Fighting For You (23 page)

I doubted that my mother spent days on end thinking about how she needed to spend time with me.  Guilt could be a powerful thing but I had a hard time believing
that
was what kept her from me.  She was her own person and would do what she always felt was best.  But, I wouldn’t turn down her apology; it was a step in the right direction.

“That is a part of the reason I’m here.  I remember what it was like in the past for us and I never want my child to go through that.  I know you are up for parole and based on the way you look now, I’d say things were going well.”

Audrey nodded her head and once more her face lit up.  “Things have been much better, Danielle.  The person I was last time you were here was
not
who I am and I’m finally feeling like myself.”

I sighed and shook my head. “I’m so happy you’re doing better but I have to tell you right now that the person you were last time, by snapping on me, blaming me—that was the way I have you committed to memory.  You did that to me, all the time.”

She bit down on her lip and looked back up at me. “I did?”

“Yes.” I felt the cold side of me coming out to play.  I loved having a relationship with Audrey but it was going to have to be on
my
terms this time.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Audrey.  Within the next month, I will be a mother.  I want my child to know their family, the
good
side of the Hamilton’s.  I’m not going to watch you walk in and out of my kid’s life the way you did with mine.  My child is either going to know you, or their not.  It hurts to say that to you but I can’t keep this up.  If you only knew how many nights I fell asleep in your bed because I was scared and alone.  Your pillows were always tear-stained by the time I went to bed, but you never cared.” 

Audrey’s face scrunched up as she prepared for the onslaught of tears.  I held back with composure and control even though deep down I was the scared child I was making her remember.

“Danielle, I … I’m …” I gave her a minute to respond but she shook her head in defeat. “I don’t remember.”

I never thought she did but it burned my heart to hear the truth poor out.  The strongest memories from my childhood were ones she had no idea about.

“When you get out and you decide you want to be a part of us, you need to get your act together.  I’m not saying you need to work twelve jobs but you need to
not
do drugs.  If for one second I find out you are, I will no longer let you know my little one.” I gulped back the shaking tone and breathless feeling. “Are we clear?” I asked as a strong, determined woman. 

Audrey Hamilton wasn’t going to run my life and she certainly wasn’t going to ruin it.  If she wanted to destroy everything she had that was her choice; I wasn’t going down with her.

“Dani, I swear things are going to be different.  I promise you.  I realized it after you moved back to New York.”

“How?” I asked.

A comforting, motherly smile spread across her lips. “Because you have a man that loves you enough to come up here and make sure I knew it was time to get my act together.”

“Corey?” I asked in a breathless question as if it took the air from lungs just to say his name.

“Of course, Corey.  He came up here and put me in my damn place.  He told me you two weren’t together but that didn’t mean you didn’t need a mother and that I sure as hell wasn’t one.”

My eyes welled up, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by a strong hand with no intent on letting go. “I have to go.”

“Dani!” She called out as I stood up.  I held the phone to my ear again. “I promise to make this right.” I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth as I gave a nod and waved goodbye as I ran for the exit.  My chest felt like someone had sliced a deep, irreparable wound that left all of me spilled on the concrete and no one there to help fix me back up.

*~*~*~*~*

The drive home should have taken about forty minutes yet two hours later I was finally pulling into the driveway of my house.  Alex’s two-door Ford pickup was there waiting for me while he sat on the hood, stuffing his way with something out of a bakery bag.  Throughout the long drive I had managed to dry the tears completely so at least I knew Alex wouldn’t press me about it.  Anytime he saw me shed a tear he about jumped into action and questioned ruthlessly until I told him who or what was the culprit.

Alex clearly hadn’t grasped the whole ‘pregnancy hormones’ concept yet and never really believed me if I said I was crying over nothing.  Those talks lasted long enough so if he were to see that he actually had something to question me about—I just didn’t have the time!  In a month’s time I was going to have a baby and who knew if he’d be done questioning me by then.

“Finally!” Alex yelled out as I opened my car door.  I threw my hands up in the ar.

“We didn’t have plans today; you are in no way allowed to yell at me for not being home.”

He hopped off the hood and whipped the powdered sugar from the front of his shirt; he balled up the empty bag, looked around for a place to throw it and finally settled on sticking it under the wiper blade.  I couldn’t help but laugh at his casual oddities.

“You should give me a spare key so this doesn’t happen again.” 

“So what doesn’t happen again?” I teased.

“I was just about to leave for my third donut run.”  I stopped digging around in my purse for my keys, and shot my eyes up to meet his.

“Your third?!”

He made a mocking face that made me giggle. “Uh yeah, I told you, a spare key would have pretended that.  Now I’m going to have to work twice as hard at the gym tomorrow which means I’ll have twice as many gym bunnies fawning all over me.”

My fading turned into a full on laugh.  I loved Alex’s sense of humor and honestly, every time I heard it I realized who he reminded me of—Gabby.  It was no wonder to me why Alex and I got along so well, he was just like my best friend. 

“Whatever, Big Head.  Why don’t you unlock the door and I’ll grab the mail?”

“Toss ‘em to me.”  I threw my keys up to him while I grabbed the mail from the box next to my front steps and followed into the house after Alex. 

I didn’t even need to look up from the stack of bills to know that Alex was buried in my fridge.  He spent much of his time complaining about how much he ate, only to eat more usually within fifteen minutes.

“Find anything good?” I asked as he looked through the fridge like he was Nicholas Cage searching for a missing clue of centuries’ long conspiracy theories. 

“You don’t have any eggs.” He so kindly pointed out.

“That would be because yesterday when you just showed unannounced, like today, you used the rest of them.”

“Shit, that’s right.  Well fuck, I want eggs.”

I glanced up over my cell phone bill and laughed as he hopped onto the counter with a pout on his face.

“Do you really need eggs after you just had
two
donuts, Alex?”

He pointed his finger at me and narrowed his eyes. “Hey!  I did not say I had two donuts I said I went there twice.”

“Oh?” I asked.

“Yeah, I had four donuts.” I rolled my eyes and chucked a catalog filled with miscellaneous junk in his direction.  He started laughing as if that was the most amusing thing he had ever seen. 

My eyes flickered back down to my last piece of mail it was a wide envelope that looked to be one you only received on a birthday.  There was no stamp, no address and the only thing the card said in big bold letters was:
YOU
.

“Well that’s a little aggressive.”  Alex said as he read over my shoulder, making me just about jump out of my skin.

“Will you stop doing that!” I scolded; it was a regular thing for him to randomly appear behind me and say something to make me jump.  He usually found it quite hilarious but right now his eyes were locked in a heated glare at the envelope.  I didn’t dare move it for a second in case he was doing some secret laser decoding with just his eyes.

“Open it, Danielle.” He commanded and with the tone in his voice, I didn’t dare question it.

The envelope contained two things: one was a note and the other was a picture.  The picture was clearly of Corey but he looked to be a few years younger than he was now and in the picture was another woman.  She was good looking and she knew it; the narrowing of her eyes, pucker of her lips and dark hair cascaded around them both.  Alex pulled the picture from my hand which I appreciated—I couldn’t stand to look at it anymore.  Reluctantly I flipped open the single creased note and read, in the same bold writing:

He may be yours now,
but he used to be mine.
And he will be again,
Just as soon as you’re out of the picture.
I’ll be seeing you… XOXO

Terror seized the air from my lungs and made my knees give way.  Thankfully Alex’s reflexes were quick enough to keep me up.  This was different than someone just being after me or Bean; whoever the woman in the picture was didn’t just want Corey—she wanted me
out
of the picture.  Worst of all—she knew where I lived and at some point today she was mere feet from the comfort and safety I thought I was surrounded by. 

Alex picked my purse up from the side table near the front door and slipped his shoes back on.

“What are you doing??” The hysterics rose in my voice as I felt my chest pounding in my ears.

“
We
are getting the fuck out of here.  If you are okay to drive, I need you to go somewhere else.  Don’t go to the Inn, go somewhere safe that you aren’t at every day; just in case she has been watching you, you don’t want to go somewhere familiar to her.” 

“What about you?” I gripped the T-shirt covering his bicep and clutched it for dear life.  I didn’t want me and Bean to be left alone and I didn’t want Alex to go off somewhere on his own.

“I’m going to the goddamn bar to talk to, Corey.  He threw away everything with you so he could deal with the shit from his past.  I don’t call this,” he said, waving the envelope in my face. “Dealing with it!  So now, he’s gonna have to deal with
me!”

I gulped back my fright and nodded. “Where are you going to go, Danielle?  I need to know where you’re going to be!”

There was only one place I didn’t go regularly that would be safe (sort of) and where I needed to go anyway.  With a resigned and defeated sigh I answered.  “My Grandmother’s.”

We parted even though I would have much rather stayed by his side until I knew what was going on.  Even if that meant seeing Corey for the first time in two months.  It would have crushed me, ruined me but Bean would have been safe.  Because I couldn’t deny the truth that I was a complete disaster; my entire body shook and my hands trembled as I grabbed the steering wheel, pointing my car toward Gram’s. 

The little hairs on the back of my neck were stood on end as I sped off down the familiar single lane road toward my safe destination.  I fidgeted ceaselessly, my eyes constantly darting from the side mirrors to over my shoulder.  Something wasn’t right and I could feel it in my gut that all hell was about to break loose but to who?  Was this woman going to wreak havoc on Corey for breaking her heart?  Or maybe she was going to target Alex for getting in the middle of everything?  There was no doubt in my mind, whoever this woman was—she was after me.  None of this helped ease the tension that soon started sending shivers down my spine and into the swell of my pregnant belly.  My insides were beginning to hurt and in my head I ticked off how many miles were left between where I was and where I was headed. 

The miles spun by; seven
… six … five … four.  I was closing in on the destination when something caught my attention on my side of the car.  My head whipped around and my stomach clenched at the sight of her.  There was no doubt in my mind that the woman in the black car next to me was the same one that wanted me out of the picture.  What she hadn’t realized was besides carrying half of Corey’s genes in my belly—we were through.  Which could only mean one thing, this woman didn’t want me gone, she wanted me dead. 

The fire blazed in her eyes as I saw her jerk the wheel in my direction.  My instincts kicked in quicker than my mind registered what was happening and I swerved the car in time with her.  My heart beat hard against my chest as my instincts took over my actions. Once again she swerved and I did too, missing each other by mere inches.  That was when I expected the waterworks to commence but the tears stayed away.  I was in protective mama mode and there was no way this bitch was taking me down without a fight. 

“Come and get me.” I muttered under my breath.  My hands gripped the wheel until my knuckles were paper white and in a second I hit the gas and pulled ahead of her.  She stayed matched up with the rear bumper of my car as she angled the front to go straight into me.  This moment I was happy I learned to drive stick shift because this was something I knew how to control.  I threw my car into third gear and pressed the gas; the g-force pinned me to my seat.  Finally, I was putting distance between us, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to safely get to my Gram’s without putting them at risk from this psycho bitch as well. 

My eyes remained locked on the road in an intense concentrated stare seeing the road and nothing else.  I had the advantage here; I had no choice—I needed to get us to safety.  Little Bean needed me and I wasn’t going to let this end us.  I was getting to the clear; there were two winding paths that led to an exit onto
the highway where I could undoubtedly lose, crazy.  The first turn was perfected and I cast a glance over my shoulder to see where she was when I noticed she was right there—keeping up with every move I made. 

My mistake was clear when I realized I looked over my shoulder for one second too long.  The turn came up the instant my eyes fixated on the road in front of me.  That instant of imperfection was all the advantage she needed before gunning her car into my passenger side doors and sending me out of control and headed into the ditch.  Every ten feet was a new telephone pole and this just had to be that square foot of space where one rest. 

I cried out as I felt the front slide sideways into the one thing I wished to avoid.

“Save us!” I screamed before the whiplash sent my head into the window and everything went black.

*~*~*~*~*

Corey

Standing behind the bar wiping down glasses was simply a cover.  My eyes locked on the door waiting for something; I wasn’t sure what exactly.  Maybe a hit man with an impressive black suit, or little Jaz wielding a weapon that she hopefully didn’t know how to maneuver.  It had been far too long since the last time I had slept a full night through.  The nights I remained in bed with all the lights off, I listened.  The slightest creak of a floorboard and I’d be up, ready for anything that was coming my way.  The paranoia sometimes was so bad that I didn’t even bother trying to sleep; those were the nights when I could drive around Dani’s house.  Checking the neighborhood for any suspicious vehicles or ones that didn’t belong there.

The one vehicle I always found that didn’t fucking belong was the Ford pickup that belonged to Alex.  I saw it there so often that I found myself wanting to drive my jeep straight into it.  Teach him a lesson for going after my woman!  He had bitched me out for turning Danielle down, as if that memory wasn’t absolutely Earth shattering as it was.  I never said ‘no’ to her because I didn’t want to make her my wife.  All I thought about since I saw those purple heels, curvy hips and heard her smart ass personality.  Danielle was everything I could have asked for and one day I would call her my wife. 

As long as Alex minded his own fucking business and stayed the hell away from her.  Not that it would stop me from fighting for that woman if he did get under her skin and into her heart.  Staying away from her and our Bean, as Dani always called it, was killing me.  My heart ached at the thought that I missed something.  Not a single second went by that I was suffering because of everything but I didn’t know how else to handle this.  Jazmin was sneaky and knew her way around things so I had to be ready for whatever was headed my way.  Keeping Dani away was to save my family and that was the only thing that kept me going. 

As long as they were living and breathing—I could too.  Even if her heart could never trust mine again I just craved to know my family was on this planet with me. 

The glass in my hand couldn’t get any cleaner than it was now but that didn’t stop me.  The dark wood door swung open and in walked one of the people currently on my shit list.  Alex stomped through the door and locked his eyes with mine.  I didn’t set the glass down; if he was here for a fight I wasn’t about to drop my only weapon besides my pure brute strength. 

“Mother fucker, you were supposed to be dealing with that fucking drugged up whore!”

“Turn your ass around if you’re coming back to try and put me in my place.  Last time I let you yap your jaw until you were blue in the face but I’m not standing back this time.”

Alex rolled his eyes but continued approaching the bar “You think I’m that fucking bored that I’m going to come over here just to hang you to dry?”

My eyes narrowed dangerously at him. “Of course, you have my woman keeping you company.”

“I’m the one keeping Danielle safe while your woman is marking her territory.”  He threw an envelope on the counter in front of us. 

I looked from him then down to the envelope before opening it.  I felt myself curse under my breath as I read the note written from delusional, psychotic woman.  If that letter wouldn’t have been delivered to the one woman I refused to live without, it wouldn’t mean shit to me.  Knowing Jazmin as well as I did, I knew nothing about that was a joke or a scare tactic.  Dani was in danger.

Alex’s phone rang before I had a chance to question him further.  He flipped it open and I kept my eyes locked onto his face; watching for any indication of who he was talking to and what it may have been about.  When his eyes bugged out, and his jaw dropped—I knew it had to do with Dani and our baby.

“Dani was in an accident.” Alex said to me after holding a rather brief conversation with the other person. 

“That was no accident.”

My palms pressed against the counter top of the bar while I kicked my legs up and over. 

“Everyone needs to get the fuck out!”  I yelled to the dozen or so customers.

“What if we haven’t paid?” A busty blonde asked with clear intent to flirt.

“If you get out right now it’s on the house.”  That was enough to clear the place out.  Alex waited behind even if we were at odds now; I knew he’d have my back.  And what I had in mind required someone else to have my back. 

“We’re not going to see Danielle, are we?” Alex asked.

I shook my head once. “Nope. We’re gonna go pay a visit to an old friend of mine.”

Alex smirked knowingly, crushing his knuckles against his open palm.

“Let’s do this.” 

Half an hour later we were ready; Alex grabbed a few of the steel bats he knew I kept around my house.  We sure as fuck didn’t need it but I didn’t stop him.  The only thing I did change out was my regular everyday boots for a pair of my heavy duty combat ones.  They were used for special occasions and this was one of those times.  He got out and went to the hatchback; Alex slipped out a pair of my biker gloves from my place that I hadn’t noticed he grabbed.  He slid them into place and looked back at me.

“You mind?”

“Not as long as you know how to swing that thing.” I replied, while I stretched my hands to get them ready for what was coming.

Alex shot a wicked grin at me. “I was all-state on my high school team.  I’m pretty comfortable with these bad boys.”

He took hold of both, twirling them effortlessly around his arms. “You’re taking both?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders as he rolled his head around, cracking his neck. “You know, in case you need one too.”

I smirked. “I won’t need a bat.”

We crossed the street to the house I wasted years of my life getting high in.  This was Bobby’s domain and I didn’t give a fuck who was in there or how many of them there were.  I needed to get to Jazmin and he was the only fucker out there that would know where she was.

Alex stopped at the front door and stepped aside for me to knock.  Well, when I’m furious and need answers—knocking wasn’t really my style.  I lifted my leg and with a swift kick with the strength of a horse I kicked the door and swung wide.  A few shouts from inside echoed to the night air.  Alex and I looked to each other and he had a teeth-baring grin plastered on his face.

“Open sesame.” He whispered low enough for me to hear.

We gave a nod of readiness and dove into the pits of my own personal hell.  Dudes I had never seen before trickled up the steps; taking us in from head to toe as Alex and I never broke our wide-stances, ready for the first attack.

“Can we help you?” One of the guys asked me. 

I shook my head once. “Bobby!” I called out at the top of my lungs.  Then men exchanged glances. 
Amateurs
.  I didn’t need to look back at Alex to know what he was doing and exactly which direction his bats would fly. 

At the same leisurely paced that this fucker had always used, Bobby finally arrived at the top of the steps.  There was Judas himself, just under six-feet, a thin body type with muscles that I knew could throw a nasty punch when the time called for it.  His black hair was a mop on his head and his eyes were black as a midnight sky. 

A slow smile crept upon his lips as he looked at me with recognition. 

“Well if it isn’t Corey Preston.  Haven’t seen you in fuckin’ years man.” A cigarette held at the corner of his lips burned a little brighter as he inhaled in his infamous, ‘no hands’ smoking technique.  Even the little memory of watching him do that cigarette after cigarette was enough to fuel the yearning I had to knock his ass out. 

Bobby motioned to the door but I didn’t turn to see it.  I kicked it open—I knew what it looked like,

“You know, we just had that doorbell installed.” 

“Not a doorbell kind of guy.” I deadpanned.

Bobby took one last slow inhale of his cigarette before flicking it against the wall.  My eyes never left him as he walked to me; his arms opened for a hug and the closer he got the tighter my fists clenched.  I watched the movements he made the way he approached me but remained hesitant in his steps.  He was offering the olive branch but he didn’t know if I was going to take it.

One step closer and now it was right, my arm reared back and popped forward, square in his jaw.  The blow did exactly what I wanted it to—it sent his ass to the dirty as hell wood tiled floors.  The men moved in towards me but I felt Alex do the same and out of my peripheral vision I saw the steel bats spinning in skilled circles again.  There was no doubt that if it wasn’t for Alex’s skill with a bat, they would have charged us. 

Bobby sat up and rubbed his palm against the bleeding area of his mouth.

“You’ve been working out.  Your punch never used to be quite so strong.” He was mocking me and that was the wrong move for him.

“I’m not here for an evaluation of my strength, Bobby.  There are two things I want.”

“Is one H?” He asked with a laugh as he got to his feet, brushing off the dust from his shirt.  When he turned back toward me I didn’t even give him a chance to blink before my left fist crushed against the side of his face.

“Why the fuck are you here?!” He finally growled out. 

Finally, he was pissed off.  I wanted him to fight me, to aim his fists at me, to challenge me so when I beat him into the dirt beneath the foundation—I would feel the victory I craved.