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Hell, I'd put good money on him calling for a psych doc with a straight jacket and a padded fucking cell.

To be fair, I probably needed all of the above.

"You told me you had this," Kyle snarled. "You told me you would take care of her."

I took another sip of my coffee and strived to contain my temper.

I was two fucking seconds away from losing my shit, but that wouldn’t help anyone.

So instead, I hustled for calm and said, "I know."

"Then what the fuck is that? Kyle demanded, pointing at his daughter's face.

Pain hit me like a goddamn wrecking ball.

Knowing that if I'd come just five minutes earlier I could have prevented that fucking scar on her face, would haunt me for the rest of my life.

In a life filled with poor choices and even worse decisions,thatwas my biggest regret.

Always being too late.

"We need to talk," was all I replied, keeping my focus on him.

"Now you want to talk?" Cam growled, coming to stand beside his father. "Where the hell have you been, douchebag?" Sticking the knife in deeper, he hissed, "Thought you cared about my sister, but obviously fucking not since the second shit gets tough you gorunning."

I didn’t answer baby Carter.

Had no dealings with him.

But the guy needed to watch his damn mouth.

I wasn’t in a good mood.

"Take a drive with me," I said calmly. "We'll talk then."

Kyle must have seen something in my eyes that told him I meant business because he nodded stiffly.

Turning to Colton and Logan, he ordered, "Boys, go home." Kyle then turned to Cameron and said, "Go back to Thirteenth Street with your mother and the twins."

"Dad –"

"Do it, Cameron," he snapped, targeting the ringleader of the triplets, in a tone that left no room for argument. "Now."

"Hunter, please don’t get him involved in this –" Hope began to say, but I cut her off with a shake of my head.

She didn’t need to be scared of a damn thing.

I had it under control.

And she really didn’t need to talk to me right now.

I couldn’t fucking handle it.

"You ready, man?" I asked Noah who was already on his feet, spinning his car keys around his finger.

"Let's go," he replied, stalking past me.

****

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