13. Pez
Pez
I stiffened as I watched Daphne’s ex and the woman he had betrayed her with walk through the door.
He walked in looking around, his smirk seemingly saying that he found the place lacking.
I knew I was going to dislike the asshole.
I just didn’t know it would be this much.
I’ve met a lot of assholes in my life, but this one might be the biggest I’ve ever encountered.
“Camila, come hug your father,” he says, standing by the sofa, acting like a fucking king.
Cammie looked back at me, her bottom lip wobbling. “Do I have to?” she asks me softly.
I hug her tightly, wanting to tell her no, but knowing that I really can’t. Fuck, this sucks. “I?—”
Before I can finish what I’m about to say, Dane barks at her. “Camila Rose Morrison, get your ass over here right now. I’m your father, not him.”
Cammie’s little body jerks as if someone has slapped her. Then I feel her quaking in my arms. I pull her into me without thought, feeling her wet tears slide down on my arm. “Let’s bring it down a notch. You’re scaring her,” I murmur, sliding my hand through Cammie’s hair, trying to calm her.
“Who are you? That’s my daughter. You have no right to tell me anything when it comes to her.
” He walks over and stands in front of me.
He reaches out and wraps his hand around Cammie’s arm.
Cammie cries out in pain and my own hand shoots out to grab his wrist, squeezing it tightly as I pull it away from his daughter.
“You need to watch how you handle Cammie. You do not put your hands on her in anger, I don’t care who in the hell you are,” I growl quietly, my voice cold, and my body vibrating with anger that I want to take out on this asshole—but know I can’t.
“What’s going on?” Daphne asks. I look at her, turning so Cammie is as far away from this fuck-wad as I can manage.
He and his bitch are staring at Daphne too.
My eyes catch Sabre’s and there’s a fire in them that should scare the hell out of the man in front of me, but he’s either too stupid to understand the danger he’s in—or too cocky.
“Is this how you spend your time Daphne? Turning my own flesh and blood against me,” the asshole huffs.
“What are you talking about?” she asks, walking over towards me.
“And why does our daughter look terrified?” When she gets to me, she reaches out her hand to Cammie.
“Come here, Pixie,” she whispers, automatically using the nickname that I gave Cammie.
I shouldn’t like that as much as I do, but I can’t help it.
“Want Pez,” she mumbles into my side.
Daphne’s gaze goes to mine. Then, the strangest thing happens. I expected her to pick Cammie up anyway, to take her from my arms. Instead, she places her hand on my shoulder. It feels like a claim, and I like it way more than I should.
“You tell me! I asked her to come give her dad a hug and this man wouldn’t let her. He’s purposely trying to make her afraid to be near me.”
“I don’t need to do sh?—”
“Eli,” Daphne warns at once, “remember, small ears.”
“I don’t need to do bupkis , buddy. You scared her all on your own. If you always put your hands on her like you just did, I don’t blame her for being scared.”
“You put your hands on our daughter?” Daphne gasps.
“I didn’t. I was just trying to get her out of his hands. Who is this asshole anyway, Daphne? If this is the kind of man you intend to introduce our daughter to, I may need to ask for sole custody,” he taunts.
“Eli is family,” she says, and I know she’s claiming me but it’s damn painful.
“Great, more of your dad’s thugs. Is that what you’re aiming for now that I’m moving on? Becoming a biker whore?”
Daphne doesn’t blink. She brings her hand back and rings the fucker’s jaws. He shoves her and she falls back against the wall. I stand up with Cammie, just as Sabre lets out a snarl and marches over and pulls this dipstick away from Daphne. I hand Cammie over to Daphne and move to backup Sabre.
“Daphne! Call them off. This is ridiculous. You’re being such a jealous bitch and all because Dane is happy with me and we’re going to have a baby.”
“Lady, you need to shut your damn mouth,” I growl.
“I think it’s time you leave, dickhead,” Sabre says, his voice deceptively mild. He looks over at a still crying Cammie and winks at her. “Papaw is just going to send your daddy home, and then I’m going to talk Mommy into letting you open one of your gifts.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Get your hands off of me. Do you have any idea who I am? I will make you pay for this. I know every judge in this town. I’ll have you locked up before the sun goes down tonight.”
“Let’s go pretty boy,” Sabre says, and I follow him as Sabre frog-marches him out. I do it with a grin on my face. Dane has no idea the leverage he just gave Eagle. I’m enjoying just the thought of it.
“You know, whatever you think of Daphne, she’s not worth going to jail for.
A man like you shouldn’t be with a woman who is not only clueless, but utterly boring,” Serena says, putting her hand on my arm while leaning into me.
I assume she’s trying to give me a view of her tits.
She probably thinks it’s seductive. All I find myself wondering is if once they escape from her tight-as-hell dress, they will bounce up and blacken both her eyes from the force of it.
I shake her hand off and look at Daphne’s ex with a smirk.
“Get your woman under control and make sure she knows never to touch me again,” I growl at Dane.
“Tell Daphne that she can expect to hear from my lawyers. Today bought her a hell of a lot of trouble. I’ll call in every favor I have and bury her!”
“Get out,” Sabre snarls, shoving the man toward his car.
“If I ever see you put your hands on my granddaughter or daughter like that again?—”
I clap my hand down on Sabre’s shoulder. “You should leave now, Morrison. We’ll see which lawyer is in contact first,” I goad.
It takes them a couple of minutes, but they get in their car and drive off.
“Let’s get the surveillance coverage from the cameras here and the ones in Daphne’s house and get them over to Eagle,” I tell him.
Sabre looks shocked for a minute and then gives me a satisfied smile. “You put cameras in and around Daphne’s house?”
“You better fucking believe it,” I confirm.
He slaps me on the back and lets out a laugh. “That’s fucking fantastic,” he adds. “I can’t wait until that piece of shit realizes what a shitstorm he created today.”
“Yeah. I want to look at Cammie’s arm too.
I’m pretty sure the bastard bruised it. We might need to take her to the doctor to have it documented,” I add, wishing like hell that I was in a position where I could be the one to take Dane Morrison down.
I want to make sure Daphne and Cammie are safe, and as long as this asshole is in a place with some power, no one is safe.
I’m not planning on stopping until I make that happen.