Hey, Daddy (Semyonov Bratva Book 2)

I pray that I don’t go through whatever makes y’all drink unsweet tea.

—Haze to his parents

HAZE

“Haze Hopkins, as I live and breathe.”

I grinned as I held out my hand for my old coworker, Mackey Haynes.

“Hell, man. How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while,” I said as we shook hands.

I didn’t bother to call him on his misuse of the idiom.

It was pointless.

“Doin’ good. Got a new wife and a baby on the way.” He paused. “I’m actually here right now because my house has been infested with women, and I needed a break. Her mom and sisters are down, and they’re a little much.”

Mackey was a woman-phobe.

I was surprised to hear he’d gotten married last year, but miracles did happen.

“That’s good to hear, congratulations,” I said.

I’d always wanted children of my own, but it’d never happened for me.

First it was because my life had been utterly devoted to the Marines.

Then I dove headfirst into retired life by signing on as a Fort Worth Police Officer.

It’d only been in the last year that I’d decided that I needed a change of pace—and less bullshit to deal with—so I’d moved to a detective position, which was a lot different than the patrol division that I’d been in for nearly my entire career.

Sure, opportunities had always been awarded to me, but I’d loved the fact that I was never sitting still with the division. Oh, and I wasn’t responsible for other people.

I’d had that enough in the Marines, and let’s just say I was a very independent person and hated having to tell someone what to do.

There was only so much of the rat race I could handle.

Being a detective was a lot more challenging, but I found that I didn’t really have the drive anymore.

In the beginning, I’d loved my job.

Now…I was just tired.

I was tired of the grind.

I was tired of the thankless work.

I was tired of the justice system.

I was tired of everything that the police department life had to offer.

I’d actually had a really shit day and decided that maybe I needed to take some time off to adjust my attitude.

I’d been hoping for a break from reality, but it seemed like life wasn’t going to give me that because for the next thirty minutes, I’d stood behind my stool with my foot on the peg and drank my beer standing up talking shop.

Mackey was a good guy and all, but he never knew how to read the room.

Or the person, so to speak.

A laugh had me glancing over my shoulder at the booth seating behind me, and my body stiffened.

Because, right behind where I was standing, the most beautiful woman in the world sat laughing about something.

Her head of black hair that cascaded down her back, and she had the most beautiful laugh I’d ever heard.

She reached up and wiped her eyes free of tears, then turned.

That’s when our eyes met, and I felt my entire world shift on its axis.noveldrama

I was a forty-year-old man, and I could confidently say that I’d never felt this kind of guttural reaction in my life when it came to a woman.

Attraction, yes.

Need and want, double yes.

But this?

No.

Yet there I was, experiencing it.

I felt like a teenager as I stopped what I was doing and turned around to lean on the bar, giving myself a better view.

My elbows rested on the bar behind me, the beer dangling from between two fingers, one of which was curled around the rim.

“You even listenin’ to me?” I heard Mackey ask.

“No,” I admitted.

He laughed. “She’s pretty hot.”

I hated that I had an irrational surge of jealousy hit me at his words.

It shouldn’t matter.

I shouldn’t care what he had to say.

Yet, I did.

“I gotta go anyway,” he said. “My woman will kill me if I’m gone for too long.”

“See ya,” I said.

He chuckled, and I heard it fade away but didn’t take my stare off the woman who was now blushing furiously and trying to look anywhere but at me.

The two women at the table with her kept looking from me to their companion and back.

If I had to guess, they were sisters. They all looked a lot alike, despite their hair colors not matching. One of the women in the booth with my mystery woman had golden blonde curls. The other woman had that same blonde hair, but it was straight.

Two of them had the same eyes, though.

Hazel.

All of them had the same facial structure. The same curves.

They were about the same height, too.

At least, from what I could tell with them sitting down.

The first curly-haired blonde stood up and all but yanked her straight-haired sister out of the booth on the opposite side, and the two of them dashed toward the bathroom.

I didn’t watch them go, because I was busy staring at the lone occupant of the booth.

I didn’t make my move, though.

I was an observer.

Plus, I kind of wanted to see if she had the courage to get up and walk over to me.

She didn’t.

The two women came back from the bathroom, and they both wore a disappointed look when they realized I wasn’t at their booth and she hadn’t gone over to see me.

They talked some more and got up to leave.

The disappointment inside of my chest was immediate when I saw them gather their things.

When I went to take a step toward them, my phone rang, reminding me that I was on call tonight.

Goddammit.

I answered it and threw a twenty down onto the bar for the bartender, who gave me a nod in thanks.

I left with the phone to my ear, getting the details of the most recent murder in Fort Worth.

Fucking awesome.

I refused to admit how much disappointment I felt in having to leave without making a move.

But such was life.