Love You Anyways (7 page)

“Okay Logan.”

“Don’t pull that shit on me. I’m not a little kid anymore.” He was livid.

“Logan
wanna hit the gym with me and burn off some steam?”

He gave me a look of disgust and shook his head back and forth, “No I’ll pass.”

When we got in the room, I stopped him before he walked into the bathroom. “Big game day tomorrow.”

“Yeah, sure, big day and now you’ve invited all them. How do you think Mom’s gonna feel about that?”

I wanted to tell him it didn’t matter what the fuck she said. But that was the shit my father would have played. I wasn’t my father.

“She’ll be fine. Look this wasn’t planned but I promise to make it up to you.”

“How’s that?”

“Me. You. Spring break. Mexico. Just you and I.”

He smirked, “Sounds good.”

Chapter 7

Fix this shit

After
Logan fell asleep, I called down to the front desk and asked if the fitness center was still open, and it was. Thank God.

I threw on some shorts
, a tee shirt, and headed down out the door. I rode the elevator down to the first floor and walked into the empty gym. I started on the elliptical and made my way around the circuit three times before I even felt a twinge of fatigue.

I knew what was going on here. I was sexually frustrated. It had been almost
two months since I’d gotten laid. And the last time was some serious revenge fucking.
Bitch!
Un-fucking real.

I was back on the elliptical because if I wasn’t dog ass tired by the time I went up to our room
, I was probably going to need to jerk off in the shower and my kid was in the room.

Jerk off!
Bitch
! I seriously was having a hard time with this shit but I would not let it be about hurt feelings. Fuck that, it was now strictly because I needed to come. Married for over twenty years, never cheated, provided very well for my family, and I was gonna have to either jerk off or make nice with Ash so I could get off in her ass.

I jumped off the elliptical and looked at the clock. I had been down here for an hour and a half thinking about my cheating ass wife,
masturbating, and not making a phone call to get some, strange? What the hell is with me?

I pulled my shirt off
, looked in the mirror and popped my pecks, because I could, as I wiped the sweat out of my hair with it. Man I loved mirrored rooms. I loved looking at my body; it hadn’t changed much in twenty years. My ass was still where it should be, still had a six pack, and Adonis belt. I was a good looking dude.

Ash. I walked out the door to the elevator thinking about what she had left me for. The bastard had a five-head. You know, major receding hairline so you couldn’t call it a forehead because it’s just too damn big. He was a boring as hell douche bag who had no personality and his body certainly wasn’t like mine. Fucking worm. He didn’t even carry a normal
briefcase; the bitch had a man purse.

The elevator arrived on my floor and I walked out of it and past the vending machines. I had to step back
because I was sure I saw someone sitting in the corner next to the soda machine.

“Tessa?”

She nodded and covered her mouth so I didn’t see the food in it. “Hey Lucas.”

I walked over and reached out my hand. “Need some help up?”

She took another bite of the candy bar she was eating. “I’m good thanks.”

I
kneeled down in front of her. “Care to talk?”

“Nope.”

“Care if I sit here and watch you eat the rest of that candy bar?”

“You want some?” She held it out to me.

I chuckled to myself,
do I want some. Hell yeah I want some
. “Don’t you know it’s not polite to ask a starving man a question like that?”

“Here,” she pulled another out from under her knee and handed it me.

“If you’re hungry you should eat some real food. Let me get you something.”

“Nope. I’m going to eat this Baby Ruth and go to bed
. After I crash from the sugar high.”

“Well I’m still coming down from my adrenaline high
, so I’m gonna hang here with you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.”

“Yeah I’m sure that’s just what you want to do is watch me shove junk in my mouth after you just went to the gym.” She smiled and threw the other bar in her bag. “You suck you know.”

“That’s not very nice.” I laughed.

“You make the rest of us feel like idiots. You still workout all the time?”

“I do, and you still eat chocolate when you’re stressed.” I laughed when she pushed me.

“It’s good to workout. Keeps you healthy.” She stood up and offered me a hand.

“I don’t do it to stay healthy.”

“Why then
?” She laughed as she tried to pull me up.

“I workout so I look good naked.”

She let go of my hand and covered her mouth. I couldn’t get my balance and I crashed on my ass, making her laugh harder.

I stood up
and threw my arm around her shoulder. “Let me walk you home. Get some sleep tonight cause the Cowboys are gonna get their asses handed to them tomorrow and I can’t wait to see you all pissed off about it.”

“I can’t wait to see Jose. It’s been years.”

“He’ll be happy to see you. How’s Harper?”

“Good. Maddox is making sure of it. He’s a good kid.” She was trying to convince herself.

“But you’re having a hard time not being the one to take care of her huh?”

She nodded, “She’s my baby.”

“Yeah I get it.” She looked up into my eyes and smiled. “What?”

“You’re a good Dad Lucas.”

“Great, I’m a great Dad.”

I pulled my arm off her shoulder. Why? First, because if she looked at me like that again I was going to kiss her and maybe even nail her against the wall and I had to be patient with her. Fuck she lost her husband two months ago. Two, I was just at the gym
and I hadn’t showered yet. I didn’t want her to walk away thinking, ‘Damn he stinks’. I want her to think, ‘Damn look at that sexy man’.

“You really are.” She nodded as she fished her room key out of her bag.

“You always said I would be.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty smart aren’t I?”

“Sure are.” I took her key, swiped it, and opened the door. “Get some sleep and remember I’m still here. You can talk to me, you don’t have to go hide. You have a lot of people who want to be as strong for you as you have been for them.”

She smiled her polite smile and nodded. “Thanks Lucas.”

~

I looked at the clock and it was seven thirty in the morning. I knew Logan would sleep until at least ten and so would the rest of them.

Bones had sent me a text telling me that it was Sam Hammond, the fuck that I was sure was behind the troubles Ava and Harper encountered with the police. Sam Hammond was the brother-in-law of Senator Robert Robertson. He was a different kind of weasel, but a weasel just the same.

-Brunch with the boys in blue, every Sunday 8:30 am…Bones

Robert left Links Construction when I lost it when I found out his brother-in-law used material that wasn’t up to code. I went to the general contractor of the job and told them my men would not be going in after Sam had half assed his phase of the project. I wouldn’t put them at risk. Sam’s crew was booted off the job site and lost millions, along with their reputation. My company gained not only that job phase but credibility in the construction world. It made Links Construction branch out into NYC and we were on the list of top companies contacted when anyone was accepting bids for multimillion dollar projects. I took over this branch of the company while Dad continued managing the largest general contracting firm in New Jersey, a company he built from infancy. I took over the new venture; it was my baby, LL Glazing and Iron. LLGI was making more of a profit than Links Construction and yeah that was one hell of a rush. I didn’t have to micromanage everything. I had one job and ten crews that kicked ass run by men who I trusted. Bones was one of them.

After dressing I snuck out of the hotel, I was on a mission.

I pulled up in front of Benjamin’s Steak House in midtown and threw on my sunglasses and crossed the street.

“Wait up!”

I stopped and looked back. “What the hell are you doing here? I left early enough so Tessa’s boys would stay the hell out of the situation and now you? Maddox, I want you to turn around and go back.”

“I won’t.”

“Listen up kid; this is all about me now. I don’t need…”

“Harper’s mine to take care of! I go with you or I go alone.”

Are you kidding me?
  “This conversation stays between you and I Maddox. I know what needs to be said and done. This is because of me.”

“Not the girls who put their fucking hands on Harper. Not the bitches who said they were glad my child died because she wasn’t good enough!”

I held my hands up stopping him. He was livid, and rightfully so. “I’m very sorry that happened to you. More so than you could begin to understand. I love that little girl Maddox. I’ve watched her grow up, how could I not? What people say about us, say about you and her, doesn’t mean shit. It’s unfortunate that people are that shallow. They see you and want something from you. They see Harper as something getting in their way. Unfortunately you both have to grow a thicker skin.” He was getting even more pissed. “I’m not saying it to be rude. To protect her you can’t live like that. You’ll ruin it between the two of you. Show her how much you adore her every day. Ignore the demons and the self-doubt or you’ll lose yourself and her in the process.”

“I get that but I’m still going.”

“Maddox it’s a public restaurant. If you walk in there with me, you keep your cool. You let me say what I need to and you don’t ever repeat a word of it or I won’t go in there. Do you understand?”

“I’ll do my best.”

“No Maddox, you’ll do as I ask. Trust me on this.”

He wasn’t budging and neither was I. I crossed my arms in front of me and waited for him to truly realize I wasn’t fucking around.

“Fine.”

I walked into the restaurant that was full of people enjoying a Sunday breakfast. The hostess tried to stop us but I smiled and kept walking, maybe she would think I didn’t understand English.

I saw the weasel’s shiny bald head in the back corner. I looked back at Maddox to make sure he wasn’t ready to lose his shit.

We walked toward a group of men sitting in a back corner. I grabbed a chair from a table next to theirs filled with women. I winked and dragged it to the table.

I sat backwards in the chair next to Sam and reached over to his plate and grabbed a piece of bacon.

“Sam Hammond, just the man I was looking for.
Oh and hey Maddox, do you recognize these two?” I handed him a piece of bacon. “Pigs?”

Sam started standing and I pushed his chair forward trapping him. “Oh please don’t get up Sam. Don’t waste your pleasantries. Maddox you have your phone?”

“Yeah.”

“Great, how about you get a few pictures while I explain why the fuck the shit that went down last night will never happen again.”

Maddox smirked and snapped a couple pictures; I smiled at the camera and pointed to Sam.

“Perfect, now Sam, your daughters…”

“One daughter Links. The other girl was my niece, Senator Robertson’s daughter.”

“Which little bitch hit my fiancée?”

Sam looked back at Maddox, “My daughter moved her arm and it just so happened her face got in the way,” Sam looked over at the cops from last night. “A complete accident.”

“And who was talking about a young woman whose father and child had just been murdered?” I shoved his chair just as he was taking a drink.

“Fucking asshole you spilt my drink.”

“Oh I am so sorry.”

“You can tell your little bitch to keep her mouth fucking shut!” Maddox snapped.

I looked up at him and shook my head no and then grabbed another piece of bacon off Sam’s plate and took a bite. “Here’s the deal, stay the fuck away from my kids. Stay the fuck away from Maddox and his family. And you two boys need to really think about who you align yourselves with.”

“We have photos now proving the link between you scum.” Maddox held up his phone. “Sent to others so don’t even try to deny it.”

“Links how’s your wife?” Sam snarled.

“She’s just the same. But yours is looking a little lonely. Give her my number?” I stood up and then returned the chair to the ladies at the table next to me.  I smiled at them, “You catch all that?”

They smiled and nodded yes.

“Perfect.” I waved the waitress over and handed her a hundred bucks. “Please see to it these beautiful women are well taken care of.” He turned around and sniffed at Sam Hammond’s table. “Smells like shit over here. Let’s roll Hines.”

Maddox turned around and walked back to Sam Hammond and whispered in his ear and then walked away.

“You couldn’t help yourself could you boy?” I put my hand on his shoulder and we walked out the door.

“Nope.”

We stopped in front of my car and Maddox’s driver pulled the car in front of us. “You’re on the shit list you know?”

“She won’t like it but she’ll understand.”

“Was it worth it?”

“I know his name and his face. So yes, it was.”

“Good. Okay let’s get back to the hotel. With any luck they slept in.”

~

I got in the car and dialed the wife.

“You can’t answer your phone when I call!”