Page 92 of Sugar and Skulls

“I didn’t know I missed having a daddy until I got Bill,” she says coming to stand by my side.

My heart shatters all around us. I crouch down in front of her. “The adoption is almost final, soon he will be your daddy.”

“I don’t think he wants me to call him that though.” She looks into my eyes sadly.

“Why? Katie you can call him whatever you feel comfortable calling him. He and Candice love you. They want you to be their daughter, just like Ally.”

“And you?”

I sigh. “Yeah, me too. We will all be sisters soon.”

She smiles brightly at this. “So, you don’t think he will get mad?”

“No, he will definitely not be mad.” I kiss her on the cheek and stand. “Let’s go home and get supper started. What sounds good?”

We step outside. “Pizza!” she squeals.

Teddy growls and pushes in front of us pinning us to the building. Katie screams at the sudden change in him. I push her behind me and glance around looking for what has the dog so pissed off. My eyes find the offending person standing across the street in front of his bike. His black jacket is draped across the seat. The Devil’s logo with a large cross embroidered across the back.

Katie whimpers when she sees him.

His eyes take us in. He tips his head, waiting to see what I’ll do. I pat Teddy to try and calm him and turn to face Katie. I block her visual of him with my body. “It’s okay. Take Teddy and go back inside. He’s here to see me. It’s just club business. Everything is fine. It will just take me a minute.”

She starts to cry. “He’s friends with the bad man,” she groans.

“I know, sweetie. The bad man is gone. I promise. This one won’t hurt you. Just go inside, lock the door and wait for me.”

I unlock the door for her, and she quickly hurries inside. I pull Teddy back, he’s still growling at the man across the street. I shove him in and wait to hear the lock click. Once it does I spin around and storm across the street.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I demand.

Crow’s gaze peruses over me leisurely. He lights up a cigarette blowing smoke in my face.

I stand there with my arms crossed over my chest, fuming. Fucking fuming that he scared Katie.

“A little bit tougher than the last time I saw you,” he says with a smirk.

I take a step back, his words sending me spiraling back to the weekend in the trailer. My eyes go to the silver crow dangling from his neck. He chuckles, happy to have struck a nerve.

“What do you want?” I force my eyes back to his cold, dark, black soulless ones.

“I’m here to talk about reparations.”

I laugh and turn away. I’m not entertaining any ideas of reparations.

“Katie seems real happy with Bill and Candice.”

I stop, my foot hovering mid-air.

“Do you know I just happen to know her real father. Wouldn’t it be sad if he decided to come forward? Especially now that the adoption is so close to being finalized.”

My heart splats on the ground. He could be lying but after the way my life has played out, he is more than likely telling the truth.

“He’s not a nice man either. Kinda like the guy from my club you had killed.”

Slowly I spin around.

He blows his smoke towards the sky before tilting his head to look at me. “Not that I give a fuck. I would have killed him myself had I known.”

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