support she needed to take it further. But there were more important issues to deal with right now.
“A brand-new Mercedes would take you a long time to pay back.”
Kaylee made a face. “Why did she have to be so mean?”
“And being mean back solves nothing,” I retorted.
She looked at me. “What did you see in Sylvia anyway? She’s not a nice person! Did you see how she wanted to hurt me when I told her I was Vivian’s sister?”
It had taken some persuasion to calm Sylvia down. She hated bad publicity, as did most influencers. So replacing her car had forced her to drop the charges, especially when the police couldn’t find any proof.
After Kaylee finished her dinner, she got into the passenger seat, and I drove her home.
“Please don’t tell Vivian, okay?” She clasped her hands over her lap, looking worried.
“I promise.”
“Pinky promise?” She wriggled her pinky.
I rolled my eyes but curled my pinky over her tiny finger. This was the first time I’d offered a pinky promise to anyone. When Vivian entered my life, she brought a lot of unfamiliar things with her. A lot of firsts for me. I’d never chased after a woman the way I did with her. I’d never fallen for anyone so fast and so hard. I’d never given anyone a piggyback ride, and now I was giving her sister a pinky promise.
I didn’t have siblings growing up, so I didn’t know what it was like to care for someone younger than me. I admired Vivian for taking on the tough responsibility.
Was it difficult for her to juggle her life to ensure it didn’t conflict with Kaylee’s needs?
“I’m glad Vivian’s with you,” Kaylee said, looking out the window.
“You didn’t like her other boyfriends?”
“No. I only met Connor. They didn’t last long though. He was a dentist too, but such a jerk.”
Fascination grew. “How so?”
“One time, I went out to dinner with them. He drank too much and called her names. He also made fun of her scars. I was so mad. They fought, and he got violent. She broke up with him, but he wouldn’t leave her alone. His family was ‘influential.’” Rolling her eyes, she released a disgusted groan. “I’m starting to hate the word ‘influence’ and all its variations.”
I chuckled at her honesty. But my fingers itched to destroy her ex. “What do you mean they ‘fought?’ Physically or verbally?”
“Both. But she defended herself and punched him in the face, which pissed him off even more. I guess he’s not used to a woman disobeying him. He used to stalk her, but she got a restraining order. That did nothing in the end. He only moved on because he found another girl.”
I wanted to meet this asshole. I could imagine the fear he’d bestowed on her and Kaylee.
“Oh my God!” Kaylee shifted her body to look out the window. “Oh my God!” she repeated. “It’s Vivian! She’s doing the pimp roll!” A burst of laughter erupted from Kaylee.
“What?” I slowed the car and glanced toward the sidewalk to see someone in a thick coat with a hoodie doing the Pimp Roll toward Midnight Chaoss. “Are you sure that’s her?”
“Yes! She’s in disguise, but I’d know her face anywhere. Besides, Dion and his dad have been teaching her the move.”
“What? Dion from Whiz Kidz?” I pulled over to the curb. “Why?”
“Yeah. He’s her patient. What is she doing here?”
Fuck.Was something happening at the club tonight? That wasn’t a safe place for her.
“I’m taking you home. Then I’m coming back here to make sure she’s okay.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be at Violet’s because that’s what I texted her earlier when you arrived at the police station.”
Had Vivian received a tip regarding Aimee? Why hadn’t she told me? What if something happened to her at the club? Frustration and something else whirled in me.
I needed her to trust me. How could she be my woman when she was on some dangerous mission without telling me? That simple gesture crushed my heart.
I saw her text about running an errand. She should’ve told me about her plan.
We needed to talk.