Mr. Mitchell Billionaires' Club Book 2 - Raylin Marks Page 0,158

it. Avery was going over last-minute details about picking Addy up on Sunday while Addison walked to her papa, who focused on her, her stuffed pup, and a book she brought with her.

I stood, knowing we were about to leave, and once farewells were given, Avery and I walked out, leaving Addy in the care of her grandpa. Her dad, however, apparently couldn’t give a shit about his daughter being there since he felt the urge to follow Avery and me out to my car.

“What are you doing, Derek? Go back inside,” Avery ordered him while I pointedly ignore him.

“You know my boy, eh?” Derek said, lighting a cigarette.

“I know enough,” I answered, opening Avery’s door for her and making sure Derek didn’t feel inclined to charge the car and start ordering her around again.

“Enough? What the fuck does that mean?” he asked, taking a drag from his cigarette. “You trying to make my dad question me about being out all night?”

“I was just wondering if you were talking about the same person who owned the business I acquired a few years back,” I said, walking toward my side of the car.

“You don’t know dick.”

This mother fucker had no idea how thin the thread was that was keeping me together.

“If that’s what you want to assume, then I’ll allow that,” I said, holding back.

“Oh, you’ll allow it?” he mocked.

“Let’s just go, Jim,” Avery snapped.

I sat in the car, disturbed that this unstable mother fucker was going back into that house with Addy, pissed off that I was leaving with Avery. Fuck this whole situation. I fired up the car and looked at her while Derek wandered around the back of the house.

“That jerkoff is too angry for us to leave Addy here, Avery,” I said in a low voice.

“Jim, drive the damn car. If you haven’t caught on to the fact that he hates you yet, I don’t know what will help you figure out why he’s pissed.”

I clamped my mouth shut and drove the fuck out of there.

“You haven’t spoken since we left Larry and Annette’s,” Avery said a few blocks from my house.

“Sorry. I’m just struggling with all of this, Avery,” I finally said as I pulled in. She nodded as she unbuckled, and we both entered the house, kicking off our shoes by the front door, and I threw my suit coat over the back of a chair while she set her bag down.

After I’d poured myself a bourbon and Avery had poured herself a glass of wine, we sat on my sofa.

“Jim.” She ran her hand over the vest I still wore. “Tonight was weird. I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t be sorry, Av,” I said, kissing her head. “Jesus, I don’t know what to ask you to be at this point.”

She sat up. “What does that mean?”

“Larry,” I said, looking at her sharp eyes, feeling her defense mechanisms coming up around her. “He’s a nice man. Although, when Derek came out—after just fucking waking up from his long night out—he only mildly questioned him and then ignored it. It was almost like he didn’t want to start shit with him.”

“No one wants to engage Derek’s bullshit,” Avery said.

“It’s not right, Avery,” I said, leaning my elbows on my knees, holding my glass of bourbon with both hands. “How can any of you not see this?” I looked back at her. “I know you’re not afraid of that little shit, so why—fucking tell me here and now—why won’t you protect your daughter from him?”

“Fucking hell, Jim.” She sighed. “You know this was the bullshit side of my life when signed up for it, and now—fuck. You’re trying to—”

“Help you?” I interrupted. “How is it that I’m the bad guy in this situation?”

“I never said that, did I?”

“You’re defending this dirtbag by not allowing me to help you. You get so fucking angry every time I ask why you won’t fight for custody of Addy. How is it that I’m not okay with leaving her anywhere near that house with that fucker, and you are?”

“Because I know Larry and Annette,” Avery said. “I know they won’t let my daughter get hurt no matter how badly Derek behaves.”

“Behaves? That’s the fucking word for what he does now?”

“Wrong choice of words. Jesus Christ,” she said and rubbed her forehead. “I can’t do this.” She stood up. “I can’t fucking do this with you, Jim.”

“Damn it.” I stood and brought her into my arms, and then lifted her chin, bringing her eyes