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The man leaned to the side and smiled at Dani. Suddenly she realized who he was—Adam’s dad!
“Hello, pretty girl. I’m Richard, Adam’s dad.”
Adam snarled loudly and shoved Richard away. “Don’t talk to her. Get the fuck off my property.”
“Son, son,” he said, putting his hands up in defense. “There’s no need for violence. I came to wish you congratulations on your engagement.”
Adam froze, and then a lethal growl rumbled in his chest. “Get lost.”
Richard said, “Maybe I can talk to your fiancée. Maybe she’s more reasonable than you.”
“We’re not engaged, we’re mated,” Dani said.
Adam glanced back at her. His face was bright red, his fangs were elongated, and his eyes shimmered with the amber of his beast. He turned his attention back to his father and took a menacing step toward him.
“Oh, I’m sorry, son. I didn’t mean to spoil things.”
“How the fuck do you even know anything about me or my mate?”
Richard wrung his hands. “I have a friend at the bank, and he told me that you took out a large chunk of change and that you were heading to a jewelry store. Only one reason a fellow goes to a jewelry store.”
Dani’s mouth fell open. Adam was going to ask her to marry him? Despite the weird circumstances, she couldn’t help but be excited.
“You need to get gone. Now,” Adam said sternly.
Richard coughed and rubbed at his neck. “You see, the thing is that I need some money. If you’ve got enough to buy a big rock for your girl, you can spare some for your old man, right? I did give you a roof over your head for eighteen years, not that you’ve ever said thank you.”
Dani’s mouth fell open again, but for an entirely different reason. She stood up, rubbing her aching elbow, and put her hand on Adam’s shoulder. “Leave and never come back,” she said firmly. “My mate told you to go, and I don’t want to have to explain to the police why you’re dead if you stick around.”
“I’m in trouble,” he said, whining.
“Not my problem,” Adam said. He guided Dani back into the truck and slammed the door with enough force to make the vehicle rock on its tires. “You don’t talk to my mate and you don’t ever come back here. You’re dead to me, and I won’t hesitate to make that literal if you show up again.”
Richard stared at Adam for a long moment and then trudged away to a beater car idling at the curb. Adam stared at the car until it pulled away and the taillights faded into the darkness. He seemed frozen in time, a murderous glare in his eyes and his lips pressed into a tight, white line.
Eventually he moved, joining her in the truck and turning on the engine.
“Adam,” she said.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel as he stared out the windshield. “I never wanted you to meet him.”
She opened her mouth to say something reassuring, but no words came. Closing it again, she leaned against his shoulder. His muscles were tight, and she could see that his knuckles were pale.
“He can’t seem to stop ruining things in my life.”
“What’s ruined?”
“Come on, Dani. You heard what he said.”
“I’m trying to pretend I didn’t,” she said, smiling hopefully.
He chuckled mirthlessly. “Thanks for trying.”
“We can skip dinner if you’re not feeling up to being social.”
He shook his head adamantly. “No. If we stay home, then I’m not going to get a chance to do what I’d planned, plus I’ll just be wallowing in anger at him.”
“Okay. No more wallowing, then.”
