Dark Guardian (Black Hoods MC #3) - Avelyn Paige Page 0,22

didn’t intimidate me. Nothing will stop me from protecting those kids. Not Aaron, and certainly not Eugene Grant and his band of bikers. I’m my own mistress, and there will be no fucking master, friend, or whatever he is, if he can’t support my decision.

Anger wafts off him in thick waves, and as his voice raises, more eyes peer over at us. He’s making a scene for the entire restaurant.

“Grace,” he growls. “Please, leave it alone.”

“No. End of story.”

Coming over with our meals, the server quietly places them in front of us as we both stew in our anger and frustration. I try to eat, but the longer I sit here, the angrier I get. When the server comes back by to check on us, I ask for a box. Aaron snaps out of his quiet rage, and something flashes in his eyes, something I’ve never seen before. He’s hurt. I’ve hurt him.

“You don’t have to leave on my account.” His tone says the opposite. He’s angry with me, but he’s trying too hard to mask it. I know he cares about me, but he has to realize there’s nothing between us. “Please, stay and eat your dinner.”

“I can’t, Aaron. After all of this, you know I can’t.”

Reaching for my purse, I grab a twenty and place it on the table to cover my half of the meal and wine. The server brings a box to the table and deposits my untouched meal into the Styrofoam container before handing it to me in the bag. I carefully place the file into my bag, grab my leftovers, and shove up from my chair. I move to walk away, but he reaches out and grabs my arm.

“Don’t do this, Grace. Please.” I jerk from his grasp and leave him alone to eat his meal. I don’t look back.

Fat tears run down my cheeks as soon as I get outside, my chest heaving as a pang of anger roars out of me the second I’m away from him. Tonight is a major turning point in our friendship. Likely the end of it, I think. Aaron doesn’t easily forgive, and leaving him there like that, I might as well have plunged a knife into his heart. Mine too, if I’m being honest. For so many years, I’ve relied on him like a crutch when things got tough. Maybe a little too much. It may hurt right now, but this is for the best, for both our sakes.

Judge

“Uh, Gene?” I turn to find Kevin standing in the doorway to the garage, his basketball resting against his hip. He nods his head toward the street, and I follow his gaze to see Grace Halfpenny climbing out of her car, her bun wound so tight at the back of her head, I’m surprised her skin isn’t peeling off.

“Inside, bud.”

“But—”

“Inside,” I repeat. Shoving past him, I move to intercept her before she comes too far onto my property. Her eyes lock with mine, but her steps never falter as she moves closer. I hate that her skirt fits her figure so well.

“Mr. Grant,” she says, extending her hand for me to shake.

Glancing down at it, I curl my lip in mock disgust. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Her hand drops. “I thought I’d maybe try a do-over of our conversation from the other day.”

I glower at her, totally ignoring the perfectly placed freckle just above her lip. “Do they actually pay you to fuck with people’s lives?” Pulling my wallet from my pocket, I find a crisp hundred-dollar bill and offer it to her. “Here, take this for your time. Now leave.”

She bristles at that. “Mr. Grant, my job is to ensure that all children are free from abuse and taken care of. That is my only goal, ever.”

“Well, good then. End of discussion and job well done. Kevin and Nat are being well taken care of, and I personally see to it every single day that they’re both free from abuse. You can go on your merry little way and find someone else to fuck with.”

She sighs. “That’s not the way this works.”

“That’s exactly the way this works. I’m not gonna bend over and let some bitch from DFPS come between me and my kids.”

“They’re not your kids, Mr. Grant.”

Finished with her and her bullshit, I jam a finger in front of her face and lean in close. “They’re more mine than yours. You don’t know them at all, and I’m supposed to let you come