Chasing Me (13 page)

Xandra turns to face Chase and me, “Swab the kid so we can get on with it. Yeah, I could’ve contacted you, but at the time you didn’t seem like you were ready to be saddled with a kid.” She growls, making my blood boil. “You tend to come across irresponsible.”

“A couple of hours and a quick fuck doesn’t give you shit to judge me with.” I argue. “We’ll see where things lie, but I’ll tell you this lady.” I stand, walking over to Cam. “I’ll take care of my child, no matter what. I don’t want to miss more of her life. But get this one thing straight, my life is none of your business.” I say carefully.

“Whatever you want, sweetie.” She replies again, my comment not fazing her at all.

“How soon can we get the test done?” I ask, eager to get rid of this bitch.

“We can have that done now. There’s a man waiting in the front room with Henry and Mack. I should have the results back in the next day or so if we rush it along.”

“Perfect.” I reply before looking to Xandra, who is completely glued to her phone.

“She’s in the kitchen with Grayson and Daisy. They went looking for a snack.” Cam chimes in, when Xandra doesn’t even acknowledge me.

“Wait a minute.” I say, trying to wrap my head around this. “You just walk in here, trusting your kid with complete strangers? Do you not even care if she’s scared? Hell, she doesn’t know any of us. I probably should wait until the test comes back before I even meet her, just to spare her confusion just in case she isn’t mine. Hell Xandra, has she even been swabbed yet?”

“That’s nothing but a fucking formality. She’s yours Hunter, I’m not a complete whore.” Xandra bites out, still not meeting my eyes. “Besides, they’re your
family
so they shouldn’t be strangers to your daughter. Should they?”

“Says the groupie who boned the rock star, while
married
.” I huff out a sarcastic laugh. “You’re a wealth of trust and virtue, Xandra.”

“What do you want from me, Hunter? Take the test, then we can all move on.” She bites back at me, finally meeting my eyes. Cam and Chase both hiss out a breath.

“I don’t want to be just more shit for a four year old to deal with.” I say throwing my hands up in frustration. “Just sayin’ it’s a sensitive topic, that’s all. This shouldn’t be about you or me; this should be all about her. I’m glad that the irresponsible one of us is watchin’ out for the bigger picture here.”

Without another word, I take Chase’s hand and walk from the dining room, heading straight into the kitchen. “Yummy.” The little voice stops me in my tracks the minute I enter the room.

Sitting on the counter with a tray of cookies, is a little girl in a frilly pink tu-tu with zebra print Converses. Long brown hair is pulled up in pigtails with pink ribbons, her face covered in icing. “Hi, Hunter.” Daisy says, with a sweet smile, a frosting covered apron now covering her blue sundress. “We arranged for groceries to be delivered earlier, so Jasmine and I were fixing a snack. Gray’s just eating.” Gray rolls his eyes, but the asshole is grinning. He is loving this shit.

Jasmine’s eyes fly up from the tray, deep brown like mine, and they knock the wind out of me. Chase squeezes my hand, encouraging me, silently, to get closer. “Hi Jasmine, my name’s Chase. I love your outfit.” Chase coos to her. “You look just like a princess.”

“I am a princess.” Jasmine replies, matter of fact. I can’t help chuckling at her smart ass. Looking up, she cocks her head studying me carefully. “Hi.” Is all I manage to get from her while she continues to figure me out.

“Hi, I’m Hunter.” I say nervously. “Did your mom tell you about me?” Still staring at me, Jasmine nods her answer.

“She’s so fuckin’ adorable it’s hard to believe she’s yours isn’t it?” Mack teases from behind me.

Both Chase and Daisy eyes go sinister at his comment, making me thankful I hadn’t said anything other than what I did. “Watch the language around the kid, man.” Gray grumbles angrily. “I’ve already been hit with the d-a-m-n frosting spoon.”

Daisy turns, smacking him with it again in the chest. “Spelling them is still saying them.”

“This is bullshit, I’m fucking leaving!” Xandra’s voice echoes from the next room.

“I guess somebody didn’t get the memo.” Gray shrugs, earning him another slap from Daisy. She looks at me, her eyes filling with concern.

“Why don’t we go see what’s goin’ on with mommy?” I ask, releasing Chase’s hand and hold out my arms for Jasmine. Thinking that, maybe, Xandra will calm down if maybe we go back in there.

Instead of taking my hands, she leaps into my arms, successfully covering the front of my shirt in pink frosting. “Do you have a puppy?” She asks, wrapping her legs around my waist before licking the rest of the frosting from her fingers.

“Nope, we just have Mack. He’s worse than a dog.” I deadpan, walking around the over six foot tall poutin’ puss. Chase follows us out, patting Mack’s shoulder while everyone else laughs.

“I’ve taken care of that kid for over four years with no help from him. Now, you expect me to drop everything I have planned to wait on shit? This is not my problem!” Xandra roars again. “Jasmine, we’re leaving. Now!”

“You better calm the hell down.” Aiden’s voice is stone cold.

“Chase, get Mack and take Jasmine downstairs for me, huh?” Looking into those sweet innocent eyes of the little girl in my arms, I force a smile. “Go see if there’s anything to play with downstairs, huh? I’ll go talk to your mommy and then be down soon.” I say, hoping to sound convincing. I’ve known this kid five minutes and I’m asking her to trust me over the only person in this house she does know.

“Don’t call her mommy.” Jasmine scolds, pointing her finger at me. A crease forms across her forehead, as she squints her eyes to drive the point home. “Xandra’s not that old.”

“Okaaaay,” I reply, not knowing whether to smile at the cute as hell kid, or be pissed that she can’t call her own mother ‘mommy’. “I’ll just go talk to Xandra, then I’ll be down to check on you and Chase, does that sound good?”

Luckily, Jasmine nods, going into Chase’s arms without a second thought. Mack must have heard, because he’s already waiting in the hallway. My eyes meet his, “They don’t leave your sight.” I mouth, getting a simple nod in return.

“Where’s Jasmine?” Xandra shouts, the minute she spots me. “You can’t leave the room and let that bitch start tellin’ me how this will go. It should be you and me discussing this.”

“You need to have some respect for the people you’re talkin’ to.” Aiden growls, wrapping his arms tighter around Cam.

Looking at Camaron, who seems to be ready to tear through my brother to get to Xandra if needed, I put up my hand. “Well shit, I’m just wingin’ it here.” I shrug when Xandra glares at me. “I just didn’t think the kid witnessing your melt-down was such a great idea. Just trying to be the responsible one for once that’s all. What exactly is the fuckin’ problem in here? If it were up to me, we’d be swabbin’ and dealing with this shit. you wanna argue instead of doin’ that?”

“Ms. Marshall wants to discuss some things
before
the test even comes back. I was trying to explain that it’s in the best interest of all parties to wait: then we would figure out a way to handle everything fairly.” Cam spits angrily. “She’s nothing but a piece of rabid pussy that got lucky enough to get a piece of one of you.”

Xandra comes around the table toward me, grabbing my arm. “Hunter, I have a life to live. You can’t expect me to bend like this when…”

“When what, exactly?” I ask gritting my teeth, trying not to lose my temper. “You don’t want to figure out what’s best for your daughter; possibly our daughter? Why is that Xandra, she not worth it?” Her eyes widen, but I continue. “Oh, I get it. You were hoping I would pay you to go the fuck away. Maybe give you a quick, hard goodbye fuck during nap time? Well that’s not how this is gonna go.” Yanking my arm away from her, I pin her with a stare just as her phone rings in her pocket.

“That’s not it at all, Hunter. I just,” she stops midsentence when her phone goes off again. Yanking it from her pocket, she turns away from me thumbing a message.

Patience gone, I yank it from her fingers to scan the screen. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Walking around the table, I have to remind myself that I can’t shatter this damn phone against the wall. “She wants to leave her with me.”

“What?” Cam and Aiden both look at me in shock. I hand the phone over to Cam, and nod while they read the same text I read:
Dump the kid already. The clubs are open soon.

“Huh, how about that, brother,” I laugh, “a mother who doesn’t give a shit.”

“I’ve been dealin’ with this for years, all while you’ve been busy livin’ the high life.” Xandra argues, as if that makes her abandoning Jasmine okay. “It’s time for you to handle this shit so that I can live my life for once.”

“Your priorities are amazing, I’ll give you that much.” Daisy snaps, stomping into the room. Gray hot on her heels, but he is not fast enough. “Sick, manipulating bitch.” Daisy lunges at Xandra, slapping her across the face. “That little girl doesn’t even know who Hunter is, and you want to drop her off like this is a fucking kennel!” Gray and Henry grab her, as she continues her rant, hauling her to the other side of the room before Xandra can hit her back. “What kind of mother are you?”

“One that lost everything, all because of one stupid mistake. You’ll see soon enough too.” Xandra says pointing at Daisy’s belly before glaring at me. “All I wanted was a few drunken flings, I didn’t ask for this. I’m only twenty seven years old. I deserve to have my fun too. You’re out partying every night, living your life while I’m at home taking care of a toddler. I get to see photos of your drunken ass, buried in tits, splattered all over every magazine in the check-out lane.”

“What is it that you didn’t ask for, slut?” Daisy roars, trying to get free of Henry and Gray’s hold on her. “We all know you were beggin’ for any scraps you could get from the guys. That ended up giving you an adorable little girl that you don’t deserve, because you’re too worried about yourself. Selfish bitch.”

The fact that she would dismiss her own child over something so self-centered, hits home. Not that our mother dumped Aiden and I off on someone so that she could chase free drinks and dicks, but the sting is just as painful. Hell, my mom may have not been perfect, but I guess she did the best she could, given the circumstances. Anger rushes through my veins at the thought of Xandra referring to Jasmine as ‘one stupid mistake’. Would my mother have referred to Aiden and me as mistakes? Regrets? Hell, I was shocked and freaked out, but shit, even I would never call a kid a
mistake
.

Looking around the room, I throw up my hands. “Swab me; then draw up something for her to sign. I want my ass covered just in case.” Looking at Xandra, I bite back my disgust. “You gonna be able to sleep at night knowin’ you’re dumpin’ your kid into the arms of damn near strangers?” She shrugs, giving me my answer. “Fine. Not my problem that you’re a bitch, that’s all on you. Once that test comes back tomorrow sayin’ she’s mine, you can hit the bricks for good.”

Xandra nods, but stays silent, along with everyone else in the room as an old, bald man takes a sample from inside of my cheek with a couple long ass Q-tip looking swabs. Once he sticks it into a tube and marks it with my name, he does the same to Xandra. “Jasmine’s downstairs, I’ll take you down so you can get hers.” I clarify, and start to go down the hall, stopping only long enough to grab our bags and tell Henry to show Xandra out once she has signed the appropriate paperwork to leave Jasmine with me. There is no way I am letting her leave with that woman again if I don’t have to, not even for tonight.

SaggingShaggers.com

Chase

Once we get downstairs, I use a towel from the kitchenette to clean the icing from Jasmine’s hands and face. “There that’s better.” I say with a smile.

Jasmine jumps off the chair, and runs around the room looking at everything. Our downstairs digs are a pretty great set-up. Way better than the cramped up bus the guys are used to and more cozy than a hotel. There’s a living room with a kitchenette, two bedrooms¸ with an adjoining bathroom. Hunter had told me he hadn’t had a ‘home’ in years, so I am glad they have this now, even for a little while.

“I want more cookies!” Jasmine exclaims, running around the counter. “Cookies!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, kid. You’re already runnin’ around like a crack-head.” Mack harrumphs, collapsing onto the couch. “How ‘bout a nap?”

“When you’re this many.” Jasmine explains, holding up four fingers with purple nails. “You don’t have to take naps.”

“Mack, why don’t you find something on television for her to watch?” I ask, looking around, knowing that there is nothing for her to play with.

The door flies open, making me jump. Hunter thumps down the steps with our stuff followed by an older man. “Hey, Jasmine.” Hunter says dropping the bags in the corner. Walking over, he swoops her up into his arms, making me melt a little at the sight of him holding her again. “This guy is sorta like a doctor. Once we’re done here, how about we go get some stuff for you?”