Page 126 of Wicked & Wildflower

“Everett, I–”

Glancing around the lobby, I realize for the first time that he’s nowhere to be found. “Fuck!” I run toward the front entrance of the school, shouting behind me, “Do not let Lou out of your fucking sight until I come back, do you understand?”

Tana nods. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not the person you need to apologize to,” I mutter as I fly out the door.

I take a look around, catching him walking briskly with his hood up about twenty yards ahead of me. He makes a beeline toward the deserted back parking lot, but I’m chasing after him.

“Jason!” I call, catching up. “We weren’t done with that conversation.”

He halts, slowly turning to face me with his hands raised. “Look, man, I wasn’t trying to cause any trouble, alright? I was just—”

“Bullshit,” I growl, and before I can think twice, my fist is connecting with his jaw.

He grabs his face, stumbling backward, and I take the opportunity to snatch him by his collar, spinning him aroundand slamming him against a car. “Tell me what the fuck you’re doing here.”

“Fuck you,” he spits. I cock my fist to hit him again, and he laughs. “Dude, you’re doing the most for a woman who is not worth the effort. I’m telling you, she was ruined after she had that kid.” He smiles, shrugging. “I know the pussy is good, but the woman attracts chaos. She ain’t worth it.”

My vision blurs, flooding red.

Suddenly, I’ve got Jason pressed into the pavement, my knee in his chest. I lean in with a dangerous calm, an effort when my instincts are screaming at me to strike and strike until there is nothing left of him at all. “I fucking dare you to say something else about her.” Letting my face hover just over his, I say, “I don’t ever want you coming near my girls again. I don’t want their names leaving your mouth. I don’t want their faces crossing your mind. I want you to fade from their memory entirely, until you’re nothing but a name they can’t remember. You do not deserve to know them. Do you understand?”

He sneers. “You can call her your girl, call her your kid, but she’s still my daughter.”

“Father is a title earned, not given, and you’re both unworthy of it.” He gives me a look of confusion as I tighten my hold on the collar of his sweatshirt. “Give me your phone.”

“What?” he grits.

I slam his head against the ground. “Give me your fucking phone.” He wrestles his hand into the front pocket of his jeans, pulling out a phone. “Find Dane Andrews in your contact list.”

“I really don’t think you want to—”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Limbs trembling, face red with lack of oxygen where I hold my hand to his throat, kneeling on his chest, Jason slowly begins the call. It rings twice before a deep, male voice rasps, “Jason?”

“You piece of shit.”

With utter calm, Dahlia’s father responds, “Everett, I assume?”

“Yeah, and you’re the sadistic psychopath who plotted to have your own grandchildkidnapped, I take it?”

“Is that what she led you to believe?” He chuckles. “I’m surprised to see you so…concerned, especially considering the last time I spoke with her, she called you her…what was it?Flavor of the week?”

I scoff, knowing Dahlia doesn’t speak that way. He’s so full of shit.

Jason shakes his head, barking a sarcastic laugh. “Man, you’re nothing but a fuck buddy.”

“I’m not a fuck buddy.” I press my knee harder into his chest, sending him gasping for air. “I’m their fucking end game.” Shifting my weight so my elbow falls into his throat, choking him even harder, I add, “So listen here, you waste of oxygen: you come around my future wife or my kid again, I won’t stop until they have to peel your flesh from the pavement.”

I pull off him, standing up and taking a step back.

“That applies to you too,” I spit into Jason’s phone. “Jason here will be crawling back to Kansas with a black eye and a broken rib to show you just how serious I am.”

He scrambles away from me, crawling back against the tire of a car, finally having the good sense to look afraid of me as he catches his breath.

I hear the calculated click of a tongue on the other end of the line. “This is the woman you want to make death threats for? Are you sure about that, boy? She’s got a lot of daddy issues.”

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