one of them are hateful and cruel. Taunting even. And if it were anyone other than Winter, I’d let him have it. But something about her makes me want to protect her from everything…even a war between her lover and her father. She doesn’t deserve to even be spoken about as though she’s some fuck toy.
She’s not.
She’s mine.
I quickly type out my reply.
Tony,
Winter has a roof over her head, food in her stomach, and emotional support. More than her father is willing to give. Don’t email me again, asshole.
August
It would have been fun to tell him that she just left my office after visiting me for lunch and sucked my dick under my desk. Or how I took her hard in the shower this morning. But what Winter and I share is ours, not some insult to be slung at her piece of shit father.
“Miller,” a deep voice rumbles.
I look up from my computer and attempt to scrub the frustration from my face with the palm of my hand. “What?”
Dane Alexander, my friend and partner at the firm, saunters in my office, closing the door behind him with a brow lifted in amusement. He’s used to me being a dick. For some reason, he continues to put up with my asshole ways.
“What are you so happy about?” I demand, annoyed that he’s smiling when I’m pissed as fuck right now.
He holds out his palms and chuckles. “Retract the fangs, psycho. Some of us are getting laid and pretty damn proud of that.”
I perk up at the news. “You’re getting ass?”
His cheeks tinge slightly pink. “I am.” It’s all he says, but I sense more.
“Hmmm.” I steeple my fingers and lean forward, resting my elbows on my desk. “Care to share?”
He smirks. “Nope.”
“Then why are you in my office looking proud as shit?”
“I’m saving you.”
“Saving me?”
“From Jackie.”
I wince at her name. “What?”
“She showed up just a few minutes ago, but I told her you were in the middle of a big case. Then, I came in here.” He shrugs. “You owe me.”
Gritting my teeth, I lean back in my chair and tug at my tie. “Why the fuck is she here?”
“Beats me.”
Winter.
It has to be something about Winter.
The only time I talk to Jackie is through Callie. She has texted me a few times asking for money for trips and shit for our daughter, but I never respond. Just give Callie what she needs. I hate Jackie. There’s no reason she’d be here to talk to me other than to make me feel like shit over taking Winter in. I know my ex-wife well enough to know she’s jealous. I may not be hers anymore, but she still feels like she has a claim over me.
“How’s Callie?” he asks as he texts with someone, his eyes on his screen.
“Good. She’s been in Colorado with her boyfriend and his family.”
“Teddy Englewood’s son Landon?”
“Yeah,” I grunt. “He’s a good kid. Both the Englewood kids are.”
Landon is the football player to my cheerleader daughter. They’re exactly the Jackie and I from back in the day. Difference is, my daughter isn’t a cheating cunt. And if Landon hurts her…I’ll kill that motherfucker.
“How are your cases going? Since I’m here, we could actually work,” Dane says, setting his phone down on my desk.
We spend the next half hour going over a couple of tricky cases. Once he’s decided that Jackie is no longer a threat, he leaves me to my work. Winter and I text throughout the day. Since it’s now Christmas break, she’s been binge watching old episodes of Criminal Minds and giving me a play-by-play on what’s realistic and what’s not. It’s cute how much she analyzes that dumb show.
Five rolls around and I’m ready to get the hell out of work so I can take my girl to dinner. I pack up and throw on my coat before stalking out of the office. People don’t even bother waving anymore. I’m a dick to everyone. I don’t even care. I’m just exiting the elevator in the garage of the building when I immediately sense her.
My hackles rise to see Jackie leaned up against my Jaguar like she fucking owns it. No, she took her precious Mercedes after the divorce and my Audi. Since her argument was that Callie needed a car, I caved. I ended up buying my Jag later, so I can’t say I’m all that mad about it. What I am mad about is the fact she’s here and fucking stalking me.
“What?”