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“What? A father can’t visit his son? Meet the girlfriend?” The smirk is almost enough to get his face rearranged. “But we already have history, don’t we, Sloan?”
“Careful, Bobby. She’s not in the mood for shit today. Neither am I.”
At least, I don’t think she is. But it’s weird that she still hasn’t spoken. It’s only when I glance down at her and see that she’s aiming a glare at my dad that could melt steel beams that I realize it’s because she’s every bit as angry as I am.
I know her well enough now to read her thoughts like they’re printed on a billboard.How dare you come into our home? Threaten our baby?
I’m not gonna lie—the fierce mama bear shit does things for me in a major way.
But unlike me, Bobby is oblivious. He’s still eyeing my fists. Too stupid to understand that I’m not the real threat in the room right now.
“You should leave,” she grinds out.
My dad laughs. “Getting brave now because you think your boyfriend will back you up?”
“I’ve always been brave. And, to your point, you’re the dumb fuck who thinks he won’t.” She smiles without an ounce of warmth in it. “So make your move,Bobby. See what happens.”
He says my name like a swear word. But Sloan says his like it’s the nastiest fucking slur ever spoken out loud.
“Feisty, this one.” He points at her then leans back in his chair and nods. “You gonna warn me away from my own family now? Seems to be the anthem of this house.”
“No, I’m not going to warn you. I think it’ll be a lot more fun to wait for you to try to come for us and then kill where you stand.” She tightens a fist around her fork. “I’m going to pay you your extortion money because that’s what my dad would want. But then you’re going to leave me alone. Meandmy baby. If your son wants to talk to you, that’s his bad choice. I won’t make the same one.”
She stands, walks to the foot of the staircase, then pauses and looks back. “You can say what you need to say to Beck and then see yourself out. And the next time you come here, it better be with a fucking invitation.”
I watch her for until she’s at the top of the stairs and disappears down the hallway.
“Well, I’ll be damned.” He laughs like he’s surprised. “I like her a lot more right now than I did when she was acting like a scared little kitten.”
I swear to the sun and moon and stars that if he keeps looking at her like that, I’ll kill him and wipe up the blood while I whistleOh Happy Day.
“If it wasn’t for me…” He shakes his head, smiling like a proud parent, then he looks up at me and reconsiders. “Never mind.”
“Why are you here?” I ask for the third time.
He shrugs and his posture relaxes. “Nostalgia. My boy is having a kid. I’m a proud soon-to-be grandpapa.”
Bullshit.Bobby Daniels cares only about Bobby Daniels. There’s not a familial gene in this fucker’s body.
Which means there’s another ulterior motive and I want to know what it is.
He sees me glowering and sighs. “You know, son, I think I just wanted to see how you’re doing for yourself. I saw the game. Heard about the suspension.”
If that’s true, it’s the most fatherly thing he’s ever done. Needless to say, I’m suspicious.
“So you came to try to talk me back into the family business.” I shake my head. “Not going to happen.”
I have the life I want. The one I spent all of my time dreaming about when I was a kid and my stomach was in actual pain because I was so hungry but I flinched when he hit me so I didn’t get supper.
“I built an empire.”
“You’re a criminal. Your enterprise iscriminal.”
His smile doesn’t fade. “And you’re nothing but a thug on figure skates.”
We glare at each other for a moment. It’s been years, but nothing has changed. He’s still the cruel bastard he was when I was a boy. I’m still the stubborn bastard he raised me to be.
The difference is, I’m not scared of him anymore.
