“Oh, the Axton for sure. The other name feels like you should be adding ‘The Third’ at the end. Sorry, I don’t go for guys who have numbers after their name.”

Behind her, Austin chuckled. “Definitely like you better as Axton, boy. It fits the man I know better than that bullshit name.”

“Well, it sure is a small world.” Tink laughed as she moved to stand next to Austin once again. “So, my nephew and your daughter…?” Austin shrugged and they both started laughing again. “So, that would make them cousins.”

“What the fuck?” I caught hold of Dallas’s hand as she turned on her father. She was so distracted by the new development that she didn’t seem to care that I was touching her. “What do you mean cousins?”

“Step-cousins, actually,” Tink clarified. “At least you will be once I marry your father.”

“When the hell were you going to tell me, Daddy?” Dallas demanded, sounding less outraged and more hurt. “I didn’t even know you had met someone.”

Austin gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, darlin’. I wanted to make sure Tink took me seriously and wanted the same thing I did before I talked to you. Don’t worry, though. The wedding isn’t until next year, so you two have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

“That isn’t the problem. You didn’t even tell me, Dad. I don’t know anything that is going on in your life anymore. And how do you know this woman isn’t like Mom? Mom was all kinds of sweet and innocent until you married her, and then she turned into cunt monkey number one. Just like cunt bags over there.” She nodded toward Sharon who gave her a chillingly evil glare, making me snort as I fought back my laugh. Yeah, I shouldn’t have worried about Dallas and my mother at all.

The sound of the doorbell cut off whatever Austin was about to say in defense of Tink. Instead it was Tink who stepped forward, a grin on her still beautiful face. I was fortunate that I had taken after my father’s side of the family. I looked more like Tink than Sharon, and for that I would be eternally grateful to the DNA fairy. “I know all about your mother, Dallas. And while I agree that she is a lot like my dear sister-in-law, I don’t consider myself to be like them in the least. But don’t take my word for it. I’d like to get to know you and show you that I’m not like either of them.”

“I don’t know…” she began only to be cut off as there was a commotion in the hall before the room was suddenly overflowing with a testosterone-filled beast. Linc entered the room followed by Natalie and then Zander and Devlin.

Linc was assessing the room, looking for all threats to Dallas. “You okay, Dallas?” he demanded as he pushed between me and my girl.

“I’m good,” she assured him. “Just another drama filled day. Nothin’ unusual to see here.”

“Linc,” Austin said, stepped stepping forward to shake his hand. “Good to see you, son.”

“Mr. Bradshaw.” Instead of shaking his hand, Linc embraced Austin. “You sure Dallas is okay? Zander said that she might not be since Axton’s mom was a real bitch.”

“I’m standing right here, people!” Sharon screeched. “And I want all of you out of my house. Now. I will not stand here and be insulted by trash like you.”

“Oh shit,” I heard Linc mutter as he stepped as far away from Dallas as quickly as possible. He caught Natalie around the waist and started backing her toward the door. “Duck and cover. Duck and cover.”

“Trash?” Dallas’s voice didn’t raise higher than a murmur as she turned flame filled eyes on my mother. “Who you callin’ trash, you bitch?”

“Dallas…” Austin attempted to calm his daughter, but he didn’t try very hard.

“You,” Sharon went on as if no one else had spoken. “You are trash, you skanky idiot. And just how high is your IQ? It couldn’t be very high from the way you keep dropping your g’s like that. Anthony, please tell me you aren’t planning on marrying this hick? I was hoping for grandchildren that would at least be smart enough to have a civilized conversation with.”

“Shut up, Mother,” I growled. “You know nothing about Dallas. She’s an amazing girl.”

“Amazing in bed, obviously, since she has caught your attention. You always did tend to think with your penis and not your head.”

Dallas was slowly easing toward Sharon. If it weren’t for the fact that I knew my mother would press charges faster than it would take her to land on her ass after the punch to the face I foresaw Dallas giving Sharon, then I wouldn’t have bothered to stop her. The filth flying out of my mother’s mouth was just one of the many reason I had never tried to make contact with her over the years.

“I was actually kind of disappointed when you broke up with that Moreitti girl. Despite her poor choice in career she looked like a respectable enough young lady.” Dallas’s entire body seemed to freeze up, and I saw all her anger evaporate. She just stood there, obviously having been gutted. Fuck. I hated the woman that gave birth to me more in that moment than any person on the planet. “At least she could speak proper English.”

The sudden scream that rent the air came out of nowhere. We were all stunned as Tink stepped back from Sharon who was suddenly on the floor. “I’m so sick of your mouth. That’s my future stepdaughter you’re insulting.” My aunt snarled and I wanted to hug her tight in that moment. “Good luck trying to keep this place up without me. And don’t worry about the horses. They will be moved by the end of the week.”

Tink turned to Dallas and wrapped her arm around her shoulders before urging her out of the room. Dallas kept her head down as she walked past me, Zander, and then Devlin. I wanted to punch something at the defeated look on my girl’s face. That wasn’t the Dallas I knew and loved. That was the girl that her mother had tried to make her. Meek and helpless. I knew it wouldn’t last long, that she was just hurting, but she should never have to feel like that again.

As Austin went to follow after his two females, he bent and whispered something only Sharon could hear. Whatever he said made her face go pale as death. Austin straightened and left without another word to anyone.

I waited until the room was clear of everyone else before I trusted myself to move. Rage like I’d never felt was making me shake, but by the time Devlin left the room I had myself under control for the most part. I crouched down in front of my mother. Maybe I should have felt something like regret or even pity for the woman lying on her ass with her nose bleeding, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. “Just so you know, I do plan on marrying Dallas. She’s the smartest woman I’ve ever met and she is ten times the woman you have ever picked for me. She works her ass off as a nurse and doesn’t put up with my bullshit. I love her and I’m not letting her get away. Too bad for you, now that you’ve turned even Tink against you, that you will have no one, while I will have everything I ever really wanted.”