Chapter 16
Cassie
Lil Sis Text Thread
Carter added Cassie.
Carter – Okay, so what all has Alec really done?
Me – Umm... why don’t you just ask him?
Ethan – Because we don’t trust him.
Talia – Agreed.
Garrick – He had his reasons. Now fuck off and leave her alone.
Talia – She lied to us. To all of us.
Garrick – So did Alec. And so have I.
Garrick – Get fucked.
Tatum – What Garrick said.
Harlee – What they said.
Talia – Harlee!
Harlee – No. Y’all have been treating her like shit. She forgave you once, Talia. She doesn’t forgive you a second time, and I won’t blame her.
I shook my head, then I pocketed my phone and headed out of the bathroom.
I had just gotten Alec’s shower ready.
Needless to say, trying to get him clean while he was wrapped up and healing was a process.
But it had been worth it.
It had also been worth it, as he demanded I climb on his cock and ride him hard.
Yes, I had protested.
However, at the sight of his cock, I hadn’t been able to help myself.
We weren’t invited to the family dinner that weekend.
Misty had sent a text.
I shrugged.
We’d just have our own.
Then there was a knock on the door.
I moved out from underneath Alec’s head, where it had been resting on my lap and headed to the door.
Only for him to growl, “Don’t get used to it.”
I winked, “I won’t.”
He hated that I had to get the doors.
When I opened it, I saw Garrick, Tatum, and Sage. Tatum smiled, “We get it. We’ve also brought along a few sides. Care to have dinner with us?”
I smiled then waved them in.
Then there was another knock on the door.
Garrick growled at me when I moved to get it.
He opened it, and there stood Carter, Harlee, Granger, Lola, Zaden, and Hattie.
Garrick crossed his arms over his chest.
Then loudly, Carter said, “I’m really fucking sorry. It took Harlee telling me that I would have done the same thing that Alec had. And I have. On multiple occasions. I’m not a hypocrite.”
Then Garrick looked at me, and I looked at Alec.
Alec lifted a brow.
Silently telling me that it was my choice.
I nodded at Garrick.
They all came in with a side as well.
Bronson showed up with Madalyn and Cole.
Then Everly and Dom showed up.
As did Ethan and Melanie.
We were all in the kitchen when the Griggs’ phones chimed.
Ethan was the one to read it aloud.
Daddy-kins & Mommy-kins Text Thread
Talia – Where are y’all?
Mommy-kins – I know I didn’t waste my time in cooking this food.
Daddy-kins – Think we messed up.
Garrick – Y’all did.
Ethan – We all have.
Carter – But we were raised to be respectful, understanding, and not judgmental.
Alec – By the two of you.
Then, not even twenty minutes later, there was another knock on the door.
Garrick moved to it and opened it.
There, Frank, Misty, and Talia stood.
I glared at Talia and told her, “You had one chance not to fuck up with me. And you blew it.”
Talia winced, then she peered into the house, looked at Alec, then said, “I’m the one who wrecked Mom’s car.”
All eyes went to her.
“I fucking knew it,” Alec exclaimed.
Carter chuckled.
Garrick shook his head.
Misty glared at Talia.
Then I looked at Talia, “And?”
She winced again, then she said, “I’m sorry, Cassie. It wasn’t on you.”
“I think that had y’all opened your eyes, you would have seen what was really going on,” I said.
They nodded.
“We don’t understand it. But we will try to,” Frank said.
Then I looked at Garrick, then at Alec, and said, “Let them in.”
Garrick nodded, then stepped to the side.
They all settled on the couch, the floor, the chairs at the bar.
There wasn’t room for everyone, but we made it work.
Misty crossed her arms over her chest and asked, “But I want to know why.”
Alec sighed, “All my life, y’all have all treated me like I was a fuck up. A third of the time, it was earned. But the rest of the time, it fucking wasn’t. Y’all raised me to be a good man. Did a good man seriously screw women over?”
Misty and Frank shook their heads.
“Exactly. A good man does what he has to do. And when nothing sounded right to me growing up, but the military did. Y’all were always on my ass about one thing or another. There wasn’t a fucking secret in this family. And I needed it. Needed it for me.”
Misty sighed.
Then Frank nodded, “Agreed. Hate to say it, but I do.”
Then he looked at Misty.
And she swallowed, then she said, “I’m hurt that you never told us. And that blame shouldn’t have been on Cassie. Not when she was only protecting you. And that’s all I've ever wanted for my children. To be happy.”
Alec nodded. Then he said, “Tell her you're sorry.”
I waved him off, “It’s not necessary. I get it.”
Alec shook his head, “It is. To me.”
I sighed, then looked at Misty, she winked, then softly, and with f, she said, “I’m sorry.”
I winked at her.
Then the Griggs family did what they did best.
Ribbed each other.
“Did you really call out another woman’s name?” Talia asked.
I knew the answer, so I smiled.
Alec shook his head, “Nope. Was on a mission. Fucking Jekyll’s brother did that.”
“Painting the boat purple and pushing it so it sped down Main Street with condoms all attached to it?” Carter asked.
Alec winced, “Yeah, I did do that.”
I laughed, “Alec!”
He winked at me, “It was a fucking dare.”
Then Garrick asked, “Do you really have Come and Suck It tattooed above your cock?”
I shook my head, then I giggled, “He did have, Here’s Your Pole .”
We had thrown together a main course of ham and ate the sides everyone brought.
We were sitting in the living room when Misty asked, “So, when are you going to give me a grandbaby?”
I felt something in my heart catch.
Something I’d always wanted... but I knew it would never happen for me.
And just as my brain was starting to spiral, he wrapped those strong arms around me and pulled me close.
Then he pressed a kiss on the top of my head, “For us. Children won’t be happening. Not unless we decide to adopt. And that decision will be up to Cassie.”
I twisted my neck to look up at him, “What?”
He winked, “Got all I need right here. You want to adopt, I’m okay with that. You don’t? I’m okay with that, too. It’s up to you. It’s your world, Cupcake. I’m just living in it.”
I felt tears start to well in my eyes, “Alec,” I whispered.
He winked.
“Oh, dear, Cassie, I am so sorry,” Misty said.
Talia’s face was softened, then she mouthed, “I’m sorry.”
I shrugged them all off, “It’s fine. How many kids deserve good homes?”
Then I looked at Bronson, who winked.
Then Talia gasped, “Wait a freaking hot minute.”
All eyes went to her.
“They called you Cassie Griggs,” she exclaimed.
I giggled, then I nodded, “Yeah, we got married by Chief Klein. We love each other, and he was about to go out on a dangerous mission. He wanted to make sure I was taken care of. It was the day after Christmas.”
Garrick smiled, “It was fucking hilarious.”
Tatum frowned, “Still sad I couldn’t get a picture for the two of you.”
Then all heads turned to her and Garrick.
Ethan laughed, “Of course, the two of you knew.”
Then Misty huffed, “Well, I’ve been to each of my kids’ weddings. And I won’t stop now.”
Alec chuckled, “Already promised her a wedding.”
Misty nodded. “Good.”
***
June had just swept into North Carolina and with it, the freaking heat.
I had the windows down in my new SUV.
Oh, yeah, Alec had deemed my old car a death trap a few weeks ago, when it stalled and then died coming down I-40, and we fought for the first time.
He wanted to pay for it.
I wanted to pay for it.
Then we settled on him paying for it.
Technically, I still paid for it.
It was my account too.
Then, at a red light, my phone pinged.
Garrick – Hurry. He’s pissing me off.
Me – I’ll try.
Soldier Boy – Tell Garrick to get fucked.
Me – What did he do?
Soldier Boy – He didn’t cut the crust off like I asked him to.
I laughed.
My husband was a smooth operator who was slowly coming off his medicine and getting better by the day.
However, an infection had set in his thigh, and last week we had it cleaned out and rebandaged.
And he was told no weight on his right leg.
That was why Garrick was at our house.
I had just made the turn onto Main Street, I had gone to have lunch with Laurie, when I saw a little boy, who couldn’t be more than six years old, being hauled out of Hanover’s.
Bruce Hanover owned a little general store.
And then Bruce had his finger in front of the little boy’s face, chastising him.
And that was when I saw it.
The shirt he had on was too small.
The pants, too small, and the shoes had visible holes in them.
I can’t explain it.
I can’t tell you why.
I pulled my SUV over and then climbed out.
“You’ve come in here to steal from me for the last time. Do it again, and I’m calling the cops.” I heard Bruce say.
I rounded the SUV and walked over to them.
The little boy saw me coming and tensed.
I recognized it.
He was scared.
Nervous.
Then I smiled down at him and stopped a few feet away.
Then I looked at Bruce, “What was he taking?”
“A loaf of bread, a candy bar, and a water.”
I nodded, then reached into my back pocket and pulled out a twenty I had from earlier, then stepped forward and handed it to him.
He took it with a raised brow, then I winked at the little boy, then looked at Bruce and said, “Please go get what he paid for.”
Bruce grumbled and then headed inside.
“Thank you,” the little boy said in a shaky voice.
I grinned then bent down, “Hi, I’m Cassie. What’s your name?”
His little voice shook, but he answered me, “Krispin.”
I winked, “It’s nice to meet you, Krispin.”
Just then, Bruce came out with stuff in a bag.
He handed it to me, then I peeked inside and smiled.
He added a few things.
Another candy bar, a pack of ham, and a pack of cheese.
Big softie.
I smiled at Krispin and handed him the bag.
He took it and then cuddled it to his little chest.
Then I asked, “Can you tell me where your parents are?”
He shook his head, “Don’t have any.”
And I felt my heart break.