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If I didn’t already dislike the son of a bitch, the tension in the room would’ve had me disliking him. However, it’s the look in Riley’s eyes when she turns to face me that tightens every muscle in my body.
“What are you doing here?” Eve asks her father with curiosity.
Riley’s still looking at me as if trying to assess my reaction to this unwelcome visitor.
“I—”
“Should introduce yourself when you’re in another man’s home,” I cut him off to say. I glare across the room.
His expression morphs from one of indifference when looking at Eve to a sly smile when he takes me in.
This motherfucker thinks I’m another one of his marks.
Idiot.
“I’m sorry. I thought Riley would’ve made the introductions.” He looks over at my wife, expectantly. “You know, since we’re family and all.”
“Don’t ask my wife to do shit you can do with your own mouth.”
Riley inhales sharply.
“Ohh, Kyle cursed. That’s another dollar in the swear jar.”
I look down at Eve, whose wide, hazel eyes are on me. The smile I give her is genuine.
“You’re still trying to take all of my money.”
She laughs. “You made a promise.” She points at the swear jar we’ve kept on the table next to the door for the past month. Riley set it up as a deterrent since I have a tendency to curse too much around Eve.
I pull out a twenty— the smallest bill I carry—from my wallet and stuff it into the jar.
“That’s too much,” Eve says.
I glare across the room at her father. “Leave it in. I have a feeling it’ll be put to good use before the end of the night.”
“Eve, go change out of your school uniform,” Riley finally says.
“Wallace Jr.,” the dickhead finally introduces. He has the nerve to extend his hand like I’m going to touch him. “Riley’s older brother.”
“And Eve’s father,” I add when he doesn’t.
“Yeah, that too. You’re Kyle Townsend, right? Nice to finally meet you.”
His hand is still extended.
I fold my arms across my chest and look him up and down. “Do you want to explain why my wife was looking uncomfortable when I walked in?”
He briefly looks over at Riley. I move to block his view of her.
He waves a dismissive hand. “That was nothing. Family stuff. I’m sure you know how that is.”
He laughs it off, and the sound makes me want to punch him.
“Wallace came for a visit,” Riley says. “Dinner’s almost done. We’re having spaghetti tonight.”
“I love spaghetti,” Eve declares, reappearing in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
While I usually change out of my suit for dinner, I don’t like the idea of leaving this scumbag alone for even a minute with Riley or Eve. Instead, I help Eve set up the table while I keep an eye on Wallace Jr. I don’t miss the way he eyes everything in the apartment, including me.
