Page 52 of Hell of a Mess

“There’s that too,” Linc said. “Have you tried to talk to her about that?”

Oh, I’d tried. Unsuccessfully.

“Not exactly,” I told him.

“What does that mean?” he asked.

I shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “She won’t go. She wants to stay here.”

Linc’s brows snapped together. “Why? Doesn’t she want to get to know her father? She is a Bowen. She belongs with them.”

I didn’t like the way that sounded.Belongs with them. It was true, but I still didn’t like it.

“Getting to know and movin’ in are two different things,” I replied.

“Is it because she feels comfortable with Jayda here?”

Nope. That wasn’t it.

I shook my head. “It’s not Jayda she doesn’t want to leave.”

He put his elbows on the table and leaned toward me, narrowing his eyes. “You’d better not be telling me it’s you.”

Eh, he needed to calm down.

“She’s Mal’s daughter,” he said yet again, as if I needed reminding.

“I’m aware of her parentage. We’ve gone over that a few times.”

“She is moving to Mal’s. I’ve got enough shit to deal with, and I don’t need family drama on top of it.”

If he thought he was making her move, then he’d have fucking drama.

“She doesn’t want to go,” I repeated.

“She doesn’t get a choice.”

He was pushing past annoying me, and I didn’t want to put a fist in his face with the kid in the room.

“Yes, she does.”

“Luther, whatever shit you started stops now,” he said under his breath so Stevie couldn’t hear him.

He had no idea the shit I’d started, but I’d stopped that already.

“She is staying here,” I repeated. “She needs me.”

Linc’s eyes heated as he glared at me, and for a moment, I prepared to dodge his swing. But Stevie let out a round of giggles that I was sure saved me the trouble.

“Mal will fucking kill you. I won’t have to.”

Reaching for my cup, I took another drink before responding. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “She has information we need about her sister. I’m the one she trusts. I can get the answers. Why don’t you stop trying to micromanage every fucking decision and let me handle that?”

Linc looked as if he was mulling that over.

“You’re the last one of us anyone needs to fucking trust,” he hissed.

I shrugged. “Hey, I tried to tell her that. She refuses to listen.”