22. Worst comes to worst
WORST COMES TO WORST
Laughter bubbled up my throat. I didn’t know if it was the seriousness with which Dr. Avery had said the words or the look he used when he said them.
Karter snorted and bent down to set the cat down.
The flap of the carrier opened, and the orange fur ball stretched, coming out.
I watched as the little cat stretched and yawned, thinking about how a single decision could change a person.
The cat didn’t belong in this room like I didn’t, and yet we both stayed.
Gabriella’s whereabouts sat heavy on my chest with the news of Summer’s pregnancy; the truth was I hadn’t even begun to process how utterly fucked up this had become.
She was my wife, and she was pregnant. Again.
I rubbed the muscles on the back of my neck, itching to grab a cigarette to settle my nerves.
We’d been intimate in the warehouse, before shit hit the fan, but it wasn’t that kind of closeness. Clearly, I was lacking her trust for her to be pregnant yet again with another man’s kid.
A slow laugh bubbled up my throat.
“What’s so funny?” Karter asked.
“A cop, a lawyer and a doctor walk into a bar.” I replied.
“Sounds like the bad end of a joke.” Summer hummed.
“Logically it doesn’t make any sense,” Dr. Avery started.
“Give the man a break, he’s going through a tough moment.” Karter elbowed him, and I just shook my head and laughed. The absurdity of this situation was getting to me.
“How many dicks does it take to please a pussy?” I asked, shaking my head bitterly.
“Four?” Dr. Avery had his hand on his chin in thought.
“None, it takes a lesbian and a few drinks.” Karter snickered.
“So are you going to finish this up or are we going to make childish remarks about cunnilingus?” Summer asked a bit defensively. The cat walked straight for her, jumping up on the bed and putting its paws across her thigh. A soft purr emanated from the cat, and Summer absently stroked its fur.
“May I?” Karter offered, and he shrugged.
Karter pulled on a set of blue gloves, and Lucas retrieved the cat, holding it like it was a nuclear bomb. I resumed my seat on Summer’s side as Dr. Avery watched from the doorway. He had that weird look in his eye, like he was watching some kind of sports match unfold.
“It’s Lidocaine.” Karter murmured, a syringe in his hand. Summer gripped my hand so forcefully that the small needle pricked her skin. I found it odd, her reaction to something so small when the other doctor didn’t even bother with the numbing agent before driving the needle in place.
“Why didn’t you use it Lucas?” Karter directed the question to him.
Lucas shrugged out a reply, “That’s not my area.”
“What do you mean?” I was a bit taken aback by the lack of anesthetic, and yet he was a doctor.
“Sure, an anesthesiologist who doesn’t know how to use lidocaine. You’re lucky you’re holding my cat.” Karter replied bitterly.
“Sadistic doctors enjoy pain.” Summer said flatly, and then mumbled, “Like a rapist who enjoys rape.”
Karter turned away and coughed into his elbow, while Lucas just looked at Summer with a smirk dotting his lips.
The way these three acted was strange, like each one was holding a secret I had yet to discover.
I watched the tension remain in Summer’s face as Karter finished up the stitches, and Karter stepped away once the last piece of tape was secured.
“How far along are you?” I asked her, and she hesitated.
But then relaxed a bit more. I could kill the cop and make it look like an accident.
The lawyer… well, he grew on me and he wasn’t that horrible, just so green he sprouted flowers.
A better man for her. I caught myself in thought and almost missed how silent it’d become.
“Far enough that it wasn’t an accident. Sex Ed never covered how quickly a body could bounce back after an IUD removal.
Right Lucas?” Summer’s eyes landed on him, and he just stared back.
Karter coughed and excused himself. What the fuck did she mean by that?
I pinched my nose in frustration but held my tongue.
The last thing I needed was to go off the rails and spend another seven years away from her.
“I’ve got to go set that prosthetic,” Karter muttered.
“Well—“ Lucas started.
“What the hell is going on between you three?” I interrupted, “and don’t fucking think about sneaking off again.”
“I really don’t have time for this,” Lucas muttered, set his cat down and walked over to Summer.
“Don’t.” She warned.
“Summer and I are… familiar.” His tone didn’t change. “I provide a service, people with money tend to require discretion.” His eyes flicked to me briefly. “And loyalty.” He glanced at Summer, as if deciding his words, “She’s chosen to remain under my care…” Lucas paused. “For now.”
“Why not have Karter do it? He is a doctor as well. Patched me up just fine in the hospital.” I scratched the back of my head. “What am I missing?”
“My colleague lacks restraint.” His gaze shifted to the door Karter had just exited. “A reoccurring issue.” Then back to Summer. “Decisions were made.”
“So you fucked Karter?” My head was hurting with them dancing around the truth. Thick as thieves, when a few weeks ago she was begging not to be in the same room as him.
“No.” Lucas shrugged and then turned to Summer. “Are we done? I will not be late.”
“Get the fuck out,” I growled, and he grabbed the cat and the bag, then turned toward the door to leave.
“Try not to damage the work.” His eyes lingered on Summer than me. “It would be… inconvenient.”
Her face drained of color. “I don’t remember it. He was so kind in the hospital, I don’t know what happened. One minute I was staring at a puddle of red and the next I was —”
My arms were around her before the thought registered. She cried into my chest as we stayed there. I didn’t understand all of it, but I understood enough.
“Jasper, we need to chat. Bring Clif too, make it a meeting. Warehouse.” I hung up the phone before there was a reply.
They would wait at the warehouse all day for all I cared.
So long as they were there. I swiped down my face, throwing a glance toward the building.
I told them I just needed air, that I would be right back. Another lie on the ongoing list.
I glanced at my phone, contemplating whether this was the stupidest thing I had ever done.
No, letting her go was the stupidest thing.
Then I dialed the number; there was silence when he answered, like an expected call and a smug smirk.
My feet started moving on their own, down the busy intersection and through the streets.
No real reason other than the walking killed the anxiety.
The further I got away from my little firefly, the better.
“I know you were expecting my call, why else leave the number.” I grunted into the phone.
“My boy, how’s business?” Midas chimed through the phone. I heard seagulls in the background and children playing.
“It’s surprisingly not going to shit, why is that?” I replied. I was walking up Main Street in a crowd of people; the cold bit at my fingertips, but it was manageable. It kept my mind on track.
“How’s my daughter? Still spiteful or did you manage to find the kid yet?” He hummed through the phone. How did he know she was missing?
“Where is Gabriella?” I growled into the phone.
“Didn’t we teach you better than that? Play the system and you might learn the answer.” Midas replied. There was speaking in the background as I considered his words. If he wanted to see what he taught, I would show him.
“Spain, not Mexico. If I had to guess coastal town. Ibiza would be too easy, perhaps Cádiz? Which one of your friends is fitting the bill?” I smirked into the phone. Maybe I was wrong, but at least I had the balls to play.
“Fair point. You’ve been chasing my money, have you learned nothing along the way. Perhaps you need a good chat with your old man.” He replied cooly.
“One day, I am going to cleave your dick from your balls and then force feed them to you.”
“While you’re at it, order the barbecue ribs, short. A meal fit for a king. Oh and don’t forget the secret sauce.”
The phone slammed into the sidewalk, shattering as broken glass bounced across the concrete.
People gave me a wide berth after that, as I shoved my way through the crowd heading towards the federal building.
Along the way I dropped my gun in a newspaper stand, wiping the handle and grabbing the paper.
It wasn’t a surprise to see the media man from the poker game having the top headline, a story he no doubt traded for in advance.
I continued walking until I made it to the looming office building.
“Mr. Mathews is in a meeting you can’t go in right now.” Some twig-like secretary stood in front of the door. I just pushed him aside. Not caring as the doors opened.
A woman barely in her twenties on her knees giving my father a blowjob. Typical political scandal. She screamed when she noticed me. Jeff’s eyes snapped to mine.
“Oh don’t stop on my account,” I bit out, settling myself in the chair across the desk. The newspaper still in my grasp, I began to read the latest trashy affairs in the world.
The woman went to pull away, and he held her face down, gagging her with his dick.
The room filled with the sounds of slurping; I just turned the page.
Half keeping an eye on their frames as he forced himself more aggressively than he had before, like my presence was some kind of sick turn-on for him.
It soured my stomach, but I remained indifferent.
Groans and gagging continued as I turned another page, readjusting the think pages like it was a shield to the crude display.
It continued on for another three minutes before the grunt sounded.
He finished himself and she choked on his cum.
She got up in a rush, her frame moving towards the door.
I grabbed her wrist, and she about screamed.
I motioned to my lip, “You’ve got a little something…
” A small smirk dotted my lips as my eyes fell to her open shirt.
The woman smeared the back of her hand against her mouth, too frazzled she didn’t even button her dress shirt before rushing out the door.
“Well son, two visits in such short time. Looking to rekindle that father son relationship are we?” he asked as he fixed his pants and smoothed wrinkles from his shirt. I folded the paper, letting it rest on my lap.
“Something like that, tell me this. Why does a senator need a scandal with a low level intern?” I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and lit it up.
Smoke danced upwards towards the ceiling as I reclined in the chair.
Dragging the butt to my lips, I inhaled, contemplating how this was going to go down.
His hands moved silently, but I knew the police wouldn’t be far behind.
Trespassing charges or some other invasive procedure, no doubt.
Nothing that would stick, thank fuck, at most a few nights in jail seeing as Scott was still missing.
“Appearances of course. Optically it’s best someone of my status to be looking to settle down again, and who better then a young up and coming lady with high class.” He sat down at his desk, which was raised a bit above my chair, so he was looking down on me.
“Damn, she must take it in the ass well for you to say that.” I flicked ashes onto his carpet, maintaining my disrespectful posture. His face morphed into disgust before he straightened his posture.
“Is that anyway to talk about your new step-mother?” He replied coldly.
A deep, throaty laugh emanated from me as I threw my head back. “Alright dad,” I spat the word. “When exactly are you marrying this one? What’s this make step-mother number three? Will she have a tragic illness as well?”
“I think it’s time for you to leave son.”
“Fucking hell, what are you doing here?”