15
POPPY
The restof the week flies by. Phantom must make up an excuse so he can keep the kids out while he has the pool emptied and disinfected. He doesn’t talk much about what happened, and that’s okay with me. We both assume it was another Shayla special. Phantom took pictures, sent them to his attorney, and that was the last we discussed it.
Between my going back to work and adjusting to a new schedule at Phantom’s, I hardly have time to worry about the rats or Shayla. I’ve started taking the kids to school in the morning, and Phantom picks them up in the afternoon. While the social workers try to schedule meetings with Shayla to sort out when and how she can visit the girls, we just sort of hunker down in a new normal.
But there is nothing normal at all about living with a man I’ve only known a couple of weeks. After I freaked out on him the day we made out and found the rats, Phantom has been careful and gentle. We’ve slowedthings way down. I don’t sleep in his bed anymore, and to be honest, I miss it. Now, I sleep in the other twin bed in the room with Jax, and it’s been torture.
By Saturday afternoon, I think the strain of the new situation is getting to all of us. When I come back from the salon, the girls are irritable and are snapping at each other. The pool is off-limits until at least Tuesday. Jax is unusually quiet, and it seems like the newness of our situation here is wearing off. He spends a lot of time alone in the guest room drawing, hard at work at something he hasn’t wanted to share.
Phantom has to do some work, and tonight is the birthday party at the compound. I’d like to get Stella, the girl who led the cleanup efforts at my house, something nice, so I propose we all get out of the house.
“I’m going to make a quick run to the mall to pick up something to wear tonight and to buy a little gift for Stella. Anyone feel like coming along?”
Holly and Daisy look like they just won the lotto, but Jax looks miserable.
“Do I have to?” he asks. “I don’t really feel like shopping.”
Daisy nudges him with her elbow. “Come on. We can get smoothies.” She looks to her dad. “I mean, can we get smoothies, Dad?”
Phantom grunts but is texting furiously on his phone.
I give her a grin. “I like smoothies.”
“Mom, can I just stay here? I’ll just stay in my room, I promise?—”
I’m fixated on the fact that Jax said my room…myroom…like it’s his. Like this is the place we belong. I don’t even notice when Phantom drops his phone on the counter.
“He can come with me.” He shoots me a look. “Plans for the day have changed. Gotta stop at the compound for a meeting. Jax will be perfectly safe with me. He can draw, watch TV, whatever he wants.”
Jax literally looks like I just told him he could eat nothing but ice cream and pizza for the rest of his life and, instead of chores, he’ll be paid to play video games until he turns eighteen. He looks elated and immediately starts begging.
“Mom, can I go with Phantom? Please!” he pleads.
I shoot Phantom a look, and just like we’ve known each other for months or years, not days, he motions for Jax to sit.
“Let me talk to your mother,” he says, clamping a hand on Jax’s shoulder. “If she says yes, we’re good to go. If she says no, I’m taking my invitation back and I want no complaints about it. We clear?”
Jax nods, his eyes wide. It breaks my heart into a thousand pieces to see him stare at Phantom like that. My son has never had a father figure in his life. Has never had even a grandfather. As much as I’m worried about what Phantom has in mind, I can’t imagine he’d do anything to put my son at risk.
We walk into the living room, and Phantom motions for me to follow him upstairs. We go into his bedroom and close the door. As soon as we’re alone, he pulls me close.
“We could have talked downstairs. I just don’t know if I can stand another day without touching you.”
I lift my face to his, and we kiss hard, need and desire unleashing themselves faster than I can believe. I never knew I had so much stored-up lust. But this man, his thick beard scraping my chin, his lips soft and hot against mine… His hips and the way he works himself against me when we kiss. I’m breathless, and my breasts are aching and raw when he pulls back.
“I can take Jax with me today,” he pants. “I’m going to the compound. There won’t be partying or anything unsafe. During the day, we’ve got guys sleeping, women cleaning and getting ready for the party?—”
I have to trust him on that because we hear the girls pound up the stairs and slam the doors to their rooms. “That doesn’t sound good,” I say. “What’s going on with them?”
“Mama drama,” he says on a sigh. “Holly is worried about her mom and wants to talk to her. Daisy thinks we should wait until the court sets up a schedule. They’re fighting over what Shayla’s going to think when this is all over. Holly’s stressed. I think a day at the mall will be good for them.”
“What about tonight?” I ask. “Maybe I shouldn’t go to the birthday party? Should we leave the kids alone?”
“I was thinking about that,” he says. “Do you think your sister would want to come by and stay for a couple hours? We won’t stay long, but still. I’m going to send at least one of my brothers to stand watch, but I’d feel better if there were someone inside the house too.”
I nod. “I can probably get her to come by,” I say. Butinside, I’m not convinced. I could get Clara to come, but I honestly don’t trust that she won’t ask the kids all kinds of inappropriate questions—like where I’m sleeping. That leaves just one person. “I’ll make some calls,” I tell him.
