Jericho ~ Present
WE WERE ON OUR WAY home.
The trip had been a success. Everyone had a good time. We didn’t have any arguments or differences of opinion on what to do or where to go, which was often the case with large groups. I think because we’d all known from the get-go that this was Jackson’s dream trip, and we were all just along for the ride.
I was actually surprised by how much fun I’d had, a literary trip never having crossed my mind as something I’d ever be interested in.
But, there was something to be said about traveling and discovering new things with a great group of people. That’s what made all the difference. Sure, there were moments when Jackson missed Kayla and wondered if he should have brought her along, but he bought her a trinket at every stop to let her know he’d been thinking of her.
We’d all met Nora Roberts, who was a friendly woman, and had made Jackson’s day when she took a picture with him and told him to keep doing great work with his students.
Natasha had gotten her signed book and had gotten a little star struck as well.
Now, we were driving back home, hoping to make it back before too late, since all of us had to be back to work in the morning. Jackson and Millie were snoozing on the bed in the back, while Natasha and Dru were laying down on the table that converted into a bed. Rob was driving The Beast with Ty in the passenger seat and I’d been catching up on emails and checking Prime Beef’s social media accounts.
When my phone started ringing in my hand, startling me, I quickly turned it to silent so as not to wake anyone up. The number wasn’t familiar, but thinking it could be something about the restaurant, I answered as quietly as I could.
“Ric, you’re a hard boy to track down. How are you doing, son?”
The voice on the other end had my blood turning cold. I stood swiftly, looking around the small space as I tried to find somewhere I could get a modicum of privacy. My gaze settled on the bathroom door and I made it there in four quick steps, then shut myself inside.
“How did you get this number?” I asked harshly.
My mother chuckled and replied, “I think you’ll remember that I’m like a dog with a bone when I want something. It took a couple weeks, but I eventually found your trail of breadcrumbs.”
I was about to retort, when I realized something, “This isn’t a collect call . . .”
“Nope, I got out. Good behavior.”
Fuck. Good behavior, my ass.
“And, I was thinking it’s high time I saw my boy, what since you haven’t once come to visit me in all these years.”
“I’d think you’d pick up those clues and realize it’s because I don’t want anything to do with you. When you left me to fend for myself, more worried about your next fix than taking care of your son, you made that decision pretty easy.”
“Oh, come on now, Ric, people change, you know that. Hell, look at you. My boy, from the streets of Philly to running his own restaurant, and richer than God himself.”
“Ah, I see, this isn’t about seeing me . . . it’s about the money. That’s what this is,” I said, my breath leaving me in a rush. At least now I knew her motive for calling me. Fuck if she was going to get a dime from me.
“Sure, I heard about it, how else would my son be able to pay for college and get his shit cleaned up enough to find himself a pretty, privileged white piece of ass to stick it to.”
“I’m hanging up,” I said, my blood boiling even as I felt a cold sweat hit. I never thought I’d hear her voice again, let alone have to listen to her mouth. I was sure she’d be dead by now, either from drugs or prison.
“Not before we set up a time to meet, Ric. I want to see my boy, and we need to talk about that money. See, I ain’t got no job, and although I’ve been crashing on a couple couches, I sure could use a place of my own.”
“Fuck that. I don’t want to see you, and you aren’t getting shit from me.”
“It’s a boy’s job to take care of his mother.”
“I took care of you enough when I was too young to take care of myself. I want nothing to do with you, you need to figure shit out for yourself.”
“Listen here, Jericho Roger Smythe, your daddy took all my good years then disappeared without so much as a fuck you. No child support or nothin’, leaving me with our son and no way to live. The way I see it, that money’s just as much mine as yours, if not more. So, I’m coming to see you, and if you want me to leave you alone, you best have my check ready when I do.”
“If I see you on my property, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing, and I’m not giving you a goddamned thing. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll forget I exist and get on with your miserable life.”
“I’ll be seeing you,” my mother promised, then hung up the phone.
“Fuck,” I whispered, looking blindly around the small bathroom and wanting to hit something, to break something so bad that it took every ounce of my control to keep my fists at my side.
My mind raced as I wondered what my next move would be. The last thing I needed was my mother coming here and ruining everything I’d worked so hard to build. And, I didn’t want her toxicity touching Natasha.
I couldn’t let it happen.
I lifted my hand with my phone and searched my contacts, then hit call.
When the gruff voice greeted me on the other line, I said quickly, “Mick, I need your help.”