Page 40 of Puck (The Lost Boys MC)
“A leanbh,” Dad said as he came up beside me, “I think we can take it from here.”
Yet still, I ignored him. “Despite the fact that my family believes I don’t know how to run my own operations—or life, for that matter—listen up—”
“No, you listen up,” Dad growled as he stepped in front of me.
I tilted my head off to the side. “Are you done judging me long enough to let me work? Or are you still stuck in the Stone Ages of trying to figure out everything the women around you are doing so you can put your stamp of approval on it?”
The warehouse went painfully silent as Dad’s face morphed into the stone-cold face of anger that most people saw before they died. I wasn’t afraid of him, though.
That was what always separated me from my brothers.
“Dad, get out of my way and let me justify the money you’re paying me to do this,” I said softly.
But he held up his hand. “Everyone, give me and my daughter a few minutes.”
The rooms cleared in an instance and I could’ve punched him, I was so angry. I looked off to the side and tried to catch Puck’s gaze as he left behind Stone, but he didn’t even so much as turn in my general direction.
Almost as if he were attempting to shrug me off.
What the fuck is happening right now?
“A leanbh,” Dad said comfortingly.
He tried placing his hands on my shoulders, but I backed away. “What?”
It hurt that Puck didn’t even want to look at me, and I knew something was wrong. But the fact that no one was filling me in on something that altered my own life made me sick with furious vengeance.
He sighed as his hands dropped back to his sides. “Are you doing all right?”
I furrowed my brow. “The hell does that mean?”
His voice grew stern. “You'll watch your tone and your words with me, understood?”
“What is it you say to me every time I’m out of line? In order to get respect, one must give it?”
His face reddened, but he tried his best to keep his cool. “You know, for being around an outlaw motorcycle club, you’re holding up pretty well.”
I barked with laughter. “Look at the family that raised me. I’m sure that’s enough of an answer.”
He took a step toward me. “Is everyone being respectful of your wishes?”
Not my wishes, no. “Yes, everyone’s fine, Dad. And before you ask, no. No one’s trying anything, either.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure about that?”
Stone blabbed. “Dad, if they did and I didn’t want it? I’d level them before you could even get your hand wrapped around his throat.”
“And you didn’t want it.”
I blinked. “What?”
He tilted his head off to the side. “You added a caveat. You said—”
I held up my hand. “I said what I said. You don’t have to repeat it. And I’m telling you, Daddy, if someone did anything to make me uncomfortable in any way, I’d have them against a wall and crying for their mother within seconds.”
I stared up at him until his face softened. “That’s my girl.”
My head tilted back with a sigh. “Can we get on with business now? I hate being cooped up in this place.”
He chuckled. “You and me, both.”
Shit, they’re staying here, too? “I can handle this extraction on my own so long as Stone relinquishes his best guys to help me out. Frost and West, they’re already familiar with the place. So is Puck. And Diego is practically a no-brainer.”
He nodded. “I’m not questioning your work ethic or your work choices.”
“You’re just questioning my personal choices?”
He cracked his neck. “Let’s not turn this into a bar brawl, all right, a leanbh? Just tell me you’re okay and make sure it’s the truth.”
I looked into his eyes and answered as sincerely as I could. “Despite the hiccups, I’ve never been more okay in all my life. You have my word, Daddy.”
And when he relaxed, I knew the moment was over. “Okay, well, while you handle your contact with the men you’ve chosen, me and your brothers are going to handle some more business in the area. We’ll meet you back here, say, before dinner?”
I smiled. “Six, it is.”
He cupped my cheek. “You stay safe, okay?”
I cupped the back of his hand. “Promise, Daddy.”
He kissed my forehead. “Good. Now, get out of here and get to work. You’ve wasted half of the day sleeping.”
And there is it.
“All right, guys!” I yelled as I made my way for the front door. “West! Frost! Puck! Outside with me! We’ve got a job to do!”
Naturally, I made my way over to Puck’s bike. But the second he came up to me, he took my hand. He tugged me over to a bike that Frost sat on before whispering something in the man’s ear, then out of nowhere Frost handed me a helmet.
