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“You think that was time well spent? Well, your client didn’t think so. You’re in the pleasing business, son. And on that note, he’s refused to pay you.”
John scoffed. “Excuse me, what?”
Dad shrugged. “He’s refused to pay you. Which I agree with.”
I narrowed my eyes. “We saw the job through. That money belongs to my men. They earned it, and they will see you.”
Dad hissed so hard he spat on my face. “You earned nothing. Now, get the fuck out of my house before I have the mind to balance out your bruises.”
As I stared my father down, every single scenario of how to kill him ran through my mind. How quickly I could draw my gun since he wasn’t packing anything but a knife in his pocket. How I could wrap my hands around his throat and close off his ability to breathe. Oh, the pleasure I’d get from watching the life drain from his eyes. Effort well spent, if I did say so myself. Then again, it would be poetic justice to turn my own father’s knife on him and slit his throat. Covering his untouched manuscripts on the bookshelves with his own blood. My father had a hard-on for old books. His collection around the house of art and books and sculptures was worth at least forty million dollars.
What I wouldn't give to destroy it all in front of his eyes before watching him die at my feet.
“Come on, Max. Let’s go.”
I felt John tugging on me and I let him move me away from our father. Because out of all the times I had envisioned that man’s death, I’d never quite craved his blood on my hands the way I did in that moment.
“Do your job better,” Dad said.
John gripped me tighter. “He’s not worth it.”
“And teach your men how to protect better.”
My brother groaned. “Shut up, Dad.”
“What did you just say to me?”
Dad raced out from around his desk and I leapt into action. There was no way in hell I was letting him take on my brother. The man who almost gave his damn life to protect this club. A man that would never get on a fucking bike again because of what he did. Because of the situation my father put us in.
The second he charged John
, I fisted his suit with one hand. I held him back, watching his anger boil over as spittle flew from his lips.
“Get off my property now. Both of you. And if either of you ever come in this house again, I’ll have you both shot on sight. Both of you!”
I shoved Dad back and watched him stumble on his feet. Bodyguards popped seemingly out of nowhere and surrounded us, their guns drawn. I grinned as I held up my hands, backing toward my brother, who was already limping on his cane out the study door.
“Nice to know you’d kill your crippled son, Ashton.”
And with a wink to my father, I turned my back on him.
Something no one but myself ever had the guts to do.
19
Dani
The ten-hour drive back to campus was excruciating. But I broke it up with naps on the side of the road and pit stops to pick up my favorite snacks. With my phone plugged into the auxiliary adapter of my SUV, I listened to the lectures of the past couple of weeks. I had sunken down to a point where I had to record them now. Because I was almost guaranteed to miss something. So, as I munched on sour patch kids and chugged down green tea, I listened to my professors talk at me through the speakers of my car.
For ten solid hours.
It was a great reinforcer of knowledge. Of the things I needed to know for fall midterms. I had to crawl through those before I could even think about Thanksgiving. And with how distracted I had been lately, I needed all the help I could get. Wanting to get back to campus as quickly as I could, I decided to get reckless and go eight miles an hour over the speed limit instead of only five. I wanted to get settled back into the groove of things.
And hopefully catch a glimpse of Max.
I didn’t even try to fight it any longer. If the memory of him was going to haunt me, then I needed a way to embrace it. I mean, I hadn’t seen him since that night anyway, the night he came stumbling in, all beat up and grazed with bullets. The night of that kiss, where he picked me up as if I weighed nothing and kissed me as if I were the only girl left on the planet.
My lips still sizzled at the memory.
