“Do you know who it is?”

I don't answer her. I have to confirm before I get angry over nothing. After parking the car in the garage, I open her door and walk her inside with my hand at home on the back of her spine. If this is who I think it is, I don't want Savannah leaving my side for even a second.

His deep voice echoes through the foyer as we walk in the door. The heat I felt a few minutes ago with the prospect of having Savannah is gone now. I’ll still have her, I tell myself. After I deal with this mother fucker.

He must be talking to Ruby because I can hear her murmur an affirmative to his every statement. “I drove all day,” he says. “It was a long drive, but I couldn’t miss this. Thanks for calling.”

“I told her not to,” I bark as I walk into the living room.

He looks up at me, his eyes wide and seemingly trying to figure out how to react.

“Murph,” he says as a greeting.

“Ryder,” I answer. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“You’re really going to be like this? Now?” He steps closer to me, and I clench my fists. He’s changed. I haven’t seen my almost-foster brother in almost seven years. Once he turned eighteen, he took off for Las Vegas with some of Hazel’s money, and we haven’t heard from him since.

“You’re early,” I growl as I make my way to the liquor cabinet to pour another drink. He looks at me with a puzzled expression. “We’re not reading the will yet.”

“Murph!” Ruby barks.

My eyes glaze over to see Savannah standing near the entrance still, watching us cautiously. I want to pull her to me. Ryder should see that she’s mine. She belongs to me.

“You’re a fucking asshole, you know that?” Ryder snaps.

“I’m an asshole? You take off without a word, and now you want what? To say goodbye? To suck up in attempts for one more grab at some of Hazel’s cash?”

“Shut the fuck up!” Ryder barks back at me. He steps up and I notice the puff to his chest. He’s gotten bigger since the last time I saw him. He was so young back then, Mr. Big Shot thinking he was going to make it big as some goddamn rock star in Vegas. I hate him for that.

“Why don’t you just leave?”

“Boys!” Ruby shouts, standing between us.

Savannah’s hand is on my arm, and it gives me more fuel. “Don’t do this,” she whispers.

“Who is this?” he asks, looking at her.

“None of your fucking business, so you can just stay the fuck away,” I answer. The terror in Savanna’s eyes glistens in the perimeter of my vision.

“What is your deal?” Ryder steps up, and I want to punch him so bad it hurts. I set the drink down on the bar and turn toward him.