Crave Me (The Good Ol' Boys #4)(86)

I pushed open the door on my floor. My heart mimicked the beat of the music. I deliberately walked slower down the hallway, not wanting to witness the shit show I knew I was about to walk into. Taking a deep, calm, soothing breath, I grabbed the knob and pushed the door open to the place I used to call my home.

“What the f*ck?” I said to myself, taking in the crowd of people.

The billowing smoke from weed and cigarettes and God knows what the hell else hung heavy in the air. I couldn’t see over the strangers who were making themselves at home in my personal space.

“Where the f*ck is Austin?” I whispered again to myself, getting more and more frustrated as the seconds passed.

I pushed through the people, not caring who I knocked the f*ck over, looking for Austin among the madness. I rose up on my tippy toes searching the unfamiliar faces, when my eyes focused on what I thought was a little person’s hand.

My worst f*cking nightmare played out right in front of me. A kid exposed to this life.

My dining room table was covered in drugs. So much so, I couldn’t see the glass anymore.

“Oh my God!” I shouted.

No one turned to look my way.

Panic coursed through my body as I put my hand over my mouth, watching in complete horror and disbelief. The little girl, I had never seen before, played with the pills like they were toy cars. Sliding all the different colors and tablets through the white powder on the table. She reached for a needle and I lunged into action, roughly pushing my way through the crowd. Hurrying to the little girl before she grabbed the syringe.

“No! No! No!” I yelled over the music once I got to her, but it still sounded muffled.

She jerked back, frightened that someone was suddenly in her face. Her little lip jutted out and tears filled her eyes. I crouched down in front of her seat, wanting to be on her level.

“It’s okay, sweetie, don't cry. I’m Briggs. What’s your name?”

I rubbed her back and she bowed her head. “Molly,” she whispered so low I could barely hear her.

“How old are you, Molly?” I coaxed, trying to get her to trust me.

She put her hand out in front of her, holding up four fingers.

“Wow. You’re a big girl.”

She nodded, smiling. Her guard coming down. I looked up at the table in front of her and noticed a My Little Pony coloring book beneath the pills and blow that she had just been playing with.

“Can I carry you? We can go outside, it’s so loud in here. Have you been outside? There’s a balcony and there’s a whole bunch of buildings and bright lights,” I said, excitedly. “And sometimes birds come and they sit right on the railing, or even better, at the table with you.”

Her face lit up. Nodding her head fervently. “Like Cinderella?”

“Yes. Exactly like Cinderella. Okay, come on,” I said, picking her up under her arms and placing her on my hip.

Not one person was paying attention to me. No one was watching her, taking care of her, looking after her. No one f*cking cared. They just left her with a coloring book and crayons at a table full of drugs.

Why would someone bring a kid here?

I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if I didn’t see her reaching for a f*cking needle of all things. If I hadn’t come home when I did. I shook away the thoughts, taking her in my bathroom first. I lifted her up on the sink to wash her hands of the drugs that she was just playing with, thinking they were toys. I asked her repeatedly if she put anything in her mouth, if she ate anything and each time she shook her head no. I didn’t know whether to believe her or not, but she looked fine.

If she took anything it would have already had an effect on her. I was there now. If she started acting funny, I wouldn’t hesitate to call 911. I didn’t give a shit what the repercussions could be. It made me sick to my f*cking stomach that some * would bring their baby here and that Austin would let it happen.

I picked her back up on my hip, grabbing Austin’s notebook from his nightstand with a few colored pencils since her coloring book was covered in cocaine.

At the last second, I grabbed my memory blanket, hoping that it would give her the same security it always gave me. I made my way through the crowd out to the balcony. Finally finding Austin out there, smoking a cigarette with Jon and a few other random people.

“Baby,” Austin greeted as soon as I opened the doors. “There’s my girl… I was starting to worry about you,” he slurred.

He took a drag of his cigarette as he walked toward me, blowing the smoke to the side, before pulling me into his arm, trying to kiss me. I shoved him away, and he stumbled back. He still hadn’t even realized I was holding a kid in my arms.

“The f*ck?” he muffled out, gripping my arm. “What’s your problem?”

“You! You’re my problem. Whose kid is this, Austin?” I asked, nodding toward her.

He blinked a few times, trying to focus on the little girl but failing miserably in doing so.

I sighed, disappointed, furious, and annoyed.

“Everyone go inside!” I roared.

They all looked back at Austin as if it didn’t matter what I said. Like it didn’t matter that this was my damn apartment, my space they were all invading. He nodded towards the balcony doors.

I sat Molly on a wrought iron chair, throwing all the shit that was on the table onto the floor. Not giving a f*ck what it was. I placed Austin’s notebook in front of her, opening it up to a blank page and handing her the colored pencils.