Chapter 3 #2
She turned her wrath onto me. “And you’ve always acted like you wished I was more like her anyway.”
“Ma, you bugging.”
“Karrin calm your dramatic ass down.” Kutlass sighed. “You’re paranoid, and for no fucking reason. Leave the past where it is. Shit is done and over with, so let it go.”
“Like you have?” She shot back at him.
I couldn’t tell where this conversation was going, but shit was leaving me confused and full of questions.
My parents and Celine dealt with one another like they all carried some secret that kept them bonded.
Only my mother didn’t seem to really even care for Celine, so the shit was even more strange.
There was a lot of anger and resentment there for both women.
Kutlass seemed to be in the middle, and my mother clearly wasn’t a fan of him standing up for Celine.
When she went stomping out of the room, Kut watched after her for a minute before his gaze landed on Harbor.
His dark retinas wandered over her like she was an obstacle, and I wasn’t feeling that shit.
My parents were both selfish and all about appearances.
They wanted to arrange a marriage between me and some socialite type bitch that was groomed her entire life to be some man’s trophy wife.
It was some real Coming to America type shit, only darker.
My pops was ruthless, and he didn’t allow anything to stand in his way that was a threat to his family name.
“What was that about?” I finally asked.
“You know Karrin. She’s the star of her own one woman show. I should probably get her up to bed. You know how her tongue is when she’s drunk.” Kutlass was being an ass, but that wasn’t new.
I was pretty sure that I had inherited that from him.
He was also callous, and unfeeling. I would swear ice ran through his veins because he didn’t give a damn about anyone but himself and his own agenda.
The type of marriage they had; it wasn’t some shit to look up to like my brother said.
Their shit was calculated and full of manipulation.
Kutlass was an ain’t shit father and husband.
Karrin was just as bad, which is why she could never call him on it.
Don’t get me wrong, they are my parents and everything, but I knew a long time ago that they were fucked up.
“And what about you when you’re drunk?” I stepped into his personal space, in combat mode.
“I’ve been sober for a long—”
“Fucking lies!” I called him out.
I may have been celebrating and trying to have a good time, but I wasn’t that fucking lit to where I wasn’t paying attention to the things around me.
“You’ve been drinking all fucking night! I ain’t stupid, and I do know you. Same old drunk ass coward that forced me out of bed at night for your demented ass mind games!”
“I made a man out of you. Don’t come crying like some little bitch because I didn’t coddle you like a fucking baby!
” Kutlass was ruthless with his words. “You were made into a soldier, one of the smartest, most ruthless mothafuckas I know. You should be thanking me, for training you and making you who the fuck you are today!”
“Fuck you! I ain’t shit like you!”
“You are more like me than you even know, son.” He was so sure in his words.
My fists balled up by themselves at my side.
“And that’s what you fucking hate. You thought a long time ago that you would be able to just walk away from this life and everything, and you were wrong?
Right? You found out the hard way how you can easily fall victim and so can the people around you.
I told you when you first got into this shit that a lot of sacrifices would have to be made.
A family, a wife, children… none of that agrees with this lifestyle. But you met that bitch Ivana—”
He had punched the wrong trigger, and I was hauling off before I knew what the fuck was happening.
My fist slammed into his face repeatedly, knocking him back a few steps until I had him pinned to a wall.
Furious, my teeth gritted together, locking my jaw, and I grilled my father.
Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and evil clouded his expression when he glared back at me.
“Don’t ever say her fucking name again!” I belted in his face.
“She made you weak.” Kut insinuated. “Had you under the impression that this was something you could walk away from. Be honest with yourself, son. You never wanted to. You like this shit. You love this shit in fact. I remember your first job. The sparkle in your eyes when you hit your first mark. This is in you, and it’s not something that you just change overnight. Shit is in your fucking DNA.”
Shoving off of him, my glare cut deep. I had never hated anyone in my life, other than whoever was responsible for taking Ivana.
This shit was new, the bubbling hatred, my blooding steaming in my veins, making me feel like I had suddenly been flushed with fever.
Harbor stood rigidly behind me, her arm holding her up against the island.
I swiped the tip of my nose and gave my father one last, lingering stare.
“I’m going to step outside for some air.” My hand brushed against her waist while I eased past her toward the back patio.
Harbor
Frequency’s father adjusted his suit shirt and jacket while dusting his pants off.
Using his thumb, he pressed it into the corner of his bleeding mouth and laughed to himself.
His shadow filled eyes searched mine and a wicked smile spread across his lips.
His aura was dark, leaving me with an emptiness gathering in the pit of my belly.
Literally everything I ate these days disagreed with me.
The alcohol from tonight left me with my inhibitions down, and after a couple of hours buzzing, I was starving.
That was how I had ended up in the kitchen to begin with.
Now I was rounding the other side of the counter to get away from this man.
I didn’t know him, but the malice and pure treachery that resided in him came off like a sea of waves.
“I don’t bite.” His charm came through, and like a switch had been flipped, I saw a flicker of something genuine there.
“What is it that you want here? If it’s a chance to get to know your son, you should do that. I am not the issue between the two of you.”
“You know, I do see a lot of her in you,” he stated, and my blood ran cold.
Anyone else may not have known where the remark came from. I did.
“Strong. Feisty. Beautiful. I don’t knock my son for falling for you.
A woman like you though—” his head moved back and forth before his eyes met mine— “very dangerous. Even Frequency doesn’t know how much.
But somewhere… deep down, he questions… is this real?
Can she really be for me after what I did to her?
Will he be waiting at every turn for the rest of his life wondering if and when the other shoe was going to drop? ”
My heart raced like a thousand horses as his words seeped into me. Involuntarily, my shoulders trembled, and that disturbingly aroused him. The fear that I carried with me was actually what fed his sick ass.
“You trying to mind fuck me, Mr. Roth? You don’t scare me!” I hissed across the countertop vehemently.
“Hmm, that’s exactly what your mother said.” He chuckled and backed away from the counter.
I had every urge to grab the gun I had given Frequency and shoot his father in the back with it while he walked away.
My rage had me so hot, but I couldn’t move.
I remained standing in place, adrenaline pumping through me.
This son of a bitch! He had the nerve to stand there all smug while rubbing in what he did to my mother.
He may not have come out and said it directly, but every gut instinct that I had screamed at me that this bastard had something to do with what happened to her.
He had pretty much said so in my eyes. Laughter bounced the walls from the hallway and pretty soon, Chevy stumbled in with Ledge not far behind her.
The pair was clearly lit, and Ledge felt her up, oblivious to me standing there.
“You looking like you trying to get baby number three put in you,” Ledge taunted her sexily, and Chevy giggled as his lips swiped her neck and then found their way to hers.
“Boy, please. That’s the last thing we need.”
“You know I take care of mine—”
When Ledge glanced past Chevy, his brows dipped, and a crease wrinkled his forehead.
“The fuck you doing in here?” he demanded.
I brought a glass of champagne to my glossy lips and sipped. Chevy spun on the heel. Sis was lit and couldn’t stop smiling with her chinky ass eyes. She swatted Ledge’s chest.
“Rude ass. She does live here. What is your problem, Ledge?” Chevy chastised him.
“’Yeah, Ledge, what is your problem?” I mocked and took another gulp of wine.
He squinted at me suspiciously and it was then that I knew that Chevy had no idea about me or Frequency or how we came to be here. She didn’t seem like she was clueless to what he did, but it was clear he was giving her his version of himself.
“Oh, he just doesn’t like me.” I chimed in, merciless as I smiled mischievously toward him.
He remained deadpan, and Chevy turned her face up.
“Why is that? What did Harbor do to you?” she asked, curious.
“Hmm, I’d like the answer to that.” I raised both brows and Ledge seemed to be more pissed by the second.
I found it entertaining because I didn’t think he would want to start no shit at this particular time. Then again, he seemed like a loose cannon wherever the hell he went.
“I ain’t say I didn’t like you.” Ledge muttered.
“You don’t know me and never took the time to get to know me. You made assumptions about me from our first meeting. Is that my fault or yours?” I teased.
“That would be mine.” Ledge cut his eyes.
“Interesting.” I pretended to be in deep thought and Chevy snickered.