don’t know how you put your hands on the woman carrying your kid.”
Jonah’s jaw tightened. “There are all kinds of assholes in the world.”
Dalton froze. Maybe calling Jonah had been the wrong move. Dalton had been so wrapped up in Zoey that he hadn’t given the baby much thought. Jonah’s parents, his real parents, had been truly evil. Dalton cursed himself for putting Jonah under the same roof as a kid whose father was also abusive. Dalton’s hand flexed, squeezing his cell phone. “Maybe I should call Adam back,” he said quietly.
Jonah’s menacing gaze met his. “Don’t call Adam.”
Dalton’s fingers twitched. “Jonah.”
Jonah shook his head. “Don’t call him. I got this.”
“Jonah.”
“I won’t kill him,” Jonah declared. “If he comes here, I won’t kill him. I promise.”
Dalton hesitated, searching Jonah’s face, trying to discern the truth.
Jonah shrugged. “How much damage could the prick do to someone who’s not even born?”
Dalton checked his watch again. He hated to leave, but if he was going to call Adam he had to do it now. It was selfish, but Dalton was still kind of pissed off at his older brother and preferred the younger one just now. He pointed a finger at Jonah. “If he shows up here, you call me.”
Jonah nodded. “I’ll call you. After I hurt him.”
Dalton sighed.
Jonah grinned. It was positively feral. “You didn’t say I couldn’t hurt him. He deserves that much.”
Dalton had to admit he felt the same. He sized up Jonah, who nearly filled the entire kitchen space. Clad in all black, his steel-toed boots matched the ring in his eyebrow, which was barely visible through the dark hair that fell just above his eyes. His black leather jacket made him look even more imposing. There was no way Zoey’s pansy-assed stockbroker husband— or whatever he was— would stick around long enough for a beat down. Dalton was sure Grant would take one look at Jonah and high tail it out of town.
Dalton found he was a bit disappointed at the thought. “Don’t hurt him too badly.”
Jonah grunted.
“Anyway, I left a note for her so she knows you’re here. She’ll see it when she wakes up so you don’t give her heart attack.”
Jonah grinned and reached for the handle on Dalton’s fridge. “I’m very cuddly.”
Dalton snorted. “You and porcupines.” He took one last glance down the hallway.
“Hey,” Jonah said. “She’ll be alright. Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry? Jonah, this is the woman I think about every day, every single day . You don’t get it. Not worrying is not an option.” Dalton slid his phone into his pocket and shrugged on his jacket.
“Dalton,” Jonah called out to him.
Dalton paused with his hand on the knob.
“You’re wrong. I do get it. And no one is going to touch Zoey again.”
Chapter Nine
Dalton ducked two calls from Adam while he worked. Apparently, whatever the man had to say wouldn’t fit in a text and that meant Dalton didn’t have time to hear it. He finished up on time and ducked the foreman’s gaze as he clocked out with everyone else. There would be no staying late today. He jumped in the truck and sped off from the job site. He pulled up in front of the apartment to see both Zoey’s car and Pop’s still parked outside. It was a good sign. Neither had run the other off, at least. Even more surprising, both Zoey and Jonah were in the living room watching a movie. Zoey was smiling for the first time since Dalton had seen her.
“Hey,” said the younger Stark as Dalton closed the front door.
Dalton lifted his chin.
Zoey wrestled herself up off the couch and grimaced.
Dalton darted forward. “Are you okay?”
She held up a hand. “Fine. Fine.”
Jonah snorted. “She probably has to pee again.”
Zoey shot him a sharp look.
He smirked at her. “She’s been going all day,” he told Dalton. “Your water bill tripled in twenty-four hours.”
“Shut up,” Zoey cried, but she
Jonah’s jaw tightened. “There are all kinds of assholes in the world.”
Dalton froze. Maybe calling Jonah had been the wrong move. Dalton had been so wrapped up in Zoey that he hadn’t given the baby much thought. Jonah’s parents, his real parents, had been truly evil. Dalton cursed himself for putting Jonah under the same roof as a kid whose father was also abusive. Dalton’s hand flexed, squeezing his cell phone. “Maybe I should call Adam back,” he said quietly.
Jonah’s menacing gaze met his. “Don’t call Adam.”
Dalton’s fingers twitched. “Jonah.”
Jonah shook his head. “Don’t call him. I got this.”
“Jonah.”
“I won’t kill him,” Jonah declared. “If he comes here, I won’t kill him. I promise.”
Dalton hesitated, searching Jonah’s face, trying to discern the truth.
Jonah shrugged. “How much damage could the prick do to someone who’s not even born?”
Dalton checked his watch again. He hated to leave, but if he was going to call Adam he had to do it now. It was selfish, but Dalton was still kind of pissed off at his older brother and preferred the younger one just now. He pointed a finger at Jonah. “If he shows up here, you call me.”
Jonah nodded. “I’ll call you. After I hurt him.”
Dalton sighed.
Jonah grinned. It was positively feral. “You didn’t say I couldn’t hurt him. He deserves that much.”
Dalton had to admit he felt the same. He sized up Jonah, who nearly filled the entire kitchen space. Clad in all black, his steel-toed boots matched the ring in his eyebrow, which was barely visible through the dark hair that fell just above his eyes. His black leather jacket made him look even more imposing. There was no way Zoey’s pansy-assed stockbroker husband— or whatever he was— would stick around long enough for a beat down. Dalton was sure Grant would take one look at Jonah and high tail it out of town.
Dalton found he was a bit disappointed at the thought. “Don’t hurt him too badly.”
Jonah grunted.
“Anyway, I left a note for her so she knows you’re here. She’ll see it when she wakes up so you don’t give her heart attack.”
Jonah grinned and reached for the handle on Dalton’s fridge. “I’m very cuddly.”
Dalton snorted. “You and porcupines.” He took one last glance down the hallway.
“Hey,” Jonah said. “She’ll be alright. Don’t worry.”
“Don’t worry? Jonah, this is the woman I think about every day, every single day . You don’t get it. Not worrying is not an option.” Dalton slid his phone into his pocket and shrugged on his jacket.
“Dalton,” Jonah called out to him.
Dalton paused with his hand on the knob.
“You’re wrong. I do get it. And no one is going to touch Zoey again.”
Chapter Nine
Dalton ducked two calls from Adam while he worked. Apparently, whatever the man had to say wouldn’t fit in a text and that meant Dalton didn’t have time to hear it. He finished up on time and ducked the foreman’s gaze as he clocked out with everyone else. There would be no staying late today. He jumped in the truck and sped off from the job site. He pulled up in front of the apartment to see both Zoey’s car and Pop’s still parked outside. It was a good sign. Neither had run the other off, at least. Even more surprising, both Zoey and Jonah were in the living room watching a movie. Zoey was smiling for the first time since Dalton had seen her.
“Hey,” said the younger Stark as Dalton closed the front door.
Dalton lifted his chin.
Zoey wrestled herself up off the couch and grimaced.
Dalton darted forward. “Are you okay?”
She held up a hand. “Fine. Fine.”
Jonah snorted. “She probably has to pee again.”
Zoey shot him a sharp look.
He smirked at her. “She’s been going all day,” he told Dalton. “Your water bill tripled in twenty-four hours.”
“Shut up,” Zoey cried, but she
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