Page 106 of Dizzy

I give zero shits. “I don’t got social media.”

“Yeah, well, every single one of Parker and Carson’s teachers do. And my clients. And the parents of their friends.”

“I don’t see the problem. There was an issue. We handled it.”

“You didn’t handle it, Dwayne. Not if Jess Baker put us on blast.”

“She call out Parker by name?” If she did, that dad and I are gonna have words.

“She didn’t have to. Everyone in this town knows who’s Steel Bones. She says a biker with a barely legal girl in his truck. Everyone knows who she’s talkin’ about.”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Gossip on the internet? Jesus, Sharon. The boys should be in bed.”

“It’s not ‘gossip on the internet,’ Dwayne. It’s lost business. Lost leads. If I don’t have a flawless reputation, they could take the Hazleton development. Give it to someone else. Do you want me to lose that opportunity? In real estate, reputation iseverything.”

“He called the kid a pussy,” I say. Parker sucks in a quick breath, and I correct myself. “He calledthe player the kid pickeda pussy. And we settled it. He apologized. He shook hands with the kid. I shook hands with the dad.”

“Well, you didn’t bother to ‘shake hands’ with Jess Baker, did you? The way she tells it, you intimidated Don. Carl was terrified.”

I rub my temples. This is such bullshit. “You’re overreacting. You both are. The dad was fine. His cousin’s got a Ducati. We talked about it. He’s thinkin’ about getting one, too.”

She bugs her eyes and blinks. “I can’t believe you’re not taking this seriously.”

“It ain’t a big deal.”

“Not toyou. And if it isn’t a big deal to you, it doesn’t matter at all, does it?”

I do not have time for this. Fay-Lee’s in danger, the kids are upset, they got school, and she wants to rehash the past. Again. Now.

I’m done.

The kids don’t need to hear this. And they need to be in bed.

Parker’s scowling, mouth tight, eyes shiny. Carson’s blinkin’ up at me, waitin’ for me to fix it. Sharon’s face has gone red. She’s gonna lose it.

“Boys. Go in the house.”

“Stay right where you are,” she snaps. “You’re gonna hear this. I will not keep standing by silently as these boys turn into trash like their father.”

Oh, hell no.

And I look at my boys. “Inside. Now. Brush your teeth. Get in bed. You’re sleepin’ here tonight.”

They bolt for the house.

Sharon opens her mouth.

I step to her. She stumbles back a step.

“Not a word.”

Her eyes go wide.

I ain’t never hit her. Or any other woman. But I’m a large man, and she’s got to be realizing that she don’t really know me. She asks for money, and I cut her a check. She asks me to watch the boys or pick ‘em up or take ‘em somewhere, and I say yes.

I don’t think we’ve had an actual conversation since Carson was in diapers.

She snaps her jaw shut.

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