She starts to slap my hands away, so I quickly snatch her throat and restrict her to the seat, causing her to freeze, but she maintains her furious glare.

"Get your fucking shit together! You're acting like a drunk little cunt!"

She purses her lips in frustration and turns her face away, not saying anything, but she now lets me clip her seatbelt with my free hand. I release her throat and duck out of my car before turning around and climbing into the driver's seat beside her.

When the doors close, I start my car and speed away.

It's silent while we drive, but I can feel her wrath seeping out of her tiny body.

I rest back in my seat, one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, lazily, and I stroke my chin with my free hand.I can't blame her for becoming frustrated with me. I should have had her fucking back in front of her, but she still has no idea who these people are or what they are capable of. The last thing I want is for her to be hurt or taken because of my fucked-up life.

She suddenly speaks in a calm, icy tone as she focuses on the road ahead.

"What's up with you and Savannah? Why won't she take no for an answer?"

I glance forward as I mull over her words before responding.

"Haven't you seen me make my feelings clear to the little cunt? I don't want her, and I don't want anything to do with her."

"So, how come she's always with your group then? I can see you're the boss, so why don't you have a say in her being there?"

My jaw tightens as I take in her words and think about how to tell her the half-truth.

"She's very close to my family and has been around us for many years."

She is silent for a while before babbling again, and at this point, I wish she'd just fucking stop. She must know by now that I'm not a talkative person, but clearly the alcohol is making her believe that I'll tolerate it.

"Who is that old man? He seems fucking crazy, and he is nowhere near your age group."

I cast a glance her way, and when she looks at me, I speak.

"That old man is my fucking dad."

Her eyes widen, and her pretty lips part in shock.

"That's your dad!?"

I return my focus to the road with a small nod.

"No wonder I get a strange vibe from him. He reminds me of you, but older."

I cringe internally at the thought of being anything like that old asshole, and hearing her say that hits me hard.

"Is that why you told me to shut the fuck up?"

"I told you to shut the fuck up because you have no idea what you're fucking with when it comes to my father."

As I continue, I give her a sidelong glance.

"I don't care what you say to Savannah, but when it comes to my father, you have to understand he is much fucking worse than me."

She sighs and rests back in her seat, her focus returning to the road ahead.

"And what's worse than you, Arlo? I know nothing about you and your sister told me you're a finance entrepreneur."

I clench my teeth and respond with a steely tone.

"I'm not a fucking entrepreneur in finance, happy?"