Page 49 of Down & Dirty: Reaper

“Well, we did help raise her,” Steel mentioned again with a shrug, leaning his chair back on two legs and grinning around the toothpick. “I’d say we did a damn good job if she easily shut Scarface down.”

“Look, I appreciate everything you all did for me and my sisters. We wouldn’t be who we are today without your influence. But none of you have any right to say anything about who I sleep with.” She turned to glare at her father. “Even you.” She took a breath but wasn’t finished. “Just to be clear, Dad, I’ve been getting laid since I was seventeen and not one of them ever approached you before we took off our clothes. So, take that bullshit elsewhere.”

Reaper heard a female hoot from out in the hallway.

Great.

But not surprising.

A few sets of eyes flicked to the doorway before switching back to Diesel.

“Now, do we need to continue this farce or are you going to recognize that I’m an adult and don’t need your permission to do anything?”

Oh damn.

“You let women speak for you?”

Reaper realized it was Vi’s father asking him that. All right. Now he had no choice but to wade in. “No. But to be clear, she isn’t speaking for me, she’s speaking for herself.”

Someone at the table made a noise.

“No man speaks for me,” Vi announced. “Not you, Dad. Not any of you sitting at that table. And not him.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Reaper.

Of course, that thumb put him back on Diesel’s radar.

He stayed on alert. Reaper might be younger and faster, but that man might hit him like a damn freight train and send him into next week.

Or, hell, next year.

Or worse, six feet under.

“You need to claim her at the table. That’s the way it is.”

“Things change, Dad. Anyway, maybe I’m claiming him at our table.”

She was doing what? That was news to him. And he didn’t agree to be in that front page article.

“That goddamn make-believe club of yours don’t have a fuckin’ table!” Diesel yelled.

Vi smiled and sounded way too calm when she announced, “Yes, we do. It’s at the farm.”

Somehow, Reaper had missed that fact.

But wait a damn minute… “Not going to lie, all of this sounds a little bit like a shotgun wedding.”

Vi stepped back beside him. “Don’t worry. You have no reason to claim me at the table. Or me to claim you. We’re fucking for fun. You know, like how the guys in the club do the same. Nothing serious, right? It’s just to get off.”

They had certainly gotten off. A few times. But she was really pushing her father. Maybe to the point of breaking. However, the only thing that would break would be him.

“You ain’t a sweet butt,” her father growled.

“You’re right. I’m not. Otherwise, I’d be giving Reaper head in the middle of the courtyard during a club party.”

Holy fuck.

“For fuck’s sake,” Hunter grumbled, closing his eyes. ”Didn’t need to picture that.”

“Better not be fuckin’ picturin’ that!” Diesel warned him.