Page 77 of Strike & Score
“What kind of life would you even give her?”
“Better than you gave my mom.”
He barks out a laugh. “Oh please, your mom was set for life the second she got pregnant with you. I gave her everything she ever needed. And you, too.”
“Trust me, I know. The checks you sent every month kept her more than happy, and she never gave a fuck about having me around. It just ensured the money kept coming.”
“What? Do you want me to be sorry for that? I’m sorryyou’ve had everything you’ve ever wanted. Now that you can’t have something, you want to be a spoiled fucking brat about it.”
Now it’s my turn to clench my draw. “You think that’s all this is? I can’t have her and want to piss you off?”
My dad just looks at me, and I scoff, starting to slowly pace. “You’re unbelievable. What does her mom think?”
“She doesn’t believe it, but I didn’t show her.”
My eyes narrow. “Show her what?”
He turns his computer screen toward me, and it’s the view of the backyard at our townhouse, there’s a bunch of people and when I see myself in the hot tub with Mayson on my lap I know exactly what night this is.
“You’ve been spying on me?” I accuse.
“I’ve been keeping an eye onmyhouse to make sure my irresponsible son doesn’t destroy it.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what it is.”
“If I had an issue with all the parties you throw, or anything else I’ve seen, you’d know about it. I’ve let you have unlimited freedom, but I draw the line here,” he tells me, boldly.
“I wouldn’t call it freedom, more like a fairly long leash.”
“Dammit, Colin. I’m asking for this one thing and it’s pretty simple. You to stop fucking around with your goddamn stepsister.” He pounds his fist on his desk. It’s probably supposed to intimidate me into complying, but it’s not going to work.
“That’s not going to happen,” I state firmly for the last time before I bring out my own threats.
We glare at each other, neither of us having any intention of backing down on this.
“End it. I can handle the fallout of cutting you off, but the world finding out you two are together wouldbe much worse.”
I stand taller. “Where would the fallout of your own affairs rank on your fucked up scale?”
“What’re you talking about?”
“You’ve always been a shit liar, I know you have a weakness for your secretaries, and I usually don’t give a fuck. But you lay off who I’m with and I won’t bring up who you’re with.”
I’ve had suspicions for awhile, but I don’t have any concrete proof. Just the hope that he supposedly “loves” Mayson’s mom enough to not obliterate another marriage because he likes to stick his dick in younger women on the side.
“I raised a real prick,” he spits.
“Again, you didn’t raise me at all.” I don’t let his words affect me, they haven’t in a long time. “We’re done here.”
Without another word from either of us, I turn and leave his office, ready to have my girl back in my arms again.
By the time I get downstairs Mayson is in the living room with her mom, and they aren’t alone. Her eyes shoot up to mine, wide with annoyance and probably a hint of fear for how I’m going to react. Because that woman from Thanksgiving and her dipshit son are here once again.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I groan. Mayson covers her laugh with a hand over her mouth while her mom turns and narrows her eyes at me.
My dad comes downstairs not long after me, and joins his wife on the loveseat she’s sitting on. I shove myself in next to Mayson, not giving a fuck about the company around us. I stretch my arm around the back of the couch behind her. They’re all lucky I don’t pull her into my lap right here, right now.
“How were your finals?” Garrett asks. He’s clearly talking to Mayson. I’m shocked and somewhat impressed he wouldactually try to talk to her. But of course I can’t have that, so I answer first to draw attention to myself.
