Page 30 of Justice for Radar

“Game, set, match… I like it,” Cutter said rubbing along his jaw. “’Sides, got it on good authority you have your hands full the next couple of days with a certain stray.”

I sniffed. “She flies out Monday,” I declared.

“That don’t mean shit.” Marlin chuckled. He looked me right in the eye across the table and said, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” before winking one of his brilliant blue eyes at me.

I smiled. “Yeah.”

“So we good?” Cutter asked.

“We good,” and “Yeah’s” coursed around the table.

“Alright, then.” He banged his gavel, meeting over.

“I might be getting a little old for this, but the dim light of a bar and the right makeup, pretty sure I could pull off senior in college,” Hope said judiciously.

“Bitch, you ain’t age,” Pyro said laughing. “You’re like a vampire or some shit.”

Hope flashed her teeth and hissed and there was laughter.

“I gotta get home and finish cleaning up the emotional mess from last night,” I said getting up and stretching. “Hopefully, Jussy’s still asleep so I can deal with Mariposa.”

“Good luck with that,” Atlas declared. “I don’t want no part of it.”

“Thanks, bro. You’ve done more than enough,” I said, and he got up. We clapped hands and pulled each other in.

“Don’t hear from you by tomorrow, I’m gonna assume you were savaged and are lying in a bloody heap on your floor.”

“Probably a fair assumption with Mari. She’s just like her fuckin’ dad,” I declared. Laughter followed me out.

When I went through the front door to the house, Mariposa and Lucia were in the kitchen. A glance down the hallway showed my bedroom door still shut tight. I jerked my head in that direction with a questioning look at Lucia and she shook her head. I nodded.

“Gimme a minute with your sister,” I said, and Lucia rolled her eyes but nodded and got up, taking her coffee with her.

“Come here and sit down.” I dropped onto the stool Lucia had vacated and pulled out one in front of me for my other child.

Mariposa sighed and brought down another mug fixing a cup of coffee. She brought hers and the fresh one over and handed the fresh one to me. I set it aside, and she took a seat drinking out of her cup with both hands, her expressive dark eyes looking over the rim of her mug expectantly and I shook my head.

“Look, I get it,” I said gently. “You were comin’ home, it was late as fuck after a long-ass fuckin’ drive in Florida fuckin’ traffic no less, and you’re met with the unexpected but that was no way to treat another human being. Especially not a guest in my home.” I searched her face and nodded when it fell.

“I know,” she said. “And I’m sorry. I forgot myself for a minute with everything going on but, Dad—” I held up a finger and she pressed her lips together and took a second.

“No buts, right…andDad, life in the dorms is kind of fuckin’ brutal. I’m not gonna lie. These bitches be fuckin’ out of their minds. No home training whatsoever… I guess I just failed to make a full transition and I know – that’s my bad and it’s not an excuse, but itisa reason, and I will totally apologize and do better.”

I smiled at her and hooked a hand behind her head and dragged her forehead down to my lips. Both my girls were taller than me. They got it from their bio mom’s side of the family.

“Now there’s the baby girl I raised, I know, and I love. That’s legit all I ask, kid.”

“I know,” she said and sighed out.

“We cool?” I asked, and she nodded.

“We’re cool… I really do feel bad, though.”

I nodded. “I’m going to take her out for a ride today. Get some wind therapy and see if I can put some distance between last night and that apology you got coming. You got big plans with your sister today?” I asked.

She nodded.

“K, you two get to it before she wakes up.”

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