Page 4 of Switched

On the thirteenth of every month I have to be reminded of everything my father had done, everything that he put me through, on why I had to become strong and resilient, even though sometimes all I want to do is crumble to pieces like every other human. I may look like I have my shit together, but don’t let me fool you. It’s all just an act, and one that I’m very good at if I might add.

I change quickly, looking over to Lusy who is still passed out in my bed. I don’t bother her, choosing to allow her to sleep. I know that she doesn’t get much of it when she’s at her apartment. I trust her to clean up and leave the room looking presentable for whenever I return. I make my way out of my room after I slip on a pair of black heels and head downstairs. Not to my surprise at all, there’s already a crowd here. Not even ten in the morning and some of the guys have already started drinking.

“It’s the thirteenth,” he states calmly. I turn my head to the right and see Drake standing in the archway to one of the other rooms.

“Yes, it most certainly is,” I respond, wondering if he’s going to say anything else. Drake and I have an interesting relationship, if interesting is even the word for it. But I suppose what is the word for the Dominant who you’ve had intense sex dreams of?

“He’s appealing for parole soon, isn’t he?” I’m taken out of my own mind as Drake asks me and I nod, collecting my words.

“He’s trying to, but I doubt anything will come of it. I don’t see the board allowing him back on the streets. It’s a little hard to trust Vegas’ most notorious conman. Knowing him, he’d want to start the game as soon as he got out of the cage.”

“It’s hard for anyone to trust these days, regardless of your father’s old habits or not.” Drake makes a valid point. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s always had the smartest things to say. It makes him that much hotter.Fuck. We’d never work though, I’d want too much control and he’d never switch for me.

I graze over Drake’s features stuck in my head wondering how it is that a man of his age happens to look the way he does. His hair is barely starting to salt over, and the way he cut his hair is delicious. The sides are shaven while he seems to have a long mohawk sort of thing, but it looks good.Reallygood. There are so many submissives here, who would die to fall at his feet, but everyone knows that there’s one thing Drake doesn’t do.

Love.

He too has had his heart broken in the most aching of ways, by a woman I know who he planned on marrying. Monica was a fool for ever doing what she did, and an idiot for losing him. I talk about myself acting, but Monica was the real star, tricking everyone around her. He loved her in the most authentic way possible, and she broke him. No one else had seen it, but I had gotten a first-hand look.

Drake and I are one and the same. Two broken people who will never trust someone enough to love them.

Chapter 7

Candace

“Orange?Really?”Myfathergives me a whimsical look as he laughs at the color of my blouse. His hands are cuffed to the metal bar on the table and even though he’s a bastard I still want to wrap my arms around him and give him a hug, but I won’t be able to. Dad thought it would be a good idea to punch a fellow inmate this week, and because of his hostile behavior the jail is playing it safe. When he told me, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his idiocy. Punching a guy, a week before his parole review, isreallya smart thing to do.

I curse at myself in my head, wondering why I wasted money on getting him the best criminal defense attorney in Vegas if he was just going to fuck it all up. It wasn’t easy getting an appointment with Miss. Sharpe, but I managed to do some sweet talking and get her to represent my father. That isn’t the only thing I did, though. I’m not going to share that with my father.

“She thinks that you may have a shot this time, but I don’t have to tell you how disappointed she is at your actions from this past week. It’s made the waters a bit murky, and it won’t be as cut and dry as we initially hoped.” I tell him, hoping that my words will resonate with him, but I know better. They won’t because he’s a selfish bastard who only thinks about himself.

I’m sure you’re wondering why I even want him out of jail, but the answer is plain and simple. Even though he was a shit Dad to me when I needed him the most, it doesn’t change one major thing. He’s still my Dad, and I still love him, even with all of his faults. We’re only human after all.

“It doesn’t matter what your fancy lawyer says, sweetheart. She’s giving you the emotional boost that you need. I’m not getting out of this crap hole and we both know it, so why throw thousands at her when we know the end result? There’s no sense in it.”

“There’s no sense in a lot of things, Dad.” I hiss out to him, sitting up straighter in my seat. I try not to allow his words to hurt me anymore, but I can’t help it. Sometimes he just really knows how to make them sting.

“You know what, Candace. I think you’re on to something. Where is the sense in spending thousands of dollars for your shitbag of a father to get out of prison early, when you know he doesn’t deserve it?” Just when I thought he couldn’t hit me any harder, he just did. I take in a deep breath and gather my thoughts, trying my best not to tell him to shove it where the sun doesn’t shine, but that’s what he wants. He wants me to be the one to walk out. What he will never understand is that I will never walk away from someone that needs me, including him. He may not want to admit how badly he needs me, but he does, because there is only me. No one else is fighting for him as badly as I am. No one.

“Now I think I’ve figured out how you got that lovely shiner.” I point to his face, looking at the blue and purple that coats his left eye. “I’m betting your big mouth got you in trouble.”

“Depends who you ask. This mouth has gotten me out of a lot of hasty situations, sweetheart. Until the day it didn’t, that is.” He chuckles like our reality is nothing but a joke to him.

I huff, because he’s always viewed his life as a joke. It’s how he got here in the first place, by not taking life seriously, or walking the straight line even after he promised me that he would. At the end of the day he’s the only family that I have and because of that I’m willing to fight a little harder for his freedom, even if he’s so sure to fuck it up.

“Can you please just be on good behavior?”

“I try, Candace. I really do, but I can only try so hard being in here. I’ve pissed a lot of people off, and it just so happens that not everyone is my friend in this joint. I can’t promise to not get into a scuffle with another inmate, sometimes this just happens.” He shrugs his shoulders, continuing on about his normal bullshit.

There’s a big difference in the type of criminal my father is opposed to the others here. He’s locked up with murderers, rapists, people who assault their girlfriends. He’s in here with real pieces of work, and my father is maybe one of ten conmen. The law is a funny system, they’d much rather convict someone who’s physically committed a crime versus hacking, stealing money, or conning. The thing is, my father could have gotten out of it if he chose. The government was willing to give him immunity if he helped gather information on one of his associates, who also happens to be one of his best friends, Stefan Lucci. Also known as my Godfather. I bet you can see his issue.

“Has your uncle seen you lately?”

“No, I’ll go see him in a couple weeks at Isabella’s birthday party. I’ve been busy working, and busting my ass trying to save yours.”

“I’m a lost cause, little one.”

I whip my head up at what he’s just said to me, staring blades into the idiot who sits before me. “No, you are a lost cause when your body is cold and ready to be put in the ground. Don’t come at me with that fucking bullshit old man. You should know better than to say anything like that to me. While this has been a pleasure, I should get going before I dig my acrylics in your eyeballs and get my ass thrown in the slammer. Love you, asshole.” I rise from my seat and head out of the room before he can even get a word out. Hopefully this time he knows how badly he hurt my feelings. What would be even better is if he actually cared.

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