Adrenaline (Speed Series Book 2)(10)

I sat across from her, ignoring her last comment. “So did he move out?”

She looked down and stared at nothing as she said, “He works from home, so he asked if Sophie and I could move out.”

“What the f*ck?” I roared as her head snapped up.

“Malcolm! You’ll wake up Sophie.”

Leaning closer to her, I spoke softly. “He f*cking expects you and the baby to move out? What kind of an * is this guy, Autumn? I mean, I never really liked him, but my God. What kind of man asks his wife and daughter to move out?”

“The kind who is currently only thinking of himself.” She started chewing on her lip as she said, “I thought about moving back to Waco. Maybe I could stay with Mom and Pop for a bit. Get a job and get on my feet enough to rent a house for me and Sophie.”

I laughed as I stared at her like she was insane. “Mom and Pop? You want to live with Mom and Pop?”

The look of despair was all over her face. I could hear the fear and uncertainty laced in her voice as she frowned and replied, “What else am I going to do?”

I pulled in a deep breath as I thought about how I could word this without it seeming like a hand out. I loved my sister very much and there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. “Is Waco where you want to be?”

“Kind of. I mean, Dallas is only an hour and a half from Waco, so if the * wants to see his daughter it’s not that far. I don’t think I can afford to stay in Dallas, plus Waco is home.”

“North Carolina? You could stay at my place.”

Autumn shook her head. “As much as I would love to take Sophie as far away from Jake as I could, I can’t do that to his parents. They love her and she loves them.”

If my sister moved in with our parents she’d surely lose her damn mind. “What about the ranch? Y’all could stay there. It’s only thirty minutes outside of Waco. And for the time being, you could really help me out with some stuff.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Wouldn’t I need to be in North Carolina for that?”

“Nah. I’ve got plenty of shit and you’d take some heat off of Janet, my assistant. Meanwhile, how long are you planning on following me on the circuit?”

Autumn laughed before her smile faded. “I miss you,” she whispered.

My throat had a huge lump in it as I replied, “I’ve missed you too. Please stay at the ranch, Autumn. The place is plenty big and no one is ever there when the season starts.”

Fiddling with her hands, she asked, “Are you sure?”

Standing, I held my hand out for her. She placed her hand in mine as I pulled her up. “You’re my sister. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you or Sophie. As far as I’m concerned you can live there permanently if you want.”

A tear rolled down her cheek as she fought to speak. “I don’t want to depend on my family to help me raise my daughter. What if I can’t do it? I’m so scared.”

My heart ached for my sister, and if there was one thing I hated more than anything, it was seeing her cry. I lifted my hand and wiped her tear away. “Don’t be. I’ll always take care of you and Sophie. Always.”

She practically threw herself against my body and sobbed. I closed my eyes and rested my chin on the top of her head as I plotted how to hurt that * husband of hers.

“Someday you’re going to make someone so happy, Malcolm. She’ll be the luckiest girl in the world.”

Squeezing my eyes shut harder, I shook my head and confessed, “That dreamed died a long time ago.”





March

“A NASCAR RACE?” I ASKED with my mouth dropped open in shock. “I hate racing.”

Trey smiled as he held the door to the limo open for me. “Come on, baby. We’re in Vegas, and I had tickets. I promise you’ll love it.”

I rolled my eyes as I slid into the car. As much as I hated Vegas, I desperately needed a vacation from work and when Trey offered up a trip to Vegas for the weekend, who was I to turn him down. Of course me being me, I paid for my flight and even booked my own hotel room. The last thing I wanted to do was make Trey think I was only with him for his money. Truth be told . . . I was about to break things off with him before he asked me to go. I didn’t have the heart to do it, so I put it off . . . again. This was the fourth time I had tried to break it off and backed out. Trey was the first guy who ever really put any effort into a relationship with me, yet I still felt like something was off.

The sex was good. Not mind blowing, but good. I had hoped the longer we dated the more I would begin to feel something for him, but nothing happened.

“I seriously doubt I’m going to love watching cars race around a track as they are being driven by grown men who forgot to grow up.”

Trey tossed his head back and laughed as he reached for my hand. “So, are you enjoying Vegas?”

With a fake smile, I nodded. “Yes. I’m having a really great time.”

“So can I convince you to fly back to Texas on my plane?”

Why the idea of flying around in private planes with Trey made me feel like a paid whore, I’ll never know. It didn’t feel right.

“No, but I will let you give me one incredible orgasm before I leave for the airport tomorrow.”