Page 8 of Reckoning

Meyer

The ball flew at me faster than was safe, but the satisfying crack of the bat when I swung told me I’d hit a long one. At least a double if we’d been playing for real. Shawn and I had been hitting balls at the batting cages for over an hour, a rare treat for me. I always preferred being outdoors to the confines of my home or office. The past few years of hard work had sapped me of my energy and connection to the natural world, and I had expected to spend the entire day outside. I didn’t get to hang out casually with my best friend much anymore.

Shawn Delaney and I hadn’t known each other before coming into the company at the same time, but endless long nights and weekends fueled by takeout and after-work beers had cemented something akin to brotherly love between us. I didn’t kid myself; part of the reason he stuck so close to me was because he expected me to take him with me when I shot to the top. But he’d gone above and beyond what most co-workers would be expected to do, and he was one of the few people in the company who I trusted not to rat me out to my father on the rare occasion I made a mistake, so I kept him close.

“I hope that was a good lay you abandoned me for the other night. You know those guys barely tolerate me.”

My teeth bit into my cheek as I clenched my jaw before swinging again, this time popping it straight up so I had to hop back to avoid being hit. It was Sunday afternoon, a full day since I’d brought Madeline back to my house. I should have been at the office—one day off was more than enough—but the weather was too nice, and Shawn had been on my ass about going to the cages. My Saturday had been rather tense as I spent it with my father plotting out the next few months now that we had Madeline. By the time he decided we’d planned sufficiently, I was too worn out to even think about physical activity.

“That’s because you’ve got your nose too far up my ass. You should try rubbing elbows with someone else for a change.” Stepping out of the batting area, I yanked off my helmet, sweaty hair sticking to my forehead. Shawn took my place and lined up to bat. “What did they talk about after I left?”

“The usual. How long until your father kicks it. Who’s fucking their assistant. Is she yours?”

God, he wouldn’t let it go. “I’ve told you about Eva, right?”

“Yeah.” He sounded confused for a moment. He swung wildly, missing the ball completely. “You’re fucking your dad’s ex?”

I suppressed a sigh. I had to remember Shawn didn’t have all the background on this situation. “No, Shawn, I’m not perverted. After Eva walked out on us, she got married and had a kid.”

Turning my head, I saw his jaw drop as realization dawned on him. “It’s her daughter?” He threw his head back laughing, teeth glinting in the light as a ball blew past without him even attempting to swing. “Damn, you have a weird idea of family traditions. Is she hot?”

I felt my hackles raise. “She belongs to me, Shawn.”

He rolled his shoulders and set up for the next pitch. “I won’t encroach. When will we see her?”

“In a couple of weeks, she should be ready to make a public appearance.”

If he thought that was a strange statement, he didn’t show it. Shawn had learned to look the other way when it came to certain statements I’d made over the years. “Can I meet her before then?”

I scowled. Everyone was always trying to get into my space. “I’m not running a zoo. It’s bad enough Conrad thinks he can barge in whenever he wants.”

“I was just asking.”

“Well, the answer is no.”

I couldn’t explain why I was so averse to him coming over or seeing her before I was ready to show her to anyone. Being given ownership over another human being had done something to the primal part of my brain that told me I really did have actual control over everything she did. It had pissed me off to no end that Conrad strolled in the other day without so much as a knock. I didn’t need Shawn coming over and seeing the true state she was in.

“I’m going back,” I said, dropping my helmet and bat back into my bag and zipping it without waiting for him to get out of the cage.

“Your arm hurt? I know it’s been a while since we’ve hit so many balls. It’s gotta be jarring those pins.”

“That’s not it,” I snapped. He knew bringing up my arm would piss me off. “It’s my day off, and I’m going to spend it how I want to.”

He shrugged. “Whatever.” In one bright moment, our interaction had turned from friendly to hostile. He was angry with me, but I didn’t really care.

We parted ways in the parking lot. I could tell Shawn wanted to talk more, but I more or less shut my door in his face and drove off with barely a wave. At my house, I told Joshua to put my gear away and headed inside to shower.

Madeline was sitting on the floor at the foot of my bed, tied much tighter than the day before. When she raised her head to look at me, her eyes were rimmed red.

“What’s wrong?” I snapped, grabbing her hands. The knot where the rope was tied was worried and frayed. “Have you been biting this?”

“It hurts, Meyer.” She wiggled her fingers to show me. They were swollen and red, almost purple at the tips. “Please untie me. You don’t need to keep doing this to me.”

“The only thing I need to do is whatever the hell I want!” The knot was pretty solid, and her pulling at it had only had the opposite effect. I grabbed my knife and cut her loose. “You just made things worse for yourself by messing with it.”

She snatched her hands away from me and rolled her wrists. Her eyes squeezed shut as her face twisted in pain. “Why do you need to be so cruel?”

Because you deserve it.

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