Chapter 15 Grayden
FIFTEEN
Grayden
My palms drummed a beat against my steering wheel as I drove my truck toward home. I leaned back in my seat, singing along with the radio.
I was in a fantastic mood today, and nothing was going to get me down.
I’d driven out to Pine Creek, a nearby town, where another tattoo shop had been looking to sell some gently used studio furniture. I’d even stayed to chat with the artists there for a while.
Fine by me that they assumed I was a new transplant. Since they were in Pine Creek, they didn’t know my name or my face on sight.
After loading the couple items of furniture into the bed of my truck, I’d grabbed some food at a drive-through on the way back. A damn good morning, all in all.
I’d considered stopping at Silver Linings too for an espresso fix, but I still hadn’t been back there in weeks. Not after that disastrous night at Hearthstone with Piper and her son. I hadn’t seen Piper a single time since.
Aside from a few holiday get-togethers with Grace and Callum and their partners, I’d spent plenty of nights alone the last several weeks. Which wasn’t so bad.
Just meant more time to work. The sooner I could get myself established, the sooner I could prove to everyone I had a right to be here.
As I drove up the street toward my place, I spotted a Lexus halfway down the block. A much nicer car than I’d seen around here lately. Most of the other people in this neighborhood were far more humble, like me.
As Piper had said before, they had a live-and-let-live attitude, and nobody had made any trouble about me moving in here. Thank goodness for small favors.
Pulling into my driveway, I spotted Piper’s car parked right in front of the house, and anticipation started pumping through my veins like something heady and addictive.
She was here. She’d come to see me.
Maybe it was just landlord business. But I’d dropped off the first and last months’ check back in December, and I wasn’t due to pay next month’s rent just yet. Or maybe some neighbor had complained about me after all. Maybe I’d been too noisy on the nights I’d been working late on the house.
Or maybe, just maybe, Piper had been thinking of me as much as I’d been thinking of her.
Taking a steadying breath, I got out of the truck and started toward the house.
Glancing around, I didn’t see Piper anywhere. She’d probably already gone inside, and I didn’t mind. In fact, the idea of her seeing all the progress I’d made gave me a warm glow of pride.
As I neared the house, I caught my reflection in the front window and paused to check my hair. Ran my fingers through it like that would make any difference.
Ridiculous. I was acting like a teenager trying to impress a girl.
The moment I stepped through the front door, I heard a loud thump. Followed by raised voices. My mood shifted instantly, my muscles tensing as I listened.
That was Piper, and she sounded angry. And someone else who I didn’t recognize. A man.
Their words became clearer as my long strides took me near the bedrooms.
“You’re playing a little game, thinking you can outsmart me.”
“I don’t even know what box you’re talking about!”
“Liar.”
“Danny, stop—” Piper’s voice cut off abruptly.
I rounded the corner, stepping through the open doorway, and I saw them. A preppy looking guy had his hand on Piper’s throat as he pinned her against the wall. She stared at him with wide, frightened eyes.
Rage exploded in my chest, turning my vision to static, blood roaring in my ears.
Hell. No.
I crossed the room in two strides and ripped him away from her, throwing him back hard. He stumbled on the debris-strewn floor, his arms pinwheeling.
“Hey!” Danny caught himself before he toppled all the way to the ground.
“What. The fuck. Do you think you’re doing?” I growled.
So this was Ollie’s deadbeat father. Piper’s piece-of-shit ex.
I kept advancing, and he managed to stand up, squaring his shoulders in his green polo. “This is between me and my ex-wife. Stay out of it.”
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 my grasp, 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. Because I’m here 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.”
So he’d recognized me. That meant he knew about my manslaughter conviction, and at the moment, I was happy to play the bloodthirsty killer. I hardly cared what this guy had to say about me.
“Piper and Ollie are mine,” he hissed. “They always will be.”
“Hurt either of them again, and I’ll break every bone in your body. Now get the fuck out.”