“Fuck! You think they’re going to try to pin it on me?”
“No, asshole. I don’t think that, but just in case, we’re prepared. Don’t worry, though. Darek won’t do a thing to stir up the past. So as long as you’re not responsible for that young girl…” Bay trailed off as his eyes bored into Tad’s. He was sizing him up.
“I didn’t do it!” Tad said.
“As long as you didn’t, then you have nothing to fucking worry about. Tell him you’re doing good. Carpe Fortuna and all that shit.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure he’ll buy it since I’m living with my sister. Do I really have to fuck Isabel?”
“Oh yeah, I promised her a good time, and she’s put up with my bullshit a little too much lately. Fuck her good, and I want her to get off a few times. She’s much more pleasant to be around at the office.”
Tad rolled his eyes, and Bay laughed. “Don’t be such a fucking prude. You’ve done much worse, and just think, this is the last time you have to whore yourself out to anyone.”
“To anyone but you, right?” Tad had Bay’s number, but Bay didn’t care.
“No, you’re not my whore, Tad. You’re my bitch.” He gave the guy a wink and headed to the door where he called Isabel back inside.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and play, too?” Isabel rubbed his chest and gave him a warm smile.
“Tempting, love. But you make sure he takes care of you for me, and I promise we’ll be together again real soon.” He patted her bottom, and she purred like a kitten. Then she took Tad’s hand and led him to the bed. Bay turned and headed out. He’d seen enough of Pretty Boy.
Who knew gathering up a group of friends at camp would turn into a babysitting gig for the rest of his life? He should have kept his circle smaller, and then he wouldn’t have as much shit to deal with.
Through the years, he’d helped them all, except for one, and thank God for that. Tad, he’d dragged out of a sex den where the guy was servicing whatever came through the doors, man or woman, to support his habit. He was one step away from the grave, and Bay had only stepped in to keep him from doing something stupid like confessing during one of his lockups. He’d been arrested twice. Once for shoplifting and once for public intoxication.
Then there was Lane. The guy had wanted to go home to New Orleans to open his own club, and who’d he leave his cases for? Not only that, but Bay had paid a sizeable amount to help him open the club. He’d helped several of the men in one way or another.
Alan Lowe had even come to him for favors, and he’d allowed the man a small loan to get his security company out of the red. He’d fucked up his life with his gambling problems, and Bay had been the one to help him clean up the mess, one he’d probably make again before it was all said and done.
Bay was tired of coming to the rescue, and the best thing that could happen was for the others to self-destruct. But they were his problem till the day death silenced them all. He walked out into the bright sun of the morning and headed to his car. His phone rang before he could get the door open and slide across the leather seats.
“Yeah, baby?”
“Muffin is missing!” Lila sobbed into the phone, blathering incoherently and blowing her nose.
“Baby, it’s a little dog. It’s probably somewhere around the house. Check the laundry room or under the couch.” The last thing he needed was to spend his day looking for that fucking mutt.
“Please come home, Daddy. I’m so upset.”
He let out a grumble and then reassured her. “It’s okay; I’m on the way.” He hung up and drove across town to his house, and when he went inside, Lila was lying on their large leather sofa, crying.
He walked over and pulled her hair away from her face. She was a lovely creature, the prettiest woman he’d ever met, and when he’d seen her the first time, he knew he had to have her as his own. He straightened the platinum collar she wore around her neck with the initial B, signifying she was his. Most would look at it and see a choker style necklace, but to Bay and Lila, it meant so much more.
“They can’t find her anywhere. She must have gotten out when one of the staff was coming in.”
“I’ll fire them all if you want.” He spoke softly and rubbed her arm to soothe her.
She gave him a half-hearted smile. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. Everyone but Rose Marie.” He’d never let her go. She still remained the most special person in his life; one of the few he gave a shit about. She’d mothered him when his own rich bitch of a mother had been too busy for him.
“No, I don’t think we should do that. But I can’t promise I’ll be pleasant to them.” She cut her glance up at him, and he smiled.
He patted her bottom and rubbed his hand over her waist. “That’s my girl.” Lila was a headstrong brat, as sweet as sugar one minute, and loving as a snake the next. It entertained him. She was as much his plaything as anyone else.
“I saw Mia yesterday for lunch,” Lila said. “You’ve got to talk to her about what men think when girls like her don’t wear panties. She had on the tightest, shortest skirt, and it was so easy to tell that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.”
“So, you want me to discuss Mia’s panties with her?” He gave her a look like it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do.
“She’s only eighteen, and I’m afraid she’s going to get hurt.” Lila shifted and pulled him down beside her. “She needs a man to talk to her. With us not having a father, baby, you know you’ll have to fill that role.”
“If you don’t think it’s inappropriate.” He figured in time, he’d have her permission to teach her little sister other things as well.
The sound of barking came from across the room, and one of the staff came through the door, holding the tiny fur-bag away from her. Muffin, who was usually a pale cream color, was nearly black with dirt.
“She was in the back garden, Mr. Collins, digging in the flower bed.”
Lila got up and rushed over, making stupid cooing noises at the animal, but she wouldn’t touch it. “You’re a bad girl, Muffin. Daddykins is going to skin you and make me a hand warmer if you run away again.” She turned her attention to the woman. “Take her and clean her up. She smells like rotten fish.” Lila curled her lip and walked back over to Bay, who took her hand and pulled her down into his lap as the woman took the little mutt to clean it up.
“Don’t worry, she’ll make it all new, and if she doesn’t, I’ll get you a new one.”
“I don’t want another one. I want that one. I love Muffin.” She gave him a look like she didn’t know who he was, and then kissed his mouth with her pouty lips. “She’s our baby.”
He forced a smile and patted her tummy. “I’ll give you a real baby then. How about we start on that as soon as I get back home later tonight?”