Page 57 of Biker's Enemy
“But thank you,” I continue, calming my tone down so she doesn’t follow through on her impulse. “We can get Avery out of trouble in case my mother truly loses her marbles.”
“She lost her marbles a while ago, Tanner. What if she thinks you helped your dad hide it, huh? What if she turns on you?”
I sigh and rub my forehead.
“Tylee. Let me handle it. Right now, I want all you damn women out of my house. And Avery somewhere safe.”
“You can’t just send Avery away,” Quin pipes up.
“It has nothing to do with you,” I snap at her. “I’m the one who knows what’s best for Avery and I don’t require input from the nanny.”
Quin’s nostrils flare and I see her face change unlike anything I’ve seen before.
“How. Dare. You.”
Her voice vibrates with anger that she doesn’t bother concealing.
“Don’t have a tantrum,” I respond firmly, self-satisfied at my ability to keep my cool while she trembles.
“I’m not having a tantrum, you asshole. I love Avery and if you gave a crap about her you wouldn’t send her away like a badly behaved dog from a shelter.”
Everyone in the room is quiet. Too quiet. Deb and Tylee are both looking at me like I have two heads – and they hate both of them. Quin’s little hands ball up into fists and I don’t know why, but her fury is getting a rise out of me like nothing has been able to. Just because I don’t simper around Avery showing every form of weakness imaginable doesn’t mean I don’t love her.
“This is not a debate.”
“You can’t send her away!” Quin yells. “I won’t let you.”
“You won’t do a damn thing but go to your room,” I yell at her.
If I thought it was quiet before, my house sounds like a goddamn graveyard. On cue, Avery begins her howling from another room. Fuck…
Deb glares at me. “I’ll get her.”
Tylee gives me an equally cruel look. “I’ll help.”
They walk away hurriedly, leaving me and Quin alone. She looks at me like she has so much more to say on the tip of her tongue. Heat rises beneath my cheeks and spreads over the back of my neck. I feel hot-tempered and humiliated. This is exactly what I never wanted to happen between the two of us.
After last night, what I wanted today was…
“I hate you,” Quin says, scowling firmly. “I hate you more than I’ve hated anyone.”
“Good,” I snarl at her. “Because once Avery’s gone, I’ll have you out on your ass to fend for yourself.”
She raises her eyebrows and then seems to stop herself from saying something before she turns on her heel and storms off down the hallway. Quin slams her bedroom door.
Tylee and Deb emerge with Avery all packed up. I can’t stand to look at them.
“I hope you apologized,” Aunt Deb says.
Tylee scoffs. “When have you ever heard a Hollingsworth man apologize?”
“Two weeks. Mom should be done with her revenge in two weeks and then… she can come back,” I tell Aunt Deb.
“Tell Quin that,” She says. “You can’t expect her not to get attached.”
“Not everyone can be a heartless monster,” Tylee says.
“I’ll be in touch,” I grunt, ushering these annoying, meddlesome women out of my goddamn house.