Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 659(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
“Yes, remember me? Your oldest daughter? The one whose house you’re standing in?”
He grunted.
She went on, “The one whose decisions you might not agree with but should respect, anyway? Just like I have to do with yours?”
“Don’t like it,” Magnum grumbled.
“Then don’t date a cop,” she suggested with a shrug.
“Datin’?” he exploded.
Oh shit. “We’re not dating,” she scrambled to explain. “We’re f—” she swallowed that down and replaced it with, “friends.”
His eyes narrowed on her.
She tipped her head in response. “Now, I don’t tell you who you can be friends with, do I? And you know why I don’t? Because I mind my own damn business.”
“You’re my business.” He jerked his chin in the direction Devyn and Keenan went. “Those boys are my business.”
“While I appreciate you looking out for us, this is not it, Dad.” She tugged at his arm again. “Come with me.” She glanced at Nox, standing with his boots slightly apart, his hands curled at his side and his knees loose.
Just in case.
“You stay here,” she told him. She mouthed, “Please.”
His jaw tightened but he gave her a stiff nod.
“I won’t be long,” she assured him.
“Take your time. I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
That last part wasn’t to assure her, it was to stick it to Magnum.
Nice. Didn’t he realize he was playing with fire by fucking with him? Or did he not care?
“Let’s go, Dad,” she urged.
This time her father moved. Luckily. Since it would be impossible for her to move his bulk on her own if he dug in his heels.
“Came to see the boys.”
“Bullshit. You came to stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“Bullshit,” he echoed.
She stopped dead in the hallway. “Really.”
“Yeah.”
She pointed toward the front door. “Let’s go outside.”
“Not ready to leave.”
“I can drop the boys off this weekend if you want to spend time with them so badly.”
He grabbed her chin and met her eyes. “Maybe I wanna spend time with you, too.”
Some of her annoyance dissipated. “Then we’ll plan a dinner or something. Tonight is not the night.”
“‘Cause you got him here.”
“Yes, because I have Nox here.”
His nostrils flared. “He ain’t for you, Liyah.”
“I didn’t know you had the right to decide that, Dad. You do remember I’m grown, right?”
“Still my baby girl.”
“I’m thirty-nine. Your grandson will be considered a damn adult in three years.”
“Not liking this.”
“You’ve registered your formal complaint, so now can I get back to my evening plans?”
“You ain’t knockin’ boots with him later, right? Not with the boys here.”
She grimaced. “Can we have this discussion outside?”
“You wanna have it outside? Gonna have it outside. But we’re gonna fuckin’ have it.” He spun on his boot heel and strode toward the door.
She made sure the door was closed behind them after following him outside.
As soon as they hit the driveway, he spun on her. “You ain’t doin’ him with my grandsons here, are you?”
When the hell did he become the morality police? Coming from Magnum that was laughable. “No, I’ll just wait for when they’re staying over at your house.”
She lifted a hand before the man exploded. She knew she shouldn’t poke the grumpy grizzly but her annoyance was back in full force.
Apparently so was his, when he boomed, “You already made that fuckin’ mistake once.”
“Keep your voice down,” she hissed. “The neighborhood doesn’t need to know our business. And Mark was not a mistake! Jason was.”
“Him, too.”
“You better not be telling Devyn that me marrying his father was a mistake. You aren’t, are you?” When her father didn’t answer, she leaned in, locked eyes with him and demanded, “Are you?”
She waited for him to look away because if he did, she’d have her answer. Thankfully, he didn’t. “Ain’t sayin’ shit.”
“Good. Please don’t. You never met him and have no right to judge.”
“He was a pig. All I gotta know.”
She sighed. “And you’re pig-headed.”
“Ain’t gonna argue that.”
Liyah shrugged. “Because you can’t.”
“If you’re lonely, Romeo’s interested,” Magnum suggested.
She rolled her eyes. “As you well know, Romeo is interested in anyone with tits and at least one hole to fuck.”
Magnum’s head snapped back. “Better than a fuckin’ pig!”
“I don’t know, is he?” Liyah raised her eyebrows at him. “You’d rather me hook my wagon to a man who can’t keep his dick in his pants? Do you want a man like that helping raise my children? Your grandchildren?”
A muscle jumped in her father’s cheek.
“I didn’t think so. Now, I’m sure Cait’s wondering where you are.” She raised up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his smooth cheek. “Thank you for stopping by and thank you for caring. I love you, Dad, but you don’t have a say in who I see.”
“Don’t like it.”
“I know.”
With a grunt, he shook his head and started toward his Harley.
She made sure her tone was sugary sweet when she called out, “Have a nice night, Dad. I’ll let the boys know you said goodbye and that you love them and can’t wait to see them again soon. Oh, and give my love to Cait.”