Hold On (The 'Burg #6)(59)

He studied me for a few beats before he stepped down off Tilly’s stoop and moved toward me.

I wanted to retreat step for step, but I stood my ground.

He could read me. We were of the same people. He knew I could look after myself.

And he knew, no way in hell I’d ever show a guy like him weakness.

No. Not ever.

With a guy like him or not, I’d never show a weakness.

I knew that too. I knew I had to show him every way I could that I was not weak. If I didn’t, a man like him could destroy me.

And he would.

He stopped four feet in front of me.

“You’re welcome to come over anytime, middle of the night or whenever,” he offered.

Fuck.

“Thanks, but like I mentioned, I got a kid,” I told him.

He looked beyond me, then back at me.

“Yeah. And he’s cute.”

I turned my head and saw Ethan standing just down the walk from our stoop.

Shit, shit, f*cking shit!

I looked back at the dickhead.

“Yeah. I know. Anyway, Tilly’s cool. She’s a nice lady. You shouldn’t give her shit. She’s got two kids and a slew of grandkids who don’t ever visit her, and that sucks. She lives quiet. She doesn’t get into anyone’s business. She makes awesome cookies at Christmas. You don’t get in her face, brother, she’ll make you some cookies, and trust me, it’ll be worth bein’ cool to her.”

He grinned at me, his eyes shifting to my tits before they shot back to mine.

“I’ll take that advice,” he replied.

“Awesome. And sorry again I had to call it in, but just some advice, in case you haven’t been in the ’burg for very long: cops keep a close eye on shit and neighbors look out for neighbors. You wanna party, you might wanna take it somewhere else.”

That was taking it too far, and I knew it when hard entered his gaze and he declared, “Should be able to have a good time at my own f*ckin’ house.”

I nodded. “I agree. It’s just that if that gets loud, your good time f*cks with other people.” I tipped my head to the side, lifting my hand to give him the finger and thumb one-inch. “And worse, you came this close to ruinin’ AC/DC for me.”

He burst out laughing, doing it with his eyes twinkling appreciatively at me.

Shit, shit, f*cking shit.

I took that too far too.

“Shame to ruin AC/DC,” he said through chuckles.

“Yeah. Now, I got shit to do. We good?” I asked.

His eyes fell to my tits again, and he didn’t lift them when he murmured, “Oh, we’re good.”

“Awesome,” I muttered, fighting back a nasty shiver. “Later.”

“Later, darlin’,” he drawled.

Fuck, f*ck, shit, shit, shit.

I lifted my chin to him, turned, and moved back toward my house, feeling his eyes follow me. I gave a jerk of my head to Ethan and he dashed up the steps of the stoop.

When I got closer, I saw him open the storm, and I also saw he had a baseball bat resting by the wall just inside the door.

My little man looking out for me (and Tilly).

I barely got the door closed when Ethan asked, “You okay, Mom?”

“Yeah, it’s all good. He’s gonna leave Tilly alone. It’s fine,” I assured him, hearing my phone begin to ring. It was in the bathroom and I made my way there, but I did it calling behind me, “We’ll talk about you comin’ out when I told you to stay inside after I see who that is.”

“Not gonna let you go out there without takin’ your back,” he informed me.

That was cute. It was sweet. It was the right thing to do. It was also the wrong thing to do for a kid his age.

But I’d get to explaining that later.

I nabbed my phone, not thinking good thoughts at who the screen told me was calling.

I took the call and put it to my ear. “Ryker—”

“You get injected with a huge-ass dose of stupid since I last saw you?” he asked on a mild bark.

He was watching.

Why was he watching?

Fuck!

“Ry—”

“Told you that guy does not exist for you,” he declared.

“I know, but Ry—”

“Won’t let him do shit to the old broad. Anyway, the bitch went to church. She isn’t even there.”

I closed my eyes in despair.

Of course. Tilly went to church every Sunday. Then she went out with her girls for lunch. She wouldn’t be home until at least two.

Shit.

“Now that you gave him an up close and personal, he’s gonna live and breathe findin’ a way to tag your tight, round ass,” Ryker informed me.

“He has a woman,” I informed him back.

“They’re havin’ problems, so she’s gonna be history in about an hour, seein’ as momma hot stuff two doors down, with a pair a’ knockers made for squeezin’ together and thrustin’ a cock into is his key to tradin’ up in a big f*ckin’ way.”

Uh…

Gross.

“Ryk—”

“Don’t know the games you and Merrick are playin’, sister. What I do know is that if you don’t cool your shit, I’m bringin’ him in on this. And I know Merrick, babe. I know that brother better than you in ways he’ll hide from you, even if you both stop dickin’ around and sort your shit out. He finds out what’s goin’ down two doors from his bitch, he will lose his motherf*cking mind. And Merrick’s a maverick. Merrick keeps a loose hold on messy. And Merrick’s brand o’ messy makes me look adjusted. The only thing that would make Merrick lose hold on that is someone he digs bein’ in a deep pile a’ shit. Man’ll stop at nothin’ to dig you out, even if it buries him in the process. So listen up, Cher. Keep your ass safe. Keep your kid safe. And keep the man you’re f*ckin’ around claimin’ safe. Now we’re done and this conversation won’t be repeated. You don’t get smart real f*ckin’ fast, you know where I’ll go. And you’ll know, it gets ugly, it’s you made it that way.”