Page 44 of Unlucky You

“Doesn’t fucking matter. I said I’m done.”

“If you tell me no now, then you’ll never step into another ring. Not mine or anyone else’s in the city. One call and I’ll shut you down. You might want to rethink that.”

“Call whoever the fuck you want. I said I’m done.”

He hung up on me but I didn’t give a damn. I had no intention of stepping in another ring. It had always been temporary, just long enough to stack enough money to pay my mother back what she spent and to give me enough cushion to not be stressed about how I was going to keep a roof over my head. The rest I would figure out.

I dropped my phone in my lap and contemplated running by the Target near my complex to get Raiden’s bike. The way he was all over the place nonstop today meant he would likely crash for the rest of the night but I didn’t want him to wake up disappointed about not having a new bike. Another glance in the rear view made the decision for me. Raiden’s head was back, mouth wide open, and he was growling like he just worked a forty-hour shift. The way this kid had me smiling was pathetic.

Thirty minutes later I was parked in front of my unit and carrying my son to the door. His little body was dead weight in my arms because he didn’t so much as stir when I lifted him from the car.

As soon as I got him changed and in bed, I was going to see if I could get him a bike ordered and delivered in the morning, but once again the universe was fucking with my patience. I heard a car door slam followed by the voice of a person that had no business standing behind me.

“I didn’t know you had a son.”

Which was intentional. I purposely left Raiden’s name out of my parole plan. All they needed to know was I was getting a job and staying out of trouble for the next two years.

I shifted Raiden to my left arm and pushed the key into the lock with my right hand without bothering to look at her when I responded.

“And you have no business pulling up on me.”

I turned the lock and doorknob, shouldering into my unit and this crazy ass woman was right behind me. I needed to get him situated but refused to argue with my son in my arms.

“Stay here and don’t touch any of my shit,” I gritted and carried Raiden to my room. As much as he needed a bath, that would have to wait. So I removed his clothes, got him in a T-shirt and shorts—bypassing pajamas—and tucked him into my bed. I dug my phone out of my pocket, hit record, and slipped the device back in place.

When I returned to the living room, this crazy ass woman was standing in my kitchen going through my cabinets.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure you have no drugs or alcohol in your apartment. That would be a violation of your parole.”

I was grateful as fuck I’d finished the bottle I had last night and dumped the trash to make sure there was nothing lingering when Raiden got here today.

“There’s nothing here, and regardless, I didn’t give you permission to go through my shit.”

She smiled seductively, closing the cabinet before leaving the kitchen and heading my way. “I don’t need your permission. I have the right to search your place and you…” She extended her hand toward my waist but I caught her wrist.

“You don’t have the right to be here and you damn sure don’t have the right to put your hands on me.”

Her brown eyes flickered with amusement. She was a pretty woman with a decent enough body who I was sure had no problems attracting men, but I wasn’t interested. There was no way in hell I would cross certain lines. If I fucked her once,it wouldn’t end there. The threat of messing with my freedom would always be lingering and the minute she got in her feelings I would be at risk of this woman throwing her weight around.

She snatched her wrist free and pushed a hand into her jacket pocket. “You didn’t read your paperwork. I can do unannounced visits to ensure you’re complying with curfew. You’re still property of the state. You can either be our propertyhere, in this apartment, or in prison. Choice is yours.”

It was just after eight, so her being here was bullshit. I simply needed her to say something that would prove my point. My phone was still recording, which meant all I had to do was provoke her enough to make her proposition me now. She had done this enough times that I would bet every penny I owned, that was why she was here.

“My curfew is ten. The only way I go back to prison is if I violate the terms of my probation and clearly I haven’t.”

Her lips slowly pulled into a smile. “Not yet.” She removed something from her pocket and held it up. My jaw clenched. Was she fucking serious?

“I just took a drug test yesterday and passed.”

She shrugged lazily. “I know and I still have the right to demand that you take another one.” She extended the small plastic cup toward me. “But this time I’m going to watch.”

I snorted a laugh. “You want me to pull out my dick and pee in that cup while you watch?”

“Notwant, you’re going to. I need to make sure you don’t try to slip anything past me.”

Nah, your horny ass wants to see my dick and that ain’t happening.

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