Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
Grayden
After I said goodbye to Piper, I didn’t head home. Did you really think I was going to leave her to face Danny on her own? No way.
But I didn’t want to cause problems for her either. So I would have to stay out of sight.
My truck drove along Main half a block behind her as she walked toward the park. Another car’s headlights appeared behind me, probably wanting to drive faster than a crawl.
I sped up a bit and found a parking space that still allowed a view of Piper’s blond head and wool coat.
She’d just walked into the park. Though it was dark out, there were plenty of streetlights to show her standing beside a picnic table.
Within a couple of minutes, Danny and Ollie came up the sidewalk to meet her.
As they talked, I could read the tightness in Piper’s shoulders from all the way over here. My hand squeezed repeatedly into a fist as I watched.
Then Piper and Ollie walked away from him, heading toward home. Danny went in the other direction.
I let out an exhale. Good. Hadn’t expected any more foolishness from Danny tonight. Still a relief to see Piper and Ollie safe and leaving his vicinity.
Piper wasn’t really mine, despite the line we’d crossed at her coffee shop. But it felt right to be watching over them all the same.
My gaze drifted over to Danny’s sandy-brown hair. He reached his Lexus, which was parked across the street from me, and got in.
His headlights flared to life, and he drove off.
Don’t do it, O’Neal, I thought.
Why did I even bother lecturing myself when I so rarely listened?
I pulled out of my parking spot, made a U-turn, and started following him.
Danny quickly left the Silver Ridge town center and took the highway. There weren’t many other cars out.
I stayed back far enough he wouldn’t spot the make and model of my truck, in case he might recognize it.
About fifteen minutes later, Danny pulled into the gravel lot of a nondescript dive bar. One of a thousand, probably, that dotted Hart County. I pulled in after him, parking as Danny went inside the bar.
For a good five minutes, I stayed there in my truck. Tapping my steering wheel and weighing the option of just driving away.
Then I went inside after him.
The place was wood-paneled and dark, lit by green-glass light fixtures. Billiard balls clacked, and a hockey game played on a TV while country music played from another speaker.
A couple of heads glanced my way, but they lost interest fast. Between my scruffy grooming habits and battered work boots, I looked like I belonged here.
Unlike Danny Carmichael. I found him sitting at a booth with a beer in front of him and his nose in his phone.
“You’re late,” he said, as I slid into the bench seat across from him.
Then he glanced up and his tanned face went pale.
“Expecting someone else?” I asked.
He glanced around. “What the hell are you doing here, O’Neal?”
I spread my hands. “I was hoping we could have a civil, polite conversation. Unlike the last time we met.”
“Civil and polite? Doesn’t sound like you.”
“Doesn’t sound like you either. We’ll just have to do our best.”
He took a swig of his beer and thumped it down on the table, all tough and macho. “You going to tell me to stay away from my own kid again? Like you have any fucking right?”
Over the years, between my military service and my prison sentence, I’d seen all kinds of men put on shows like this. Trying to assert their dominance. Officers, grunts. Rich guys and poor ones. Guards and inmates alike.
It wasn’t the superficial display that mattered. It was the mettle underneath, and in my experience, the quieter ones were usually the most committed and least afraid.
Danny was scared to death of me.
Was I a bad person for enjoying it?
“Look,” I said softly, “I’m just a friend of Piper’s. Just renting a house from her. You and I had a confrontation last week, and it got out of hand.”
“Damn right it did.” A few other people glanced over at his shrill tone.
“So I’m here to de-escalate the situation. If you’re pissed off at me, that’s fine. I get it. I just want to make sure you aren’t going to take that out on Piper or Ollie.”
Danny leaned back, sneering like he thought he had the upper hand. “Maybe you should be more worried about yourself. Heard you had a surprise visit at your place today. From the cops?”
My jaw tensed, and the vein at my temple pulsed. But I kept my calm. “Did you have something to do with that?”
“You can’t prove anything. But let’s say I did. It should serve as a warning. You claim to be Piper’s protector, but it would be so fucking easy to take you down and send you back behind bars. You’re nothing.”
I laughed to myself, my temper cooling. His insults didn’t bother me. My own brother had said worse.
But I still wanted him to leave Piper alone. For her, I was in the mood to play nice. Carrot instead of stick.
“Okay,” I said. “You’re right. I’m nothing much. I’ll forget about any break-ins at my place or inconveniences those may have caused. If you’ll agree to go back to how things were before, when you stayed gone. We both know you don’t actually care about your son.”
“Fuck you.”
“What is it you really want?”
His eyes narrowed, but with interest instead of offense this time.
“I want what I was looking for. The jewelry box that belonged to Piper’s mother. It was in that house, and Piper didn’t want it. She wants nothing to do with her mom, so why should she care? And I promise, there’s nothing of value to you in there either.”
“But it’s valuable to you?”
“I’m the only one who knows how to make use of it. So don’t even try.”
This mysterious jewelry box did pique my curiosity. But that was irrelevant, because I was fairly certain it was gone.
Also, it belonged to Piper, not him.
“I have no idea where that box is. Couldn’t give it to you even if I wanted.”
“Then how about this. Two hundred thousand, and I’ll leave Piper and Ollie alone for good.”
I blinked at him for several seconds, long enough for those words to sink in. “Two hundred thousand dollars. For Piper and Ollie.”
Danny put his elbows on the table, hunching forward.
“Obviously you don’t have that kinda money.
But your sister Grace does. Or rather, her boyfriend.
Dane Knightly probably has 200k in one of his slush accounts as we speak.
He’s the type to pay for problems to go away.
Pay me off, and I’ll never see Piper or Ollie again. You can have them.”
Darkness feathered at the edges of my vision. I placed my hands flat on the tabletop. Weighing my next words.
“It’s bad enough you lost Piper. I’d almost feel sorry for you if I didn’t know it was completely and utterly your fault. You had the most beautiful, intelligent, passionate woman and you fucked it all up.”
“Piper’s always been a whore, and she always will be.”
I slammed my fists onto the table, making the whole booth rattle. Heads turned again. Danny’s face flushed red, but I wasn’t finished.
“But for you to talk about your son that way? Like he’s a thing to be bought and sold? You’re pathetic. I’m usually too cynical to believe in karma. But I sure as hell hope it’s real, because when it comes for you, you’re going to wind up a smear under someone’s boot.”
“Is that a threat?”
“You’re not even worth it.” I pushed out of the booth and walked away.
The door to my truck slammed shut behind me, testing the old hinges.
My fist wanted to hammer the dashboard, but that would just risk bruising my knuckles and breaking my poor old Dodge.
Fucking Danny Carmichael.
I’d met some worthless pieces of shit in my life, but he was gunning for first prize.
Danny didn’t come out of the bar, and I didn’t see anyone else go in while I sat there.
Who was Danny supposed to meet tonight? Had the person stood him up? Or seen me and taken off?
I wasn’t even sure if it mattered. Either way, I wasn’t sticking around here any longer.
But instead of driving out to my place, where I belonged, I drove to Piper’s.
Her street was dark and quiet, despite how close it was to Main. Dim light shone through the front blinds of her place.
I pulled out my phone, remembering I’d asked her to text earlier.
Piper
We’re home.
What about you?
Yoo-hoo, helloooo? Grayden O’Neal, where are you? So you fool around with a girl and then ghost her? Harsh
Me
Sorry. Had something to take care of
Something more important than texting me?
Not really. Just got distracted. Glad you’re home safe. Ollie had a nice time at dinner?
Nice enough. He’s excited about the trip with Callum tomorrow
There was a pause while I debated what to write back. Then Piper wrote again.
Maybe I’ll see you this weekend? Another day pass?
With a groan, I dropped my head back against the head rest.
Did I want to spend time with Piper while she was alone all weekend? Fuck yes. I wanted that. My cock definitely wanted that.
But was it a good idea?
I knew how hot we would be together. I’d seen more than enough evidence of that at Silver Linings tonight. Piper using me to take her pleasure, the sweet, desperate sounds she’d made. Of course I longed for a repeat of that.
But I was at a crossroads with her. If this kept going, I wouldn’t be able to help falling for her.
I’d made that stupid quip about benefits when I wanted all of her.
The smart play would be to take a step back from Piper’s life. That way, if she had to go to court to deal with Danny, he couldn’t use my past against her. I would never be the reason she got hurt.
I had to stay strong. Do the right thing.
I’m not sure about my plans.
OK. We can play it by ear then
Sweet dreams, okay? Have a good night
With that, I forced myself to drive away.