Page 59 of Cash

“Oh, fuck me!” Pooh shouts.

I grab him by the cut and yank him into the house. Not sure if his feet touched the floor or not, and I don’t care. Without letting go, I slam the door and lock it, leaving a howling Axel outside. Slamming Pooh into the wall, I listen with satisfaction as the air leaves his lungs.

“Choose,” I tell him in a quiet but deadly voice.

“Cash, I…”

“Choose.”

“Cash?” Livi asks from behind me.

“Choose.”

“You can’t kill me in front of her! She’s a cop! Tell him, Livi,” Pooh exclaims.

“I’m off-duty. Let the beatdown commence,” Livi answers as she casually walks past. “I’m making pancakes.”

“Striking,” I state.

“Fuck my life,” Pooh mutters. “Blood’s on your hands, Copper.”

“I accept that,” Livi replies from the kitchen.

I release Pooh and leave the room. Walking down the hallway, I see Snots blocking Liam’s doorway, ruff standing on end. He’s on guard, and I can’t stop my feet from taking me to his side. Crouching down, I show him some love. I’m really starting to like this dog and his mom.

I pull on some clothes and enter Liam’s room. Snots is standing on his hind feet, front paws against the crib. He’s got his smushed face pushed as close to Liam’s head as he can get it. He’s making this weird sound like a cross between a whine and a rumble. Liam’s awake with arms and legs flailing around but not making any sound. I go through the morning routine with Snots glued to my leg.

Entering the kitchen with Liam, I find Livi cooking and Pooh sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. After giving Livi a quick kiss, I warm up a bottle for Liam and take a seat to feed him.

“Where’s Axel?” I ask.

I look the direction Livi jerks her chin toward and find Axel standing outside the sliding door, one hand up in a wave.

“Let him in, Pooh. Neighbor’s going to call in a peeper if you don’t,” I say.

Pooh does as I ask, and Axel grabs a cup and fills it with coffee before taking a seat.

“Grappling?” I ask Axel.

“Baby brain has killed your sense of humor, Brother Cash. Isn’t rearranging Pooh’s face enough payback?” Axel asks.

“I’ll take on Axel. It’s only fair since you get to hurt the pretty biker chick,” Livi offers while setting plates and silverware on the table.

I bark out a laugh, startling Liam, at the look on Pooh’s face at being called a “biker chick.”

“Biker chick? What the fuck?” Pooh protests.

Livi completely ignores him as she drops a huge platter of pancakes on the table.

“Shooting,” Livi states with a raised eyebrow at Axel.

“Why should you be involved in this?” Axel asks as he puts a stack of pancakes on a plate.

“I liked the position I was in when you rudely interrupted us,” Livi answers.

“What position was that?” Axel questions with a smirk.

“Are you afraid that a girl is going to out-shoot you?” Livi taunts him.

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