Unattainable (Undeniable, #3)(47)

I kept walking.

“You ain’t goin’ nowhere,” Deuce called out. “This is club business.”

Bucket was suddenly standing in front of the front door, shaking his head at me, blocking me from leaving. I stopped walking and glared at him.

“Move,” I ground out.

Bucket grinned. “Ain’t no way in hell,” he said.

“Move!” I shouted.

“TEGEN!” Deuce bellowed.

Bucket spun his index finger in a circular motion, signaling that it was time for me to turn around, something that only pissed me off even more.

Flipping Bucket off, I spun around. “I am not part of your damn club!” I yelled. “And either is my mother!”

As Deuce stalked toward me, his booted steps heavy and deliberate, his nostrils flaring, I did everything in my power not to shrink under his angry glare. Deuce angry was not a pretty sight; it was in fact absolutely terrifying.

“Listen to me,” Deuce growled quietly, having reached me. “I ain’t got time for your mouth right now. We got a problem with the local law that I ain’t got a hold of yet. So if you think I’m gonna let you walk out that f*ckin’ door only for somethin’ to happen to you because shit’s goin’ down right now, you’re stupid as f*ck.”

Deuce pointed to the bar. “March your mouthy little ass back on over there, sit the f*ck down next to King Stupid, and keep on doin’ whatever the f*ck it was you were doin’. And get damn comfy doin’ it, ’cause you’re gonna be here ’til Wednesday.”

My jaw dropped. “Wednesday!” I shouted, forgetting in my anger that Deuce’s temper was not something anyone wanted to mess around with. “I have to be back at work on Tuesday!”

“Tough f*ckin’ shit,” he said, already turning away from me. Ignoring me. Treating me like I was one of his motherf*cking leather-clad minions.

“You f*cking *!” I screamed, forgetting myself entirely. “You are not my prez! You are not my father! You are not my f*cking boss! You cannot tell me what the f*ck to do anymore!”

Slowly, menacingly, Deuce turned back around to face me. “I ain’t your father?” He sneered. “Who’s been keepin’ clothes on your back and food in your belly all these years? Who’s been payin’ for that expensive-as-shit apartment in Cali? Who’s been sending cash your way, keepin’ you and ZZ ahead of the motherf*ckin’ game?”

“I’ve told you I don’t need your money!” I screamed, uncaring that my voice was bordering on shrill. I was trembling from head to toe and tears were forming. “I tell you every goddamn week when you call and so does ZZ! Whatever jobs you’ve been sending him on, he seems to be doing just f*cking fine! But you have to stick your fat head in where it doesn’t belong because God forbid you don’t control every single little thing around you! Well, I don’t need you, Deuce! I don’t need this club! I never f*cking did!”

Nostrils flaring, his face red with rage, Deuce stared me down. “Cage!” he bellowed, his eyes still on me. “Get your latest piece of ASS the f*ck outta my face before I start blowin’ f*ckin’ holes in skulls!”

“You sexist, self-righteous FUCK!” I screamed, and lunged forward, lunging for Deuce. I didn’t know what I was going to do once I got to him, but I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I wanted to get to him, punch him, strangle him, kick him in the balls, something, anything. I just wanted to hurt him.

But I never reached him. I was tackled from the side, lifted straight up off the floor, and carried quickly from the room.

“I hate you!” I screamed in Deuce’s direction. “I f*cking hate you!”

? ? ?

Cage threw open his bedroom door, stalked inside, kicked it shut behind him, and tossed Tegen’s thrashing body onto his bed. She immediately scrambled into a sitting position and made to jump off the bed but he was on her in a flash, yanking her legs out from under her, straddling her hips, and holding her arms out at her sides.

His heart thudding erratically inside his chest, Cage glared down at her. He couldn’t care less that she’d gotten in yet another verbal brawl with his father. He couldn’t care less that she’d been only inches from slugging Deuce in the face and subsequently getting her ass kicked for it. He couldn’t give two motherf*cking shits that Tegen was never going to change; she was always going to act before thinking, mouthing off to anyone, anywhere, not realizing the consequences. He didn’t even care that she hated the club.

All he cared about, all he could think about, the one thing that stuck out over everything his old man and she had shouted at each other was…

ZZ.

No one, not one f*cking brother, not even Mick knew where ZZ was. Deuce had told everyone awhile back that ZZ wasn’t their concern anymore and to stop asking questions because he wasn’t going to answer them.

Who’s been sending cash your way, keepin’ you and ZZ ahead of the motherf*ckin’ game?

What did that f*cking mean? That ZZ was in Cali? Or that ZZ was in Cali with Tegen?

“Get off me, you stupid f*ck!” Tegen screamed, trying desperately to pull her arms out from under his grip.

Stupid. Fuck.

He lost it. He just f*cking lost it. His head was already a mess, feeling all sorts of crazy shit he wasn’t familiar with, and Tegen’s last stab at him sent him over the damn edge.