Chapter Fifteen

  Arsen

  I stood in the hallway outside Abby’s classroom. Since I just left work to pick her up, I was still wearing my suit and tie. Only once had I picked up Abby from school and now I was doing it every day.

  The bell was about to ring, so I leaned against the wall with my hands in my pockets. My ankles were crossed and I stared at the opposite wall, waiting for the minutes to trickle by.

  My life had changed so much that I couldn’t comprehend it.

  Lydia was dead and she wasn’t coming back. Every time the phone rang I expected to see her name on the screen. On Sunday nights, I automatically felt the obligation to return Abby to Lydia’s apartment.

  But then I remembered she was gone.

  Abby had been quiet ever since that fateful day. She didn’t have the same joy in her eyes like she once did. Confusion lingered deep within, and I knew she expected her mother to appear somehow.

  I wish I could make all her pain go away.

  I loved having her around all the time. It was exactly what I wanted the moment she came back into my life. But I wish it were under better circumstances.

  Silke had been supportive every day. She didn’t say much, but she was always there for me. She cooked dinner for us every night, gave me a back rub when my body was tense, and she took the reigns in the bedroom since I wasn’t as sexual as I normally was.

  The bell rang, and the doors to the classrooms flew open as students flooded out. Their backpacks bobbled up and down as they ran outside to the open sky. Kids screeched and laughed at their newfound freedom. I listened to their voices until they became echoes.

  The kids filed out of Abby’s classroom, and when Abby arrived she looked up and saw me. “Hey, daddy.” She immediately reached for my hand like always.

  “Hey, sweetheart.” Abby didn’t greet me with as much enthusiasm as she used to but I knew it wasn’t personal. “Did you learn a lot?”

  “I guess,” she said with a shrug. Then she returned to looking at the ground.

  “How about we get some ice cream?”

  “Ice cream?” Her eyes lit up. “Yay!”

  I smiled when I finally saw my daughter smile. “I’m going to get a sundae. How about you?”

  “Cookie dough!”

  I chuckled. “Let’s go.”

  Ms. Norris came out of the classroom. She was a young teacher, probably my age. She had dark brown hair and green eyes. Her pencil skirt fit her to a T and her heels gave her five extra inches of height. “Arsen?”

  “Hello, Ms. Norris. How are you?”

  Abby pulled on my arm because she wanted to hurry to the ice cream parlor.

  “I’m great,” she said. “Thank you for asking.”

  There was nothing more to say so I nodded to her. “Well, see you tomorrow.”

  “Actually, can I speak to you in private for a moment?” she asked, clutching her hands to her chest.

  “Sure.” I looked down at Abby. “Wait here.”

  She stuck out her tongue. “How long?”

  “It’ll only take a few minutes,” I assured her. “Take the time to think about what you want.”

  “But I already know what I want!” Abby kicked her foot.

  I chuckled. “I’ll be right back.” I dropped her hand and entered the classroom.

  Ms. Norris followed me and shut the door behind her. Her heels echoed on the tile as she approached her desk and leaned against it.

  I put my hands in my pockets while I stared at her. Sometimes I caught her eyes wandering over my body, particularly my shoulders and chest. I didn’t react to it because I was used to it. Eyes seemed to follow me wherever I went, and having a young daughter didn’t help matters. Their ovaries exploded every time they saw me. “How’s she doing?”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk about.” She rested her hands on the desk. “Ever since…her mother passed away she’s been moody.”

  “Moody?”

  “She’ll only do her work if she’s in the right mindset. But that doesn’t happen very often. She’s really quiet and doesn’t play with the other kids during recess. Most of the time she doesn’t even pay attention. I catch her looking out the window like there’s nothing she wants more than to get out of here. It worries me because that’s not like Abby at all. Normally, she’s at the top of her class.”

  Perhaps being a parent blindsided me to the truth but I was extremely defensive when it came to criticisms aimed at my daughter. I tried to keep my cool and not get angry. This was a private school and Abby could get kicked out if I didn’t conduct myself professionally. “Her mother passed away just a few weeks ago. Give her more time to adjust.”

  “I completely understand that,” she said. “But I’m worried she’ll never bounce back. If we let her stray too far off she might get stuck there. I’ve seen it a lot in my teaching career. You got to get the kids on track in the beginning. If not…who knows.”

  I was a perfect example of that. After my father left I was never the same. I didn’t see the point in working hard in school because there would be no reward. Even if I received good grades it wouldn’t bring my father back. “What do you suggest I do?”

  “Have a talk wit her. Work with her on her homework. Get her excited about school again.”

  “I’ve been trying to keep her distracted but I guess it isn’t working…”

  She gave me a look full of sympathy. “Keep trying.”

  “Her mother had her for most of the week so I’m adjusting to being a full-time parent. But I’ll get the hang of it.”

  She slowly walked closer to me, her heels tapping on the floor. Then her hand moved to my shoulder.

  I was extremely uncomfortable.

  “You’re a great father,” she whispered. “I can tell.”

  Silke would take this girl out if she saw this.

  I casually moved from her touch and stood a few feet away. “I’ll work with Abby. She’ll get back on track.”

  Ms. Norris looked slightly stung. She crossed her arms over chest and shifted her weight like she was slightly affronted. “I’m sure you will, Arsen.” Disappointment was in her voice.

  Was it really appropriate to hit on a parent?

  “Thank you for your time, Ms. Norris.” I gave her a quick nod before I walked out and joined my daughter.

  ***

  I sat at the kitchen table and looked up realty prospects. This apartment wouldn’t work for Abby and I in the long run. She would need more space, especially if she invited friends over. And I needed more space as well. Plus, I intended to add Silke to our family very soon.

  The door unlocked and Silke came inside with a grocery bag in her hand. “It’s me.”

  I shut my computer then stood up. “And you bring food.” I gave her a smile.

  “Is that all you notice?” she asked as she gave me attitude.

  “No. I noticed the whole package.” I gave her a quick kiss before I took the bag from her hands. “Thank you for feeding us.”

  Abby came out of the living room and hugged Silke. “Hey, Silke.”

  “Hey, sweetheart.” Silke gave her a long and warm hug. “How was school?”

  “Good,” she said. “Daddy took me to ice cream afterwards.”

  “He did?” she asked. “You better have room for dinner.”

  “I will if it’s ice cream.” Abby gave her a mischievous smile.

  Silke chuckled. “Oh no you don’t. You’re getting vegetables tonight.”

  “Yuck.” Abby cringed. “So gross.”

  I walked into the kitchen with a smile on my face then took the groceries out of the bag. Even though Silke had no experience with kids she was a big help around the house. She was great with Abby, and even disciplined her when necessary.

  Silke joined me a moment later. “How was your day?”

  “It was okay.” I set everything on the counter. “How was yours?”

  “Good. We got a new piece for the museum. And I got to touch it.” She grinned like she just got caught doing something wrong.

  “Bad girl.”

  “I’m a very bad girl.” Her hand moved to my lower back as she stepped close to me. “How’s the shop?”

  “No complaints.”

  “Well, what do you complain about?”

  I turned to her and lowered my voice. “I spoke to Abby’s teacher today. Apparently, Abby is struggling a little bit.”

  Motherly concern came into her eyes. “What can we do?”

  “I’ll have a talk with her. We’ll start there.”

  “Did the teacher seem concern?”

  Ms. Norris was clearly hitting on me. “Yeah, a little,” I said with a shrug. I didn’t make eye contact with Silke out of guilt.

  Silke flashed her intelligent eyes on me. “What happened?”

  “What?” I asked. “Nothing happened.”

  “Then why do you look so guilty?” Nothing escaped this woman’s notice.

  I released a quiet growl. “She came onto me…”

  Silke’s eyes immediately widened to orbs. “Oh, she did?” Her back straightened and her shoulders squared for battle. “She thinks she’s such a hot piece of ass. I could deck that bitch and she wouldn’t know what hit her.”

  When Silke got territorial I thought it was adorable. “I know you could take her.”

  “And I will take her. That stupid bitch thinks she can snatch my man right from under my nose?”

  “In her defense, she didn’t know if I was single or not.”

  Silke crossed her arms over her chest. “She better know now.”

  I tried not to smile. “I coldly rejected her.”

  “I should kick her ass anyway.”

  I pulled her close into my side and rubbed my nose against hers. “Or you could spend that valuable time on me.”

  She melted in my arms. “That’s a good point.”

  I gave her a slow kiss before it got too heated. Now that Abby was here all the time I couldn’t run off with Silke and make love whenever I wanted. It was the one drawback to being a full-time parent. “You need any help with dinner?”

  “No, I think I got it.”

  “Alright. Thank you.” I kissed her cheek. “I’ll be in the dining room.”

  “Okay.” She unwrapped the meat and vegetables and got to work.

  ***

  I found a few houses I liked and were affordable. I marked them down on my notepad while Abby worked on her homework beside me. She was quiet and ended up doodling more than studying. I got her back on track and she concentrated for another thirty minutes before she lost her focus again.

  Silke came out of the kitchen with dinner. She set everything on the table before she helped Abby move her things.

  I made a few more notes before I shut my computer.

  “What are you working on?” she asked.

  “House hunting.” I dug into my food and marveled at the taste. Silke knew how to cook fairly well. She didn’t know anything in the beginning of our relationship but she must have learned it somewhere down the road.

  “You’re looking for a house?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I like this apartment but it’s too small for all three of us. I want Abby to have a yard.”

  “Can we get a swing set?” Abby squealed.

  “Maybe.” I grabbed her napkin and wiped her chin because she made a mess.

  “I want a swing set.” Abby grabbed her fork and kept eating.

  “Do you have any in mind?” Silke asked.

  “A few.”

  “Where are they?”

  “In Manhattan,” I answered.

  “Can I see them?”

  “Sure,” I said. “I want your opinion. It’s your house too.”

  “I’m excited,” she said. “It’ll be nice to have something that’s really yours.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be nice to have a garage too.”

  We finished dinner then Abby ran into the living room so she could watch TV. She sat on the floor like she usually did. Her toys were scattered around her, and her toy chest was open.

  “Can I see them?” Abby asked.

  I opened my laptop and showed her the houses I was interested in. “What do you think?”

  “I really like this one,” she said as she pointed. “It’s got a nice yard.”

  “That I’ll be mowing…”

  “No, that I’ll be looking out when I’m waiting for you to come home.”

  I turned my gaze on her and felt my heart burn in warmth. “Seeing your face in the window every day would be nice.”

  “Then you should put an offer down.”

  “Based on the front window?” I asked with a laugh. “How about we go see it first?”

  “And bring Abby along to see if she likes it.”

  “Yes…because I let the six-year-old make all the decisions.”

  “You should. She’s smarter than you.” She nudged me playfully in the side.

  I leaned closer to her and lowered my voice. “You’re going to get it good when Abby goes to bed.”

  “Oh…I look forward to it.” She batted her eyelashes at me.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ward

  This was a damn nightmare.

  Clementine’s pictures stayed on the screen for five whole minutes before I could finally get them off. The virus had infiltrated every computer in the building, and there was no doubt that everyone saw it.

  Including Cortland.

  This was all my fault. I should have just let the mail go through. It would be better to have just her family see it instead of the entire building. It was my job to protect her and it completely backfired.

  What do I do? Should I call Clementine and tell her? If not, she would get a phone call from her father. And Skye. And Sean. And Mike. And Conrad. Geez, this was a mess.

  My office door flung open and Cortland appeared on the threshold, looking murderous.

  And this just got worse.

  “Did you upload those pictures?” He marched into the office then shoved my computer off my desk. It fell to the floor and shattered. “What the fuck is wrong with you? I welcomed you as a son and you—”

  “I didn’t do it,” I said calmly.

  “Who else would have pictures of Clementine like that? Is this a sick game you’re trying to play?” He was so angry spit was flying from his mouth. If the desk weren’t between us my throat would have already been ripped out.

  “It wasn’t me,” I repeated. “I swear.”

  Sean ran into the room, looking just as panicked. “What happened? Why did those photos appear on the servers?”

  “Because of this piece of shit,” Cortland said. “You thought you could do this to my daughter and get away with it?” He moved around the desk to get to me.

  I quickly jumped out of the way.

  “Cortland, hold on.” Sean grabbed him and held him still. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would Ward do that?”

  I stayed clear of Cortland. “The voice of reason…”

  Cortland gave me a death threat with just his eyes.

  “Did you trace the file?” Sean said. “If it came from any of Ward’s devices we would know.”

  Cortland calmed down slightly. “No…”

  “You should check,” Sean said. “Before you attack Ward.”

  “If it wasn’t him, how did they get those pictures?” Cortland asked. “It had to be from Ward.”

  “Why would I want naked pictures of the mother of my children to be paraded through the office?” I snapped. “This is the woman I love. Come on, Cortland.”

  Sean kept an arm on Cortland just in case he wanted to strike again. “Ward, are you saying you had nothing to do with this?”

  “Of course not,” I blurted.

  “If Ward said he didn’t do it, I believe him,” Sean said. “I’ve known him for a long time. Now let’s figure out who is responsible for this.”

  Cortland’s anger didn’t dim. “Do you have any idea how humiliated I am? My daughter was just on every computer in this fucking building. My little girl!”

  Sean patted his shoulder. “It’s upsetting to all of us.”

  Cortland shook his head and stepped away. “I’ll get to the bottom of this.” He walked out and left us alone.

  Sean turned to me and sighed. “Do you know how this happened?”

  I didn’t think it was smart to hide the truth. “Clementine’s ex blackmailed her. Since she didn’t give him what he wanted, he released those pictures.”

  Sean rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t look at those photos too closely but...is Clementine a stripper?”

  “She was.”

  He cringed. “Man, she’s like a daughter to me. I feel like throwing up.”

  “I understand it’s hard to take.”

  “You knew about this?”

  He was cornering me. “Yes. She and I were dating when she stripped. But she stopped and put it behind her a long time ago.”

  “Why would she strip at all?”

  I shrugged. “Why all women strip. She needed the money.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “This is bad, Ward. I mean, really bad.”

  “I know.” I bowed my head in shame.

  “This is going to kill Cortland. And I don’t mean figuratively.”

  “I did everything I could to stop it…”

  He rubbed his temples. “I need to pour acid in my eyes.”

  I’m sure Cortland wanted to do the same thing.

  “Who’s the guy?”

  “Some asshole she was seeing.” My teeth ground together in irritation.

  “Give me a name.” Sean had that look in his eyes that told me someone was about to be murdered.

  “He’s a judge, Sean.”

  “You think I give a shit?”

  “I would have killed him myself if he didn’t have much power. But I know he can ruin my life with a flick of a wrist. You may have money, Sean. But money will never beat the law.”

  Sean rubbed the facial hair on his face. “But this is personal, Ward.”

  “It’s personal to me too.”

  “What did he want from her?”

  I was surprised he couldn’t figure it out. “Her.”

 

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