Chapter 6
Lila
I yawned as I walked into my office.
I knew why I was so tired even after sleeping almost twelve hours last night.
It was time.
Time to talk to the doctor and see if a change in my meds might help.
***
I yawned again as I shut off my computer, then checked the time.
And seeing that it was five fifteen, I felt a smile pull at my lips.
Then I headed to the bathroom on my floor and changed my clothes.
I dressed comfortably for tonight.
It was going to be a long evening.
But so worth it.
Because today was the big day.
Yes, almost every Thursday, because it was in the fall, while the kids were in high school was a big day.
But what made today the big day was that it was the annual football game of girls versus boys.
I had been getting texts from both Cole and Madalyn about the trash-talking that was taking place at their school.
And I had to Google what some of the phrases meant.
Like....
67.
Bet.
GTFOY.
Aka Get The Fuck Over Yourself.
The long-sleeved shirt I had on was black with gold lettering.
Like always, the number seventy-nine was printed on the upper left breast.
And on the back, it said, ‘I choose her. I choose him.’
Just then, my phone pinged.
Badass Chicks Text Threat
Harlee – What shirt are you wearing for tonight?
Talia – Yes! I need a picture.
Everly – Agreed.
Tatum – Yes, please.
Cassie – Don’t make me snort.
Cassie – I just tried to keep up with Alec on his run.
Cassie – I don’t need to be snorting out water right now.
Me – *picture of the back of my shirt*
Harlee – I love it!
Talia – I like that you made it about both of them.
Cassie – Thank you.
Me – My pleasure.
Everly – You really need to get us all shirts made.
Tatum – Yes! Please.
Me – Will do.
Then I pocketed my phone as I packed up my work clothes and checked my appearance one last time in the mirror.
My long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Light makeup.
Diamond stud earrings in my ears.
Black sweats.
And black vans.
I was almost ready.
I grabbed the little stickers and placed the number seventy-nine on the side of my right cheek, and then the number twenty-nine on my left cheek.
The number seventy-nine was for obvious reasons.
And the other number... twenty-nine... well, see, I had wanted to support Madalyn tonight too.
Therefore, I told her to pick a number.
She had.
And when she shared with me why she had picked that number, I felt my heart squeeze.
How in the hell their mother had managed to walk away from the two of them was beyond me.
However, I digress.
Tonight, I wasn’t going to get upset about something that I had no control over.
Therefore, allow me to enlighten you on the meaning behind the number, twenty-nine.
Apparently, before Bronson had made it big in the UFL and before the underground fights he had partaken in, I knew about them because Cole had told me that Bronson had played football.
And twenty-nine had been his number years ago.
Once I was in my car, I started it up and headed to the high school.
Just then, the music that had been playing stopped, and my ringtone blared through the speakers.
I checked the caller and smiled when I saw Madz’s name.
I hit the little button on my steering wheel that had the receiver part of the phone on it and said, “Hey there, sweetheart.”
“Lila?” Her voice came through the speakers with a tremble in it.
I felt my back lock straight, then I hurriedly asked, “What is it?”
She was silent for a beat, then she said, “She’s here.”
I frowned.
She who?
Who in the world had Madalyn this upset?
And before I could open my mouth to ask her who was there, I knew.
I just knew.
I growled.
That. Fucking. Bitch.
In all the time that I had gotten to know Cole and Madalyn, I knew for a fact that their mother hadn’t called them. Not freaking once.
And it’s been months. Months!
But... my feelings about her didn’t matter.
No.
What mattered were Cole and Madalyn.
And right now, it wasn’t Cole I was on the phone with, but Madalyn.
Hurriedly, I asked, “What do you need?”
“How far away are you?” she asked.
“Almost ten minutes,” I said.
She sighed, “Okay, can you hurry?” Then she raced out with, “But be careful.”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see me, and said, “You got it, sweetheart. I’m on my way.”
I may have broken a few laws to get there sooner.
But my girl needed me.
Therefore, if I had gotten a ticket, I would have paid the fine with a smile on my face.
Once I parked my car, I hoofed it to pay for my ticket, only for the woman to smile at me and tell me that my ticket was already taken care of.
I frowned.
I started to open my mouth to ask her, but she beat me to it. “Mr. McKinnon.”
To that, I smiled.
Then I made my way through the bleachers.
My eyes immediately scanned for Madalyn.
Seeing her with her head bowed near Cole and Bronson, I made my way over to them.
Almost as if the three of them had felt me coming, they all looked in my direction.
Cole’s face showed relief.
So did Madalyn’s.
But what was written on Bronson’s face.... well... that I couldn’t explain.
Even if I wanted to.
But that was neither here nor there.
He wasn’t the important one right now.
Madalyn was, and so was Cole.
Therefore, I squeezed my way in between the two of them, reached over the chain-link fence that surrounded the field, and wrapped her in my arms.
And in her ear, I whispered, “You are unlike anyone I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. You’re sweet.
You’re kind. You’re loyal. You’re fierce.
You’re strong. You’re brave. You are limitless.
Like the love I have for you. Like the love your father and brother have for you.
Forget that she is here and go out there with a smile on your face. Okay?”
“Really? You really think all those things about me?” she asked softly.
Since I wanted her to see the sincerity on my face, I let go of her and locked my gaze with hers.
I winked, “Have I ever lied to you or let you down?”
She shook her head, “No.”
“Exactly. Now... go out there and show them just what it means to be Bronson ‘Beast’ Adams’ daughter. Yeah?”
She giggled, then nodded, and raced out onto the field.
Bronson took my hand and tried to lead me over to a set of bleachers, but I shook my head.
“She knows I’m right here. This is where I’m going to stay.”
His hand tightened around mine, as his brows furrowed, “Why?”
“Cause Mom is here,” Cole growled out as he too took up a position to my right.
“Where?” Bronson growled.
I didn’t look for the bitch.
No, I kept my gaze locked on Madalyn’s back as she huddled with her group.
Just then, a group of Cole’s teammates walked over to us.
Brodie, his best friend, said, “Hey man, let’s go stretch. Yeah?”
Cole shook his head, “Did that earlier. I’m staying here.”
Alex stepped up and asked, “Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Madalyn is nervous, and Lila wants to stand here so Madalyn doesn’t have to look for her should she get worried if she can’t find her.”
And from the corner of my eye, I watched as they all moved to stand at Cole’s side.
All twenty-three of them.
The rest of them were probably with their families.
Then a man came up and told us we couldn’t stand there.
None of us moved.
It was Bronson who said, “My girl needs us to stay right where we are. Good luck trying to get us all to move.”
The man scanned down our line, and when his eyes landed on me, they widened, and then he smiled as he walked over to me, “Lila Durant. Should have known.
I winked at him, “Exactly.”
“Your girl?” He asked as he tilted his head toward the field.
I smiled, “Oh yeah.”
He winked, “Well, alright then.”
Bronson’s shoulder bumped mine, “Care to share?”
I lowered my voice, “His son and I went to school together. Other kids were mean to him. And I hadn’t liked that. So, I stepped in for him. They all backed off when Harlee and Talia joined me.”
“And his son?” he asked.
And the tone he had used... well, it wasn’t a tone I had ever heard from him before.
Wait... what was that? Was that... jealousy... no. It can’t be.
Bronson could have any woman in the world he wanted... why would he be jealous over some kid back in school?
I shrugged at my own thoughts, then shared, “He lives over in Clover Valley now. He’s married with five daughters.”
His jaw dropped, “Seriously?”
I nodded, then smiled, “Oh yeah. They all call me Aunt Lila when I see them. You’ve actually met him and his wife. Oliver and Molly Herden.”
“No shit! She’s had five kids?” he asked.
I giggled. “Oh yeah.”
Just then, I felt a pair of eyes on me.
And not the kind that gave me a warm and happy feeling.
My eyes scanned the area to see who was looking at me.
And then I locked my gaze on a woman who was sitting in a smallish group of other women.
She had long mahogany hair, a skinny waist, and tits that I swore didn’t look even.
Boob job, maybe?
And as I took her in, I recognized that nose. That chin. Those ears.
Because they were all the same as Madalyn’s.
And I recognized those cheeks.
They were the same as Cole’s.
So, this was their mother.
And who in the world dressed to the nines for a freaking football game?
I mean, in what looked to be designer-labeled clothes?
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the field.
And just in time for the whistle to blow.
Since Madalyn was a freshman, she and the girls on her team were up against the freshman football players.
I cheered as Madalyn had done exactly what I told her to do.
To show them that she was indeed The Beast’s daughter.
But she took it further and showed that she was Cole’s little sister.
Expertly so as she closelined the person she was told to guard.
I winced.
Then I cheered.
Loudly.
And from the corner of my eye, I watched.
I watched as her mother had missed it.
She had missed it because her face was buried in her phone.
Fucking. Bitch.