Clark to safety—”
“I’m also the man who spent nine years in the Army, five of those in the unit. Being as you spent time there, you know what I’ve done. I’m also the man who found and beat the shit out of Rey Patel.”
Jasper’s frame locked, his eyes narrowed, and the temperature in the room went sub-zero. The man didn’t like the reminder I’d tracked and captured the motherfucker who nearly killed his daughter, Quinn. And after I found Rey, I didn’t offer the asshole tea and cupcakes while I waited for the police. I’d unleashed hell on the fucker. By the time Jasper had brought Quinn’s man, Brice, around to get his licks in, Rey was seriously fucked-up. And when we were done, I didn’t hand Rey over to the cops. I dropped him off in a rival gang’s territory—after I’d put the word out on the location where I’d be leaving him.
“You think I give a fuck about that?” Jasper seethed.
“You should. She should. The violence I’m—”
“You call it violence, I call it protection.”
Any other time I would’ve agreed with Jasper. But we were talking about Hadley. Sweet, innocent, young Hadley.
“I’m thinking this conversation is moot,” I told him honestly and his eyes squinted.
“Let me guess. A week ago, you made sure she saw the light.”
Now I was out of that quicksand and edging onto seriously dangerous ground. Jasper didn’t want to know and I’d never tell him what went down in Hadley’s bathroom.
“Respect, Jasper—”
“You get we’re talking about my daughter, right?” he cut me off and my body went solid. “My Hadley. You know me, Brady, you know I got no problems putting my foot up some dickhead’s ass if they fuck with one of my girls. Seeing as I know you’re smart, you understand what this is. No way in hell would I sit across from you and give you my blessing if I didn’t know I could trust you can give my daughter what she needs. But more than that, I trust Hadley has the tools to give you what you need.”
That felt unbelievably good, but at the same time, it carved my insides hollow. Jasper wasn’t wrong, Hadley was everything I wanted, everything I needed. She was strong enough to stand by me and take on my shit. But that didn’t mean I’d allow her to be buried under it.
There was a line between want and need and doing what was best for the woman you loved. I was trying my hardest to stay on the side of the righteous. That was, I’d been succeeding until I’d failed spectacularly.
“I still dream about Nicole,” I blurted. “I dream about a lotta shit. You sure you want a man like that sleeping next to your daughter?”
“You trying to piss me off?” he growled.
At that juncture, I wasn’t sure. Maybe I wanted to push Jasper until he unleashed his wrath on me. Maybe I needed him to kick my ass since I was incapable of doing it myself. Maybe I needed to feel the bite of pain as knuckles met flesh.
“I’m trying to get you to understand that we’re talking about Hadley. Beautiful, sweet, funny, free-spirit Hadley with the pretty smile and gorgeous eyes that hold nothing but innocent mischief. And I cannot for the life of me figure out why you’re not sitting across from me warning me off. I can only dim her light, steal everything good she has to offer. Your daughter needs a man who can hand her the world. Not only does she need it, Jasper, she fucking deserves it.”
A wide smile broke through his features and I didn’t see a damn thing worth smiling about.
Jasper stood but didn’t take his shrewd eyes off me. “One day, you’ll understand.”
One day, you’ll understand.
Fuck.
I won’t be thinking about you at all.
My chest caught fire and turned to ash.
“Something to think about, Brady. At no time during this conversation have you denied you’re in love with my daughter.” The ground beneath my feet started to shake and dangerous turned into something else. “And you haven’t denied it because you’re not a liar.”
Unable to look at Jasper, my gaze dropped to my desk. A man I respected, a man I aspired to be like, a man who took protection and loyalty to extremes. He also had the uncanny ability to read the people around him, therefore he saw straight into my soul.
He knew I loved Hadley.
“One last thing for you to think about. Maybe I want