Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 109640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109640 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
“Nice threat.”
“You’re goddamn right it’s a threat and you know I’ll follow through.” And, unfortunately, it would cost them both, but spending time with his kids was priceless and worth any legal expense incurred.
He would never give up on them no matter how difficult Sasha made it.
If it wouldn’t turn his kids against him more, he’d file for full custody. Then she’d be the parent only getting them one weekend a month during the school year and one week a month during summer break.
It was never enough time.
It was bad enough that the divorce was painful, but not having twenty-four-seven access to his own children made the whole thing worse.
“You’re an asshole.”
Where had he heard that before? “If fighting for my kids makes me an asshole, I’ll wear that badge proudly. Make sure they’re aware I’m picking them up at school.”
He ended the call at the same time a very familiar Audi slowly passed him and turned into The Plant’s back lot.
Fuck.
He was in no mood to deal with Cabrera’s smart mouth right now.
Hell, right now he was in no mood to deal with any fucking woman.
It had only taken one to taint his view of them all.
Painting them all with the same brush might not be fair. However, every time he was starting to believe differently and that he shouldn’t lump them all together, a phone call to his ex-wife spiraled him right back to that belief.
Sasha was not only determined to destroy his relationship with his children, she also had effectively poisoned him against any real future relationship with women. Including the one climbing out of her sports car with her eyes on him as he walked through the open gate.
She remained next to her car as if waiting for him to approach. He didn’t. He strode past her and toward the side of the building where the stairs to the third floor were located.
“Hey… you okay?” she called out.
“Yeah,” he threw over his shoulder, not slowing down.
He heard her behind him scrambling to catch up. “Your expression says otherwise. Bad news?”
“No.” For some reason he stopped short, turned and blurted out, “I’ll have my kids this weekend.”
Why the fuck did she need to know that?
Her face lit up. “Oh nice. Do you get them often?”
“Not often enough.”
Her face fell. “Sorry. I’m sure the divorce was hard on them.”
“Yeah. Just letting you know that I’ll be unavailable this weekend in case anything goes down with you at Hawg Wild.”
“Okay.”
“Torres will be in charge of the task force.”
“Okay.”
“I won’t be over.” Oh for fuck’s sake.
“To be expected and I didn’t invite you over, anyway.”
Right.
“Do you think your dick is addictive like meth?”
He didn’t answer that.
“And the way you left this morning made me think you had no interest in coming back.”
He didn’t respond to that, either. Because what the fuck could he say to that?
He had rushed out of there like his ass was on fire and not from being spanked.
Women. They were walking, talking traps.
All of them.
They sucked you in, gave you a false sense of happiness, then turned around and sliced your fucking throat.
“Hi.”
He tipped his eyes down to the woman now standing only inches away. How did he miss her approaching?
The tension lessened from his chest making it a little bit easier for him to breathe. “Hi.”
“I know we haven’t known each other long but I can see how stressed you are.”
“Pissed,” he corrected.
A crease marred her normally smooth brow. “What?”
“Not stressed. Pissed.”
“About?”
“About why one parent feels the need to use their children as a weapon against the other.”
“Damn,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
He stared down at her. “If you ever have kids and you and the father go your separate ways, don’t make your children suffer just to get back at him.”
“What’s she getting back at you for?”
“Simply breathing.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Cami wasn’t sure how to react to what he said.
Some divorces were easy. Some, not so much.
Others left behind nothing but absolute scorched Earth.
She was lucky her parents were still happily married and even still madly in love. Even after thirty years.
They had given her relationship goals. Hopefully not an unrealistic one, since she wanted to have the same sort of solid partnership one day.
Her father sometimes serenaded her mother, despite being a horrible singer. And her mother loved every minute of it. They still flirted with each other. Touched and kissed. Whispered in each other’s ears. And laughed together over the stupidest things. They even scheduled date nights. They shared household responsibilities.
They stood by each other’s side through thick and thin. Through every move to a new state. Through two miscarriages and four more births after Cami was born.
They never gave up on each other. Not once. Any hard times they had only made them stronger.
So, yes, she wanted what they had, even though she wasn’t sure she’d ever get it.