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“Mackenzie,” Stan practically spat in greeting, but the rage in his eyes really fired up when he looked at me. He didn’t even bother to say anything to me before addressing her again. “Did you really think I wouldn’t realize what you’ve done?”
I tensed. “Stan,” I warned, my eyes flicking to Jake who’d looked up at his dad.
“Your mom got married just to take you away from me—from your home,” Stan said, firing the words out like they’d been stuck in the chamber for days.
“Stan, please—”
Jake’s lip started to quiver. “Dad…”
Fucker.
“I saved her life, and now she married a complete stranger just to destroy our family,” Stan drove on, his scathing tone blistering with hatred. “Your mom’s been lying to you this whole time, behaving just as selfishly as she did before, thinking only of herself—selling herself to the highest bidder—”
“Enough,” I growled murderously and put myself between him and them.
It was a miracle I didn’t hit him. He deserved far worse, but Jake didn’t. Jake didn’t deserve any of this, especially the manipulative father he was stuck with.
“Jake, this guy doesn’t care about you or your mom,” Stan continued, redirecting his barbs to me, taunting me right to my face. “He’s pretending to care—being paid for it.”
The way he said paid made his accusation clear.
“One more word about my wife, and I’ll leave you without a tongue.”
It was easy to see Stan waiting to let his hatred loose. He’d bottled it up and saved it for today when he could accuse us right in front of his eight-year-old son. The judge could let Jake weigh in on where he wanted to live—whohe wanted to live with, and that was what Stan wanted; he wanted to give Jake every reason to pick him over Kenzie.
“Is that a threat?”
“A promise,” I swore.
“Zeke…”
I turned immediately at the small voice, finding Jake staring up at me, his tiny brows furrowing together and tears in his eyes. Kenzie held him to her, his back pressed to her legs and her arms draped over his front.
I bent so he could only see me, not his asshole father.
“Jake, I married your mom because I’m in love with her. Because she’s incredible and kind and caring—”
“And beautiful,” he added exuberantly, causing Kenzie’s cheeks to heat.
“And beautiful,” I agreed with a smile. “And I don’t want to take you from anything, I just want to be a part of your family.”
“Bullshit—”
“Kenz, why don’t you take Jake down to the water?” I suggested and stood, meeting her stare before I turned and faced Stan.
The rest of my conversation with Jake would have to wait until Stan wasn’t around. Until then, I’d go toe-to-toe with the asshole all damn day if it spared Kenzie and gave her the afternoon with Jake.
“You want to go see the ocean?” she asked Jake softly.
He must’ve nodded because I heard their footsteps shuffle away through the sand a moment later.
“She’s not going to take away my son.” He was so damn smug, smiling right through his declaration.
“That’s up to the judge to decide.” I metered my words.
The way his smile grew gave me chills. Once again, that knot in my gut tightened and made me feel like I was missing something.
Stan stepped closer to me like he was untouchable. “Considering how all she does is harm herself and those around her, I think it will be a pretty easy decision for him to make.”
