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15

RILEY

I woke from a sound sleep with voices and the scent of coffee. Still in only my top, I slipped into my robe before heading into the kitchen.

“—arrest your ass.”

I stopped just inside the living room to my dad’s voice cutting through the early morning like a knife. He wasn’t talking on the phone. He was talking to Cody. Who was shirtless. A literal man-god.

Oh shit.

Cody caught sight of me and turned his head. Winked. That made Dad look my way, too.

“Riley Jane Abbott, what the fuck is going on here? Cody McIntire ?” His voice boomed around the entire first floor.

“Don’t talk to your daughter that way,” Cody snapped. Oh no–he wasn’t going to turn into a wolf, was he?

“I will talk to my daughter any way I see fit. I’m the one in charge here.”

Dad was a formidable man. Tall and broad shouldered, he worked out and kept fit. But he had nothing on Cody. Cody was taller. Bigger. Darker. More dangerous, even though he wasn’t the one with the service pistol. The last thing I wanted him to do was shoot Cody. The way the veins in his neck stood out, Dad was pissed. Really pissed.

“Dad,” I said, my shoulders drooping.

“Don’t Dad me.” He pointed at me. “I go out of town for two days and–”

“Is the trial over?” I asked, trying to steer him to safer topics.

Remembering I was in just my robe, I held the front closed. My dad had seen me in it before. It wasn’t anything racy, but I was bare–or mostly bare–beneath. And remembering why I was that way made me feel very exposed.

“What a nightmare. The pre-trial was a pain in the ass. He took a plea bargain, so the asshole’s behind bars for the next twenty years. Hopefully it’ll stop all the threats and annoyance calls from his–” He cut himself off, narrowing his eyes at me. “Nice try redirecting.” He flicked his gaze and gave Cody a look as if he was dog poop he stepped in. “If I hadn’t come back when I did, I–”

“You wouldn’t have barged in on your adult daughter doing adult things,” Cody said.

If I wasn’t freaking out, I’d think it ironic Cody accused Dad of barging into the house.

Dad spun on Cody, pointed. “Adult things? Like fucking a forty-year old? Jesus, Cody, we went to high school together. Did you run through all the older women in town? ”

Cody didn’t look like he felt the same shame I did at Dad’s barbed words.

“We didn’t fuck,” I said, using the same crude word he had.

Dad whirled back. “He’s not wearing a shirt. His boots are by the door. You’re in your robe. You sure as hell aren’t playing gin rummy together.”

“It’s not what you think,” I started.

Dad’s eyes narrowed at me. “You do not want to know any more about what I think.” Then he set his hands on his hips and faced Cody. “Get the hell out of here. If I see you near my daughter… on the same bl ock in town, I’ll have you thrown in jail. Then I’ll sic the health inspector on your bar. That’s just what I can think of right now. You fucked my daughter, so I’m going to fuck you over.”

“DAD!” I shouted, tears welling in my eyes.

Cody raised his hand. The only time he got upset through all of this was when Dad talked nasty to me. He’d defended me. “I’ll go.”

“Good. Get gone.”

I’d never seen my dad so angry.

Cody looked my way, tipped his chin, then grabbed his boots, and slipped out the door. No shirt, barefoot. Complete walk of shame.

For a minute, the house was quiet except for Dad’s ragged breathing.

“Dad…” I began.

He held up his hand, cutting me off. “He won’t be back, Riley.”

“Yeah because you threatened his life and his work.”

“No, because he got what he wanted. Cody McIntire is a goddamn player, and you know it from gossip all over town. I gave him the perfect excuse. Now he won’t be stopping by to tell you it was fun and break your heart.”

Something sank into the pit of my stomach. Cody was a player. I’d seen the evidence of that last night at the bar. But he’d said I was his mate.

Of course, that might have been something Cody said to everyone.

Maybe I was only worthy of a—as my dad said—a fuck?

My brain spun. I squeezed my trembling fingers into fists to stem the wave of loss and confusion.

“Get some clothes on and get to work,” he snapped.

Without another word, he left, and for the first time ever, without placing a fatherly kiss on top of my head. In fact, he didn’t even look me in the eye.