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I shrug. “I’m not going to argue with you. It’s not worth my time, and frankly, I don’t give a fuck what you think anymore. If it weren’t for you being Ayla’s mother, I would gladly send you pal carajo.”

She flinches back, her eyes widening.

I take advantage and continue. “Don’t ever get close to Ayla without my permission again. Yeah, you’re her biological mother, but I have sole custody of her. I can prove you left her alone and walked away from us. I also have evidence of your neglect and of all the times I asked you to come back and how you could’ve contacted her at any point. You chose now, and you chose to do it on the down-low.”

“Wow, look at what a little education and your white girl have done for you.”

White girl?

I freeze. Lux. That’s who she’s talking about.

“Leave her out of this.”

“She’s not mami material, you know that, right? She’s like me. She is used to having a baller on her arm. Don’t you see how TMZ follows her around in New York? She’s all about expensive hotels and designer clothes. Mateo can give her a lot of things you can’t. After these months with you, she’s probably missing that and the glitz and glam of New York. Do you think she’ll be happy being a soccer mom and washing your dirty work clothes?”

My muscles crumple together. Damn, she still knows how and where to hit. Noris has always been an expert at that. This time, she lands the blow easily to my chest, knocking my ego six hundred feet out the door and into the yard. Because this is what the small voice in my head has been telling me. That Lux will find herself a baller in no time.

I swipe away at the thought. I need to deal with what’s at hand.

“I don’t care what he can give her or if she goes back to him. That’s her business. But what I can say is that Lux cares about her family. She wouldn’t walk away from them without a thought. She cares about Ayla’s feelings and doesn’t just use and discard her when convenient.”

“I came back because I love my daughter.”

“Do you, Noris?” I step toward her and then force myself not to move anymore. I need to think of the position I’m putting myself in. She’s evil, so she would think nothing of saying I threatened her. But that’s not going to stop me from telling her what I think. “You love Ayla so much that you came back in a sneaky way. You came back to teach her how to lie and keep things from me.”

“She wouldn’t have kept it from you if?—”

“You had not asked her. I saw the text messages. All of them. My baby didn’t lie constantly until you came around. You came to do what you always do: destroy. It’s not my fault that you didn’t have a relationship with her. I’m not the one that kicked you out. But if you ever ask her to lie to me again, I’m going to get a restraining order against you, and you’ll never see her again.”

Her mother gasps behind us.

I don’t even glance her way.

Noris goes pale. Her hand presses against her throat. She knows, like I do, I have ammunition to do that. “You’ll hurt Ayla.”

I know that. I wouldn’t do it, but I need Noris to know I mean business. “I’ve been raising a good person. You’re not going to ruin that with your bullshit. I won’t get in your way if you want to see her but only under the supervision of me or someone I trust.”

“So, you can send you little girlfriend?”

She’s not going to bait me.

“I can send whoever me de mi maldita gana. Yes, whoever the fuck I want, and you’re not in a position to argue about it.” I turn toward the door but stop and whip around again. “You are not to tell Ayla about this arrangement until I’ve had a chance to talk to her. Neither of you.” I look from Noris to her mother.

Mrs. Morales nods.

I look at Noris, and she tilts her head, pushing her chin up.

I shake my head at her. “Don’t try me. I’m not the guy that begged you to come back, but I’m the one that can keep you away for good.”

I walk out of the house, walking quickly toward my car. The rain has let up, and Chase is leaning on my car.

Fuck. Cam must have told him.

He tilts his head to his car. “Follow me.”

I nod. I’ll go and deal with this and then head home to talk to Ayla.

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