Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Arden was so very afraid of that bastard. How dare anyone even consider handing him back as if he were livestock?
Dad stroked his short beard, squinting at Mike. “A stray. Barely three grand. Fair price, taking into account that some of us almost got shot saving his ass.”
Mike exhaled, struggling to keep his fists in check. His feet felt heavy as he approached, the world around him blurred and red. “You will give him back every cent.”
“Oh, yeah? Are you gonna pay for him now? Since he’s your boyfriend? I see right fucking through you, Mike. I don’t know why you’re continuing with this charade, but it ends right now!”
Mike lost it. He fucking lost it. Within two steps, he grabbed the edge of the desktop and pulled, knocking it over so fast Dad had to dash into the corner to save his feet. Papers, pens, the lamp, and even family photos tumbled to the floor, and Mike stepped right over them, his fists itching for blood.
“We don’t do that. We don’t sell people! What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Father’s blue eyes shone, and he scowled. “Fine. But he should take a hike. This game of yours has gone too far.”
Mike grabbed him by the collar, but let go, stumbling back when a hard punch from below snapped his jaws together and popped his head up. His feet hit the desk, but he managed not to fall over and blinked, showing Dad his bloodied teeth. Had he bitten his tongue? Yes, he fuckin had.
Mike could no longer think. He dashed at his father with a roar, grabbed the fist flying his way, and landed a hard punch on his old man’s face. “Fuck you! You will not tell me what to do with my life!”
“I sure as hell will, if you have shit for brains!” Dad yelled, no longer playing. He kicked Mike’s feet from under him, but wasn’t fast enough, and Mike used the momentum to pull Dad to the floor with him.
A cup filled with pens smashed into Mike’s head when they hit the filing cabinet on the way down, but he’d taken much harder beatings than that and climbed on top of Dad, slamming his fist into the stomach exposed by the rolled-up T-shirt. His opponent gave a choked cry but didn’t give up and hooked his arm around Mike’s head, using his superior weight to turn the tables and push Mike to the floor.
“I’ll fucking kill you if you don’t let me go, now!”
Dad huffed, but hit Mike’s head against the floor once before getting off him and backing out. He grumbled something under his breath, rubbing his already-swollen jaw.
Mike scrambled to his feet, panting, and only when he saw blood on the floor did he check his forearm and saw a shard of glass sticking out. He removed it with a scowl and tossed it toward the exercise bike.
“You will give him the money back, and if you see Luke, you tell me, and I’ll come to twist off his balls!” Mike added in a hoarse voice, his head spinning a bit from the influx of adrenaline. “That damn coward needs to die.”
Dad shook his head and rubbed some blood from under his nose. “Luke didn’t call. I just wanted to see how serious you are about Arden. Is this a sex thing? Is the girl boy giving you some magic head or something?” he asked in a helpless voice, spreading his arms.
Mike looked around the ruined office, still catching his breath. “What the fuck, dad? Have you heard of this thing called asking?”
The door burst open, and Jack rushed in before taking a step back, wide-eyed, almost walking into Mom, who stood behind him, staring at the chaos inside in silent shock. “What. The. Hell?” Jack zeroed in on Mike, but Dad waved him off.
“It’s all good, Jacky. Me and Mike… we needed to talk man to man.”
Jack’s scowl told Mike he wasn’t convinced, but he eventually retreated. “I won’t be cleaning up all that mess,” he said and shut the door behind him, already whispering something to Mom. Great.
Mike exhaled, slowly going down from the high of anger. “Why would you care? Leo’s literally married to a man.”
Dad huffed and entwined his fingers at his nape, staring at the mess, as if he hadn’t expected any of this to happen. “It’s just that… I thought I knew you, Mike. I see so much of myself in you. You’re the man I would have been if I never married your mother. If you’re going gay… I don’t even know this world anymore. You know I support you. You wanted to get the snip? I told you which doctor to go to. But as I told you then, I’m once again saying think it through. You don’t know how reversible this thing is.”