I could do this for them. I could keep it together.
"This is because of the Croatians. Because of you," I stated evenly, watching the color drain from his face. "And I don't care what you have to do, but you're paying them back."
"The...they...found you?" he blabbered.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
The wicked laugh that snaked its way out of Dex let me know he thought my dad was just as full of shit as I did. "You wanna play stupid? I'll play stupid with you. What'dyouthink? You'd take their money and nothin' would happen?"
My father's eyes slashed over in Dex's direction, his mouth pulled tight in aggression. "Shut your trap, kid."
"Kid?" He was outraged.
Kid? Dex? Did he need glasses?
"Yeah, kid. I been bustin' people up longer than you been alive, don't come up to me, trying to be a bad ass. I'll beat it out of you," Curt snapped.
Dex barked out a laugh. "Old man, you mighthavebeen doin' it for longer than me but that don't mean I won't wipe the floor with you. At least I fight my battles with my own two hands insteadoflettin' my blood get it beat out of 'em for me."
"You piece of trash—"
And... I was done.
Done.
What did it say about me that I was willing to throw away the thread-like connection with my father for a man I loved? Nothing. Because ultimately, it didn't matter. I'd throw away more.
My stretched out palm met with my father's chest as I pushed him back with more force than was necessary.
His hazel eyes flared, more in response to the moment and the conversation with Dex than with me. At least that's what I could assume. I pointed a finger at my father and shook my head, watching as his eyes drifted the length of my arm until they came in contact with the silver-white scarring my sleeveless racerback left open for everyone to see. See it, he did, and it only reinforced my words and my mood.
"Don't say a word to him. Not a single friggin' word. In the last month, Sonny's gotten the crap beat out of him. I got assaulted at my job, and I've been asked to become some douche bag's mistress. All because of you. You owe me, and trust me, you don't want me to start with the million and one things I've dealt with because of you before this year."
He opened his mouth to argue with me. His eyes going from my arm to Dex's face above mine.
"Don't," I insisted. "Just don't."
"He's a Widow, Rissy!" my dad yelled, completely oblivious to the fact we were standing outside of a cheap motel with dozens of other people.
That's where he was going with this?
"He's mine," I enunciated slowly. "And my business stopped being your business when you left."
I couldn't have slapped him any harder. And my inner jerk couldn't have been more pleased by the stripe of pain and humiliation that blazed across his face.
"Yeah," I taunted him. "Exactly."
Where had all of this ugliness bubbled up from?
"I didn't think..." he stammered. "They came after you?"
I didn't even bother with an answer, settling for a brisk nod.
My dad lifted both of his hands up, running them over the short trimmed hair on his head. "Jesus." He shook his head. "I never thought—"
Dex's body heat seared my back as he stepped forward, into me. He braced his hands on the doorframe, caging me. "You never cared. Don't mistake bein' a dick for bein' an idiot."
He bristled, his mouth poised to argue or talk shit back to the younger man.
