Kansas (Ruthless Kings MC Atlantic City #2) - K.L. Savage Page 0,3

a deadbeat. That’s what makes this entire situation harder than it is, because I feel like it’s all in my head. He never misses a game. He’s always there cheering me on. He tells me he is proud of me every day. He says he loves me. He doesn’t hit me, talk down to me, or anything negative.

He’s the perfect father, minus how he’s never home on the weekends until my games begin. It really just makes me more curious.

“Yeah, I think I’ll be starting this year too. My batting average is good.”

“That’s great, Amos. Hey, maybe next time when you and Nigel go to the baseball field, I’ll tag along. I want to see what you’re up to.” He grips my shoulder and gives me a slight shake. “So damn proud of you.” He kisses the back of my head.

I cringe away, like I do from any affection. “Pops, stop.”

“Okay, okay. Just wanted to let you know I love you,” he says.

Great. Now I feel guilty again. “Are you still leaving tonight?”

He sighs, and I know that fake regretful sound from anywhere. “Sorry, Amos. You know if I keep working hard like I am, I’ll get that promotion, and we can finally have what we need.”

“I know. It’s been a while. When is the promotion going to happen?” I ask, wondering how long he thinks he can feed me the same line of bullshit. It’s been years.

“Soon. I really think it will happen soon.”

“Great. Can’t wait to have you home more,” I lie. Turning off the water, I dry Jack off and set him to the side to dry. “I need to go hop in the shower. I’m going to go check on Mom.”

“She’s wasting away. There’s nothing you can do for her,” he says to my back once I begin to leave the room.

I pause, the familiar shivers of the discomfort I feel about him tingling my spine. “She’s sick. She isn’t wasting away. She needs help.”

“You’ll see, son. She wants us to take care of her when she’s a grown woman and needs to learn to take care of herself. I don’t mean this in a bad way.” He walks around me and grips my biceps with his hands. He smiles, and his hazel eyes crinkle on the side as he stares at me. I know I’m looking straight at the devil. I know I am. I just need to prove it. “Go on. Go shower. Soon, you’ll see how much I’ll be able to better your life without her in it.”

I shrug out of his hold and push by him with my shoulder. I’m only sixteen, but I’m already taller than he is, so I tilt my chin to my chest and stare down at him. “I don’t want a life without her in it. She is my mom. I’m not giving up on her because you think it’s the easiest thing to do.” My feet pound down the hallway, and I kick the bathroom door open, then slam it shut.

I’ve always known he hates Mom, but it isn’t very often he is outspoken about it.

I sigh. I can’t contemplate too much about what he said, but I don’t like how he said ‘soon.’ What’s that mean?

I’ll find out soon.

I turn the shower on, take off my cleats, and then go check on Mom since it takes a minute for the water to get warm. The TV sounds from the living room, and it ticks me off how he makes himself at home.

Tiptoeing along the carpet, I push open her bedroom door and peek my head inside. She’s laying on her side underneath the floral patterned quilt she made before she got depressed. The curtains are black to keep all the light from the windows out. I can tell by the material on her shoulders that she is wearing her favorite robe. Her hair is wet, which means she showered today.

That’s good.

I walk up to her and brush her hair out of her face. She looks so tired all the damn time, and I wish I could fix it for her. “I’m going to figure this out, Mom. I swear you’ll be happy again one day.” I bend down and kiss her forehead. “I love you.” When emotion starts to sting my eyes, I stand and head toward the door, closing it behind me so she can rest.

I stand in the middle of the hallway and look at the pictures hanging half-assed on the walls. Some