Ruin and Rise(3)

“I don’t like it.”

“I know, baby. I know.” She banded her arms around his neck and held on tight. No one should have to find excuses to stay alive. Their earlier arousal had vanished. Shakes picked her up in his arms and carried her to bed. Sex was out of the question now, not after the dark conversation they’d just had. They simply held each other tightly.



Daniella bit her lip as she waited for her father to finish with his meeting. She was in one of the strip clubs that she wasn’t supposed to know about but did. She knew a lot of stuff about her father that neither Shakes or her father realized she knew. She was good at keeping secrets. This situation with her father and Shakes was tearing them all apart. A part of her still didn’t trust Zeke, but she couldn’t live without Shakes. That was the only reason she was here.

Hearing a feminine moan come from inside her father’s office, she clenched her teeth. It was disgusting listening to her father having sex. No one knew she was here, and Shakes was working somewhere else today. She hated this, hated being here. Everywhere she turned, she saw naked men and women. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was a little after ten. Running her hands down her legs, she rolled her eyes at the sounds.

“Yes, harder, Zeke, you’re so good, so good.” The last was said on a loud scream.

She almost threw up when she heard Zeke groan. It had been so much better when she didn’t have a clue what all of those moans meant. She shuddered and held her breath as the door opened. A slender blonde wearing only glitzy underwear came out of the office. Zeke followed her out and froze when he saw Daniella.

“Dani,” he said.

“I can’t believe I just heard all of that.”

“What are you doing here?” Zeke asked, his tone as hard as steel.

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“How do you even know about this fucking club? How the hell did you get up here without security stopping you or letting me know?” he asked, looking angrier.

“I know a hell of a lot about you, and it’s not hard getting past the guys you have guarding this place. They seem more interested in the naked women walking around than someone like me.” She walked past him. “I need to talk to you.”

“Does Shakes know you’re here?”

He closed the door, and Daniella took a deep breath. “No, but he knows I was planning to talk to you.”

“Does the pussy need his woman to stand up for him and fight his battles?” Zeke asked.

She dropped her purse and glared at him. “Don’t ever say that kind of shit about Shakes. He’s not a pussy. He’s a man and the love of my life. A pussy wouldn’t have fought for me because he loved me more than anything else.”

“Dani—”

“No, you don’t get to Dani me. Shakes is a good man, and you’re trying to turn him into a monster. Why are you trying to take him away from me?” Daniella couldn’t stand by anymore. “You’re not going to win this. I’m in love with that man. I love him with all my heart and soul.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want you to be sorry. I want you to think about what the hell is going on, and to stop punishing him for that,” she said.

He went to embrace her, but Daniella pulled away. She wasn’t interested in hugging her father.

“Dani,” he said.

“I’m pregnant.” She spoke the two words loudly and only once; she didn’t want to repeat herself.

“What?”

“You heard what I said. I’m not going to say it again. You’re going to be a grandfather.”

Zeke walked past her, heading toward his desk. She watched as he lowered himself into his chair. “You’re going to have a baby?”

“Yes.”

She remained standing as she looked at her father. He looked shocked.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“I always knew this day would come; I really thought I was going to be ready for this shit.”

“This isn’t your choice. This is my life, and I can’t wait to have this baby.”

“Does Shakes know?”

“Yes, he does. He wanted to tell you himself, but I thought it would be best if I come to you,” she said, finally starting to take a seat. She paused. “Did you screw her in this seat?”

“No.”

She lowered herself down and stared across at her father. Daniella saw why he had such a bad reputation. There was something so menacing about him, and at times, he did scare her. But he’d never once raised his hand at her.

“I don’t want anything bad to happen to Shakes. I want this child to have its father, Dad.”