“It’s not a big deal,” I say, trying to alleviate the tension that’s starting to bubble around us.
Mom and Dad sit across from Zoey and me, looking at us with an expression I saw one too many times as a teenager. “Talk,” Dad says in that voice that always made my asshole pucker a little bit as a kid.
“It was my idea,” Zoey says with her chin held high, looking like the badass little sister I always knew she was. “I wanted to take the power back.”
“Shit,” Mom mutters.
“And what does that mean?” Dad asks, wanting more details because he can never move on without a full explanation. He should’ve been a detective because he would’ve solved every case with his inability to let shit go.
“Do not tell me you talked to Mark,” Dad adds.
“Talk?” Oliver barks out a bitter laugh.
Dad’s look only hardens.
“I couldn’t let Oliver go to jail,” Zoey explains. “Mark doesn’t get to have that power.”
“Go on,” Mom says in a voice that is soft like she totally understands and is going to be on our side when we finally give them all the details.
“We went to his place a few nights ago, and Zoey talked to him.”
If I thought my dad’s body posture was stiff before, I was wrong. His back is ramrod straight, and I’m not even sure he’s breathing because he’s so still. “You fucking did what?”
Oh boy.
When he throws out the curse word so casually, we know we are in trouble.
Zoey glances at me and I cringe, but I’m happy she’s in the middle of the shitstorm with me.
“Dad, we’re grown, and if Zoey wanted to confront him, I was going to have her back. I went with her to make sure she was safe.”
Dad’s gaze slides to me, and he doesn’t look the least bit at ease by my statement. “You should’ve called me or tried to talk her out of it.”
“As a fully grown adult, I’m able to make my own decisions without my sister having to call my father to stop me. I’m not an idiot. I knew it was dangerous, but I couldn’t sleep at night and live with myself if Oliver went to jail over something Mark did to me. Tome, Dad. Not you. Not her. Not Mom. To me. I hated feeling out of control and helpless. I took it back. I went there and threatened him. I had evidence to back me up, and Mark knew I had his balls and life in my hands. He backed down and dropped the charges yesterday.”
“Jesus,” Mom whispers, covering her mouth with her hand. “You two could’ve been hurt. The man isn’t stable.”
“I brought my pepper spray,” I add, thinking Dad would be happy to hear I, at least, brought something to protect us.
Dad closes his eyes, swearing under his breath.That isn’t the reaction I thought I’d get from him, so I go on, trying to make him feel better.
“It’s over. Zoey got through to him, and we left without an issue. We’re safe. We’re here.”
Dad’s eyes snap open, and there’s a fire I’m not sure I’ve ever seen burning inside them. “It’s over?”
I nod, and so does Zoey.
“It’s never over with guys like him.”
“That’s what I said,” Oliver adds, earning himself a glare from me. “You don’t know guys like him, Lulu.”
“You girls could’ve been really hurt,” Mom says, filled with concern instead of burning anger like our dad.
“But we weren’t,” Zoey tells her as she grabs her margarita and takes the biggest sip. She’s going to feel that working through her system quickly, which is probably a good thing.
“I think you should come stay with us for a little while,” Dad says to Zoey.
Zoey’s eyebrows rise over the salted rim. “Uh, no. That’s a hard pass.”
