Don looked to him, eyes wary, head tipped to the side in query.

“See, it’s come to my attention you’re not a big fan of where Hattie works, and you weren’t real nice to her recently in how you shared that, callin’ her a name.”

There was surprise.

Then Don’s face closed down.

Axl ignored both and kept going.

“Now, I get I’m very new on your scene, but I’m not on Hattie’s.” Another semi-lie. “And I hope you get where I’m comin’ from, and even feel relief she’s got a man in her life who would step up for her in this way. But it upset her and I’m not big on her bein’ upset. Now, this isn’t about comin’ between a father and his daughter. This is about me looking after my woman. So I really gotta ask you to adjust the way you communicate with her so you don’t do her any harm.”

“I’m not sure I know what you’re—”

“You called her a whore, Don.”

His face got red.

“She’s not a whore, Don,” Axl kept at him.

He shifted in his chair, and Axl knew the bluster would come before it came.

And it came.

“She’s a classically trained—”

“I know what she is. And what she’s not. And I feel I gotta repeat what she’s not is a whore.”

“Do you have children?” Don asked.

“No,” Axl answered.

“So, you don’t have kids. When you do, you’ll understand. You put effort into something. They put effort in it. And then—”

“This isn’t about her dancing. This isn’t about your hopes and dreams for her. This isn’t about her hopes and dreams for her. You called her a whore, Don. And not only is she not that, you calling her that upset her. And I can’t have that.”

“I was having a bad night,” Don said tightly. “I know my Hattie is no whore.”

“You’ll probably have more bad nights, though I hope you don’t. But if you do, gotta ask you to refrain from taking it out on Hattie that way. We clear?”

Don stared hard at him.

Axl didn’t know if it was about control or the new guy coming in and laying down the law or embarrassment or what it was. He was not a man like Don Yates. He’d never know.

But they went into staredown and it was a good thing.

Because Don had no choice but to take Axl in. Not only that he wasn’t backing down, but everything about him.

He knew he didn’t look like a guy you wanted to fuck with.

So if it ever came down to having to pick, would she choose a father who called her a whore, or a boyfriend like Axl who had her back?