Smokescreen (A Broken Lives Short Story #2) Read online

  “I did,” Dad said, the insensitive prick not even registering that he’d hurt Jade’s feelings. “She wouldn’t even hafta pay me for it, two Rata cocks for the price of one.” He sniggered.

  “God, you’re a cunt!” I pointed to the staircase. “Just leave.”

  “Sheesh, son, I wuz just joking, I wouldn’t actually do it. I have enough trouble with Ash as it is without fucking one of his birds.” He turned to Jade’s bedroom, hitting his chest as he hacked out a cough.

  “Where do ya think you’re goin’?” I asked, following him into the room.

  He cleared his throat. “Gotta get dressed unless you want me to flash the reporters.” He grabbed his leathers and stepped into them, pulling them up his muscular, tattooed legs.

  “You don’t have to leave,” Jade said, slipping around me. “This is my house and I want you to stay.”

  Dad stopped with his pants almost to his arse, his eyes going from Jade to me. “Um, I...” He cleared his throat again, for the first time looking at a loss for words, something that never happened.

  Jade walked behind him, giving him a hug. “I’m so glad you’re still here, work was crazy today.” He let go of my dad and ran a hand down his back lovingly. “What do you want to do tonight? We can go out for dinner or maybe just stay in and watch a movie. I can order your favourite.”

  Dad’s eyes remained on me, still looking at a loss for words.

  Jade frowned, his gaze moving to me. “What’s going on?”

  “Dad’s leaving.”

  Jade’s frown deepened. “It better not be work related.” He looked back at him. “We talked about this and you agreed to—”

  I cut him off, “What did he agree to? To be your own personal whore? Stop dreaming, Jade. Also, stop treating him like a boyfriend, cos he ain’t. He fucks for money not love.”

  Dad flinched. I blinked, surprised I’d hurt his feelings since he usually strutted around, yelling to the heavens that he wasn’t ashamed of what he did.

  Jade also flinched. “Don’t be so cruel, Dante. That’s a horrible way to speak about your father. Show some respect.”

  “I will when he deserves that respect.”

  Jade shook his head at me as though my dad’s behaviour didn’t warrant that comment. “Ignore him, Tane, he’s had a bad day, too.” He pushed up on his toes and kissed my dad’s cheek. “I’ll go order the food. Come down when you’re ready.”

  He turned to go, but my dad grabbed his arm, stopping him. “We needa talk,” Dad said, his expression not happy.

  Jade turned back to him. “About what?”

  Dad’s focus flicked to me. “Can we have some privacy, son,” no please, his tone basically ordering me to get the fuck out.

  Jade looked at me with worried eyes. “What’s happening?”

  “He’s gonna tell you what I told you. He’s moving onto his next cash cow, pro’bly one with tits and pussy this time.”

  “Out!” Dad barked.

  I rolled my eyes and left the room, closing the door behind me, not looking forward to Jade’s heart being broken. But it needed to be done before my dad screwed him over for thousands more, leaving him not only heartbroken but flat broke.

  I turned to Clara who was looking at me sadly, also knowing what was coming. “This isn’t going to be good,” she whispered. “Though, you really didn’t need to be so mean about it.”

  “I’m not sugar-coating the truth with Jade or he’ll just keep believing my dad’s bullshit,” I said, placing my hand on the small of her back, directing her into our bedroom. I went to close the door, going still as Jade yelled out, “No! You can’t do this, Tane! Please don’t do this.”

  I didn’t hear the reply, although I figured that Dad was probably trying to reason with him.

  “No! You have to stay with me.”

  “I don’t hafta do shit!” my dad finally snapped.

  “You still can’t leave! We agreed.”

  Silence followed.

  “I love you, baby,” Jade continued loudly. “I want to be there for you.”

  “You shouldn’t love me! I don’t deserve to be loved. Didn’t cha hear Dante? I’m a worthless, dirty fuckin’ whore!”

  Jade’s bedroom door opened. Dad appeared through it, yanking his shirt over his head.

  “I didn’t say you’re dirty or worthless,” I corrected him.

  He looked at me, hurt darkening his eyes. “You basically did.”

  Jade appeared next, grabbing his arm. “Don’t do this, Tane,” he cried, looking distraught. “Please, you need to be here.”

  Dad’s troubled gaze moved to Clara, who was still holding Tyson. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, making me realise I’d hurt him in trying to protect Jade. I just didn’t expect this response, especially since Jade was just a client, not his boyfriend. He didn’t give a shit about a client’s feelings only how much they were paying him.

  Jade wrapped his arms around my dad, clutching onto him desperately. “Don’t, Tane, please don’t go. You can’t go.”

  “I can’t stay either.” Dad pulled free. “I’m sorry.”

  He went for the stairs, bounding down them. Jade ran after him, crying out for him to stop, but before he could even get to the bottom of the staircase my dad was out the door, the slam ricocheting throughout the house.

  Jade opened the door, screaming out my dad’s name.

  “Fuck!” I said, bolting down after him, knowing he couldn’t afford to make a scene in front of the reporters. By the time I got outside, he was already halfway across the lawn, pushing past the reporters to get to my dad, who was in his ute, revving the engine.

  Dad hollered at the reporters, “Get the fuck outta my way!”

  I caught Jade as he went to open the ute’s door, yanking him back.

  The drama queen screamed out, “No!” He reached for my dad as though he was Kate Winslet trying to save Leonardo DiCaprio from freezing his nuts off, and I wasn’t joking, the way he was acting ridiculously over the top.

  “Zip it, Jade!” I snapped, pulling him towards the house, the reporters still hovering around us like flies on shit.

  One of them shoved a microphone in front of Jade’s face. “Are you in love with Dante’s father?” she asked.

  “Yes, with all my heart,” Jade said, not holding back. “He’s the love of my life.”

  “Jesus!” I said, yanking him inside the house, wondering what the fuck was wrong with him. I slammed the door shut, swearing at Jade. “You moron! You wanna die? Cos saying shit like that will get ya killed. Killer will come after ya.”

  “I don’t care,” he sobbed. “I need your dad and he needs me.”

  “He doesn’t need you, Jade, he only needs your cash. I warned you what he wuz like, but you refused to listen.”

  “He wasn’t using me for cash!” he yelled. “I stopped paying him.”

  I went still. “What?”

  “He was here because he wanted to be, not because of my money.”

  I shook my head. “Nah, you’re having me on.”

  “I’m not!” Jade cried, looking miserable. “He was going to move in this coming weekend in time for—”

  I cut him off, “But he loves Killer.”

  “He broke up with him, said he can’t deal with the abuse anymore. He came over while you were away, said that he just wants to love someone normal.”

  “He said he loved you?”

  “No, but he could’ve if you didn’t force him to leave, because he wouldn’t have taken off just like that without you saying something. What did you do?!”

  “I—” I looked over my shoulder at Clara, who was walking down the stairs without Tyson, our baby boy back in his cot.

  “Answer me!” Jade shouted.

  I looked back at him. “I thought he wuz using you.”

  “Just tell me what you said!”

  “That he needs to choose between his grandson and you.”

  Jade’s face dropped. “How could you
do that to him?”

  “I thought he wuz using you for cash. How wuz I s’posed to know he wuz cheating on Killer with you.”

  “I told you he’s not cheating on that psycho, he left him.”

  “And he’ll get back with him in a heartbeat. I know my dad, he loves Killer passionately, while Killer loves him even more. He’d kill for him, and what did you go and do? Announce to the world that my dad’s the love of your life? What do you have? A death wish? Killer will come after you for sure.”

  Jade swallowed, looking like he realised he’d slipped up. “Killer needs to accept that Tane wants to be with me. You do too.”

  “You don’t understand those two bastards, Jade. They’re not normal, along with their relationship. No matter how much they fight and bash the shit outta each other they always get back together. You just needa back off and lemme talk to Killer, make sure he doesn’t take retribution, cos I don’t think he’ll tell Murderer to come after you. He’ll do it himself.”

  “I... I... He... He needs to accept this. He-he’s hurting your dad. I can look after Tane better.”

  “My dad doesn’t need lookin’ after, he takes care of himself by whoring himself out. Are you willing to let him whore like Killer does? Coming back to your bed after fucking some big-titted woman for money? I don’t think you could handle that.”

  “He’s stopped whoring.”

  “Did he tell ya that? Cos it’ll be lies. He won’t even stop for Killer, so I doubt he’d stop for you unless you’re his only client now.”

  “I’m not his client! What don’t you understand about that, Dante?”

  “Cos I know my dad.”

  “Well, you clearly don’t know him that well. So, call him back. Tell him that he can see Tyson regardless.”

  “No can do, mate, you’re better off without him.”

  “How can you be so stone-cold?!”

  “I’m not the stone-cold one here, that’s my dad and brother. They make people fall for them, then leave them blubbering messes. That’s how they roll.”

  Jade jabbed a finger at me. “No, you’re the stone-cold one! You emotionally blackmailed your father into leaving, then tried to justify yourself to me.”

  “Cos I thought he wuz ripping you off, he’s a leech.”

  “He’s your father!”

  I jolted. “Shit, calm yo shit down, I did it for you.”

  “There’s no way I would want you treating your father so horribly! He tries to be tough, tries to pretend the stuff you say doesn’t hurt him, but it does. He expects this behaviour from your brother, not you. Although Ash hurts him he understands where it comes from, but he told me he doesn’t understand why you put him down. He said he did his best for you, he even told me he whored himself so you didn’t go hungry as a kid, yet you call him a leech? I know you don’t think before you speak, Dante, but this is the cruellest, most insensitive thing that has ever come out of your mouth. No wonder he came to me and not you for help. I’m the only person who treats him nicely, like he deserves to be treated. He gets abused by the man he loves then gets treated like crap by his sons. Is it any wonder why he wants to be with me?”

  I grimaced, never having thought any of this was possible.

  Jade pointed at me again. “If you have a problem with your father being here, then move out. I’m not letting you or Killer dictate what I can and can’t do for him. I love him and will protect him with my damn life.”

  He lifted his chin up and walked past me, heading up the staircase. He was already pulling out his phone, no doubt calling my dad. He slammed his bedroom door shut a second later, disappearing into his room.

  I turned to Clara. “First Ash, now Dad. What the fuck is happening?”

  “I’m just as surprised as you are, especially about your father.”

  “He’s doin’ Jade for free? Like, what the fuck? But he likes women. Only Killer is his dick kink.”

  “Maybe he just wants uncomplicated love.”

  “But he always goes back to Killer.”

  “And always leaves him too. It’s never Killer who leaves. Maybe he can’t handle the intensity of their relationship.”

  “Or maybe Killer needs to fuckin’ do as he promised and go back on his meds, cos when he wuz on ’em those two were all lovey dovey, so much so I wanted to puke.”

  “How about you phone your father and talk to him without any assumptions, because you did cross the line using Tyson against him. Didn’t you see him look stuck? If he didn’t care for Jade, he would’ve said yes to leaving him straight away instead of looking conflicted.”

  “I thought he wuz seeing his cash cow gettin’ flushed down the loo. And he’s always in need of money. He loses the stuff like it’s goin’ outta fashion, gambling it away worse than I ever did.”

  “Obviously, it’s no longer about money. Looks like your dad might actually love two men.”

  I shook my head. “Nah, he’s only hanging around Jade cos he’s not crazy like Killer and treats him nicely.”

  “Do you like to be treated nicely or do you like to be treated like Kara used to treat you?”

  I frowned, what she was saying... “You’re relating Kara to Killer?”

  “Maybe your dad wants Jade for the same reason you want me. We’re normal, not crazy like Killer and Kara.”

  “Dad loves Killer more than I ever loved Kara. Yeah, Killer can get abusive at times, but you can’t really relate him to Kara. He might be crazier than her, but Dad loves him to the point of his own lunacy.”

  “Then maybe he needs both Jade and Killer. Maybe he needs a mix of calm and crazy. And maybe both Jade and Killer need to realise that they have to share him to keep him.”

  “Do ya really think that? Cos I... Fuck, I can’t believe my old man gave up whoring for Jade and not Killer. Why would he do that, regardless of what he said ’bout punishing Killer? Killer wuzn’t always a hitman.”

  “Maybe your dad finally had enough of the whoring. He is getting on. What is he? Forty-two?”

  “Forty-six.”

  “Wow, he doesn’t look it, still, maybe he’s tired of whoring.”

  “He said he would keep doin’ it until the day he dies.”

  “It doesn’t look that way anymore. Speak to him. Ask him what he thinks.”

  I pulled out my phone and dialled his number, waiting a few seconds before he answered.

  “I can’t come back, Jade,” he said. “Please understand.”

  “It’s not Jade.”

  Dad swore. “Haven’t you done enough harm already without rubbing it in? I did what you wanted, now leave me be.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t charging Jade, that you actually wanted to be with him?”

  Silence answered me.

  “Do ya love him?”

  “No, I love Killer.”

  “Then why are you letting Jade think he has a chance with you?”

  “Cos he does have a chance.”

  “But you said you don’t love him.”

  “I could. He deserves to be loved.”

  “Fuck, is this really my dad talkin’? Cos it sure as fuck doesn’t sound like it.”

  “Don’t be a cunt, Dante. You made me be cruel to Jade. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like that when he’s been nuthin’ but nice to me.”

  “Is that why you’re with him? He’s nice. You don’t do nice. Not since Mum.”

  A choked sound came from the other end of the line, freezing me.

  “Are you crying?”

  “No.”

  I softened my voice. “It sure sounds like it,” I said, not believing my old man, the toughest cunt I knew was crying, the day turning into the Twilight Zone.

  “Why are you bein’ cruel?”

  “I’m not, I just wanna know what this is ’bout?”

  “I need Jade to look after me. He’s the only one who can do it.”

  “What the fuck, Dad? You can look after your own damn self instead of bludging offa Jade.
”

  “I won’t be able to after Monday.”

  “What the hell is so damn special ’bout Monday?”

  “I’ll be starting cancer treatment.”

  I went still. “What?”

  “I have lung cancer. The smokos finally caught up with me.” He breathed out, the sound raspy, making me wonder whether it was to do with the cancer. He had been coughing more of late. I’d just thought it was a cold.

  He continued, “It’s why I need someone to be there for me, sumpthin’ Killer’s incapable of doin’. I can’t deal with Killer’s emotional-roller coaster as well as the cancer.”

  “Does Killer know ’bout the cancer?” I asked, feeling like he was tearing my heart out.

  “No, and I don’t want him to. I wuz lucky they caught it early, so he doesn’t needa worry, so don’t tell him.”

  “What ’bout me, Dad?” I asked, my hand shaking. “You shoulda told me. I would’ve gone to the docs with you. I wanna go to the docs with you. You shouldn’t be alone.”

  “Jade went with me.”

  “I’m your son, I shoulda gone.”

  “You have your career to think of, a good woman, one I wuz wrong ’bout. She isn’t the paedo I thought she wuz. She loves you the way you should be loved, treats you like you should be treated. You concentrate on her and your boy, you don’t need me dragging you down.”

  “You sound like you’re sayin’ goodbye. Are you tellin’ me the truth ’bout the cancer? That they’ll fix you?”

  “Yes. They said I have more than a fighting chance, that the odds are stacked on my side, and it’s all thanks to Jade. I wouldn’t have gone to see the doc if it wuzn’t for him. He’s also payin’ for the best care there is, didn’t want me goin’ through the public system. He’s a lovely bloke, we’re lucky to have met him.”

  My hand continued to shake. “I wanna be there for you. Come back. You should live here, I want you to live here. We’ll all look after you once you get outta hospital. I’m also sorry for using Tyson against you. That wuz a cunt move. And I understand why you chose Jade over Killer now.”

  “Fuck,” Dad choked out. “I wanna choose Killer, I love that bastard, but I can’t handle his moods. He goes from callin’ me a worthless whore to clinging to me like I’m a god. The highs and lows are so extreme it’s emotionally exhausting. That’s why I need Jade. He never screams at me, yeah, he can baby me at times, but it’s damn nice to be looked after. I’ve never had anyone look after me before, not even your mother did that. I’ve always had to look after other people, no matter how shitty a job I did. And Jade doesn’t do shitty, he does first class and with a heavy dose of love. How can I turn that down? I’d be crazy to.”