Unwritten Rules (Filthy Florida Alphas 3)

“About what?”

I sigh loudly, and even though that hurts, I want him to know how impossibly annoying I find him.

Her and Harley had a fight. She needed comfort.

“She needs to sleep in her own bed. Do you have any idea the hell you’ve put me through?”

I don’t see how. You’re being crazy.

“Crazy? Fuck, Dragonfly. How do you think it felt when Harley reported to one of the men that his sister was missing? Or how I felt once I had my men comb the entire club and not find her?”

I take a step back. I can kind of understand what he’s saying now, but still, he’s being an ass. I’m at a loss on how to reply, so I don’t.

“You talked in your room. Your voice was louder,” he says.

So?

“If you can talk like that, you need to do it more often.”

I was told not to.

“Who the hell told you that?”

A doctor.

“Who?

It’s not any of your business.

“What the fuck? Haven’t you got it yet, Toi? Anything to do with you is my business now.”

“Why?”

“Because I own you.”

I shake my head no, rather hysterically, I’m my own person. No one will ever own me.

“But I do, and you better get used to it, Dragonfly,” he says. There’s something about the look in his eyes that scares me. I open the door and back away from him. When I close it, I can hear him laughing behind it.

“You sure got a way with women, old man,” the voice says.

“Fuck off, Maxwell,” Marcum growls.

A minute later I hear them walking away and I’m glad. I look over at Desi and my breath freezes in my chest. I need to get out of here. I just wish I knew how without hurting the little girl lying in my bed.

The little girl who owns a piece of my heart.19Marcum“That is not the way to win over my stepmother Dad,” Max laughs.

“Fuck you, Maxwell,” I demand, marching into my office. Max comes in after me, closing the door behind him.

“With an attitude like that, I’m never going to have a new mommy.”

“If you don’t shut the fuck up, Tess is going to be a widow.”

“You’re awful grouchy this morning. What’s wrong Marcum, feeling a bit hungover?” Max laughs.

“Can you quit being a fucking dick, and while you’re at it stop screaming? They can hear you three rooms over.”

“It’s not as much fun though.”

“Asshole.”

“Okay, okay. All jokes aside, if you do like this woman, you’re not doing yourself any favors here.”

“She’s not a damn woman, she’s a girl. Too damn fucking young and innocent for me.”

“Not to play devil’s advocate here or anything, but it may be out of your hands soon.”

“What are you talking about now?”

“Ghost likes her. I could tell. If you don’t make a move that man will, and soon.”

“He’d be a good man for her,” I respond, refusing to look at him. Instead, I sift through papers on my desk that I don’t give a fuck about.

“Damn, old man, I never figured you for a man who’d be too afraid to make a move.”

“Shut your mouth, Maxwell. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Explain it to me.”

“I’m fucking tired of talking about it.”

“Hey Marcum!” Dusty says, opening the door.

“What’s up?”

“Saved by the bell,” Max whispers.

“Fuck off.”

“Two things. First, Ride’s woman is here to look at Toi.”

“Take her to Toi’s room. I’ll be there in a bit.”

“You aren’t going to like the other news,” Dusty stalls.

“Just spit it out.”

“Weasel’s outside wanting in.”

“Fuck!”

“Told you that you wouldn’t like it.”

“Bring him in. Keep him contained in the pit room. I’ll be there after I see to Toi.”

“If he demands to see his daughter?”

“You keep that fucker away from Toi. He doesn’t get near her. He doesn’t breathe the same fucking air as her.”

“Got it, man. Got it,” Dusty says. He closes the door, and I look up to find Max watching me closely—too fucking close.

“What?”

“You’re awful protective over a woman you’re willing to give to another man without a fight.”

“I told you she’s not a woman, she’s a gir—”

“Yeah, whatever, Marcum. You know the answer to that,” he says getting up.

“What the fuck are you talking about now?”

“If she’s not a woman yet, maybe you need to make her one,” Max says leaving the room.

Fucking prick.20Toi“Hey, Toi, honey, you got company.”

I look up from the floor. Desi and I are on the floor playing Go Fish. I showed her this game a day or so ago when I found the deck in the nursery, and it has become her favorite thing ever. I would hate it, but every minute I spend with Desi, I fall deeper in love with her. I just wish I knew how to reach Harley. When Dusty opens the door, I feel a nervous flutter in the pit of my stomach. It reminds me that I don’t need to reach Harley—I need to plan a way out of here.