SIX by Ker Dukey Read Free Book Online Page B

show, I will have to work the bar tonight.
    Throwing my feet up on the coffee table and resting my eyes for a second, I’m startled when a child is placed in my lap.
    “I’m sorry, Mist. I couldn’t get a sitter again.” Parker squirms, wringing her hands together.
    I look at the clock and sigh. I know I should be able to get four hours outside of this place, but actually getting them is a different story.
    “How did I not know you had a kid?”
    “No one does.” She bites on her cheek.
    “Can you watch her for me?”
    My eyes widen in trepidation. I don’t know how to look after a child.
    Standing, I hold the little girl out to her mom and shake my head no.
    “Please? I’ll come back and check on her.” Before I can say anything else, she’s walking out the door and I’m staring into big blue eyes.
    “Hey,” she says to me, and my heart thaws a little.
    “Hey,” I reply, bringing her onto my hip. “What’s your name?”
    “Emma.”
    “What a beautiful name. And how old are you, Emma?”
    She holds up two fingers and then puts them in her mouth. She’s so cute.
    The smile on my face hurts, it’s so big.
    Just as I’m about to sit down and give Emma my four hours, Six appears in the room.
    His stare hard and accusing, he asks, “You have a kid?”
    I’m not sure what emotion is in his tone, but it sounds a lot like anger.
    Confusion swirls in my mind leaving a gentle throb, the start of a headache coming on.
    Whether his anger is directed at the thought of me having a child, which is ridiculous, or the fact that he’s just in a mood, I don’t know.
    Either way, I don’t have the patience for him right now.
    Walking over to where he’s standing, I hand Emma to him and he holds her out like she has a smelly diaper and he can’t stand the stench.
    “She’s Parker’s. Her name is Emma. She’s two. Have fun, it’s my break.”
    “Wait, what? Parker has a kid?” He turns, swinging Emma with him. She giggles and makes a “Weee” sound.
    “I can’t look after a baby!” he exclaims.
    “Let her look after you. You could both probably use a nap after such a taxing day.”
    And with that, I imagine myself patting my own back and take off.
     
    Six’s attitude and actions are hostile at times, like he wants to know everything about me and my life, but he doesn’t want to offer anything of himself—or reasons for wanting to know.
    He confuses me.
    When I’m around him, it’s like being on a roller coaster and I’m beginning to get motion sickness.
    I step out into the parking lot and stop in my tracks.
    My eyebrows furrowed, I look around, trying to figure out why my car is sitting here looking all shiny and clean…and how it got here.
    “Hey.”
    I startle and nearly lose my footing.
    Why did everyone insist on sneaking up on me? “Goddammit, Lucky! I nearly peed myself.”
    “Don’t get wet just for little old me,” he beams and my hand jerks out to slap him, but I catch myself and curl it under my arm.
    “Here,” he says, dropping my keys in my palm. “Six had it fixed and they delivered it for you. It shouldn’t give you anymore problems.”
    My mouth drops open as I stare in shock. He fixed my car?
    Roller coaster.

 
    Standing here, holding a kid, I’m wondering how this fucking happened and when Misty became sassy.
    My mind nearly exploded when I came in and saw her holding a kid.
    For a second, I thought she’d been hiding this huge part of herself from me and I didn’t like it one bit.
    I’m such a dick.
    I treat her like she’s contagious in one breath and force her to share herself and her life with me in the next.
    Maybe I pushed her over the edge by fucking that girl where she could see me and her attention will now be focused on finding someone better suited.
    It’s going to be really fucking tough to stomach if she does.
    Damn my stupid head. It doesn’t make sense with what my body is thinking, wanting, and all I’m doing is confusing the shit out of us