Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Shadow
This is not how I wanted my day to go. The morning was damn good. I got to wake up to Della in my arms after she slept in them all night. Not to mention having her sweet body as I did, what wouldn’t make for a great day?
Only when I dropped her off, Della’s brother wanted to talk, which turned into us both warning each other not to fuck up when it comes to the women we’re both seeing.
I didn’t want to think about what he was doing with Amelia, but I wasn’t blind or a dumb fuck.
I knew he had feelings for my cousin. Had for years.
What pissed me off was when he brought up my cousin’s, ex, Russell.
I never liked the man. He’s nothing more than a piece of shit not worth spitting on.
The one reason I’ve ever put up with the asshole is because he’s Dylan’s dad.
Dylan is a great kid thanks to his mom. I do what I can to help Amelia with him, but she does it all by herself with minimal help. Doesn’t even ask my parents to help when they’d be more than willing to take Dylan whenever she needed them to. Kid loves his mom and would do anything for her.
What I didn’t want to be doing was going in search of Amelia to talk to her about what’s going on.
Not when I need to get to the rodeo grounds.
Rodeos are gonna be starting up soon, and we gotta make sure everything is ready to go.
Some of the local cowboys wanted to get in the arena to start training more with the bull chute, broncs, and roping.
On the first rodeo day we have coming up, we’re starting the event with the kids’ events we do every year.
We’ll have goat tying for the younger ones.
Then we’ll move on to the older ones where they’ll compete in barrel racing, roping, and for those who have been training for bull riding.
One of the best things about the whole thing is when the kids get involved.
Pulling into the parking lot next to Rodeo Roundup, I park my bike, more than ready to get to my cousin and get this done. I need to know what the hell is going on with this situation and get on with the rest of my day.
My phone vibrates in my pocket as I make my way to the front door of the bar, distracting me from my task. I reach into my jeans, I pull the damn thing out to find my sister’s name on the screen.
Fuck.
The last thing I want to do is talk to my sister, but I’m not going to ignore her call either. I never have.
“What is it, Taylor?” I demand, lifting the phone to my ear.
“That’s a great way to answer the phone, big brother,” Taylor snaps, gearing up to argue.
I swear it’s her favorite thing to do. Probably why it’s good she’s going into the field she’s been in school for. She’s in college, finishing her last year getting her law degree. She might think the world revolves around her, but she’s also smart as hell.
“I don’t have time for this shit, so tell me what you’re calling me about.”
“I just wanted to let you know that with graduation coming up in May, I’m going to be moving back home after I take the state bar, and opening my own practice,” she states snidely.
“Can you do that?” I didn’t know anything about the rules and regulations when it comes to being a lawyer.
“Of course, I can. I wouldn’t be doing it if I couldn’t. I just have to file my business entity. What I was going about is that I wanted to ask you if you would help me find a building in town that I can rent for my firm.”
“What are you naming your firm?” I got to say, from the sounds of it, with her losing the attitude, she’s thought this out and knows what she’s doing.
“King’s Law Firm,” she answers without hesitation, telling me more just how much she’s thought about what she was going to do.
“I’ll see what I can find for you,” I tell her. I figure she’d need a decent place with a reception area, office space for herself, and a conference room. Didn’t have to be a huge space, but big enough she could maybe even take on some help if she wanted.
“I appreciate it,” Taylor remarks and continues.
“Also, just to let you know, I’m coming home in two weeks to visit Mom and Dad.
If you find something, let me know, and I’ll take a look around while I’m in town.
I won’t be renting anything until I finish here in May and take the state bar a week after graduation.
It’ll probably be closer to the middle of June when I’m ready to be able to open up for business. ”
“We’ll find you something before then and have it ready for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you go so you can see to whatever you were doing.” Having lost the snideness in her voice.
“Appreciate it,” I tell her, and before I think better of it, I keep going.
“Want you to know that I’m proud of you.
You might be a pain in my ass, but the fact you’re working your ass off and coming back here to start your own firm, I’m damn proud of you.
” It’s not often I’ve said those words to Taylor, but saying it twice at one time means something.
“I’ll make sure to see you while you’re home. ”
I didn’t care if I had to buy a building for her to rent, I’d make sure my sister had what she wanted for her business.
Hanging up with Taylor, I shove the phone back in my pocket and step inside the bar. My eyes find Amelia immediately restocking the coolers, shifting the older ones to the front, putting the new ones in the back.
Amelia’s eyes come to me, and she gives me a smile. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Wanted to talk,” I tell her, getting right to the point of what I’m here for. It’s not in me to go gentle with the shit I learned regarding her ex. It’d be different if she’d come to be about it already, but she hadn’t.
“Okay, what about?” she asks, losing the smile. She cocks her head slightly and mutters, “What’s wrong with you?”
“What?” I ask, cocking a brow.
“You have that pensive look you always get when you have to deal with Taylor,” she states. “Did something happen?”
“Considering I just got off the phone with Taylor before coming in here—”
“Your mom said Taylor was coming to town in a few weeks,” Amelia states, interrupting me.
“I know she is. Taylor told me herself.” I grunt and fill Amelia in on what Taylor said.
“You’re going to help her out, aren’t you?” Amelia asks, watching me closely.
“Yeah, I’m gonna help her. I’ll find a place for her to use and have it ready when she graduates and takes the bar. It’ll be my gift to her.”
I’d do the same for Amelia if not something more.
Amelia was all but raised by my parents from early teen years.
They signed the papers for her to marry Russell when she told us she was pregnant with Dylan.
The two of us have been closer than Taylor and I will ever be.
That doesn’t mean I don’t care for Taylor and wouldn’t kick someone’s ass for her, the same I would for Amelia.
It’s simply my cousin and I have a tighter bond than I do with my sister.
“That’s nice of you,” Amelia murmurs, nodding. “Last time I saw her, she seemed different. She appeared to be focused. She spent most of the visit at your parents with her nose in the books she’d brought with her, studying.”
Yeah, my mom had told me about that visit. Usually, Taylor would have gone out with friends, having a happy-go-lucky time without a care in the world.
“We’ll see what ends up happening.” I shrug and shift back to the reason I came here. “What’s going on with Russell?”
“What about him?” Amelia asks, squinting her eyes.
“Has he been around since last week?”
She pulls her lower lip between her teeth, seeming to stall.
Finally, she huffs out a breath. “Only once. He came to apologize and ask me for money. Typical of him.” She releases her lip and reaches for a rag.
Wiping down the bar, she lets out a little laugh.
“I’d actually be concerned if he came here and didn’t ask me for something. ”
“Tell me you didn’t give it to him.”
She scoffs. “Fuck no. I’m not stupid, Shadow, and I’m no one’s ATM, least of all Russell’s.” She lifts her gaze to mine. “Supposedly, he got a new job.”
“If he got a job, why’s he asking to borrow money?
” The asshole was totally messed up in the head and enjoyed fucking around on Amelia and jacking her around.
If he weren’t Dylan’s dad, I’d fuck him up for all the shit he’s done to my cousin and her son.
Only my respect for the kid has kept me from doing anything.
That and the fact Amelia has asked me to stay out of it.
I can only do that for so long before I end up beating his ass to a bloody pulp.
“I don’t know. Why does Russell do anything?” Amelia snaps and lets out a heavy breath. “Look, Shadow, just leave it. I don’t need you getting involved. I can handle Russell myself.”
“I’m not going to drop it, Amelia, I can’t. You’re my damn flesh and blood, you and Dylan both. I can’t let him get away with this shit anymore. He keeps fucking with you constantly, and that needs to end.”
This shit needs to be done for her. If I can help, then that’s what the fuck I’m gonna do.
“Damnit, Shadow.” Amelia’s voice fills with uncertainty mixed with her anger.
“I said I have it under control. Russell isn’t going to ask me for a cent.
I can promise you that. But if you want to say something to him, then tell him to stop calling Dylan.
I tried myself, but he doesn’t seem to get the point, and Dylan doesn’t want him calling him anymore.
If he persists, I’m going to have to change his number. ”
“You know that ain’t gonna stop him,” I tell her, anger coursing through my veins.
“How about this, ‘cause you know me, you know I’m not gonna let it go. I’ll look into him without getting in his face.
Russell won’t even know about it. I find anything, I’ll let you know.
That is, unless it’s some shady shit, then I’m dealing with him. That work for you?”