Page 90 of Frenemies

He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.

I’d never been more wrong about anything.

My heart broke when Daddy pried my arms off him, then completely shattered when he pushed me away.

“How many times have I told you to stay out of my office, Naomi?”

A tiny spark of hope burned through my chest. Of course, Daddy wasn’t going to throw me to the wolves. He was just mad that I’d disobeyed him. Three words were, all it took for me to remember what my father had been doing.

“Where’s the file?”

“Where’s Chloe?” I shot back.

I spent the last twenty-four hours desperately trying to come up with a reason for his involvement. Maybe Jax blackmailed him or forced his hand because there was no way my father would be willing to do that. Now that he was here and I could see the lack of guilt on his face, I knew that wasn’t true. He chose to sell souls.

“How could you do that, Daddy?” Tears burned in my eyes as I stared back at the man I thought I knew. “Little girls?”

Daddy ran his fingers through his dark hair and let out a sigh. “There are only two things girls are good for—to improve the family’s status and money.”

I swallowed back the lump in my throat as the words he’d said to Chase that day flooded my mind.

She’s just a girl.

He used to call me his little princess, but I didn’t mean anything to him. I never did. That’s why he told me not to say anything about Ryker’s sick games, because Ryker was a man, and I was expendable.

“If you had ended up with Micha Kessler, maybe things would be different. The only thing you’re good for now, darling daughter, is to line my pockets.” Daddy glanced over his shoulder when Jax stepped up behind him. “Load her up. She should earn us a couple grand.”

A voice yelled, “No!” Then suddenly, my mother flew out of nowhere, throwing herself at Daddy.

“You leave my daughter alone,” she cried out while swinging her fists and clawing at his hair.

I was stunned. Mother had always been demure around Daddy. I’d never heard her so much as raise her voice. Yet here she was, attacking him like a feral cat. And it was vicious.

She tore clumps of his hair out, scratched his face, and smacked him in any spot she could. It was manic and useless.

All it took to bring her fight to a grinding halt was one slap. Daddy’s hand flew through the air, clacking off Mother’s jaw so hard that she twirled around and landed on the ground at his feet.

Daddy’s green eyes filled with disgust as he tipped his head down at her and growled, “Take her too.”

We made it to Ashen Springs, and we were roaring up Logan’s driveway in record time. Well, Keenan, Ava, and I were. That motherfucking scooter managed to keep up with us the whole way here.

Gotta say I’d never been more disappointed in the makers of Harley in my life. Beast took the other guys to the meet-up spot Louis had arranged while Keenan and I came here to check on his wife and Riley.

Why Ava came with us, I had no idea. At this point, I was pretty sure she was just following me. That or she was trying to race me. Every once in a while, I’d catch her giving me this challenging stare.

Then she’d rev her engine, which looked absolutely ridiculous in that fucking helmet. Though, I was curious what her plans were cause I sure as hell wasn’t bringing Preston’s tiny sister into a firefight.

Turns out, I didn’t have to worry about that.

Parker was standing outside with one of his kids in his arms when we rounded the corner.

“Ooo baby,” came from beside me.

When I looked over, it was to an empty scooter driving itself into the bushes. Ava didn’t even bother to turn the fucking thing off before running up the driveway. Her arms with open with her fingers making grabbing motions in the air while she chanted, “Give me, give me, give me.”

To Parker’s credit, he didn’t even bat an eye when his sister ran up to him, grabbed the baby, and pushed him out of the way.

I couldn’t help but cock a brow at Ava when Keenan and I pulled to stop in front of Parker. She was happy as a clam holding her niece—I was guessing by the pink dress the kid was wearing. The baby didn’t seem to mind it either. She laughed and babbled while grabbing handfuls of her aunt’s face.

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