“That has more to do with your plans than mine,” I grit out, noticing that I’ve closed the distance I’d put between us just moments ago. “But just a heads-up, I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
Jinx shoves me away, but I anticipated the move. I’m provoking him, and even though it looks like it’s what he expected, he doesn’t seem to want to back down either. My friend is as laid back as they come, so it’s a rare occurrence to see the anger in his eyes right now.
“You can’t possibly be thinking about trying to date the woman pregnant with my fucking child.”
My jaw clenches. “That baby was conceived in a fucking three-way. There’s no fucking high road right now.”
His lip twitches in anger. I know neither one of us look at Simone differently for sharing that experience with us, and we’d never insult her for it, but the facts are the facts.
“I brought you into this situation, not the other way around.”
Best friend or not, Jinx doesn’t seem at all impressed that I’m not backing down about this. Would it hit me hard if the test results came back and he’s the father? Of course it would. That’s just one more blockade between Simone and what I think we can have, but I’m determined. I want to see what’s possible between her and me. The paternity, as far as I’m concerned, is simply a blip of inconvenience.
He shoves me again, and before I can take a second to think, I pull my arm back and swing it toward his face.
Rough arms catch me around the waist, pulling me backward before my fist can make contact. Shock fills Jinx’s eyes, and it’s easy to tell he can’t believe I’d hit him over her. Maybe with the realization, he’ll understand how serious I am about this.
The only problem is that I don’t know when it became so serious. When did things shift to the point that I’d hit my best friend over a woman? When did Simone become so important that I was willing to cause problems with the guy who has always had my back?
“Enough,” Griffin hisses when I struggle against his grasp.
My confusion over everything pisses me off even more, and I’ve got it in my head that if I just clock Jinx a few times, everything will be much clearer.
Lawson presses a rough hand to Jinx’s chest when he looks like his thoughts are in perfect alignment with my own.
“Really?” Griffin snaps when I try to break free once again. “This is how you’re going to handle this situation?”
As Shadow’s son and a former Marine, Griffin is the newest member of the Cerberus MC, but regardless of his connection to one of the original members, he doesn’t have rank or seniority over either Jinx or me. I could tell him to take his hands off me, and he’d probably do it, but the sight of his girl, Ivy, standing to the side with a look of shock on her face and small hand covering her mouth, makes me calm a little.
She’s Kincaid’s daughter, and throwing down over a girl on the sidewalk of an apartment complex is sure to get back to her dad. It’s conduct unbecoming of a Cerberus member, and exactly what Kincaid was worried about. Delilah looks equally scared for this situation, and I hate that they’ve witnessed us losing our shit, especially in such a public place. Acting like this is unacceptable. Acting like this where civilians can see is probably grounds for termination.
“You good?” Griffin growls in my ear, and he doesn’t lessen his grip around my waist until I nod.
“Jinx?” Lawson prods, but instead of answering, my friend just jerks his arm away and storms off.
Luckily, he heads to the parking lot because regardless of what’s going on in our personal lives, we have a damn job to do. I can only hope that if things get sticky in the field, he won’t be tempted to let a combatant take out his problem.
I shake my head with the thought because neither of us would be like that.
“We’re heading out,” I explain to Lawson, which is pointless because he already knows. Griffin is heading to work as well. If Lawson was going out of town the same time Griffin was, Ivy and Delilah would stay on Cerberus property without question, but Simone is as stubborn as the day is long. That feisty attitude of hers is hot when we’re both