“Then be certain they know at any time with anyone, if someone wants them to get in a car with a driver who’s inebriated, then they can call you to come and get them and there will be no recriminations.”

“My son doesn’t have a phone,” he told me. “Rule is, they gotta hit fourteen.”

“Maybe you should break your rule, Dad,” I said, giving him a weak grin and a weaker tease.

Mickey stared down at me, a muscle ticking in his cheek, unsurprisingly not ready to lighten the mood.

Then he growled, “Could strangle that bitch.”

I pushed even closer.

“I thought I’d scarred my own kids beyond healing, honey,” I told him. “And tonight my son came over of his own choice just to have dinner with his mom and watch TV. Proves you give them good, they’ll respond. You said it yourself, they’re not dumb. Yes, all this is terrible. But one day they’ll see how hard you worked to give them safe and healthy, and they’ll appreciate it. But you just giving them safe and healthy, you’ll get them through.”

Mickey again stared down at me for a while before he sighed, lifted his free hand, cupped the back of my head and pressed my cheek against his chest.

I wrapped my free arm around him and gave his hand in mine a squeeze.

I allowed us to stay that way for a bit before I pushed my head against his hand and looked up at him.

“Gotta get my guy a beer,” I said softly.

He didn’t respond except to bend his neck, touch his forehead to mine then he went in for a lip brush.

After that, he pulled away but kept hold of my hand.

We went inside. Mickey got a beer. We lazed on the couch while he drank it and we watched Letterman.

Then he closed down the house and silently, he guided me to his bed.

Chapter Nineteen

Flash

I sucked hard at Mickey’s thumb in my mouth and I did this so I wouldn’t pant.

It was very early the next morning.

We were in Mickey’s bed.

We were spooning.

Mickey had his face in my hair.

And I had my hips tilted, Mickey’s finger at my clit, and I was taking his cock.

Suddenly, his thrusts increased in power and velocity, the pressure of his finger magnified, and his mouth was at my ear.

“Fuckin’ get there, Amy,” he growled.

He was close.

But I was too, and his growl shivered down my neck, my shoulder, across my breasts, belly, then gathered between my legs, and with his cock and his finger, I sucked his thumb deep and went soaring.

“Thank fuck,” he gritted, buried his face in my neck, his cock deep and groaned against my skin.