Page 655 of The Tempted

“Keep it,” he said, stepping over Boots and following me out of the clubhouse. Once we were outside, he leaned against his bike and pulled out his pack of Marlboros.

“That was fun,” he said with a smirk, shoving the cigarette between his lips and reaching for his lighter. “But fuck, I’m getting too old for the Cowboys and Indians shit.” He lit his cigarette, and I grabbed a rag from my saddlebags and wiped the blood from my face.

Silence fell over us as I wiped my hands on the rag and pinned him with a stare.

“Let’s get it over with,” I started, watching as he arched one eyebrow and took a drag of cigarette. “You get one shot, right here, right now,” I said, taking two strides towards him. “Make it good because it’s all you’re going to get.”

“You think taking a swing at you will make things right between us?” he questioned, blowing out a ring of smoke before laughing in my face and shaking his head.

“So what do you want from me? You want me to apologize to you? I can’t and more importantly I won’t do that because apologizing would mean I regret it and I don’t.”

He growled or grunted, I couldn’t be sure but some animalistic sound escaped his mouth as he glared at me.

“Why her?”

“Why not?”

“Really?” he questioned before he fell silent for a moment. “She’s my daughter,” he seethed.

“I know that,” I said. “And I love her.”

“Ah, fucking hell,” he muttered, turning his cheek to me. I reached out and flicked the cigarette out of his mouth.

That got his attention.

“Quit that shit,” I hissed. “You want to walk your girl down the aisle don’t you? Stick around and see your grandchildren, no?”

“Grandchildren,” he repeated, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t knock you out I should shoot your ass.”

“You could do that,” I said, shoving my hands into my pockets as I shrugged my shoulders. “But then you’d have to tell Lacey you shot the man she loves.”

“Come on, enough with that word!”

I bit the side of my cheek and tried not to smile.

He crossed his arms against his chest and kept his eyes trained on his boots for a moment.

“She’s not like us, you know, she’s fragile.”

“She’s stronger than you know,” I assured him

“You really love her don’t you?”

“I do.”

He nodded then straddled his bike and gripped the handlebars tightly.

“You better treat her good,” he said hoarsely.

“I will,” I paused, before extending my hand, still speckled with Boots blood. “You have my word.”

He looked at my hand before gripping it and his eyes met mine.

“Your word is gold, Black.”

And just like that Jack Parrish handed me the thing he cherished most in this world…he gave me his daughter’s life and told me to take care of it as my own.

It was time to tell Lacey who she belonged to.

Girl, I’m coming for you.

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