Oh, the nerve.
I nod slowly, biting my tongue so hard I taste blood before I say, 揙kay. I didn抰 realize my locked, perfectly crime-free apartment isn抰 good enough to fix up your hurt kid while you were still at the office jacking yourself off.?
His eyes bulge and he opens his mouth to fire back, but a small voice cuts him off.
揈liza棓 Destiny starts.
Oh, crap. Since I normally don抰 have screaming matches here, it抯 easy to forget just how small this space is.
I hold up my hand.
揝orry. I shouldn抰 have said that.?I turn around and look at Destiny. 揧ou抮e always welcome here, if you抮e allowed. That wasn抰 directed at you, hon. But apparently, I made a big mistake by assuming you would be.?
Or I just didn抰 realize I抦 good enough to make your dad抯 coffee and ride his dick.
But somehow, I抦 not good enough in all the other ways a demanding, rich grump-ass like Cole Lancaster needs.
揕et me settle this for both of you,?he says softly, turning to Destiny. 揧ou, young lady, are not allowed here without my permission. You抳e already been robbed. You抮e not running around Seattle alone anymore in this crappy part of town or anywhere else.?
揋od, Dad. Are you implying the robbers were homeless??She looks at him with a brutal pout. 揊YI, they weren抰。 They stank like cologne and there wasn抰 a speck of dirt on their white hoodies when they pushed me around.?
揘obody should抳e fucking pushed you at all,?he mutters under his breath. Then he looks at me and shrugs. 揝he抯 never been robbed outside my office or in our neighborhood. She always had Kate around, or Tom, or at least a friend.?
揧ou抮e right to wonder, but I抦 telling you, it抯 not a battlezone hellscape here,?I say. 揑 went to that camp a few times every month until I met you?I抳e never come close to being robbed.?
揧ou don抰 look like a target,?he snaps, looking away as soon as it抯 out.
My jaw drops.
揥hat? What does that mean, Cole??
He shrugs angrily, exuding pure insolence. 揙nly that if I were going to rob someone, I wouldn抰 expect to make a lot off of you. Don抰 take it personally. You travel light with your ID and a few mason jars of coffee, maybe a water bottle. You抮e not a flashy girl sporting anything valuable.?
Yeah, he抯 not explaining his way out of this hole.
My blood is about to froth over.
揑抣l have you know that Dakota freakin?Burns and her billionaire hubby are there at least once a month. More before they had their baby, even. Would they make better targets? Pretty sure she抯 walking around with six-figures of designer jewelry glued to her now.?
揕incoln抯 built like a fire truck and he never leaves her side. Your friend probably has enough sense not to go without him.?
My lips tense into a painful line. 揑抣l tell you what she has sense for. She抣l kick him in the balls if he抯 ever stupid enough to think she needs him like some sad little damsel in distress.?
揇ad, stop. You抮e being a jerk!?Destiny adds.
揝tay out of this!?Cole warns.
Yeah, I抳e officially had enough, short of the ball-kicking he so deserves.
I start moving to the front door, loudly unlatching it just to prove to him that I have locks, and swing it open.
揧ou should go. Get her home, before I lose my shit,?I say, waiting for them.
揧ou抮e kicking us out? Christ. Maybe you should calm down.?His voice is even, calm, and ice-cold as usual. He acts like I抦 the problem and he抯 not being a raging dick.
I glare at him and shake my head.
揗y name is on the lease, last I checked. I don抰 have to do anything you say in my place. Now go, before I rage-barf all over Dess. She doesn抰 need that after today…？
揈liza棓 he starts, but I point to the hallway, my hand shaking.
揋o! How many times do I have to say it??
He moves back to my sofa and scoops Destiny up again, settling her on her feet. She gives me an apologetic look as he ushers her to the door.
揅ole??I call.
He looks at me over his shoulder. 揧eah??
揋iven your background, I抎 think you might be more empathetic.?
揥hat抯 that mean??
揘ot everyone comes home from the military to rich parents. You were lucky, you know that, right??
He stares at me like he just doesn抰 get it.
Of course not.
Rich guys won抰。
揂 lot of the people down there we were serving coffee to came back hurt or had PTSD or both. Lincoln Burns?best friend lived there until Linc gave him a job. But not everyone has a best friend who can hire them. So, try to be a little more understanding. Also, get the hell out of my house.?You fucking snob, I add in my head.
揈liza, fuck. I didn抰 mean it the way it sounded. It抯 just棓