Fire Inside (Chaos, #2)(100)

How sweet. I loved it that I was his other girl.

“Tack, breathe, brother, and give me a second to explain,” Hop stated calmly.

Tack pointed my way. “Her head’s messed up. You go in there when her head’s messed up?”

“My head isn’t messed up,” I butted in and Tack turned his scowl back to me.

“Darlin’, you’re in my heart, you know that so no offense, but you’re right, it isn’t messed up. It’s f*cked up.”

Oh wow. I was in his heart.

“Tack, listen to me,” Hop called Tack’s attention to him and Tack sliced his gaze to Hop. “There’s a reason we kept it under wraps, a good one I’m not gonna explain because it’s Lanie’s and she gets to explain it if she wants. What you gotta know right now is, this is real,” he stated just as my phone rang from inside my purse.

“It better f*ckin’ be real, brother. I know you. I know you wouldn’t pull shit on me, Red, Lanie, but what I don’t know is why it’s a goddamned secret,” Tack returned.

I’d scooted up to my knees to reach the side of the bed where my purse was, grabbed it and pulled my phone out while Hop replied, “Lanie had some things to work through and I thought we should focus on that without outside distractions.”

It was my request we keep it a secret but Hop was setting it up so, if there was a fall, he would be taking it for me.

I was feeling all warm inside, thinking that was nice, still feeling the glow of Tack calling me his girl (regardless of this tense situation; however, I knew Hop would sort it out) as I put my phone to my ear.

I wouldn’t have answered right then, but the display said it was Lis. She knew everything that was going on, including my break up with Hop, which led to her gently trying to understand why we broke up since she told me she liked him and thought he was good for me. She was also worried about me so I didn’t want to miss a phone call from her to make her more worried about me. I’d done enough of that to people who cared about me.

“Hey, sweetie. Now’s not a good time,” I said in greeting. “I’ll call you back in an hour or so and we’ll talk.”

“You think maybe her best f*ckin’ friend and your f*ckin’ friend, brother, might have been able to take your back on that?” Tack asked a very good question.

I didn’t hear Hop’s answer because Lis spoke in my ear.

“Lanie, honey… God. I don’t know how to say this so I’m just going to say it. The bubble burst last night at Mom and Dad’s. Dad is in the hospital. Mom’s in jail.”

I blinked at the covers.

“What?” I whispered.

“Apparently, this is a guess,” she began, “but I figure Dad stewed on what you said then finally pulled his finger out and made his decision. From what I could get from Mom’s hysterical phone call, Dad informed her he couldn’t keep hurting her and his other chick, so he made a decision and he picked the other chick. Mom finally grew a backbone, lost her nut, grabbed a bottle of wine and conked him on the head with it. He started bleeding. She started yelling. They started scrapping. The neighbors freaked, the cops were called, then the ambulance. Now Dad is under observation for a concussion and Mom needs a cosigner for a bond since Dad’s seriously pissed and he’s pressing charges.”

“Oh my God,” I said.

“Lady, what is it?” Hop asked.

“I know,” my sister agreed.

“Oh my God,” I repeated.

“No shit,” my sister replied.

“Lanie, baby, what is it?” Hop asked.

“Oh my God!” I cried.

“Jesus, Lanie,” Hop clipped and I felt his hand under my chin lifting my eyes to his where he was standing by the bed, looking worried. “What the f*ck is it?”

“Oh my God,” Lis said in my ear. “Please tell me that’s Hop.”

I ignored her, the fact that Tack was standing there and told Hop. “My dad told my mom he picked the other woman. She lost it. Conked him on the head with a wine bottle. He’s in the hospital and pressing charges. She’s in jail and looking for a cosigner for her bond.”

Hop’s hand fell away as he straightened, all the while doing a slow blink.

Then he asked, “Say again?”

“My dad told my mom he picked the other woman. She attacked him with a wine bottle. She needs a cosigner on a bond.”

Hop stared at me. Then his whole torso shot back as he burst out laughing.

“Hop!” I shouted. “This isn’t funny!”

He tipped his eyes to me, still laughing. “Oh, f*ck yeah it is, baby.”

“You know, he’s right,” Lis said in my ear.

“Please, babe, tell me, since he’s in the hospital, she did some damage,” Hop begged.

“Hop!” I snapped.

“I totally like him,” Lis declared. “I already liked him considering he never missed the opportunity to give my little sister an orgasm but now I really like him.”

“Lis!” I hissed into the phone, rethinking how much I shared with my sister.

“Just sayin’,” she mumbled. “Dad’s a dick.”

“He might have a concussion!” I cried.

“Yeah, shit happens when you’re a dick,” Lis replied, then went back to mumbling. “Long time coming.”