Page 52 of Savage Outlaw

It was as old as time.

But this wasn’t the Caplet’s versus Montague’s, the twenty-first century version with bells, whistles and pissed off biker dads. And he wasn’t about to gulp back poison, not when he pictured a long life ahead with Roux.

“Take her inside.” The order directed to Reno and the other man who’d been quiet as a fucking daisy until now moved around Axel and towered over Roux.

His girl scowled dark enough to make wolves howl and Butcher chuckled to himself. God, that look of hers made him horny. Telling Axel that would piss off the man, so he chose not to antagonize the bear.

“I’m going inside because it’s cold and I’m tired, but I’ll tell you, dad, I can’t wait to move out if this is how you treat me.” She turned her icy glare to Butcher and softened. “Give my well wishes to Tag. See you, Tad.”

He half smiled. She was so sweet under all that sour. He couldn’t wait to slurp her up. “Hey, Roux?” She pivoted even though the asshole was still towering over her like he thought Roux might take flight any second now. “Remember what I said?”

She started to smile. “Brace?”

“Yeah. Sleep good, Cookie.”

He watched her quick stride all the way back to the house. That little ass calling his attention, her long hair his fingers wanted to stroke through. He didn’t look away until she disappeared inside. Taking their fate with her.

“You’ve got some fucking balls coming to my house.” Hissed Axel, staring hard with eyes like vicious bullets.

If he was going for intimidation he was shit out of luck.

“I can’t call you old man, ‘cause you’re what, six years older than me?” Butcher chuckled. Hey, that could be the reason for his animosity, who the fuck knew. Would a dad want his daughter hooking up with a man the same age as him? Butcher dismissed it. Irrelevant. Axel shouldn’t have been a dirty dog and knocked someone up in his teens. “Say what you have to say, it won’t change anything.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Roux wants me. Not this sham you’ve set up with Reno.”

“You really are stupid. I didn’t beat the hell out of you enough it seems.”

“Is that all you’ve got, Axel? Threats mean nothing to me. Roux does. And if you gave a crap about her, you’d start listening and see she can make her own decisions. Even if you disagree with them.”

“Stay away from my house and my daughter. I see you here again, you’ll get worse than Tag did.”

Butcher let the threat roll off his back, he was too tired to care.

“I gotta know, is it me personally or me being aSoulsyou have a problem with?”

A tick worked Axel’s jaw, looking like he wanted to kill him.

Ah, so no invite to Sunday cookout just yet, gotcha.

“You’re not good enough for her.”

“I think I am. Actually, I know I am. That little pissant in there couldn’t even begin to know how to handle Roux’s fire, she’d burn the fucker up. Me? Flame retardant.”

“Throwing jokes around ain’t gonna get you what you want. So, if you’re coming around now after all these years in hopes…”

“I’m not.”

“Not what?”

“Just coming around now. You thought beating me up until I was almost dead would make me stay away from her. Yeah, it did for a while. Even I have fucking morals, she was seventeen. But I was never gone, Axel. As I said, she wants me. And what Roux wants, Roux gets. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You really do have a death wish.”

Butcher grinned. It wasn’t a pleasant smile. This guy fucked him off no end.

“Stay the hell away, you listening? My daughter doesn’t want me to kill you, but I’ll do it in front of her, I’ll break her heart if it’s the only way to keep her safe.”