Page 81 of Coast

I knew exactly where to find Travis.

In the library—complete with fake books on the built-in shelves—pouring himself some whiskey into a red plastic cup.

“I told you never to come back here again.”

“Trust me, it’s the last place I want to be.”

“Say what you came to say. I have two more videos to film before bed tonight.”

“I didn’t come to say anything.”

He finally turned back to me, his gaze moving over me. Once, that lip curl of disgust would have shattered me. Now, it just made my chin raise.

“You’re not getting shit from me,” he said. “We agreed on that.”

There was noagreementat all.

Just a scared pregnant girl who had no idea that she actually had more power than he did in the situation.

“Travis, I know you will probably combust from trying to hold in all your asshole-ness for two minutes, but give it a try, would you?”

“Ooh,” Lainey hooted in agreement.

She wasn’t looking at her father the way she looked at Coast. She offered the biker her wide-eyed wonder, her big, gummy smiles. She almost seemed to be frowning at Travis.

“Well, look who developed a spine.”

“It’s amazing what being homeless and pregnant will do to build character,” I snapped back.

“Your choices aren’t my problem.”

“I could make them your problem, so stop being such a dick.”

His eyes flashed at me.

“You want me gone and gone for good, I just need—”

“Money,” he cut me off, gaze moving over my shorts and tee.

“I need to get out of my current place right now.”

“It’s always fucking money.”

“Says the guy who earned, what? A couple hundred grand off of me?” The eye roll he did made me think it might be significantly more than that.

Honestly, when I’d been driving to his house, I’d been trying to gear myself up to ask to stay for a night or two. Just until I figured out my next move.

But just five minutes in his presence made it clear I couldn’t stay.

So I would swallow my pride and take the money.

“Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket for his wallet, then tossing a couple hundreds on the table. Notallof the hundreds in his wallet, mind you. Greedy to the bitter end, he was. “Now get the fuck out.”

Again, Lainey jumped at the sound of his voice, at the bite behind it.

God, I hated him.

More now than I did then.

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