Frank is at the clerk’s desk, dealing with the bail formalities. I’m perched on a hard bench in the station’s reception area.
When I stand, Penny stands alongside me. We had to cut our Chicago trip short to come deal with this mess so I’m good and pissed about it.
Yes, apparently it’s International Confront a Deadbeat Weekend. I missed the memo.
I tried convincing my girl to let me drop her off at home but she insisted she wants to be here with me. I’m done shutting her out. I’m letting her into my life now—even into the dark parts. Allowing her to support me in this moment is part of that. And, y’know what? Her standing here beside me makes me feel stronger. I can’t lie.
The officer hands Bert his phone and wallet, then releases him into my custody.
The shell of a man scrubs a hand down his face as he approaches. “Walker. Thanks for coming to bail me—”
“I didn’t do this for you, asshole.” I growl.
I’m here because there’s something I need to say to him and I need to say it in person.
He gives me a perplexed look. Then his eyes bounce over to Penny. I take a protective stance in front of her. If he thinks I’ll let him get in her head and use her to gain some sympathy, he has another thing coming to him.
With a hand on my woman’s hip, I guide her out of the station. I hear Bert’s sluggish footsteps trudging behind us.
On the sidewalk outside the building, he speaks up. “I really tried not to call you, Walker. I really tried figuring out my mess this time, paying off this gambling debt on my own,” he explains. “Because you have a kid on the way and a beautiful woman in your life. But I was running out of options and I had to steal the money. At least, I tried to. Last night, I got caught and arrested and you were my one phone call.” I spin around to face him. When I glare without saying anything, he goes on jabbering. “I’m trying to be different, better. I see that you have your own family now and it’s just magnifying all the ways I failed you.” He hangs his head. “I’m ashamed, Walker, but I’m trying.”
He looks so fucking pitiful. For a split second, I almost feel sorry for him. After all, I nearly lost out on the chance to be an active participant in my own children’s lives so maybe he and I have that one thing in common.
But then I remember—Bert Peters is not a good man. He’s not some innocent dude who was deprived of the chance to be involved in his son’s life. He has used my paternity as a tool, as a weapon, as a means to collect a pay check every time his funds ran low. Because he knew that my parents—my real parents—would do anything, spend anything, to protect me. And when I became an adult, I couldn’t shrug off the shame associated with the truth of my paternity so I continued the tradition of giving Bert hand-outs so he’d keep his mouth shut. But as of right now, I’m done being this low-life’s preferred source of passive income.
I let go of Penny’s waist and get up in his face to make sure he hears me loud and clear. “If you want to make good on your threats and tell the whole world that I’m your bastard spawn, be my guest. I won’t let you hold anything over my head anymore.”
He fumbles with his words. “I-it’s not like that, Walker. You know it. You act like, like it was blackmail or something. It wasn’t that. It’s just…sometimes, money runs low and I need a little…help. And—”
“This is the last time you’ll ever contact me,” I announce in a growl. “Or else, you see that scary-faced guy in the expensive-looking business suit over there?” I motion to the unpleasant man exiting the police station, growling ferally into his cellphone. “That’s my lawyer, Frank, and he’d be happy to do some very nasty but perfectly legal things to you if you come near me or my family again.”
Penny cups a hand around her mouth. “I wouldn’t mess with Frank,” she advises in a loud whisper. “Frank is Aunt Lucille’s boyfriend. He’s kind of vindictive and he’s got an unreasonably fierce protective streak. He would not be happy to find out how hard you tried to get into his woman’s pants.”
I cinch Penny’s hand in mine and nod in confirmation. “True facts.”
Bert grunts like a defeated man.
I give the sorry-looking bastard a final once-over. “And for heaven’s sake, button up your damn shirt. Nobody wants to see all that chest hair.”
Hands joined, Penny and I walk away. Inside my truck, I call up my brothers and Dad. I hit the gas and tell them to meet up with me at Cannon’s office at the end of the day. It’s time that the Kingston men have a little heart-to-heart.
I’m done being ashamed of who I am. I’m done trying to hide it.
I toss my phone into the cupholder and glance over at Penny. “I’m dropping you off at Lucille’s so you can pack up your shit.” It’s an order. Not a request. We’re done playing games. She’s mine and I can’t live without her so she’s coming to stay with me. In the home she designed for us.
She glares at me for a long moment and then she says, “For the record, I was ready to come back to the cabin anyway.” She folds her arms over her chest. Then she grumbles. “You’d better get ready ‘cause you’ll be on nightly foot rub duty for the rest of my pregnancy.”
I
