“This is Megan's friend, Parker. She's come back to us.”
“Oh, baby, I'm so glad you're finally going to get the help you need.” Meg's ma slipped past me, hung over her, and kissed her on the forehead.
Finally, she looked up, staring into my eyes. The chick must've been in her fifties, but she'd aged well. I could see the resemblance in her chestnut hair and high cheeks. She must've been a total fucking knockout in her heyday, a perfect trophy for a rich businessman.
“Parker, huh?” she sniffed. “And how do you know my Megan?”
“He's the man I'm moving in with, Mom. I love him.”
The old lady's jaw dropped. I would've laughed if it wasn't for the bison stampede in my head, the aftershock of that motherfucker slamming his rock into my skull hours ago.
“You. Can't. Be. Serious.” Her mother pulled away from her, folding her arms.
“I am. Like I tried to tell Daddy over the phone, this man is the missing piece of the last six months of my life. He's the only reason I'm home, and not chained up in some dark, musty basement, being forced to service a man who wanted to buy me from my pimp.”
The color drained outta her ma's face. Hubby stood up and took her hand, pulling her onto his lap so she wouldn't fall.
“Megan, please, we don't need to talk about all that. We've rehashed it enough with the police.” Her father looked up angrily. “The detective, mind you, who I lied to repeatedly for you. Apparently, that wasn't good enough. You've still decided to throw your own family under the bus to protect this – this biker.”
Fuck this shit. I stood up, feeling hot blood rushing to my face, listening to the heavy chair squeak across their perfectly polished tile.
“We done here yet?” I growled.
Meg looked at me, her eyes big and pleading. Then she turned her gaze on her parents, and it was a lot more ruthless.
“You really don't get it, do you? I'd be dead, if not worse, right now, if it wasn't for Skin. Parker. Go ahead, call him whatever you want. Treat him like trash.” She reached out, took my hand, and jerked it against her cheek, brushing against me like a kitten. “It doesn't change the fact that he saved my life, or that we're in love. And nothing's ever going to change it.”
Damn if her touch didn't smolder the fuse inside me. It always did. This woman's skin was magic against mine, and I could almost forgive the haughty fucks who'd raised her.
“But it doesn't change the fact that you'd be making my funeral arrangements right now if he hadn't gotten me away from that whorehouse. If you want, I'll leave this house with him, and you'll never see me again. Keep the rest of my trust, I don't care. There's just one more favor I'm after – we're here tonight because he's taken a terrible blow to the head. You're both decent people, even if you don't like my man. I have to believe you'll give me my own money one more time to help the man who's kept me breathing.”
“We'll have to discuss this privately,” her dad snapped. “Here, sit tight, let me get you some water, dear.”
Just as he sat her mother down in the chair and got up, she grabbed his hand, as if she'd been struck by lightning. “Don't. Eric, she's right. I believe her. Whatever she said before, I know our baby's only with us now because of this man. We can't just kick him out and leave him to suffer.”
The whole damned world froze over in my woman's eyes, and melted like a steaming glacier. She nodded softly, gratitude on her lips.
“Thank you. Somebody finally understands.”
“All right, all right,” her dad growled at last, giving me a sharp look. “Parker, Skin, whoever you are, I don't know if I'll ever be happy about this situation you've created with my daughter, but I'll listen to the women in my life. I'm going to go downstairs and get the account information so my little girl can get you checked out.”
“I appreciate it. Whatever the hell I look like to you, I take good care of her. That's never, ever gonna change.” I said it like I was swearing on my life, ignoring the sirens in my head, calling me to look her daddy dead in his eyes.
“I need your word on that.” He stepped closer, flattening his hands on the table, accepting the challenge in my eyes. “Because if I ever find out she's gotten hurt thanks to you, I know what club you belong to. I'll have the National Guard out there dismembering it.”
“Save the fucking call to the Governor,” I said. “I'll die before I ever let anything happen to this woman.”
“He's telling you the truth,” Meg said, running her hand gingerly through my hair. “Please, guys, can't we put the egos on hold until he's better? I promise we can work this through. He's saved me more times than I can count, and now it's my turn to return the favor.”