Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59690 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 298(@200wpm)___ 239(@250wpm)___ 199(@300wpm)
Harley took a step back at the vitriol. I couldn’t think of a worse insult that he could have uttered in her presence. Owen Wright was her greatest fear. The last thing she wanted in the entire world was to be like him. Fuck.
I physically put myself between my dad and Harley.
“That is enough,” I growled. “You will not speak to her like that. I don’t care whose house this is. None of what you said is true. This was a mistake.”
My dad opened his mouth, but I’d already turned, putting my back to my old man.
I took Harley’s hand in my own and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “Are you okay?”
She was shaking with anger. She opened and closed her mouth, as if the very thought of speech might cause her to explode.
“Why don’t you give us a minute? You can wait in the car.”
She nodded. “That’s probably for the best.”
I offered her the keys. “Turn Bowie on and decompress.”
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. “You know me so well.”
She took the keys and disappeared through the door. I waited until the door clicked shut behind her before I turned to face my father.
A tic in my jaw was the only indication that I could barely hold myself back from decking him. I’d been punched by Wrights twice, and I’d never been as offended as the way my father—a grown-ass man—had just treated my girlfriend. I’d known it wasn’t going to be perfect. I hadn’t imagined whatever the fuck this was.
“You’re going to side with a Wright over me,” my dad said.
I laughed. I honestly couldn’t help it. Even knowing it was going to set him off. “Do you hear yourself? You ruined our family so long ago. You cheated on Mom time and time again. You got another girl pregnant while you were married. The board pushed you out of the public eye to hide what you’d done. I don’t understand how you think you have a single leg to stand on here. I brought Harley to you out of good faith. I wanted you to meet her, and instead, you insulted her.” I shook my head. “I don’t know why I even bothered.”
“None of that has anything to do with what you’re doing.”
“If you believe that, then you’re delusional.”
My dad crossed his arms. “So, we’re going to ignore the fact that she looks like a teenager. You’re coming after me, and yet like father, like son.”
I had no words for that. How I’d spent so long without the girl of my dreams to not be like my dad. And he was still throwing it in my face.
“I’m not here to argue about Harley. You wouldn’t be throwing that at me if you thought the fact that you’re dating women half your age was okay,” I snapped back at him.
His nostrils flared. “You’re going to judge me? With that girl in your bed?”
“That girl is a woman in her twenties. I wasn’t married,” I yelled back. “I didn’t have kids. I didn’t have a life with someone else. Don’t you dare compare Harley to what you did.”
“You can’t be with her,” he said instead.
I blinked. “You have no control over that.”
“I’ll disinherit you,” he threatened. “I’ll give it all to Silas.”
I saw red at the suggestion. I didn’t fucking care about the money, but the very idea that he could strong-arm me with money was absurd.
“Fine,” I snarled. “Do it! For all I fucking care, Dad. I’m done with this conversation.”
I turned and headed toward the door, but he followed on my heels.
“Don’t you dare turn your back on me!”
“Why not?” I called over my shoulder. “You turned your back on all of us long ago.”
“You can’t be with a Wright,” he yelled at me, spittle leaving his mouth as he came fully to his fury. “If you don’t care about the money, then maybe you’ll care about your job.”
“Is that a threat?” I clenched my hands into fists.
“You can’t work at Sinclair while you’re with a Wright.”
“Watch me.”
“I’ll fire you myself.”
“No need,” I shot back. Wrenching the door open, I threw over my shoulder, “I quit!”
15
HARLEY
Chase dropped into the driver’s seat. His cheeks were blotchy, and I could see fire behind his eyes. Whatever had happened when I left hadn’t made anything better. If anything, it had made it all worse.
Well, so much for hoping this would go better than my family.
His father was unstable. His anger over the feud between our families had physically altered his brain. I still couldn’t believe that he’d fucking accused me of being like Owen. The fucking audacity.
It had only been by sheer force of will that I didn’t unleash on him. If I’d thought that it would be any good, then I would have done so. I could have shown him exactly how like Owen I could be when pushed. He’d been the one to teach me how to argue after all. I could debate with the best of them.