Chapter 2 #3
At 8:00, it’s an entirely different story as we’re dragging our exhausted asses through my apartment door.
Long gone is all the energy he had. Let me tell you, it sucks carrying a sleepy three-year-old up four flights of stairs.
“Let’s get you in bed, buddy,” I murmur as I quickly change his clothes and put him down in the spare bedroom, where he’s fallen back to sleep before his head ever hits the pillow.
I stand there and watch him for several minutes, my heart aching for what I know is going to come.
His mom will fight hard against getting clean again.
Just like she did the last time, and he’s the one who suffers the most because of her selfishness.
Going back out into the living room, I grab my phone and get pissed when I see that Sierra still hasn’t tried to reach me.
She should have been off work three hours ago, not that I would let her take Nash, but I could at least get an idea of what exactly is going on with her.
Walking over to the window, I open it and climb out onto the fire escape, where I find George already out there smoking a joint.
Sitting down on the milk crate next to his, I reach over wanting a hit.
He raises his brow, then motions to my tits.
Rolling my eyes, I lift my shirt and pull down the cups of my bra.
He reaches over and softly caresses my tits and groans, but he does pass over the joint.
Sticking it between my lips, I take a hit as I fix my clothes.
Holding in the smoke, I pass it back to him, and then slowly exhale, feeling some of my stress escape into the sky along with the smoke.
“What’s new, Georgie?” I finally ask. George has been my neighbor for a couple of years now, and I don’t think he ever leaves his apartment.
I’m also fairly certain he gets some sort of crazy check or something.
He’s a bit odd, but he shares his weed in exchange for letting him see and touch my tits, so that’s a plus for me.
I show men my body for a living, so he doesn’t even phase me.
I’m almost positive he’s a virgin, and the only tits he’s ever seen are mine and anything he can scrounge up on the internet. Poor guy.
“Nothing,” he quietly mumbles, taking another hit and passing it back. I take one more toke and then try to call Sierra again when I see it’s already 10:30, and it goes straight to voicemail. Of course, her box is full, so I can’t tell her to get her ass to my house.
Thank goodness I don’t have to work tonight, or I’d be up shit creek. I spend the next half an hour smoking and having a one-sided conversation with Georgie when my phone vibrates. This better be Sierra. Unfortunately, when I pull it out of my back pocket, I see that it’s not her.
Viper: Come over.
Kierra: Can’t.
Viper: What the fuck did I tell you last night?
I can just imagine him growling and throwing shit in his frustration at being denied once again. Pressing on his number, I listen as it barely rings before he picks up and barks into the phone. “Don’t tell me you fucking can’t, Vixen.”
“I can’t. I still have my nephew. My sister never showed up to get him.
Since I’m sure she’s using again, I’m not in a hurry to track her down and take him back to his druggie mom.
So, if it’s that dire that you see me, you’re going to have to drag your ass over here to me for a change,” I hiss, hanging up on him.
I’m so sick of everyone taking and taking from me. Fuck them all.
The joint waving in front of my face has me looking up from my phone to see a sad look on Georgie’s face.
“I’ll figure it out,” I tell him, and he nods like he has all the confidence in the world in me.
Or at least I think that’s what it means.
Taking the offering from his hand, I smoke with him for a few more minutes before calling it a night.
“Night, Georgie,” I say, and he lifts his hand in farewell like he does most nights that we sit out here together.
Climbing back through the window, I shut and lock it behind me, then go into my room to get ready for bed.
The feel of the satin nightie sliding across my still tender ass has my nipples pebbling.
As I move to climb into bed, I stop short when there’s a knock at my door.
The thought that maybe Sierra decided to show up after all has me once again pissed the hell off.
Hurrying down the hall, I swing the door open ready to tell my sister off, and quickly stop in my tracks.
A fuming Viper barrels into me, pushing his shoulder into my belly and hefting me up as he kicks the door closed behind him.
I yelp when he smacks my sore ass harder than necessary, effectively putting a halt to my wiggling as he makes his way into my bedroom.
“Don’t ever fucking hang up on me again.
Do you understand, Kierra?” he grits through clenched teeth as he sets me on the floor in my room.
Looking into his eyes, I can tell now is not the time to push his buttons.
He’s well and truly pissed off. Usually, I love to go toe to toe with him, but with both of our emotions running high, it’s best not to go there.
“Yeah. I’m sorry, Draven,” I whisper, deflating as I feel the tears threatening to fall.
Whether from my exhaustion or the anger in his eyes glaring at me, I’m not quite sure.
Viper is always an alphahole, but usually, it’s just part of the roles we play that gets us both hot and horny. This. This is him genuinely pissed off.
“Come here, baby,” he rumbles, sensing my turmoil as he sits on the edge of my bed and motions for me to sit in his lap.
Lowering myself onto his leg, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and bury my face in his neck as the first tear falls.
“Now, tell me what’s going on with your sister,” he orders calmly, pulling me closer.
“I don’t know what’s going on. Sierra should’ve called around five and told me where to bring Nash.
It’s what we always do when I keep him, which is usually Monday through Friday while she works from 8-5 down at Dory’s Diner.
But when I picked him up from her this morning, I could tell she was on the shit again, and I started griping at her.
She got pissed and stormed off saying she was going to be late.
That was the last time I heard from her.
Now, I have my three-year-old nephew asleep in my spare room and have no clue what the fuck I’m going to do if she’s gone ghost again.
” My voice breaks from the emotions surging through me.
“Again?” One of his eyebrows shoots up in question.
Wiping the tears from my eyes, I say, “Yeah, twice she’s gone ghost, and we didn’t see her for a couple of weeks.
Once when Nash was first born and again about a year ago, right before we met.
It’s part of the reason I agreed to our arrangement.
I send $1500 every month to my mom in Cuba and pay my sister’s bills also.
She agreed to stay clean for Nash if I paid them. Now she’s on that shit again.”
“That explains why you live in this shithole when I know you make more than enough to be set up somewhere much nicer than this.” He looks around my tiny apartment in disgust. His words evoke a different emotion entirely as he pisses me off once again.
“Yeah, well, it ain’t cheap taking care of every-fucking-body,” I snarl, getting tired of him judging me when I’m doing the best I can.
“I swear to Christ, Kierra. If you don’t watch that fucking mouth, I’ll tan your ass with my goddamn belt,” he rumbles, narrowing his eyes at me.
The thought has me squeezing my legs together and a shiver racing up my spine. His threats aren’t threats when it’s what I crave.
“Such a dirty girl.” He chuckles, but I see the promise in his eyes of things to come. He may be a bossy asshole, but he always gives me what I need.
“Yeah,” I whisper, licking my lips, as he runs his hand up my thigh, under my nightie, and up, caressing my belly with the warm palm of his hand. Yeah, he’ll give me what I need.