Page 4 of The Impact (Parachutes #3)
“Are you taking my son away from me? You fucking slam me into a wall and I have a fucking bruise on my shoulder and now I read this fucking text that you’re taking my son away from me?” Clamping down on his jaw, he shut his eyes—not in reprieve from lust this time, but in rage. Blind rage.
“A bruise on your shoulder? Bitch, you…” He balled a fist to his mouth.
“Sophie, you are lucky to be breathing ,” Vin hissed, taken to a place where only harm to his children could direct him.
Silence then sniffles. That was all she had for a while.
“Do you know what it took for me not to snap your fucking neck?” Vin questioned with venom.
“I’m finding out this shit. And then I learn that he fucking told you and you let…
” He stopped himself. Phones. Couldn’t let his emotions get him caught up, not in the thick of his already-executed actions.
“Yes, I’m taking my son because your judgment as his primary parent can no longer be trusted,” Vin recited for whoever could be listening.
“Oh, yeah! Well, if that’s the case, why didn’t you take him already?
You sure carried your ass to LA, and I bet you go cozy up with Tahli’s ass for her corny-ass holiday charades when you get back!
Like who really gives a fuck how many Italian markets she went to for her favorite gouda cheese like she’s some fucking Martha Stewart?
Or, oh, we’re having lunch at Armani on Madison Avenue,” Sophie teased, and Vin would bet that was where Tahli and Paige had lunch today.
Sophie’s obsession with his wife’s social media had tapered but never died off.
Even with her dating other people, Sophie was constantly comparing herself to Tahli.
“You ain’t in such a rush to take him right now so if I’m so bad, why’d you leave him with me, motherfucker?”
“Because I already-!” Again…cut himself short.
Because he’d already found her pedophile boyfriend, snatched his ass up from his apartment-complex parking lot, knocked him out cold, drove him to a wooded area, popped the trunk and delivered 72 vicious stab wounds from the man’s abdomen down to his dick before slitting his throat.
Called in a favor from an old Russian Brighton Beach native who had the car torched.
The same guy Vin would provide bodies to in the past for him to grind up and turn into food for his Dobermans, bones included.
“Because…my son is safe. For now. But who knows who’s gonna come and impress ya dizzy-ass again and have you sacrificing your child’s well-being for attention.
And you better thank Yoruba or Ogun or whoever the fuck your moms be praying to that I couldn’t put LA off.
These 3,000 miles between us is the best thing to happen to you. ”
Vin had a fleeting consideration. Of course, it’d be easier to leave DJ with his mother.
He’d keep his happiness. His peace. But he couldn’t risk it.
“Nah. DJ’s starting school in Fair Haven after winter break.
We’ll work out visitations. We can go through lawyers and shit but given the circumstances, I don’t think you wanna play that way, Soph. ”
Allowing your son to be sexually violated after he reported it to you? Vin could pay lawyers who would scrub Sophie from DJ’s life permanently. But he wouldn’t be that cruel to his son.
“I hate you. I wish I never had a baby with you.”
“You think I wanted a baby with you? I dodged a bullet the first time and the shit still spun the block on me.”
That was low. Making light of their first child’s death. But at the moment, Vin couldn’t stomach the bitch.
He expected fiery feedback – cursing, more crying, maybe screaming. The quiet that turned dead made him pull the phone from his face to see that Sophie was still there.
“I know you blame me for what Victor did to DJ, and I know, I’ll take my blame. But really…it’s your fault, Vin.”
“What?” He blared as she voiced his guilt.
“You know it, too. None of this would’ve happened if we would have been a family. Why couldn’t we be enough? Why couldn’t you make it work with me? Why…why couldn’t I be your parachute?” She had the gall to cry out.
“I already had a fucking family when I made the biggest fucking mistake of my life!” Vin snatched the patio door open and stormed toward the balcony railing, knowing what it meant when it fell from his lips.
It meant regretting Dalvin Jr. and it felt disgusting.
But was it true? Not the child. The situation.
Still, the situation created the child. Internal dilemmas he chose to ignore.
“You just better know that whatever fucking happens, now…it’s your fault, Dalvin! You did this! You took my son, the only thing I have, and you fucking killed me.”
“Don’t tempt me, Soph,” Vin threatened with a mocking laugh.
“You know me. And it ain’t shit that’ll make me feel better than wrapping my hands around your fucking chicken neck and watching the life drain from your pathetic eyes.
Everybody will be better off wit’ ya ass gone; our son included.
What kind of fucking waste of space ass bitch puts a nigga’s word over her son?
Huh? That alone should make you want to slit your fucking wrist! ”
Vin knew how to slice. And all his rage resurfaced. Wasn’t surprised when she went mute again. Wasn’t even surprised when the dead silence turned to dead air.
With the LA lights beneath him, Vin wondered what would come.
Nothing could prepare him.