Page 117 of Reckless Vengeance

“Let her in. Make sure you frisk her for weapons though,” he replied, and as much as it looked like he didn’t give a shit, his leg bounced slightly and his fingers toyed with my shirt nervously.

I went to move from his lap, but he held me firmly, silently asking me to stay.

Skeeter was sitting beside us, his body angled in a way that he could definitely shoot her if she did something stupid.

“If you want her to leave, I’ll make her go,” Josie said firmly, sipping her coffee and watching the doorway for our unwanted guest.

Caden moved to sit on Tyler’s other side so she didn’t sit beside him, all of us on edge as the woman walked in like she owned the place, handbag over her arm and her sunglasses on her head.

“Tyler! There you are, I’ve been looking for you since yesterday. Why didn’t you come home last night?” she huffed, eyeing me with annoyance as if I was in the way.

“I don’t really stay there much,” he shrugged, grabbing a grape and popping it into his mouth before grabbing another and pressing it to my lips.

I ate it, having no idea if he was trying to piss her off or not, but I was on board if that was the plan.

“You should have been at home with me yesterday. It’s a family day.”

“Why the fuck would I do that? You never come home for the holidays, and my family are all here. Am I good enough company now that Dad left you or something?” he asked dryly, her nostrils flaring.

“I left him. Did he tell you it was the other way around?”

“Neither of you told me anything. I found out you’re divorcing on the news. What are you doing here, anyway?”

“To see you. What do you think you were doing punching the paparazzi? You embarrassed us. Everyone’s talking about it. You should be used to handling them by now,” she scolded, a bark of laughter leaving him as he fed me another grape.

“They’ve left me alone for years until Dad let everyone know on national TV that I was here. I don’t want to be followed around and my privacy plastered all over the internet.”

“That doesn’t mean you can punch people. Honestly, Tyler. Are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?” she asked, stepping closer to hold out her hand to me. “Anika Johnson, but you probably know that.”

I could have told her the truth, she was a pretty well-known name among the celebrity world, but I stared back at her blankly.

“Sorry, your name isn’t ringing any bells. Rory.”

Jensen snorted, knowing I was being petty, but fuck her.

As expected, she gave me a dirty look like it was offensive not to know her name, and she dropped her hand.

“Rory? Isn’t that a boy’s name?” she replied, and Tyler scoffed.

“Isn’t Anika the name of a porn star?”

“I have no idea what’s gotten into you, but you’re being rude. I didn’t raise you to be disrespectful,” she hissed.

“You didn’t fucking raise me,” he threw back, flicking a hand to Josie. “She did. And she did a damn good job.”

“Apparently not,” Anika tsked, glancing at Josie. “You let them speak to adults like this?”

“Only to people who deserve it,” Josie replied with a straight face, sipping her coffee like the conversation bored her.

“How dare you. I knew letting him play with your son would cause problems.”

“Yet, you left him here anyway. That says more about you than me, Anika,” Josie said with a small smile. “He’s a brilliant young man, not that you’d know. When did you even visit last?”

“I don’t need to put up with this. Come on, Tyler. You can come home with me,” Anika demanded, trying to make me move from his lap by flicking her wrist in a dismissive motion.

I eyed her before picking at my food again, and Tyler laughed.

“You think I’ll just come with you? I don’t even know you, lady.”