Family Matters

Chapter 10

*A Few Days Later*

"Finish your veggies then you can have more chocolate milk." Ellie said to Poe as they sat in a booth, far in the back of their favorite local restaurant, having dinner.

"They make my mouth dry," she whined.

"You are too smart," Ellie sighed. "Two more carrots then a sip. Okay?"

"Okay!" She beamed excitedly. "Mama, are you home now?"

"For a little bit," Ellie assured her. "I think we're going to leave California. Would you want to move somewhere? Anywhere?"

She chewed quietly, her legs swinging as she thought over her options. "Can we go to where Peppa Pig lives?"

"Oh," Elle huffed. "I don't know where Peppa Pig lives besides she's a cartoon. She's not real."

She nodded and her lips turned into a deep frown. "Peppa has a daddy, she has a grandma and grandpa and a great big family. Can we go to a place and find a family?"

Ellie choked back a sob. "Poe, we have a family. Me, you and Aunt Debbie, Gramma and Pop at the farm too."

"So we're gonna leave them?" She pouted smart enough to put the pieces together.

"We'll make friends," Ellie tried to sound positive. "It'll be fun."

Poe didn't say much more. She finished her dinner and the two shared dessert before Ellie loaded Poe into the car and headed home.

After a few games and a movie, Ellie gave Poe a bath before putting her to bed for the night. Obsessively, she locked the girl's door and quickly removed any trace of her from the living room. Ellie always had to be prepared for an unexpected visit from anyone.

She sat at her desk and checked out real estate prices throughout the country, a glass of scotch in hand, when someone knocked at the door. Her heart jumped from her chest as she shot to her feet.

"Hello?" She was wary, the doorman usually didn't allow people to roam the building, but not overly considering Bastian was in London.

"Ellie," Juice knocked again. "It's just me."

"Who's me?" She asked buying time to check for any clues of Poe's existence.

"Juice," he huffed.

Opening the door she smiled and let him into the apartment without hesitation. "What are you doing here?"

"I just uhh," he shrugged. "I needed to go for a drive. Thought I'd check in on you. Hap said you've been MIA."

Ellie rolled her eyes and grabbed her drink before perching on the edge of the coffee table. "Few days isn't MIA."

"You said you were staying the week."

"Are you here for Hap? Was that whole needed a drive an excuse?"

His cheeks were puffy, Ellie could tell he was upset but she didn't comment on it. "I did need a drive, had to clear my head, thought we both needed a friend."

"I don't have friends," she scoffed. "What's bothering you, Juice?"

"You ever question shit?"

She drew her head back and laughed. "Vague much?"

"Who you are, your loyalties," his hands trembled as he spoke.

"Loyalties?" She moved from the table to the couch and sat beside him. "Did you do something?"

"No," he sighed. "I'm just questioning shit. You never did that?"

"Every damn day," she admitted. "I'm currently questioning the last four years."

He nodded, trying to hide his tear-filled eyes. "The guy Rory's after?"

"She has a name," Ellie scoffed. "Fuck her. This has shit all to do with her. I knew Bastian was a criminal from jump. How do you think we met?"

"I don't know," he laughed a little. "Not like your into the same kind of crimes."

"I was watching a mark, she smirked. "I saw him and...got distracted. His guys thought I was following him, didn't trust me at all, but he knew I wasn't after him. We ended up on an actual date, only guy to ever take me out on a proper date, he didn't try to sleep with me that night either. He was such a gentleman, a charmer. We've been together, in some way, ever since."

"That's a love story for the ages," Juice joked.

"Shut up," she elbowed him. "So what are you questioning?"

"I made a mistake and it's making me question everything. I don't know how to make it right." His chin quivered as he looked at her. "I'm kind of scared."

"What happened?" She leaned closer to him and grabbed his hand. "Are you in danger? Is Happy?"

"Nah," he laughed. "It's personal. Family."

"You can trust me, as long as it's not going to hurt my brother I don't give a shit."

Juice smiled and nodded, believing her wholeheartedly, but he couldn't tell her. He had to find a way out of it, or that's what he told himself.

"Mama?" Poe called out, pulling on the door of her room. "Mama, I'm thirsty."

Ellie inhaled sharply, her eyes darting toward the hall, as Poe made her existence known to Juice. "Uhh, did you hear that?" He asked when Ellie didn't acknowledge Poe immediately. "You really can't tell me you didn't."

"I did," she sighed. "I'll be right back." Sneaking away, she unlocked the door and hoisted Poe up on her hip. "What are you doing up?"

"I was thirsty," she said in a sleepy voice.

"One drink and back to bed," Ellie said as she stepped into Juice's view. She refused to look at him despite feeling his eyes on her as she poured Poe a glass of water.

"Thank you, Mama," she said after gulping it down. Poe looked over to see Juice, noticing him in her preifereal vision, and waved excitedly. "Hi. I'm Poe. I'm three!"

"Hey Poe," Juice said awkwardly. "I'm Juice, I'm a lot older than three."

Ellie didn't say anything. She rushed Poe back to bed before facing Juice. "You have a kid?"

"Please don't tell Happy," she pleaded. "No one knows about her. I'm trying to hide her from Bastian. I never wanted her in that life, in his family, but I couldn't leave. I love him. I really do. I just thought it was his family," she babbled so quickly Juice barley kept up. "Even if I left," she shook her head, "He's keep popping up. I swear I didn't know how bad he was. I didn't know, I really didn't."

"Whoa," Juice approached her but Ellie stepped away. "Calm down. It's alright. I'm not judging, we all do what we gotta do."

"Please don't tell him," she begged again.

Juice sighed, "I won't but you should."

"I will," Ellie promised. "I just have to handle Bastian first."

Knowing that was a dangerous move, but certain she was far too distraught to discuss anything clearly, Juice just nodded. Again, as he tried to hug her she stepped away and blindly slapped at him.

"I don't need that shit," but she did. Infect, if Ellie needed anything it was a person like Juice, kind and gentle, a good man, but it was so foreign to her she couldn't allow it.

"Okay, but I could sure as hell use it."

She relaxed, her shoulders slumping, and nodded, opening her arms to him. "Don't tell anyone, about Poe, about our talk, about Bastian or this goddamn hug. I will just not yet."

Juice smiled into her hair and wrapped his muscular arms tightly around her. "I won't say anything. I promise.