Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 77353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
I shake my head. “No. I just…it was…intense.”
He nods like he understands. “It can be that way. Take the rest of the night off.”
“I can’t. I need—”
Walter wraps his meaty paw around my elbow and walks me to my locker. “Your VIP stint more than covers the rest of the night. Go home and snuggle that son of yours, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
He smiles down at me, like a doting father would at his daughter. “Positive. Now, scram.”
I thank him again, pull on my leggings and hoodie, grab my bag, and dart out of the back door.
Walt’s right—spending the rest of the night snuggled up with my son is exactly what I need to get my head on straight. I don’t strip for fun, and I certainly don’t do it to meet men.
Everything I do is for my son, and I’m not about to let some TDH—tall, dark, and handsome—stranger get in the way of doing what’s best for him. No matter how freaking hot he is.
CHAPTER ONE
FRANKIE
“Are you doing okay?” my brother asks, sighing into the phone. “Are you sure I can’t send you any—”
“I don’t want your damn money, Phoenix,” I growl, clenching the phone between my fingers. We go through this same song and dance every time we talk. And while I know he means well, it grates.
“I’m not like Mom and Dad—there’s no strings attached here, Frank.”
My grip loosens, and a soft puff of air escapes me. “I know you aren’t, but I want to make it on my own—I need to…” To prove to them I can, I add silently.
My relationship with my parents has always been strained—probably because I look exactly like the guy my mom cheated on her husband with when she conceived me. Oops. Not like it’s my fault she slept around, yet for some reason, I’ve always been the one to pay the price.
So, it’s no surprise that telling my lovely parents that I was pregnant at seventeen went over like a lead balloon. Honestly, I was prepared for their anger, and even their disappointment. What I wasn’t expecting was their complete and utter dismissal.
Who knew all it took to ruin our relationship once and for all was a seven-pound-ten-ounce bundle of joy?
I should have known. Because just like with Mom’s affair, anything that doesn’t fit into Franklin and Winnie Davenport’s picture of perfection gets tucked away to the very back of the closet.
In my case, the closet was an adoption agency, and when I vehemently told my parents I wanted to keep my baby, they did what every well-off family does with things they no longer have need for—they threw me out.
And yes, my mom had the audacity to name me after her husband, despite him not being my father. She was almost able to pass me off as his, until my features really sharpened at around two and he realized I looked just like his former business partner.
“I get it.” He pauses. “But sometimes asking for help—”
“So, help me God, I will end this call.” There’s no heat behind my words, because in actuality, aside from my son, my brother is all I have in this world.
The fact that he’s a rockstar is a moot point for me, because I refuse to accept handouts. From anyone. Ever. Even him…especially him.
“Fine, fine. Stubborn ass.” I can practically see Phoenix’s eye roll as his raspy laugh filters through the line, instantly erasing my frustration with him. “How’s little man?”
“Maverick’s good. Growing like crazy. You won’t believe how tall he is when you see him.”
Phoenix sighs again. For as much as he loves performing, I know he’s worn down from years of constant touring. “I need to make some time to come visit.”
“We both miss you.”
“Say the word, and I’ll fly y’all—”
“Phin.” I inject steel into my tone.
“Frankie.”
I know he thinks I’m being stubborn—and sure, part of me is—but I have obligations. I can’t just pick up and hop on a plane to visit him in whatever city he’s in. That’s not how the real world works.
“I have a job and classes, and Mav has his routine.” A sniffle breaks free. I really miss my big brother. “But we definitely want to see you.”
“If you really wanted to see me—”
The alarm on my phone blares to life, conveniently blocking out Phoenix’s pleading—in the nick of time, too, because while he doesn’t know it, I was dangerously close to giving in. It really would be easier for me to go to him, since he’s on tour and all. But I’ve seen firsthand exactly how money and the power imbalance between the haves and the have-nots can destroy relationships.
I’d rather die than let something like that ruin my relationship with Phoenix. Aside from Maverick, my older brother’s the only good thing in my life.