Page 100 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 4

“Bullshit. Dad made sure I was. Taught me exactly how to take a punch and return it double-fold. And if anyone lays a single finger on Emily or Maisie, I’ll do what I have to do.”

“You are not the law.” I growled under my breath.

He recoiled at those words, likely remembering how his father claimed to be the law all the time. Look where that got him. Serving life in prison and likely becoming some inmate’s bitch. Served him right.

“Like I said, I’ll do what I have to do to protect what’s mine,” Zach crossed his arms over one another defensively.

“Emily is not yours,” I said as calmly as I could muster.

“One day she will be.” And on that note, he stormed out the back patio door all teenage angst. “I’ll be in my room,” he said as he slammed the door.

Rhodes left Mom and came over to my side. “That boy has a lot of anger coiled in him even with regular therapy visits. It still doesn’t take much to set him off. I can see why he’d react the way he did, especially since he’s made it no secret he is enamored with my daughter. But he’s going about it the wrong way,” he sighed.

“Can you maybe, talk to him? Try to show him a better path to channel his anger?” I asked.

He nodded. “I talked to Buddy about this the other day. He thinks we should get him into boxing or some form of mixed martial arts. Put a heavyweight bag in the gym, sign him up for some classes or a league.”

I closed my eyes. “I hate the idea of him using his fists for a hobby though,” I said, not saying what I truly feared, that he’d end up like Damon one day.

“That’s why he has to channel it. He lived in that house with that man for fifteen years. Using his fists is his first go-to. We need to teach him a healthy way to do what he’s already good at.”

“Mom?” I knew it was technically her decision, but she’d been deferring to me and Rhodes on anything involving the kids since they got here. It’s like the woman I remembered had been beaten down so badly she didn’t know what was right or wrong, healthy for the kids, or what even was good for her. But she was learning, and I’d do everything I could to help her transition into being the mom those kids needed. The mom I needed.

“I have to agree with Rhodes,” she wiped at her teary eyes. “Zach was taught to use his fists to solve a conflict. It’s his default, just like it was Damon’s. Finding a positive outlet for that could be the best bet.”

I nodded. “Okay, I trust you.” I lifted my head and Rhodes planted a kiss on my lips.

“I’ll go talk to him. You’ll sort out Emily?” Rhodes clarified.

I waved my hand. “She’s easy.”

“Just for the record, I can’t say I’m mad about Zach protecting our girl like that.” He grinned.

“Rhodes, don’t you dare encourage him. He already thinks he’s going to marry her one day. You want the kids getting hitched right outta high school?”

“She despises him.” He frowned. “Doesn’t she?”

I rolled my eyes. “If she didn’t care what he thought, or what he did, she wouldn’t be fighting so hard now would she?”

“So she hates him, but that means she actually likes him?” he asked.

“Exactly. She likes him, likes him, but she doesn’t want to. Therefore, she hates him. For now. Could last a week. A month. A year. Or more. Depends on how it all goes.”

“Likes him, likes him….what?”

“God,” I groaned. “Men. Just go talk him off the ledge and approach him about the boxing idea.”

He pecked my lips again. “On it. You ladies cooking?”

“Mari is teaching us the art of making the perfect homemade sopes and tortillas. They are way harder than they look.”

He grinned. “Looking forward to eating it,and youlater.” He whispered that last part just for my ears. Now my cheeks turned pink, but I busied myself with picking up my chunk of dough and giving it a few smacks.

“So, back to our lesson. Mari?”

Shockingly, Mari had not gotten involved in our family argument, letting us handle it all ourselves, continuing to cook or pretending to, and listening in I’m sure.

I went over to her side and bumped her shoulder. “How’d we do?” I asked, genuinely curious about her opinion.

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