She frowned at him and let me go.“I've been helping you, old man.What the hell are you talking about?”She folded her arms and stuck out her hip, giving him attitude.
“Not enough, girl.I'm drowning over here.But not to worry.Franny's back home and she'll make everything right again.Won't ya, girl?”The smoke rose up over his face as he exhaled.
Yeah.
I was home again.
To clean up whatever mess my father had gotten himself into this time.
4
Stefan
“No, no, that don't match.”Dani's cute, little face scrunched up at my mistake.Of course, I'd done it on purpose.Just to tease her.I loved my niece.And I'd do just about anything for her.
“No?Are you sure?”I asked.When I looked up, I saw Giselle smiling down at me.She had a glass of horrible green stuff.
“See?”Dani held up a square card.“Dis one's a cupcake.And dat one's a banana.Dey don't match.You lose.”She had a very serious look on her face.A face that was nearly identical to her mother's.
“Oh, well.Uncle Stefan can try again later, sweetie.Why don't you go see what Auntie Evie's doing?She might need help with the babies.”Eve crouched down and gave her daughter a hug and a kiss.
Fuck.
Every time I saw those two together, my heart fuckin' hurt.The bond they had was so tight.I wondered what it would be like in five or ten years.
“Okay,” Dani said as her little girl arms wrapped around her mother's neck, and she gave her a kiss.We both watched Dani hurry off out of the living room.Once she was gone, Giselle carefully sat down beside me—and handed over the green drink.
I took it from her mostly because I didn't want her to spill.“Sweetheart, I think I've had enough of these.”I held up the glass of green viscous sludge.It looked bad but it tasted even worse.
“Look how much stronger you've gotten since you've been drinking them, though.”She maneuvered herself closer to me and snuggled in.Both she and Eve had been taking care of me.Giselle took the morning shift, and then Eve would take over in the afternoon when her kids went down for naps.Obviously, they didn't announce this, but after a few days I saw a pattern develop.Not that I was complaining.I loved both of these women.Allowing them to do this not only benefited me, but it also calmed them.
Especially Eve.It had taken her a good day or two not to burst into tears every time she saw me.The woman was worried.And yes, that bothered me to the core.The last thing in the world I wanted was to be a burden on her or Giselle.But I was a selfish bastard, and I liked the fact that they cared.
“You're right.These green drinks have cured me.I don't need them anymore.”
Giselle giggled and raised her head from my shoulder.“Drink.And then we can make out for a while.”She gave me a sexy as fuck grin and waggled her eyebrows.Now, normally, a hot make out session with Giselle would turn me right the fuck on.But at the moment—I was still pretty fuckin' raw.None of the searchers had been successful at finding Francesca.
Yet.
And I knew that every passing hour meant she could be further and further away from me.And it wasn't like she wanted to be found.That was the real kicker.After everything we shared—she'd fuckin' left me.High and dry.
It made no sense.
“How about—you—drink this and then we make out for a while?”I teased Giselle, offering her the sludge in the glass.
She laughed again and then moved the glass to my lips.“After you drink some of this.”
So.
I did.
For her.
Just like I'd done every morning.I managed to drink about half of it before she kissed me.Her lips were so warm and soft—I gave in.She moaned and opened her mouth for me.Our tongues touched—lightly at first.She tasted like strawberries.Which was likely a whole lot better than what I tasted like after drinking that green sludge.But she didn't seem to mind.No, Giselle willingly drank a glass of green sludge every morning.Her hand found mine, and she slid it up to her breast.Giselle had fantastic fucking breasts.
Huge.
I'd gotten to know Giselle's breasts quite well.
