Page 7 of Her Defiant Warrior

“You’re kidding me, right?” Jase looked over at his brother. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?”

Malik sighed. “You try arguing with fourteen, fifteen- and sixteen-year-old girls when their mother is on their side. You can’t win.”

“But look at how she’s dressed,” Jase said again. He looked over at his fifteen-year-old niece and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The shiny green dress Maryanne wore went midway up her thighs and only covered one shoulder. The only saving grace was that she was wearing it with flat sneakers and not a pair of hooker heels.

“There is no way that Dad would have let any of our sisters leave the house looking like that,” Jase said with confidence.

“You’re right, he wouldn’t. That’s why all our sisters said they were spending the night with their girlfriends and carried duffle bags with their dresses, make-up, and heels inside. The way I see it, Dad didn’t know where they were going, what they were doing, or who they were doing it with. Remember?”

“Fuck yeah. How often were you, me, Renzo, and Bruno following them around, making sure that nobody took advantage of them? It seemed like a full-time job. Especially with Angelica.”

Malik snorted in his beer.

“Yeah, she was a wild one,” he agreed. “Still is, if even a quarter of what the tabloids say is true.”

“It’s not,” Jase assured Malik. “Angelica might be on the wild side, but she’s not stupid.” He gave his brother a sideways look. “Don’t change the subject. So, your philosophy is that you’d prefer knowing up front how they’re dressed and what they’re up to, instead of them doing it behind your back?”

“Absolutely,” Malik nodded. “Plus, I have an ace in the hole. Jenny is daddy’s little girl,” he said, referring to his youngest daughter. “I can always take her out for an ice cream sundae and she’ll end up spilling her guts. If there’s something I wasn’t privy to, then Jenny will fill me in.”

Jase nodded. “I like it. Why’s Farah okay with how they’re dressed?” Jase asked, referring to Malik’s wife.

“Same thing as me. You gotta remember, we were wild and in love back in the day. We’re trying to be open and honest with the girls so they don’t fall into the same situation we did.”

Jase squeezed his brother’s shoulder.

“You and Farah were meant to be together. Even back then, when you got her pregnant, I knew that you two were going to make it.”

“Thank God Mom and Dad did too. To this day, I’m still pissed at how Farah’s parents treated her.”

“Yeah, but you got over it for the girls.”

“Nope, never got over it. I just put on a good face. They hurt Farah too deeply, for too long for me to be over it. They’re good with the girls, so I’ll put up with them, but the day they pull any shit with my daughters? They won’t believe the wrath that will come down upon their heads.”

Jase grinned. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

“How about you? Aren’t you sick of being single by now?” Malik asked.

Before he had to answer, Maryanne giggled, left her posse, and headed their way.

“Hi Dad, hi Uncle Jase.” She hugged her dad, then she hugged Jase and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re too pretty for words,” Jase complimented his niece.

The blush that tinted her warm brown complexion only made her prettier.

“Thanks, Uncle Jase.”

“So, what are you doing, looking so good tonight?”

“There’s a dance after Halsey High’s football game. Johnny asked me to go to it. I’m going with a bunch of other couples.”

“How many other couples? How are you getting there? When are you getting home?”

She looked over at Malik. “He’s worse than you are. Actually, he’s even worse than Penny’s dad,” she giggled. She gave Jase a sly smile. “I can’t wait until you have daughters. You’re going to be ancient and have no idea what’s going on.”

Malik snorted and gave him a smirk.

Asshole.