out.
That’s when my heart begins to break.
He was really going to fly to Hawaii with Tanya. Just to get out of our lives. Out of my life. Not that he was really even in my life.
“So now what happens?” he asks.
“You go face the music,” Mac says. “Make sure it’s known by whoever you work for that they stay away from us. You do not want to start a war here. Believe me. You don’t know what you’re up against. Pay your fucking debt and walk away.”
“Take the money then,” my father says.
Mac walks up next to me and grabs my hand.
“Oh, I see what this is,” my father says. “You’re throwing your life away for this guy?”
“I’m finding my life with him,” I say.
“You’re a fool,” my father says. “Like your mother.”
Mac takes a step and I pull at his hand.
“Focus,” I whisper.
Mac lets out a growling sound.
Then he grabs some of the cash out of the bag.
I’m not done yet though.
I pick up the plane tickets off the ground.
And I rip them up.
That won’t stop my father from seeing Tanya. Or running away with her.
But it feels good to rip those tickets up.
I point to him. “I’ll talk to Mom when I’m ready.”
I turn and walk back to the guys.
Then I pause and look at Taz.
“Hey,” I say.
“Hey, darling,” he says.
“Feel like punching my father in the face?”
“I’d be honored to,” Taz says.
“Just one punch though, okay?”
“I swear on my life.”
I keep walking.
I don’t want to see it happen.
But just knowing he’s going to get hit makes me smile.
Mac catches up to me and slides his arms around me.
“I guess this means you’re mine forever now, sweetie.”
I turn my head and look at him.
“I guess so.”
He starts to kiss me.
And I hear Taz hit my father.
My life is a fucking mess.
But Mac makes it feels so good.
15
MAC
I scoop Jolie up from the porch and have her in my arms.
She looks at me with drunk eyes and we start to kiss.
“Ugh, what a bitch.”
Jolie stops kissing me and looks around. “Who the fuck just said that.”
“Oh, shit,” Les says.
He jumps from the railing to the porch.
I look at Jolie and nod.
I put her on her feet.
We’re having a freedom party for Jolie.
She doesn’t have to hide anymore.
Everything I need to know about her father I know. So I made sure to give Declan a call to let him know it’s all over. That means Declan is going to let everyone else know that Jolie is safe and sound. That her parents were just over worried for no reason. I don’t think it’s that simple, but it’s Declan’s job to figure out.
And if the cops come to bother Jolie about it, she’s going to tell them she took a road trip on her own. That she made the decision to quit law school and her parents were pissed at her for it. So she left and went off on her own for a little bit. She was upset and threw her phone into the ocean, she just wanted to be left alone.
Simple as that.
Again… is it simple?
I don’t know.
But that’s the plan for right now.
Jolie looks around the porch.
It’s pretty full.
She points to some blondie near a pillar.
Blondie’s standing there with a low-cut shirt, her arms are under her breasts to push them high up in the air. Her blood-red, pouty lips and I don’t give a fuck face tell me this is going to be trouble.
“Mac, what are you doing?” Les whispers to me.
“Letting her go,” I say.
“Did you call me a bitch?” Jolie asks Blondie.
Blondie shrugs her shoulders. “Does it really matter?”
“What did I do to be a bitch?”
“Nothing.”
“I know what this is,” Les says from behind me.
I look back. “What is it?”
“She thought she was coming to get you tonight,” Les says. “That’s Nicole. She’s been after your dick for a while now, bro.”
“Shit,” I say.
I look forward just in time to see Jolie take the cup out of Nicole’s hand.
She takes a drink and then laughs.
“What is this? Fruit juice?” Jolie asks. “You don’t even know how to drink, you stupid cunt.”
“Holy shit,” Raf yells.
“You know what?” Nicole asks. “You are a bitch. You don’t even belong here.”
Without hesitation, Jolie pushes Nicole.
Down the steps.
I jump forward and slide my hands around Jolie’s waist to make sure she doesn’t fall too.
Nicole hits every step on the way down and ends up on the sidewalk.
The entire porch is silent.
“You’re fucking wild, sweetie,” I say.
“She’s not dead,” Jolie says.
Yeah,