Loving the Bastard by Marteeka Karland Read Free Book Online

bad.”
    “Soup kitchens? Aren’t those places dangerous?”
    “Some. At least, the areas around them are a breeding ground for gang recruitment. Unfortunately, their mother has no place else to go. She’s a single mom who dropped out of school and didn’t get her GED. Opportunities aren’t exactly jumping into her lap.”
    Maximilian was silent for a long while before he muttered. “Woman should have enough self-respect to at least try to get a high-school equivalency. She should never have had children in the first place.”
    Zeta did her best to keep her temper in check by telling herself he was simply ignorant, but even she had to admit that his ignorance wasn’t an excuse for his attitude. “You have no idea what her life has been like, Max,” she snapped. “No idea what kinds of trials that woman has been through. Until you do, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself. It only shows your ignorance and stupidity.”
    “Anyone can get a GED. You just have to put forth the effort.”
    “Oh, really? And what if she’s a learning-disabled adult who slipped through an already cracked system? She can’t afford tutors who can reach her intellect level. Hell, she may not even know she has a problem. All she knows is that she can’t understand what she needs to do. She has two children to provide for and has no time to worry about frivolous things like an education for herself when it doesn’t come easily for her.”
    He glanced at her sharply. “You sound like you know this woman.”
    “I do. She brought Shani to me after the girl failed second grade, telling me she would not let the girl drop out of school like she had. The woman was in tears, and Shani was withdrawn and beaten down on the inside. Debra’s story came out then. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say she does everything she can to provide for her children. She’s been working at a rundown hotel as a housekeeper for the past few months. It’s one of the seedy ones downtown where there are pimps and prostitutes all around. I can’t even imagine the biohazard she has to clean three days a week. The only reason she continues to work there is because she can go in during the day and because she loves her children too much to let them all live on the street.” Zeta let that sink in before adding. “As it is, I’m not sure she makes much more than what it takes to pay the rent. Ramon noodles are a staple for them.”
    “Why not just give her kids up for adoption? They’d have a better life.”
    Zeta gave a short, humorless laugh, barely stifling the urge to clock him a good one. “And who do you suppose would want to adopt two inner-city black kids? You? Not being a parent or coming from a loving home, I seriously doubt you can appreciate how utterly ludicrous that question was.” The nerve of the man! Still, Zeta reminded herself that at least he was thinking about someone other than himself. It had to be a move in the right direction.
    For the rest of the ride home, neither spoke. Zeta watched Max out of the corner of her eye. His features were schooled, but he still muttered to himself under his breath from time to time. He must have been one of those people who did their thinking in the car during their commute, because in the office he was all business. Now, he seemed more…normal. The cloak and shield he wore had come down, leaving him vulnerable to a certain extent.
    As he pulled into the garage of the massive estate he seemed to reach a decision. His face relaxed a bit, and he got that analytical look she had come to associate with him planning something or other for the lives of other people. God help him if he tried to harm Debra or her children, no matter how unintentionally. She’d have to keep a close eye on him and the entire situation. Sighing, she added it to the long, exhausting list of things she needed to worry about regarding Max.

Chapter Nine
     
    Never in his life had Maximilian been so