Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
EMMETT
Following multiple loops walking around Billie’s block, I climbed into my car outside her building and blasted David Bowie on the radio, anything to distract my mind from thoughts of forcing my way into her apartment and pinning that fucker against a wall.
The look on Tucker’s face when he clapped eyes on Billie … I wanted to smack that smirk straight from his mouth.
When my phone buzzes on the passenger seat, I snatch it up and hit Accept on Billie’s contact.
“Hey,” I rush out, turning the volume down on “Heroes,” the rain having thankfully stopped.
If my adrenaline wasn’t already at an all-time high, the sound of Billie’s soft sobs sends it rocketing.
“He just left, so you’re free to come back. If you want to.”
How could she think that I’d want to be anywhere else than by her side?
“What happened, Bill?” I try to keep my tone light but fail, burning hatred toward her ex infiltrating my voice.
Another soft sob before she swallows thickly, forcing down a show of vulnerability, like always. “We can talk when you get here.”
I’m already out of my car and halfway across the road.
Tucker pushes open the outside door, and I catch it above his head. He isn’t a small guy, but I tower above him.
The second he notices me, contempt fills his eyes.
This prick doesn’t deserve to inhale the same air as Billie and Blake, never mind have the chance to fuck up the best thing that ever happened to him.
Grabbing the handle, he attempts to shut the door—and consequently me out of the building.
Planted firmly in my palm, the door doesn’t even budge, and Tucker huffs out a frustrated breath.
I stare down at him, a smile born from anger tugging at my lips. I scarcely lose my shit, but for him? I’ll go nuclear on his ass the first chance I get.
Although I don’t know much about him or his background, Tucker Price is everything I hate about certain members of society.
Entitlement drips from him, as does a misplaced sense of superiority.
I’m sure his rich parents instilled that kind of gross attitude in him, and I’ll be only too happy to be the one to bring him crashing down to reality with a few truths of my own.
Billie shouldn’t take him back. Ever.
My stomach knots because I know that her choice about who she dates really isn’t my call to make. She’s her own strong woman, and that’s precisely why I’m falling in love with her.
“You can leave the door since I’m headed up to see Billie.”
He tries again to slam it shut.
“Who the fuck are you anyway?” he spits, finally relenting and letting go of the door handle.
“Billie’s friend,” is all I offer, still grinning at him from ear to ear.
He rolls his eyes at that, just as I’d expect him to do whenever he doesn’t get his own way. “Don’t you think it’s a little strange to be ‘besties’ ”—he air-quotes the word with his hands—“with someone half your age?”
I look confused on his behalf. “Don’t you think it’s a little weird how much you care?”
He stalls for a second. “I am when a creep I barely know is about to visit my daughter.”
I blow out a laugh, genuinely entertained by the nerve of this asshole. “I’d say he just left, wouldn’t you?”
When Tucker narrows his eyes at me, I let him see a side to my personality that rarely comes out to play. Over my thirty-five years, I’ve learned that getting mad is never as productive as getting even. But Tucker Price is the type of person who works in simple terms.
When I step forward, the bill of my baseball crap presses into his forehead as I drop my gaze to his.
“What the fuck did you say to Billie up there?”
His satisfied expression corroborates my initial assumptions—he’s a cocky prick who thinks way too much of himself.
“I told her to come back to Austin with me so we can make a go of things. Just the three of us.”
Panic shoots through me, although I do a good job of hiding it, steely eyes never faltering. “Given that you’re leaving alone, I’m assuming that didn’t go over too well.”
He lifts a shoulder, casually checking out his surroundings. “She’s thinking about it for sure. I mean, who would want to live in a hole like this?” He fakes an apologetic wince. “Shit. Sorry, man. I guess you must live around here too.”
Just as I suspected earlier, Tucker has no idea who I am.
Scrubbing a hand over my jaw, I know that the best thing to do would be to head upstairs and be with my girl.
And that’s exactly what I’ll do, right after I annihilate this son of a bitch.
“You’re right,” I say, nodding my head at the silver DB5 I bought in England last year. I paid over five-hundred thousand pounds for it, and even though I know Tucker’s only interest is himself, money comes a close second in the race for his heart. “I live around a twenty-minute drive from here.”
Tucker stares open-mouthed at my car.
I hate making any kind of financial flex, but I’ll be damned if he thinks Billie and Blake would ever have to worry about money in his absence.
“Are there any more inaccurate observations you’d like to make, or are we done here?” I speak again, pulling his attention back to me.
He shakes his head, eyes wide, like he’s seen a ghost. “No. I think we’re done here.”
Alpha pride fills my chest—an emotion that only seems to surface when Billie and Blake are concerned.
Getting right in his face, I drop my voice to a growl.
“Oh, best believe we’re fucking done here, Tucker.
And you should be grateful about that too …
” I edge even closer until he can feel, as well as hear, every word I’m about to say.
“Because if I had my way and you weren’t Blake’s biological father, then you wouldn’t have eyes to appreciate my Aston Martin or the way I’m going to make your incredible ex-girlfriend fall in love with me. ”
Attempting to intimidate me, Tucker grinds his molars.
Aww, cute.
“I don’t know how to break this to you, but Billie just referred to you as a friend when I asked her if you two were dating.”
I shrug, unsurprised by her response since, right now, that’s the truth. “And? I’m taking it slow with her since she just got out of a toxic relationship with an asshole. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
He hates my response, and I love that he does.
“Who the fuck are you?”
Reaching up, I pull on the bill of my Blades cap. “Tell me you don’t watch hockey without telling me you don’t watch hockey.”
He bursts out laughing. “Now the money and flashy car all make sense. Billie must think that all her gold-digger dreams have come true.”
My hand wraps around his throat, lifting him from the ground with ease. If anyone catches sight of this, I’ll likely be put on waivers by the team. Not that I care.
“The only person who struck gold was you when you bagged a stunning girl who was way out of your league.”
Tucker tries to pry my fingers from his throat, but they aren’t going anywhere, not until I’m done with him.
“So, let me make this really clear since you obviously struggle with taking a hint.”
His eyes are blown wide, and his hands are flailing about like a fish dangling on the end of a line.
“Grow the fuck up, Tucker. Step up and be a father, or back out of Billie and Blake’s life altogether. Either way, I’m not going anywhere, and neither is any word about this little interaction between us … is it?”
He gives me a quick headshake.
“Good.”
When I drop him back to his feet, he clutches his throat.
“You’re fucking crazy!” he spits.
I smile at thoughts of holding Billie in my arms in the next couple of minutes.
“I’m not crazy, Tucker. Crazy would be walking away from a beautiful daughter. I’m simply a guy who will do anything for the people he cares about … you should definitely try it, too, sometime.”
“Your team would probably have something to say about the way you just assaulted me.”
Pulling out my phone, I scroll for Billie’s contact, typing out a quick text to let her know that I’m on my way up. I step over the threshold and turn back to him.
“You’re a senior in college and hoping to go to law school, right?”
He gives me a tight nod, eyes darting about anxiously.
“Pretty sure getting a girl knocked up and then refusing to take responsibility wouldn’t go over too well in your desired line of work.”
He puffs out his chest. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll inherit my parents’ practice.”
Of course he fucking will.
Pulling up my social media profile, I show him the screen, just so he can get a clear idea of who I am and the level of influence—or destruction—I can have.
“Let’s not start flexing muscles, Tucker.”
He clears his throat.
I have zero intention of actually going through with the following offer, but the idea is too funny to pass up. I point across at my car. “Do you need a ride back to the airport, or are you good with the bus?”
Heat spreads across his cheeks. “I’m good.”
“Great.” I thumb over my shoulder. “So, while it was really great catching up with you, I’m going to go spend some time with Billie and Blake now.” I shoot him one last sarcastic grin. “If you catch the next flight to Austin, you might make it back in time for Mommy’s curfew.”