Chapter T.H.I.R.T.E.E.N

"Okay, what's the problem with you and Jeremy, and why are you giving him crappy jobs?" I asked once we got outside.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"I'm don't have a pro-"

"That's BS, and you know it!"

"Fine. A few weeks ago, he came to my house and forced himself onto chelsea. I walked in before he could do anything, but still. I want to kill the bastard but you'd be pissed at me, so I can't. So now I'm just making his life miserable instead."

"I'm going to kill him!" I said as I turned around to go inside, but Dominic grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Let go."

"No. Can't let you do that."

"And why the hel-"

"You can't for many reasons. First of all, there are a lot of witnesses. Second, Chelsea doesn't want people to know that she was almost raped and that she wasn't strong enough to defend herself. I wasn't even supposed to tell you. And third, you would be mad at me for letting you kill him."

"Okay. I won't say anything to anyone. So that was the job that went wrong?" I asked, referring to a month ago when Jeremy was almost beaten to death on a job that supposedly went sideways.

"Yeah, that was me. Then my mom found out she went over and did a number on him as well."

"Yeah, that makes sense. How about he does his job tomorrow and then you can come and help me. I originally wanted you to do his job because he didn't have a babysitter, but I will find one."

"I like that idea a lot better! My mom can come to your house after school and watch them. She was just saying how she needed to stop by and check on them." I nodded, then grabbed the collar of his jacket and smashed his lips onto mine. He smirked then grabbed under my butt, and set me down on the hood of his car. Reaching down, I grabbed his belt with one of my hands and brought his body against mine.

"I have to go." Dominic breathed when we came up for air.

"Okay - then leave," I said in between each case I planted on his neck. Moaning, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and brought his lips to mine. After another minute, he reluctantly pulled away groaning.

"Okay, now I really really need to go." He said as he pecked me on the lips quickly before opening his car door.

"See you tomorrow." I hollered, then went inside. Inside was unusually quiet, I couldn't even hear the TV going. Suddenly, Nico Jeff and Jeremy and the kids all jumped out from behind the couch and yelled,

"Boo!" They didn't scare me, but I pretended to be frightened for the kids.

"Oh! You guys scared me!" Leo fell to the floor laughing and clutching his belly while Olivia and Samantha high-fived Nico, Jeremy, and Jeff.

"Jeremy, can I talk to you for a sec?" He nodded, then followed me into my dad's office. When he came in, I slammed the door shut behind him.

"What's go-" he started to say something but I didn't let him finish, instead I kneed him in the groin. He bent down due to the blow, then I kneed him in the stomach, then I elbowed him in the kidneys.

"If you ever touch her again, I will kill you." I said evenly, but seriously, then I turned and stormed out, leaving him gasping for air on the floor.

"Where's Jeremy?" Nico asked when I returned without him.

"He's in the office. He'll be out in a second. He's a little... Preoccupied at the moment." Nico gave me a confused look but just strived. Laughing, I walked to the kitchen and put the pizza away. Jeff saw me, then came over to help, then continued playing with the kids.

"Thanks."I told Jeff once everything was put away.

"Don't mention it." He said while waving me off. Looking over, I saw that Jeremy was coming out of the office. You could tell that he was still in pain. He's lucky that's all I did.

"What's wrong? Nico asked. Apparently, he had noticed his face as well.

"Oh, the pizza isn't agreeing with me right now." Nico made an o shape with his mouth then went back to playing with the children who were hanging on him. After a few seconds, Nico's phone started to ring, so he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.

"Yeah?" He snapped into the phone as he went outside.

"Bailey, can you bring me over to the school so I can get my car? I need to get to the hospital." He asked when he came in. He looked panicked.

"Yeah, of course. Is your mom okay?"

"Yep, she is right now, but our insurance only covers her care and not the treatment that she's doing, so the doctors are refusing to give her any medical treatment until we pay for it." Nico's mother had a condition called lupus. This particular flare-up was pretty bad. She constantly had to be on oxygen and would often have seizures. She had been in and out of the hospital for 2 years now, and his father started drinking when his wife was first diagnosed, so as a result, he practically lived at our house.

"How much?"

"Too much." He replied sullenly.

"Nico, how much?"

"Ten grand."They started to try an experimental drug, and it seemed to be helping her symptoms. The only problem was that their insurance didn't cover it.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner, Nico?" I said rhetorically as I ran upstairs before he could protest. Sighing, I went to over to my closet and punched in the ten digit code into the keypad to open the wall, So I could get to my weapons and my money, which were hidden in it. I grabbed my gun from the holster on my back and put it away, then I punched six more digits into a different keypad, which opened up the safe. It had thousands of dollars in it, and I pulled out 10,000$. I had money in different envelopes, which each had 5,000, so it didn't take me very long to grab. I shut the safe with the money, then hit the close button, and the weapons disappeared back into the wall. Then I pulled my shirts together so you couldn't see the keypad that was showing.

Perfect!

"Here you go, Nico." I handed him the money as I walked into the kitchen.

"Bailey, I can't -"

"Take it, Nico." I replied sternly.

"Thanks, Bailey. I'll pay you back." He said finally, when he realized that I wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Don't worry about it. Consider it your early birthday present."

"I fight at the gym Dom owns. They had a championship last year, and the grand prize is 15,000. Don't tell anyone, though. My Dad would kill me if he found out. And definitely don't tell Damon. He would definitely blackmail me." I told Jeff when I noticed his face. I think that was believable enough. I mean, I did do that competition, and I did win in the female section, but the money was long spent, and my Dad knew about it. He was in the competition too.

"My lips are sealed."

"Good." I said as I laughed.

"Oh, Bailey, Jeff said he will take me." Nico said when I reached for my keys.

"Okay, you sure? I really don't mind," I said as I turned to Jeff.

"Yeah, I will. I have to go home soon anyway and it's right next to the school."

"Okay. Thanks for coming. Sorry it was so crazy."

"It was fun. Thanks for having me. I just smiled. Nico came up and gave me a hug, which I quickly returned.

"Love you, Bailey."

"Love you too." I hollered back at Nico as they walked out the door. Sighing, I turned around and went to go pick out a movie for the kids to watch, but Jeremy was already a step ahead of me. He had laid out all the blankets, and they were all lying quietly on them. [That was fast.] Samantha was already asleep, and the other two weren't far behind.

"Good night, guys." Jeremy whispered as he joined me in the kitchen. I walked over and grabbed a bottle of vodka from the fridge and grabbed two shot glasses. Next, I felt them and pushed one towards Jeremy.

"I don't drink anymore." I shrugged then drank his as well as mine.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Chelsea." He whispered quietly, then he turned and went outside. Sighing, I poured myself one more drink, drank it, checked on the kids, and followed him outside. Jeremy was leaning against the railing of the porch, with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Mind if I join you?" He shook his head. Sighing, I grabbed his cigarette and took a blow, then put it back in between his fingers.

"Just don't let it happen again, okay?"

"It won't." I nodded, then turned on my heel to go inside, but he grabbed my arm.

"Don't go."

"Okay, I won't." And with that, he smiled and pulled me into him for a hug.