Page 31 of Biker's Collar: Property of Scrap

Fuck.

I hate to be in this position.

“I have to take this.”

Vickie’s eyes follow mine as I answer the phone. My body has a completely unconscious, yet thorough reaction to hearing Kaylee-Marie’s voice on the phone. She still has this strange way of making me feel like less of a man when I’m talking to her.

“FINALLY,” she shrieks. “WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU OWEN?!”

Currently? Deafness…

“Hey, what do you need? Is Waverly okay?”

I want to remind her that Waverly is the only goddamn reason she should be calling me at all.

“What do I need? What do I need? You’re so fucking selfish, Owen,” she wails. “Waverly is MISSING. She’s MISSING! YOUR DAUGHTER. YOU REMEMBER HER, RIGHT?”

Fuck. Maybe I should have read the text messages. I have never needed to put a call on speaker phone for the entire room to hear her speaking. Vickie’s eyes meet mine like she’s waiting for me to have the correct reaction. She might hear a lot of crying and wailing but… she doesn’t know Kaylee-Marie.

“What do you mean she’s missing?”

“This is your fault, Owen,” she says, letting it all off her chest (like she always does when I answer the phone), “I tried to get you help for your gambling… You NEVER FUCKING LISTEN!”

I hold the phone away from my ears. My cheeks flush warm. This outrage will have to end up somewhere eventually, but I learned in child custody court that taking it out on Kaylee-Marie won’t do me any favors…

“Wherever she is, I’ll get her or I’ll send Ethan to do it. Take a deep breath. I haven’t gambled in…” Vickie gives me a sharp look. “A long time.”

It’s my turn to give her a “don’t you fucking say a word” look.

“THEY’RE HOLDING HER FOR RANSOM BECAUSE YOU LOST FIFTY-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN SOME STUPID DICE GAME AND YOU DON’T EVEN CARE!”

“Kaylee-Marie,” I say to her, trying not to raise my voice, lest she call me ‘abusive’ again. “I will do anything to get our daughter and if I fucked up, I’ll make it right the way I always have. Now stop screaming at me and tell me where she is.”

“They’re going to be in Springfield, MO at the local Five Below at 8 p.m. to collect fifty-thousand dollars in cash. They want me to bring it alone.”

“How the fuck did this happen?”

“NOW IT’S MY FAULT? I’m the one who does everything, Owen. I get her ready for school. I buy her books. I take her to the State Fucking Fair!”

Kaylee-Marie fought for full custody in court using her plentiful evidence of my criminal activities and gambling addiction to get her way. I pay my fair share and give Kaylee-Marie extra money for our daughter on top of it. I’m playing nice now but… I’m not going to let her shit slide.

“I need to know how this happened so I can know who to go after.”

“Where are you, anyway? In bed with some hooker? Gambling your last thousand dollars?”

“I’m in Kansas City. And what I’m doing stopped being your business years ago. I’ll show up for our daughter and I’ll bring help… but I need you to tone it the fuck down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do you abusive piece of?—

I hang up. The nervousness I have to push aside when I’m dealing with Kaylee-Marie rises to the surface. Unfortunately, I know Kaylee-Marie. She’s not lying. We might hate each other, but we both love our daughter. This is real.

“What happened?” Vickie asks.

I’m surprised she speaks to me. When I look at her, the gentle care on her face fades immediately and her expression hardens. “Did you gamble your child?”

“No,” I say. “And this has… I never lost fifty-thousand dollars in a dice game. I believe my ex that my daughter has been kidnapped but… this is fucked up.”

I don’t know why I’m trusting Vickie with this. She’s going to be nothing but an inconvenience to me. I can’t leave her behind but… now I have to drag her to Missouri and I haven’t even had a chance to get my dick wet.

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