Page 27 of Outlaws of Tulsa

“I like what I see.”

“You trying to make me your old lady?”

Her words jar me from my selfish little fantasy of where she’s Blaire and I’m her daddy and all is fucking safe and right in the world.

“What?” I hiss. “Fuck no.”

My words seem to wound her because she flinches. “Oh.”

The moment is gone. I don’t see Blaire. Hadley’s eyebrows are different. One brow is naturally arched in a way that seems as though she’s always giving you a challenging look. Her lips are redder, fuller—the focal point on her face. Even the shape of her face is longer whereas Blaire’s was rounder. Hadley has a harder edge to her—a more womanly aspect that my baby girl never had. Blaire was innocent.

Hadley isnotinnocent.

I clear my throat and step away. My thumb brushes along her soft cheek before I release her. Her brows furrow together as she studies me. I take her hand and thread it with mine.

“Smile and try to act as though we belong together,” I grumble.

She lets out an annoyed huff. “I took drama. I know how to act. In fact, that’s how I won Miss—oh. Doesn’t matter where. I won.”

This girl is slick.

“You were a pageant girl?”

“Junior and them called me Beauty Queen,” she says in a regal tone before flinching. “You can call me Hadley.”

“Pageant Girl fits you better than Beauty Queen.”

“It makes me sound like I’m a kid.”

“You are a kid.”

“You’re an asshole.”

I smirk and shrug. “Takes one to know one, PG.”

“Ugh,” she groans. “Don’t call me that.”

“Too late,” I say, letting go of her hand to swat her ass. I address my group of grinning brothers. “PG is ready to play nice now.”

“PG?” Gibson asks, scratching at his beard.

“Pageant Girl.”

Dragon whistles, half hanging out of Copper’s truck. “You gonna put on a show for us, PG?”

She puts her hand on her hip, cocking it out to the side, her eyes flaring with attitude. “You couldn’t handle my show.”

“Prez,” he argues. “I can handle the girl. Tell her. Let me handle it. Please let me handle it.”

I shake my head. “You’re not touching her.” Then I pin her with a narrowed stare. “And you won’t be showing these guys anything.”

She shoots a challenging glare my way. “We’ll see,Daddy.”

I grit my teeth, staring after her.

“Oh, fuck,” Filter groans. “We’re in trouble with this little shit.”

“I’ll keep her in line,” I grind out. “You let me worry about her.”

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