Glancing back at Piper, I saw her coughing and rubbing her neck. He’d hurt her.
Don’t be stupid, O’Neal, I told myself.You need to calm down.
But all the work I’d done over the years to quell my temper were no match for this feeling. He’d hurt Piper, so I would make him pay.
I grabbed Danny by the front of his polo shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall, holding him there. “You think you can put your hands on her?” My voice was rough and dangerously quiet. “You think you can come into this house and threaten her?”
“Let go of me.”
“Like you did, when she asked you to stop?”
My fingers clamped onto his throat and squeezed. His face was turning red, his breath coming in short gasps. I could feel his pulse hammering against my palm, could see the fear starting to creep into his eyes.
Good. He should be afraid.
“You don’t know what’s going on,” he choked out.
“I know plenty. I know you’re a coward who doesn’t take care of his own kid. And you just assaulted the mother of your child.”
Each word came out harder than the last. I was struggling to keep my righteous anger in check, to not do something I’d regret.
To not be the person most of Silver Ridge already thought I was.
“Grayden.” Piper’s hoarse voice cut through the fury clouding my mind. “That’s enough. You need to stop.”
I looked back at her. She stood by my shoulder, chin up and gaze steady. And that was what I needed for reason and logic to take over.
I released Danny and stepped back. He doubled over, sputtering, one hand clutching his throat.
“Are you okay?” I murmured to Piper. “Say the word and I’ll call the police. We’ll report his ass.”
Bringing the authorities into this situation was far from my preference. I’d have serious questions to answer about roughing up her ex.
But I didn’t care about that right now. Only about what Piper needed.
She shook her head. “I just want him gone.”
My fingers brushed her wrist, the barest touch. “Then I’ll take care of it. Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.”
Piper nodded, eyes glassy. I grabbed hold of Danny shirt again and shoved him toward the door. He tripped over his feet the first few steps, but then let me march him out of the hallway and toward the front door.
When we were almost there, Danny yanked himself out of mygrasp, spinning to face me. “You’re a dumbass if you believe everything she says. I’m not the problem here.”
This joker was treading on my last frayed nerve. “Stay away from Piper and Ollie.”
“You’ve got no right to tell me that. I can see my kid whenever I want.” He sneered. “You’re sleeping with her, I’m guessing? Piper’s been a lying slut since I met her, and she’s?—”
I took a menacing step toward him, pulling back my fist. He backed up, reaching for the front door handle.
“I’ve known plenty of men like you,” I said. “Only brave when you’re terrorizing someone you think is weaker. But your days of hurting Piper are over. BecauseI’mhere now. And I won’t fucking stand for it.”
Danny’s glare was pure hatred. “I know who you are, asshole. You grew up in this trash neighborhood just like Piper did. Even your own family doesn’t want you here. She’s scraping the gutter by getting involved with you.”
“That supposed to hurt my feelings?”
“I can destroy you if I want, O’Neal.”
“Go ahead and try.”
