Page 60 of Thornhill Road

Mustang turned on her then. She lost most of her bravado when she caught sight of his face, and she took two steps back.

“If I ever hear you tell my girl to stay behind a closed door while you or anyone else is out here gettin’ high, I will relieve you of your duties as her mother,” he warned.

She huffed, squaring her shoulders with new confidence as she argued, “You won’t. I’ll take you to court. I know shit—shit on you and the club. You won’t get her.”

“Try me, bitch. Itolerateyou for her. I follow our court ordered custody agreement forher. But youfuckwith my girl, I will go above the law. You want her? Fuckin’ act like it, or she’s mine.”

He stormed out, buzzing with rage—MK’s call still playing on repeat in his head.

When he reached the truck, he knew he needed to calm down.

He didn’t get behind the wheel but stood outside the door and forced himself to breathe.

Glancing through the window, he locked eyes with Tess. He could see her worry, and he felt her fear—fear he could tell she was trying to hide.

It took him a minute, but when he felt in control, he opened the door and climbed into his seat.

He didn’t look at Tess as he started the engine and began to back out of the parking space. When he pointed his truck toward home, he heard her breath catch, and he knew why. He could already feel his right hand starting to swell.

“Daddy?” MK called softly.

Mustang caught her hazel-blue eyes in her reflection of his rearview mirror.

“Can I have some strawberries and goldfish when we get home?”

“Yeah, baby,” he said, refocusing his attention on the road. “I think we still have some berries.”

It was then Tess reached over and gently coaxed his right hand off the steering wheel. He let her have it, and she brought it into her lap, carefully lacing her fingers between his with one hand, covering his bruised knuckles with his other.

He glanced at her, and he felt her fear had subsided.

Her golden-brown eyes were calm, and he saw all he needed to see.

His Tess, pretty in pink and wild like the wind, stared back at him unwaveringly.

Never before had he invited a woman he’d taken to bed into his home.

That was about to change.

Tess

His knuckles were swollenand bloody.

Whether or not it was his blood I couldn’t tell.

It was obvious he’d beaten the shit out of someone.

My guess was the guy I’d seen in the apartment who appeared to be terrified as he watched Mustang’s every move.

I hoped it wasn’t the woman who was clearly Mary-Kate’s mother. I prayed my man wasn’t capable of laying hands on the mother of his child.

In a way, she was beautiful. One look at her and I could tell she didn’t take great care of herself, but I also saw a woman who would have no trouble catching a man if she wanted.

Mary-Kate had inherited her curly hair and her nose.

But she had Mustang’s eyes.

Ed’s eyes.

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