No way.
“No,” I replied and Mace’s eyes sliced to me. I knew he was ticked, hel , even if I just met him, the look on his face would tel me he was ticked so I quickly explained, “No one fucks with my man.”
Mace drew in a breath but some of the anger slid from his face.
Then he started, “Stel a –”
“No, Mace. Your Dad is a dick and he’s not gonna be a dick to you without me at your back.” Then before Mace could reply, I turned to Preston and stated, “We’ve had a really, really good day and those have been few and far between lately so say what you have to say and then get out so we can forget you exist and get on with making it a real y, really good night.”
Juno woofed her agreement to my invitation and Preston’s lip curled at my insinuation.
“Wel ?” I prompted when Preston didn’t speak and I walked to Mace then didn’t give him a choice as I burrowed a shoulder under his armpit so he had to wrap his arm around me. When he did this, I wrapped one arm around his back and rested my other hand on his abs.
his back and rested my other hand on his abs.
Preston studied us and his lip stayed curled.
Then he replied, “I assume you’re not going to offer me a drink.”
Total y a dick.
“Sure, I’l offer you a drink,” I told him. “If you’re here to apologize to Mace for being The Supreme Asshole of Al Time, beg his forgiveness and promise to dedicate al your energies to philanthropic work from today until the day you die. No, if you’re here to continue to be a dick.” Preston looked at his son. “Seriously, Kai, is this your choice?” he asked, throwing a hand out to me.
Mace’s body went rock-solid.
Oh shit.
“Moving on!” I declared quickly then to Preston, “Say your piece and go.”
Preston looked back at me. “Fine, Stel a, but I advise you not to be here when I say my piece, as you so eloquently put it.”
I opened my mouth to speak but didn’t get a word out.
“Your cracks at Stel a end right fuckin’ now,” Mace growled, Preston’s eyes went to his son and so did mine and I knew Mace pretty wel , I loved him and I hoped to spend the rest of my life with him but that didn’t mean his look wasn’t real y freaking scary.
That said, it was also hot and he was pissed on my behalf so it also felt real y freaking good.
I turned my eyes back to Preston, trying hard not to smirk only to see he had entered a staring contest with Mace.
This went on awhile.
This went on awhile.
Considering father and son clearly had a life edict that included “never say die” I lost patience and snapped, “Seriously! Let’s get on with this.”
Preston’s eyes slid to me, his jaw got hard then he looked back at Mace.
“I think you know you’re treading on thin ice,” he announced.
“I do?” Mace asked.
“Don’t be stupid, Kai,” Preston whispered. “You never were before, except once and it ended in tragedy, don’t do it again.”
If Mace’s body was rock-solid before, it was marble now but I didn’t real y notice since my vision exploded in sparks of red and I instantly decided I was done. I didn’t know why he was there. I didn’t know why Mace al owed him to come up.
And, at that moment, I also didn’t effing care.
“Get out of my house,” I hissed and Preston looked to me.
“You don’t –” he began.
“Get… the fuck… out… of my house! ” I bit out.
“The receptionist at his place of business dealt drugs,” Preston informed me.
“Get out of my house,” I kind of repeated.
“Her nephew, Kai’s col eague, was in business with her,” Preston went on.
Real y?
Darius?
Yikes.
Oh wel . Past tense. If it didn’t bother Mace (which obviously it didn’t), it didn’t bother me.
And anyway, Darius was cool.
“Get out of my house,” I repeated again.
Preston continued, “His organization was involved in a clandestine operation which culminated in an officer employed by the Denver Police Department discharging a weapon and wounding a man, something that has never been reported to the police.”
Oh dear. That probably wasn’t good and it was probably worse Preston knew about it.
I powered through my worry and again demanded, “Get out of my house.”
“His employer is on retainer with Marcus Sloan, shady dealings with a man who is not shady but entirely criminal, running guns and peddling flesh.”
Yikes again!
Marcus ran guns and peddled flesh?
Whoa.
Preston wasn’t done. “And the wife of one of his co-workers filed fraudulent reports with Child Protective Services in order to place two runaways with a known felon.”
Wel , at least I knew about that one.
I quit repeating myself and just glared at him.
Preston held my glare and stated, “Routinely, a man in Lee Nightingale’s employ performs il egal hacks not only on private accounts but also on local, state and federal government sites.”