Page 85 of Reckless Vengeance

“No. The tabloids talk a lot of shit, and whatever he reads won’t help him.”

“So? If he wants to read bullshit, then let him,” Skeeter replied, snatching the phone from him and holding it out to me. “He’s right though. No good will come from reading that trash. I can see why you’d want answers, but why should you care about them when it’s obvious they don’t give a fuck about you?”

It was like a kick in the teeth hearing it. I knew they didn’t give a shit about me, I’d been a kid when they’d abandoned me, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t hurt by it.

“Ty,” Rory said as she ran towards me, almost knocking me over as she wrapped herself around me. Her fingers threaded through the back of my hair affectionately, the tension bleeding from me as I hugged her back tightly.

I buried my face in her neck and breathed her in, feeling someone pat me on the back.

“Head back to the house. It’s not safe to wander around out here,” Skeeter murmured, giving me another pat before nudging us to head back in the direction we’d come from.

I let Rory lead me, and while they were getting ready for us to leave, I stayed in the kitchen with Skeeter as he texted on his phone.

“Do you have any⁠—”

“No,” he said bluntly, making me frown.

“Why not?”

He sighed, looking up from his phone before pocketing it and crossing his arms.

“As much as I love taking your money, I won’t have your death on my conscience. Upset people tend to make mistakes, and I refuse to be part of it. Go get drunk at home if you need a crutch, but I need you to be more clear-headed before you touch my shit again.”

“You’re cutting me off?”

“No, I’m just not selling to you today,” he said seriously, making me glare at him as he slapped my cheek lightly. “Lock yourself in the bedroom with Aurora if you need. That helps me.”

“Fuck you, man.”

“Fucking me wouldn’t fix your problems either, Johnson, no matter how good my dick is,” he replied as he stepped back and grabbed his keys. “I don’t want to be worrying about you all day, so stay home and out of trouble. Call me if you need me though.”

“I’d hate to fucking worry you,” I bit out, his eyes meeting mine.

“I’m going to worry about you anyway, so you might as well call. I just need to know you’re home safely. We’re family, right?”

I was stunned by that, not really knowing how to respond.

“Okay,” I finally said, making him nod.

“Good. Fuck them, man. You honestly don’t need them. Josie’s a good mom, she’s all you need for a parent. The people who created you don’t deserve you.”

I swallowed, trying to keep my emotions in check but ended up hugging him. He was stiff and grumbled about me being a baby, but he patted my back and didn’t pull away until I let go.

He had to go to the Shed, so I let Rory drag me towards Jensen’s car while the others took their time joining us.

“What do you need?” Rory asked once we were alone, her hands taking my face between them.

“I don’t know.”

“Think, baby. Is there something I can do to help?”

I needed a distraction. A big one. One where nothing else around me mattered.

“That date you promised me. You looked gorgeous in that dress the other night. Let me⁠—”

“Done,” she smiled, and I blinked at her for a moment as I processed it.

“Really? I know you agreed last time but I also know you were hoping I forgot about it.”