He swallowed, staring at the album.
That had been Aaron’s favorite shot. He liked it up front. He’d never said anything, but whenever he opened that album, that was precisely the picture he wanted to see.
Carissa looking beautiful and happy, laughing because he gave her that.
He liked to tell himself that was what he intended to give her for the rest of her life, even when he knew he was on the path to becoming his father, so he also knew it was a fucking lie.
He’d dicked her around. He knew that too. It was like he couldn’t help himself.
His father told him it happened. “You just have to get it out of your system, son. You’re young. You will. When you do, if she’s worth having a Neiland and knows what’s good for her, she’ll be there. Trust me.”
So he always knew, in the end, it would be her.
He was just so ridiculously arrogant, he didn’t know, in the end, for her it shouldn’t be him.
His mind filled with her weeping in Carson Steele’s arm.
I’ve loved her since high school, man.
Aaron slugged back more gin and stared at the photo.
You gotta drag her down, that’ll suck, but I’ll pick her back up.
Carissa stared up at him.
Laughing.
You gotta rip her apart, I’ll fuckin’ hate watchin’ it, but I’ll put her back together.
He threw back the last of the gin.
Push her to the point she can’t stand the sight of you. But do it knowin’ that’s all on you. Just like everything that went before, it’s all on you.
Fuck, the asshole was right.
He never should have allowed his father to come that day. He had no clue what he was thinking. He wasn’t seventeen and going to the principal’s office.
He was fucking twenty-six and going to a meeting to negotiate his son’s future.
As uncomfortable as it was, as hideous as it felt coming to the realization, Aaron had no choice. Too much was at stake with the most important parts of that being the happiness and well-being of the woman he loved and their child.
And that realization was the fact it was time he grew the fuck up.
I love him.
He drew in breath before he set the glass aside and reached into his inside suit jacket pocket.
He pulled out his phone and made the call to his investigator.
“Text me Steele’s cell,” he ordered.
The man texted.
Aaron made another call.
“Yo.”
“Steele. Neiland.”
Silence.
“If you don’t make her happy, I’ll destroy you, I don’t give a fuck the weight you got behind you with that Club.”
Steele still said nothing.
Aaron drew in another breath.
Quietly, he gave it to him.
“I actually do love her.”
That got him something.
“Next one you get, do better with that.”
Then Carson Steele hung up on him.
Aaron clenched his teeth.
Then he grabbed his glass, went down to the kitchen, poured another drink, and called his attorney.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Start
Joker
“I WILL, ANGIE. And thank you.” Pause then, “Right. I’ll call when I decide. Thank you again for everything. ’Bye.”
Carissa dropped her phone and looked to Joker.
“I don’t get it,” she declared.
Joker had been watching her lying on the couch, legs out, back up, talking on the phone while her son crawled all over her, alternately trying to eat her dress and the duck head toy he was dragging with him.
She might not get it.
But Joker got it.
Aaron Neiland had a soul.
Just barely, but he had one.
“Told you he phoned me, Carrie,” he reminded her quietly.
“I know. But he offered a settlement of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to see to Aaron’s care and upbringing while I quit work and go to school,” she announced.
Holy fuck.
Joker’s body got tight.
That jackhole didn’t get to take care of his girl.
If she wanted to quit and go to school, he could shove his money up his ass. Joker would take care of that for her.
He didn’t get a chance to say that since she kept talking.
“She also said that Aaron’s attorney told her that once I finish with school and start with my career, he’ll continue child support until Travis is eighteen, if I so wish. Any adjustments to that due to cost of living or Travis’s needs should be requested through my attorney and he’ll consider it. And if Travis goes to college, a decision about continued support and who’ll pay tuition and other expenses will be negotiated at the time.”
“Visitation?” Joker forced out.
“He feels Travis is coping with the current schedule and encourages me to allow it to remain the same without further negotiations.”
“And?” Joker asked.
“And what?” she asked back.
“What do you think of all this?” he prompted.
She threw up her phone hand then used it to catch her son before he rolled off her and the couch after he got too involved with banging her on the belly with his duck and lost balance.
“I don’t know what to think, sweetie.” It was a soft cry, probably so she wouldn’t freak Travis. “That meeting was nasty. I told you how nasty it was. Now this?”
“He had a change of heart.”
“Aaron doesn’t get those,” she muttered, putting both hands on Travis and setting him on the floor considering he was leaning that way and grunting.
Once on the floor, Travis boogied to where Joker was stretched out opposite her, pushed up to his knees and banged Joker on his hip with the duck.
Joker grabbed the kid and hauled him to his stomach.
He started crawling all over him.
“Then a miracle has happened,” he told her. “Roll with it. What else would you do?”
“I don’t want his money,” she was still muttering, her eyes on her boy.
“Carrie,” he called.
She looked to him. “I don’t.”
He hated the idea of her ex taking care of her.
But still, that was a shit-ton of money.
So it hurt, but for her, he had to ask, “Is that smart?”
“Maybe not, but, Joker, he was nasty. Or, his father was, and his father is an extension of him.”