Page 68 of Damaged Prince
“It’s okay, Laney. Leave it be.”
“Yeah, little girl. Mind your own fucking business before that pretty little mouth gets you in trouble.”
“Leave her alone,” I warn.
“Or what?” He cocks his head to the side, and that evil gleam in his eye sparks back to life.
“Tony.” My dad’s firm voice sounds from behind me. “There’s kids all around us. So, how about you get your hands off my son? You want to enjoy the party, go for it. Do as you please. No one is stopping you.”
Tracker shoves off me, making me stumble backwards. Laney and my dad catch me, keeping me from falling on my ass.
“You Cross men think you’re so fucking perfect,” he laughs. “Oh, boy. You are so, so wrong. You're no better than me.” He looks at me, Eli, my father, but when his eyes meet Owen, they linger. “No fucking better than me,” he repeats before pointing to Benny, who is making happy sounds, having no idea what's going on. “And that boy is my blood. Remember that, Logan. Fucking remember.”
It takes everything in me not to take the cake knife and stab him in the fucking throat when he leans down and ruffles Benny’s hair. “Pop-pop will see you soon, little man.” He leans down and kisses the top of his head. “Love you.”
With a leer, Tracker eyes us all one last time before heading deeper into the festivities.
As soon as he’s out of sight, Benny is in my arms. “We’re going home,” I tell Laney.
“You two go. We will stay and clean up,” Dad says. I give him a look, one that tells him I’m about to lose my shit. “I know,” he sighs, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “Everything is going to be okay.”
Melissa comes with us, driving while Laney, Benny, and I sit in the back seat.
The air is thick with tension, no one speaking about what just happened. I’m glad, because if I have to talk about that asshole, I’ll fucking lose it.
It doesn’t last long. As soon as Benny is washed up and put to bed, I snap.
“How fucking dare he!” I shout, pacing back and forth as I grab at my hair in frustration. “He comes in and acts like he fucking cares about my son?” I swing my angry gaze at Laney, who’s standing nearby, ready to hold me down if I even think about leaving the house. Because I want to, I want to go downto the cops and fucking get a restraining order against him. But there’s no fucking point in doing that, seeing how the cops are in his damn pocket.
I hate this town so fucking much in this moment. I just want to take Benny and Laney and go far, far away from here.
But I can’t. I have a life here. My family is here. I’m still in school, and I want to be in the fucking NFL. I can’t do that on the run.
“I know, baby. I know.” Laney grabs at my hands, pulling them away from my hair. “I need you to breathe. Please. I don’t like seeing you like this.”
I deflate at the worry in her tone. Sighing heavily, I pull her into my arms and hug her tight. It doesn’t take long before the anger goes from boiling to a simmer. She’s my safe place, my rock. “I love you,” I murmur into her neck.
“I love you too.” She rubs her hand up and down my back, trying to soothe me. It’s working. She just has that magic touch. “You need to calm down. I know what happened sucked. And that man. Fuck, he’s something else,” she sighs.
“Tell me about it,” I growl.
“But big bad gang man or not, he doesn't have any rights to Benny. Florida doesn't have grandparents' rights. You have full custody of your son. You hold all the cards. If you don’t want him or any of his people around Benny, then they won’t be.”
“I don’t. I really fucking don’t,” I urge.
“Then they won’t.” Laney cups my face, her thumb brushing against my cheek. My eyes flutter shut as I lean into her touch.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.” My eyes blink open. “For loving Benny, and me. For always being by our side and fighting so hard for us.”
She gives me a watery smile. “It’s easy to love you both,” she whispers. “And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but by your side, Logan.”
“Fuck.” Emotion clogs my throat.
I pick Laney up by the thighs, and she wraps her arms around my neck. Carrying her to my room, I lay her down on my bed. Without breaking my lips from hers, I strip her down until she’s bare beneath me before following after her.
