Unbeautifully (Undeniable, #2)(72)
And Deuce felt for him. He really did. As much as he hated Danny being with one of his boys, ZZ was a decent man who loved the f*ck out of his daughter.
“What the f*ck!” ZZ roared, lunging for Ripper’s door.
Deuce caught him, grabbed him by his neck, and slammed him into the opposite wall.
“Prez!” ZZ bellowed, trying to get free. “LET GO OF ME!”
“Why?” he asked calmly, feeling anything but. “What are you gonna do? Storm in there, guns ready? I know she’s your girl, but she was my girl way before your sorry ass, and I ain’t gonna let you do somethin’ stupid that could get her hurt.”
He turned to the peanut gallery. “I know you *s know somethin’, so someone better start f*ckin’ talkin’.”
“Sorry, Prez,” Mick said, stepping forward when no one else would. Curling his hand into a fist, his VP pounded on Ripper’s door.
“We don’t know much, just that Ripper and Danny got some deep-rooted shit between ’em.”
Deuce’s eyebrows shot up. They did?
ZZ, hearing this, struggled harder and he was forced to tighten his grip on his boy’s throat. “Reel it in,” he growled.
“Fuck you,” ZZ spat. “You reel it the f*ck in, that ain’t your old lady in there with motherf*ckin’ Ripper!”
No shit. But it was his daughter in there with motherf*cking Ripper and he wasn’t much happier than ZZ was at the moment. The only difference between him and ZZ was Deuce was attempting to stay calm. What had gone down yesterday had done enough damage. The club, his family, didn’t need any more tragedy.
“Ripper!” Mick bellowed, pounding harder on the door. “Get your f*ckin’ ass out here!”
Deuce took a deep breath and tried to ready himself for whatever mess that door was going to reveal, but all he kept seeing was Danny in bed with Ripper and…
The door swung open and in the entranceway stood Ripper, wearing only his leathers, in the midst of pulling on a white T-shirt. He took one look at the people standing in the hallway, their expressions varying from pity to disgust, and froze.
“Where is she?” ZZ yelled, struggling harder in Deuce’s grip.
“Aw, f*ck,” Ripper muttered. Crossing his arms over his chest, the guy leaned back against the doorjamb. “Danny,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Shit just got real, baby.”
ZZ visibly shook in Deuce’s grip and, f*ck, yeah, he felt for his boy, but he was too f*cking busy trying to keep his own shit reeled in.
Ripper had broken code. Took another brother’s old lady…to bed. Took his daughter to bed. In an attempt not to toss ZZ aside and beat Ripper into the f*cking floor, he gripped ZZ even tighter and held his ground.
It wasn’t easy.
Wrapped in only a sheet, Danny appeared beside Ripper, her lips quivering and her eyes filled with tears and, Jesus, his chest went tight.
Fuck him. Ripper…Danny…
Fuck him.
He didn’t know what the f*ck to do. His daughter, two of his boys…
What the f*ck did he do?
“WHAT THE FUCK!” ZZ raged.
Ripper immediately moved forward, positioning himself in front of Danny. It was a protective maneuver. One he often caught himself doing with Eva even when there was no threat.
“YOU’RE FUCKIN’ DEAD, ASSHOLE!” ZZ roared. “YOU HEAR ME, RIPPER? YOU’RE FUCKIN’ DEAD!”
“I hear you, brother,” Ripper said evenly. “The whole damn world hears you.”
“Brother?” ZZ yelled. “You don’t know what the word means!”
“Mickey,” Adriana whispered, tugging on Mick’s hand. “We should go.”
His VP’s gaze caught his and Deuce gave a slight shake of his head. Things were going to get ugly. He might need help.
Mick stayed but moved his old lady a few feet away and Cox did the same with Kami. Meanwhile, Blue lit up a cigarette.
“You don’t understand,” Danny whispered as two tears slipped down her cheek. “I love him, Z.”
ZZ went rigid. “What?” he asked hoarsely and Deuce could feel the guy’s throat working overtime beneath his palm. “Since f*ckin’ when do you love Ripper?”
Deuce stared at his daughter. He too wanted to know since-f*cking-when she loved Ripper. And then he wanted to kill Ripper. Slowly.
“It happened a long time ago,” Danny whispered. “Before you, Z. It was—”
“He’s the f*ckin’ reason,” ZZ spat. “He’s why you were so f*ckin’ messed up! And you’re the reason he left, aren’t you!”
Danny’s eyes dropped to her bare feet. “Yes,” she whispered and Deuce’s lungs collapsed. He was such a f*cking idiot. How had he not put this shit together? It had been staring him in the face, for how long now?
Ripper leaving.
Danny losing her shit.
Ripper and Danny staring each other down at his wedding.
…And f*ck, Danny’s violent mood swings always coinciding with Ripper’s drop-ins.
Ah, Christ. He was such a shit father. A shit president. A shit everything. He’d been so wrapped up in his own crap, he hadn’t even seen what was happening right under his f*cking nose. In his club.