Page 3 of Papa's Beloved

Doc shakes his head but doesn’t say anything else. “I actually do. I was headed to find you when I heard Montgomery.”

“Thanks for the save, Doc, you’re a good seed.”

The next few hours fly by while I do rounds and avoid Montgomery. I know Papa’s brothers know about us. Hell, for all I know, the entire club knows we’re sleeping together, but that doesn’t make it more than it is.

None of that changes the fact that I am not good enough for Gabriel Dupree. Or Papa, as the club calls him. He’s the club vice-president, an important position. He comes from a nice family. Middle-class but nice. I’ve met them on several occasions. None of them know I used to be a bunny or, as the Kings call them, a doll. I enjoyed being a Voodoo doll, but I’m done with school now and I don’t need the job.

I’ve had sex with most of his club brothers. He doesn’t care. I do. I can’t be the reason that any of them think less of him. I’m alright for him to sleep with, but I can’t be his ol’ lady. I can’t be his forever. It’s not that I don’t love him, I do. It’s why we can’t be more. I do love him with every fiber of my being, but I’m tarnished goods. And I have been for a very long time.

My mother was murdered when I was eleven. Pops got sick. Too sick to work a year later. I have six siblings. Four brothers and two sisters. The babies were a year old and I couldn’t let them go hungry anymore.

I asked Uncle Linden for help and his help came in the form, turning me into a sex worker and taking a hefty cut of the cash.

“Chardonnay, there you are.”

Chapter 3

Papa

Itried to work, but I’ve fucked away the entire day waiting on Nay to get off work. I check my phone for the hundredth time, finally I can go in. I grab the garment bag and the small satchel. Both of which Kelsi packed for her best friend and my girlfriend. At least she let me call her that.

I even talked her into going to the last club function as my date. Baby steps. She thinks she’s dirty because of her past. I know it all and she isn’t. I know what that sick bastard of an uncle made her do. Motherfucker messed with the wrong person for the last time. Cocky son of a bitch should’ve stayed dead.

This time I’ll make sure of it. Not only do I intend to be there when he takes his last breath. I intend to feed his corpse to the gators. In pieces. I’ll butcher him myself. I’m not taking any chances he pre-fed and bribed all the gators in Lake Pontchartrain. Skeezy, low life, bastard. Chardonnay’s the only reason he didn’t get his hands on any of her siblings.

I run into Doc when I get to the lobby.

“Hey bro. How's your day?”

“Not too bad. Your girl kicked ass today.”

I smile. “I enjoy hearing that. She’s worked hard to get her degree. How are the other doctors treating her?”

“She gets along well with nurses and doctors alike. The only person she has an issue with is Ethan Montgomery.”

“What’s his issue?”

“He wants in her pants.”

“Oh, hell no. Point me in her direction.”

“I’ll do better than that. Follow me.”

I follow my brother, clutching the bags in one hand. The other one is ready to wipe a smirk off Doctor Grabby’s face. If he so much as touches a hair on my Beloved’s head, I’ll rip his head off and spit in it.

We reach an intersection when I hear.

“Doctor Montgomery. I told you before, I’m seeing someone.”

“You’re not married or engaged.”

“I don’t date co-workers.”

“We both know that’s bullshit. Come on. What’s the real reason? Is it because I’m white?”

“It’s because she said no.”

I step around the corner, completely in control of the seething anger burning inside me. I’m going to throat punch this scum bag.

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