Page 21 of Need (Men of Inked Sinners #3)

“As a fully grown adult, I’m able to make my own decisions without my sister having to call my father to stop me.

I’m not an idiot. I knew it was dangerous, but I couldn’t sleep at night and live with myself if Oliver went to jail over something Mark did to me.

To me , Dad. Not you. Not her. Not Mom. To me.

I hated feeling out of control and helpless.

I took it back. I went there and threatened him.

I had evidence to back me up, and Mark knew I had his balls and life in my hands.

He backed down and dropped the charges yesterday. ”

“Jesus,” Mom whispers, covering her mouth with her hand. “You two could’ve been hurt. The man isn’t stable.”

“I brought my pepper spray,” I add, thinking Dad would be happy to hear I, at least, brought something to protect us.

Dad closes his eyes, swearing under his breath. That isn’t the reaction I thought I’d get from him, so I go on, trying to make him feel better.

“It’s over. Zoey got through to him, and we left without an issue. We’re safe. We’re here.”

Dad’s eyes snap open, and there’s a fire I’m not sure I’ve ever seen burning inside them. “It’s over?”

I nod, and so does Zoey.

“It’s never over with guys like him.”

“That’s what I said,” Oliver adds, earning himself a glare from me. “You don’t know guys like him, Lulu.”

“You girls could’ve been really hurt,” Mom says, filled with concern instead of burning anger like our dad.

“But we weren’t,” Zoey tells her as she grabs her margarita and takes the biggest sip. She’s going to feel that working through her system quickly, which is probably a good thing.

“I think you should come stay with us for a little while,” Dad says to Zoey.

Zoey’s eyebrows rise over the salted rim. “Uh, no. That’s a hard pass.”

“It’s not safe for you to be home alone.”

“I have a gun,” she says plainly, as if she’s talking about a new pair of shoes and not a deadly weapon.

Dad tips his head back, staring up at the ceiling, and lets out another extremely long and detailed string of curse words .

“Maybe just for a few days,” Mom says, holding on to Dad’s hand so hard her knuckles are white.

“She can stay with me. Good?” I ask them, knowing they’re right. Zoey needs to stay somewhere until we know Mark won’t retaliate, but staying in her childhood bedroom isn’t the answer.

“I’ll stay with Lulu,” Zoey says, dipping her head in my direction because she’s happy I opened my mouth to give her another option.

“Dinner,” Grandma announces at the perfect moment.

Saved by food.

“I don’t regret what I did, Dad. Oliver doesn’t have to go before a judge for something he should’ve never been involved with, and I don’t feel like a complete victim the way I did before. I took that power back, and I’ll never feel sorry about that.”

“Come on, sweetheart. Let it go for now,” Mom says. “The girls are safe, and you taught them to stick up for themselves. They did that. They’ve been through enough and don’t need you losing your shit about it now.”

“I want them to come to me,” he explains to her.

“I know, baby. You protected them their entire lives, but now they’re adults. Lulu has Oliver, and Zoey does too, in a way. You taught them to be strong, independent women. Look at them. They’re everything we could’ve wished for.”

Dad’s gaze moves in our direction, and his face softens.

“You’re right, Delilah. Our girls are strong and brave, but that also scares the absolute shit out of me.

If something were to happen to either of you…

” he says, his voice cracking on the last word as he shakes his head, unable to finish the statement.

“I’ll watch over them,” Oliver promises my father.

Mom touches Dad’s cheek, trying to console him. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him in such a state in my entire life. “They’re good, Lucio.”

Dad lets out a shaky breath. “You’re right.”

“I know,” Mom says with a sweet smile. “But I usually am.”

“Thank you,” Dad says to Oliver. “I’m glad they have someone else they trust to have their backs.”

“Always,” Oliver says to my dad with a dip of his head.

“I love you two more than the air I breathe. Don’t do any more boneheaded shit, okay?”

I nod, and Zoey says, “We promise.”

“Love you two,” Mom says, pulling Dad up from the table. “The lasagna is going to be cold if you wait much longer.”

“It’s as hot as lava for an hour,” Dad tells her as he straightens and takes a step toward the bar, where all the food has been put out by my aunts.

“Fuck. That was intense,” I say when they’re far enough away not to overhear us. “And you—” I turn to Oliver and pin him with a glare “—have a big mouth. ”

He shrugs, taking a pull of his beer so he can’t defend himself—although he probably doesn’t want to argue with me in front of my entire family.

“He took that pretty well,” Zoey says about our dad.

“No. He didn’t,” I refute, shaking my head.

“Better than I thought,” she adds.

“He definitely could’ve been worse.” I sigh and lift my margarita to my lips. “I’m glad I went for something stronger today.”

“I may need a second,” Zoey says with a giggle as she downs half of what is left in her glass, and I watch in amazement at how easily she’s drinking it.

“We’ll make drinks tonight at home,” I tell her. “We’ll swing by your place and grab your things first, and then it’s movies and margaritas.”

“Can I come?” Oliver asks.

“No,” I tell him, wanting a night alone with my sister. “People with big mouths don’t get to enjoy movies and margaritas with us.”

Oliver grunts as he slides his arm around the back of my chair, touching my shoulder. “Baby,” he whispers in my ear, causing my skin to pebble at the deepness. “You sure liked my big mouth this morning when it was?—”

“Okay,” I say, shooting up out of my chair and trying to keep my face from flushing any more than it already is. “We better grab our plates.”

Zoey giggles as she pushes herself up from the table. “I love you two together. You can totally come to movie and margarita night, Oli.”

Oliver smiles over at my sister as I mouth, “Traitor.”

“What are we watching?” he asks her.

“ Pretty Woman ,” she answers.

“Fuck,” he says.

The regret on his face is instant. Serves him right.