Page 51 of Free-Falling
I lightly chuckle, shaking my head. I wait a beat and then loosen her hold on me. This time, she doesn’t move. I put on the shirt she threw at me earlier and a pair of sweats. I grab my cell and leave the room. As I walk to the dark kitchen, I dial a number I never thought I’d have to dial.
“If you’re calling me, then something has happened to my daughter.” Andres Bishops answers.
“No, she’s fine.”
“Miko then?”
“No, he’s fine too. I need to ask you something because I don’t want to break your daughter’s heart.”
“Okay. I’ll give you seven minutes of my time, I have shit to take care of.” As he says this, I hear a woman shrieking in the background.
“It’s about my brother, Jamie. The hit and run, do you know?”
“Know what? About the donor? Yes.”
“No. About who hit him?”
“Unfortunately, no, I never found out. I failed Michelle by not finding out who hit her baby boy.” Andres sighs. “Jamie was just as loved as you are Jagger and it took something from your mother. She and I went to high school together, we used to be close especially our families but shit happened. It doesn’t change that if I knew who robbed Jamie of living the rest of his life out, I would’ve taken them out myself. Anyway, sorry you don’t want to know about the past and I don’t know why I’m telling you.”
I take in the new information, now at a crossroad because I don’t know what I should do about it. I take a deep breath in and release another. ” It was your wife. I saw her.”
“What did Tasha do now?” He says exasperated.
“She did it. I remembered today, she’s the one who hit Jamie with a black sports car. I don’t know, I guess I suppressed it.”
“Jagger, are you sure? I’m asking you because I want you to be positive in the news that you’re giving me right now. Are you sure?”
“I’m positive but I can’t be the one to do it. To tell you the truth, I want to do something. I want to hurt her for taking my twin away from me and hurting my wife. There’s no forgiveness in my heart for someone like that. You do not understand what she robbed my mother of and how much she handicapped my mother. Do you know sometimes I would find my mother staring out at the window at something or her randomly crying? It took her years to stop crying over the death of Jamie. She drove me crazy with her love, but I don’t blame her. I can’t blame her and neither can I blame Ainslee for having a disgusting mother.”
“I understand, trust me, I do. Losing yourself after an impactful death is something that you can’t come back from. Michelle was strong enough to come out of it but I wasn’t. I left my daughter with a monster worse than me. There’s no one else to blame but me and for that, she’ll face the consequences. Take care of my daughter, Jagger. Love her harder and deeper than I loved your mother. You hear me?”
Did he just say what I think he said? “What did you say? My mother? You mean Ainslee’s mother?”
“No. I meant your mother. I loved Michelle, we loved each other but shit didn’t work out and now, I’m glad it didn’t because my daughter is happy. My Ainslee has someone who will call her father and talk to him like he hascajonesthe size of the fucking Island itself. I applaud you Jagger because few men would call me to tell me about my wife or that you’re thinking about the many ways to kill her.”
“How will you do it?” I ask.
“The less you know the better for my daughter. Come see me with her when you’re back in town.”
“Yes sir, Mr. Bishops.” The respect falls back into place like it used to when I was a kid.
“I’m serious, Jagger. Take care of my daughter and don’t make her cry. And talk to your mother, it’s not her fault your father is spineless.”
“You know about that?”
“I do. My Ainslee could enjoy seeing what a real mother is like even if it’s her mother-in-law since her mother will cease to exist in her life from this day forth.”
I blink, still not sure what he’ll do. “Are you sure it’s better I don’t know what you’ll do?” I ask.
“Just know this, I don’t allow anyone to hurt my daughter. You reap what you sow. Fucking with a Bishops can have you all sorts of fucked. Go back to bed, son.” With this, Andres Bishops hangs up. It reminds me that this isn’t the first time he’s called me son.
“He will set her free.” Mikonos says from behind me.
I face him because he scared the shit out of me. How can someone this big, not be heard or seen?
“Heard of making noise, you big fuck?” I say.
“It’s my job to not be seen or heard unless I need to kill you.”
