Page 154 of For Your Consideration

“Hey!” Noah’s yell cut me off.

Asher let out a growl and looked over his shoulder to see Noah leaning against the door, looking at us. “Leave.”

“No.” Noah sent him a smile before looking at me. “We’re playing a game and you guys are in.”

“I don’t want to,” Asher grumbled but I let out a laugh. I stood up, causing Asher to mutter under his breath.

“Come on, Grizzly, let’s go in before Noah gets mad at us.” I held out my hand, and although he placed his palm in mine, he put no weight on me as he stood up.

“We’ll finish this later.” I nodded as I started walking and he followed. We stepped into the house to laughter, Noah slapping Asher on the shoulder as we went to join our family.

45

Asher

“Thanks.” Oli shook the man’s hand as we stepped into the room.

“No problem, Mr. Thornton. He’ll be in shortly and you’ll have ten minutes.”

“We don’t need more than that,” Oli confirmed with a nod to the man who knocked on the door. It buzzed and he went out, leaving Oli and me alone in here.

I went and sat in the chair as Oli leaned against the wall. I shot him a look. “What?”

“You look too excited,” he muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose as I shifted in the small-ass chair that I hardly fit on.

I didn’t get a chance to reply as Ben was escorted into the room by two officers who uncuffed him only long enough to attach him to the table. Thankfully he had a long leash, just like we’d requested.

“What the fuck is going on?” Ben asked, sending panicked looks between me and the guards. I left one of my hands on the table in front of me, eyes locked on him.

Neither officer acknowledged him as the door buzzed and they walked out without looking back. His wide eyes bounced to me.

“Listen, man, I’m sorry about the kid thing. I didn’t even want her—”

“Shut the fuck up,” I growled, my voice low. He gulped, sat back as far as his cuffs would allow, and closed his lips. “I heard you’re getting two years for the assault.”

“My lawyer thinks I could get out in—”

I slapped my hand on the table, cutting him off.

“He didn’t tell you that you could talk,” Oli piped up from behind me.

I raised my eyebrow and tried to hide my smirk when Ben shrunk back. I was really playing into the big tattoos and having at least eighty pounds on this prick. I’d held back my anger in the courtroom. I no longer needed to do that.

“My brothers convinced me to let all of this be handled legally this time. But if you ever show up again, it will be the last thing you ever do.”

He looked over at the camera in the corner of the room. He didn’t know the thing wasn’t on. “You can’t threaten me,” he spluttered.

I let him squirm for a minute before I launched, punching him square in the jaw. As his head flew back, I moved, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him against the wall. He gasped as he reached for my hands but that was difficult since he was still attached to the table.

“Those girls are mine. I’ll be giving Sutton my last name, adopting Sophie, and I will be the only father she ever knows. Do not even think about my family again, Ben. I suggest that when you get out of here, you relocate somewhere far away. Because even if you accidentally cross their path, I will be back and I won’t show so much restraint next time.”

Sweat rolled down his forehead, and his eyes were wide as I tightened my hold on his neck, his jaw red and angry where I punched him.

“Do not doubt me, Donovan. I will put you in the ground before I let you get close to them again and I will have no problem sleeping at night afterward.” With one final squeeze, I let him drop.

He hit the floor hard, gasping for breath. I straightened my shirt and then stepped over the pathetic lump on the floor, Oli coming behind me. Two seconds after I knocked, the door buzzed and we were shown out of the prison.

“You are one scary motherfucker when you need to be.” Oli tapped my shoulder as he headed to the car he had waiting for him. “Go home to your girls.”