Page 45 of Like An Animal

THE GHOST

Two Weeks Later…

I lean against the end of the bed as Jeremy fills a small suitcase of clothes. He’s only going to be gone overnight, but he said he needed to make sure he had a few changes of clothes just in case he needed them. In other words, in case he has to kill someone.

It’s only supposed to be a meeting out of state, but those can get bloody.

That’s what I’ve been told anyway.

Jeremy walks out of the closet carrying his bag, but he looks just as sour about this as I feel.

I don’t want him to go and I know Charlotte doesn’t want that either.

Jer doesn’t talk to her a lot, but she has grown attached to him.

Shockingly, there’s only one other person she has truly latched onto and they are going with him.

It probably pisses Jeremy off that his only child has grown more attached to one of his friends than she is to him.

Xavi.

She has a major attachment to him. She barely lets the man go to the bathroom without her waiting outside the door. She constantly wants him to play with her and it’s adorable because everyone can tell he’s only humoring her because she’s mine and Jeremy’s kid.

Xavi has never liked kids. He used to say they were gross, clingy creatures, but he puts up with Charlotte’s demanding nature.

I wonder who she got that from.

Jeremy walks right over to me, drops the bag, and pulls me into his arms. He peppers kisses all over my face before finding my lips.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.”

“I know,” I pout. “I don’t want you to go, but you’ll get more of a resistance from Lottie than you will me. She will make it impossible. It’s a good thing she hasn’t figured out where Alex puts the car keys.”

He smirks. “So determined.”

“She gets that from you,” I quip.

“No. She gets that from both of us. She inherited being a clingy little shit from me.”

I gently smack his arm while glaring at him. “Do not call her a little shit.”

“She is a little shit. She got that from me just as much as she did the clingy bit.”

I roll my eyes. Okay so maybe Charlotte is a bit of a turd, but we have been going through this since the paternity test results came back three days ago. It confirmed what I already knew.

Charlotte is Jeremy’s daughter.

The look of shock on Dimitri Borza’s face was comedy gold. He had already met Charlotte, but he didn’t pay her any attention until the results were read.

My daughter even tried to be nice and have a conversation with him, but by the time he decided to address her, she lost interest. Charlotte is very aware of herself and her surroundings so it was clear to her that he didn’t want anything to do with her.

He got the same energy back because she’s a massive brat like me.

If she’s not wanted, she makes it impossible for people to come back into her life in any capacity…except where Xavi is concerned.

When she becomes an adult, she is going to be a wrecking ball and intentionally destroy everything she chooses.

“Whatever you say, my dear husband.”

Suddenly, he grabs my ass and yanks me against his hard body.

“That’s right, baby, and if you keep reminding me, I’m going to end up giving you another baby sooner than anticipated.”

Another baby?

I hadn’t even thought about having another one. It was just something that never entered my mind, especially not with Kyle. I knew he was temporary and that it would just be a bad idea to have a baby with him.

I definitely don’t want a baby before The Fathers are dealt with.

Jeremy told me he has someone getting as much information about their organization and its members as possible.

The plan he has in place is to take out each member one by one instead of attacking all of them at once, but his contact is still trying to get it all together.

Once everything is concluded, he said he wants to blow up the compound and let me be the one to press the button.

That way we know for sure no child will ever have to go through what I did within those walls.

We aren’t delusional. We know my experience wasn’t unique. Child sex trafficking is one of the darkest, most fucked up secrets of the modern world. The average person tries to pretend it doesn’t exist, but that’s to protect their psyché.

The only way it will ever fully stop is if every non-pedophilic person in the world knows about it and fights against it. I doubt that will ever happen though.

Taking down The Fathers will save hundreds of thousands of children and will stop the cycle for those children. Either their abuse will stop or it won’t ever start.

That’s the plan at least.

You can’t save everyone from everything, but you can always try.

In conclusion, no babies for now. My IUD will be staying firmly where it is.

“Just to clarify, you want me to stop calling you my husband?” I know he doesn’t really but its fun to fuck with him.

His hand comes down hard on my ass and I grin up at him. “Not in a million fucking years.”

“Good because if you said yes, soon you would be saying the divorce came out of nowhere,” I tease.

“There’s no divorcing this, baby.” Jeremy lifts my chin and tilts my head to the side before running passionate kisses up my neck.

I wouldn’t want to either.

“In that case,” I pant from how hot and bothered he is making me. “You owe me a real wedding instead of just forcing me to sign a piece of paper.”

Clearly it can’t happen until The Fathers are dealt with because Charlotte and I are contained to the compound.

She can’t start at a new school or make friends yet. Anywhere we go, we have to be heavily guarded.

“Yes, I do.” Jeremy stands back up to his full height before pressing a soft kiss to my temple. “I’ll give you the grandest wedding you desire, big or small.”

“You’re so good to me,” I sigh as he smiles at me.

“You deserve someone who will cherish you and I’ll do my best to be a man worthy of you.”

He is worthy of me though. He always has been. It was me who didn’t deserve him, but if I’m the one he wants, I will gladly take everything he wants to give me.

Jeremy and I walk into the living room hand in hand as Charlotte jumps up from the couch. Before she noticed us, she was glued to Xavi’s side talking in circles about her doll and the man looked absolutely miserable.

Poor thing.

He’s so damn pitiful.

“Daddy!” Charlotte practically screams as she runs to Jeremy. He scoops her up before she can barrel into him and she hugs her arms around his neck. “Daddy, don’t go.” I can hear the pout in her voice.

Jeremy groans with irritation. “Don’t ask me to do that.”

I don’t want him to go either, but I swear if he bends to her will one more time, I’ll schedule a family meeting about how he’s going to spoil her rotten.

Just two days ago she asked for a damn pony and he immediately called around until he found someone who sold ponies.

I’m going to have to nip this in the bud. She’s not going to be a spoiled brat. I’ve known plenty of spoiled brats and every one of them didn’t understand the meaning of the word no.

I pinch Jeremy’s side and he chuckles before Charlotte concedes.

“Fiiiine. But, let Xavi stay. Please!” Charlotte kicks around as if with excitement.

“Please don’t leave Xavi behind,” Xavi speaks up, groaning. I swear he’s at wit’s end with Charlotte.

I roll my eyes as Xavi walks over to us. “Be careful and watch after him,” I direct to Xavi as he nods and pulls me into a hug.

“You’ve got my word. I’ll bring him back without so much as a scratch on him.”

“Thank you, Xavi. You’re the best. I don’t know what we would do without you.”

He snorts. “You’d get a new babysitter.”

“Oh, stop it. Can you really blame Lottie for latching onto you? You’re a goofy sweetheart.”

Xavi rolls his eyes. “I’m not goofy. I am a child at heart. Thank you very much!”

“No, you’re a dumbass,” Jeremy retorts as Charlotte grabs Xavi’s hand, telling him about some crazy secret her doll has. The irritation on his face just grows and I can’t help laughing.

“No, I’m not. If I were a dumbass, would Bron like me?” Xavi throws his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in for a one armed hug.

Jeremy’s eyes narrow immediately. “Don’t test me, man.” Then, he runs a hand down his face, bathed in exhaustion. “And, my wife feels bad for every stray animal she sees.”

“I am not a stray!”

“Sure, you aren’t. You’re just a runt who has never been able to keep his hands off of my woman.”

“Keep that up, Borza. She might just decide she likes me better.” Then, Xavi proceeds to stick his tongue out at Jeremy and I slowly shake my head at his antics.

I swear men are such babies.

“Get in the damn car before I accidentally kill you in front of my kid. Be quick about it or I’ll leave you behind and you won’t get a reprieve from said child.”

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Xavi mutters and gives me a peck on the cheek before dodging around Jeremy.

“Don’t kill him. Our daughter is attached.”

Jeremy rolls his eyes. “No promises.”

I grin. He’s so damn possessive it’s adorable. “I love you. I’ll see you when you get back.”

Jeremy pulls me into his arms and gives me a sweet kiss before hurrying out the door. He throws a quick “I love you” over his shoulder before shutting the door.

I really hope they come back safely.