Page 35 of One More Song

“You haven’t changed, have you?” the douchebag says, tossing the backpack on the ground. His next words are muttered, but I’m pretty sure they’re something to the extent of, “Self-righteous slut.”

If the kid’s hand wasn’t still in mine, I’d be two seconds away from having my fist in the fucker’s face.

Ember flinches, her gaze meeting mine briefly, before looking back at Cadence. “Go to your room, now, sweetheart.”

“I don’t want to—”

“Hey, lass.” Dusky moves toward us, reaching his hand out to the kid, and says, “How about we go see if those baby birds have flown away yet.”

Cadence gives a small frown before nodding and letting go of my hand. I catch the look Dusky gives me before he walks out of the house with Cadence. One that says the exact same thing I’m feeling.This asshole is trouble.

“Dude,” I say, moving to stand beside Ember. “You need to calm the hell down.”

The man looks at me, and there’s all sorts of shit in his eyes. Anger. Jealousy. Resentment. And when he focuses back on Ember, those emotions are only intensified.

“It’s not what you think, Mitch,” Ember starts, like she has to justify us being here. And I get now why she was so frazzled when we’d first shown up. Because of the judgmental son of a bitch standing in the doorway staring daggers at all of us.

“Jeffries called me Friday night, said you were at the Boneyard, pissed out of your mind, and practically fucking that asshole on the dance floor.”

“That’s not...” Ember lets out a shaky breath. “I’m allowed to have a life, Mitch. We’re not married anymore.”

“But we’re still raising a kid together. And the only reason I didn’t fight for custody when you bailed on me was because I thought you’d grown up—”

“You didn’t fight for custody because you didn’t want a kid getting in the way of your”—she makes air-quotes with her fingers—“music.” Frustration has her voice raised an octave. “Plus, you were screwing a nineteen-year-old at the time, and you only had room in your life for one child.”

“God, you’re a vindictive bitch,” he says, taking a step toward her, his hands curled into fists.

Ember takes a step back, and I move in front of her.

“You need to leave,” I tell him. Before I rip him in two. I’ve never wanted to hurt anyone so bad. Not just because of the way he’s speaking to her, but because I’m starting to get a glimpse at who the man is - the shit he’s put Ember through.

“You think I don’t know who you are?” Mitch says. “I’ve seen the tabloids.” He glances over my shoulder at Ember. “These losers are who you want influencing our daughter?”

“They’re just renting the space,” Ember says. “Three months, that’s all. I need the money—”

“Bullshit, I give you a check every month.”

“Which barely covers Cadence’s dance lessons and outfits.” Ember lets out a shaky breath. “I don’t want to argue with you, Mitch.”

He grunts, his eye still twitching. “Good. Then we can agree that Cadence should be spending more time with me, and less here with this...circus.”

“Maybe you can see her a few more weekends—”

“I want her during the week.” A smile tugs at the guy’s lips, but there’s something cold, calculated in it.

“You’re kidding, right?” Ember pushes forward, her jaw tilted up, and I can tell despite her obvious fear of the guy, she’s ready for the fight she said she didn’t want.

I want to fight it for her. But I know this isn’t my business. Still, I don’t move, and neither do the guys.

“Deb thinks it’s a good idea,” Mitch says.

“Deb?” Ember shakes her head.

He smirks. “She’s moving in. We can give Cadence a real home. Stability.”

“She has a real home.”

Mitch looks around, sneering at me and the guys. “You think a judge will think the same thing? My lawyer—”

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