The Slow Burn (Moonlight and Motor Oil #2) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,10

I’ll bleed my last drop before I let you fuck him up. You know me, Perry,” she stressed. “You know what makes me. You know every word I say is true. And you know you don’t have what it takes to fight that. I’ll do whatever it takes to beat you, to give my son what he deserves. I was taught how, day in and day out by my mother, so I know the way. And I’ll take it if you make me, and I’ll die knowing I gave my boy happy.”

Toby felt something he hadn’t felt in years slide into his stomach as he stared at her while she said these words.

But even at its strongest in the past, it had never burned as deep as it did right then.

“You’re gonna have to fight it,” Perry hurled at her.

“Only because you’re intent on proving how big of an asshole you are and you’re gonna make me,” she returned.

That asshole glared at his wife. He then glared at the other blonde, Johnny, and the African American guy before he turned and stutter-stepped when he saw Toby. He recovered quickly and started to stalk off.

“Just to let you know,” Addie called after him. “My attorney already has three appointments to get sworn affidavits next week. And that bitch you were banging while my son was in the next room got served a subpoena, so she’s one of them.”

She didn’t even know his name, but Toby wanted to bump fists with her for being so fucking badass.

That or kiss her.

At that juncture, the second option was seriously inappropriate.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to do it.

“Kiss my ass, Addie,” Perry yelled, not breaking stride.

“The time you get that from me, baby, is long gone,” she returned in a loud drawl.

Only then did Toby wrench his eyes from her so he could watch her hopefully soon-to-be-official ex slam into his car, make it roar and then reverse and peel out in a shower of gravel and a cloud of dust.

Toby twisted back when the other blonde started carefully, “Addie—”

But Addie turned and raced down the side of the house, disappearing at the back.

The second woman raced after her.

Toby felt his brother’s eyes and tore his away from the area where the women had disappeared, doing this fighting running after them, and put them to Johnny.

“Welcome home, brother,” Johnny said.

God.

Johnny.

Toby felt lips hitch.

“I’m Johnny,” Johnny said to the black dude.

Say what?

They didn’t know each other?

“Charlie,” the guy replied, lifting his hand Johnny’s way.

Johnny shook it, let go and introduced, “This is my brother, Toby.”

“Toby,” Charlie said, offering his hand to Toby.

“Charlie,” Toby replied, taking it.

When they were done shaking, all three men hesitated, then when Johnny started down the side of the house, Toby and Charlie trailed with Ranger, Johnny’s dog, walking with them.

So rumor in town was true.

Shandra, Johnny’s ex-bitch who destroyed him was back in Matlock, because there was Ranger. The dog he’d given her to look after her after she’d kicked his brother in the teeth (this being about a nanosecond (slight exaggeration) after their father died) and took off.

But Ranger was here.

With two blondes and a cute-as-fuck house with ugly drama playing out in the side yard.

Jesus.

So Johnny walks his ass into that kind of drama, setting himself right up to be the hero, which Tobe so totally knew Johnny would wait about an hour to do.

And when Toby had tried to intervene with some chick whose brother had some medical bills she was trying to help pay, she decided he was her prince charming. She then rented some hall for their reception when he had no intention of buying her a ring. And when he tells her that last, even though he goes gentle, she loses her mind about losing her deposit and takes off in his truck.

Johnny found the righteous blondes who’d go to the mat to take care of their kids.

Toby found the nutcases.

Good to know things didn’t change.

They walked in the back door hearing Addie saying, “No, Iz. Just put the queso under the broiler and let’s get this party started.”

But her eyes hit Toby’s brother when he entered then they went behind him after Johnny cleared the door, and Tobe and Charlie crowded with him into the small kitchen.

She was holding an adorable baby tight to her and hovering in a corner of the kitchen like the two women in it had her caged in (the blonde, clearly Eliza, who everyone in town was