Tug (Irreparable 3)

I nod a silent apology to Mr. Torrente. I know he hoped for more.

We shake hands, and he says, “You’re a good man, Mr. Hunter. It took balls to come see me. I owe you a great deal.”

“You’ve already repaid me, Mr. Torrente.”

“You may have your five minutes with Montez now.”

As much as I want to, I refuse. “I don’t think that’s what she needs right now.”

“You’re a better man than I am. Be good to my little girl,” he says with a warning in his tone.

“I will, sir.”

Driving away from her father’s house, Maria’s hand trembles in mine.

“Are you going to be okay?”

A small sob escapes her lips. “I think I preferred not knowing who my father was.”

“He’s just a man.”

She snaps her head around to me. “And a psycho drug-pushing killer.”

I smile. “Well, there’s that, too.”

She tries to hold back a laugh but it bursts through her pursed lips. “This is crazy.”

I can’t disagree with her, but I want to comfort her. “I don’t know if what we ever think of our parents is right. I thought my mom was Betty fuckin’ Crocker, and she turned out to be a psycho killer herself. At least your father was honest with you.”

“I just want to go home and hug my little boy.”

I smile, wanting to hug her little boy, also.

We pull into the driveway at my brother’s house. The hairs on my neck rise and my blood runs ablaze when I spot Harrison’s car. Maria’s fingers brush softly over my knuckles in an attempt to ease my anger, but it doesn’t work. I throw the car in park and leap from the car. Maria’s footsteps are right behind me as I burst through the door. She’s shouting at me to calm down.

Tori comes into the room and skids to a stop.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” I yell.

Tori holds her hands out in front of her. “Calm down. They’re out back, talking.”

I run a hand through my hair, gritting my teeth.

Tori looks at Maria. “Javier’s upstairs with Drew. I can handle this if you want to go up. I’m sure you missed him.”

Maria lifts on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “Please stay calm.”

I nod once but refuse to look at her, knowing there’s no way that’s going to happen. I have a ton of stored rage I never got to take out on Eduardo and Harrison is about to get the brunt of it.

Maria leaves, and Tori puts a hand on my arm. “Don’t go out there.”

“He shouldn’t be here.”

“He made a mistake, and he feels awful about it. They’re trying to figure it out, and it’s honestly not right for us to get involved.”

“Figure it out, Tor? He cheated on her — with a prostitute, no less.”

I don’t like the look on her face, because I know what’s coming.