Calista’s eyes sweep over the arena like she’s offended by the dirt itself. Then they land on Aria, and then on me. Her smile turns sharp. “Looks like someone’s playing mommy again.”
Cole moves before I can think. One second, he’s beside me; the next, he’s storming toward them like a bull breaking from the chute.
“Cole,” I hiss, sprinting after him, but he doesn’t slow down.
Toby opens his mouth—probably to say something stupid—but Cole’s fist lands on him before the words leave his throat. Toby goes down hard, hitting the ground with a grunt that echoes.
Gasps ripple across the stands. Flora rises from her seat so smoothly it’s chilling, hands tightening on her purse like she’s holding herself back from joining in.
Calista shrieks. “Are you insane?!”
Cole turns on her, eyes burning. “You’re lucky I didn’t come after you the second you laid a hand on Ella.”
Oh God.
Calista flinches, hand flying to her cheek even though he hasn’t touched her. “I didn’t—“
“You slapped her,” Cole snarls. “In front of my daughter. You terrorized Aria for years, cheated on me with this scumbag, stole from me, lied to me, dragged us through hell…” His voice breaks, just barely.
A hush falls so thick the air itself seems to hold its breath.
Calista’s eyes dart around at the staring crowd. She hates witnesses. “Cole, you’re being dramatic—“
“No,” he snaps, stepping closer. “I’m being honest. You’re a horrible mother. You don’t deserve that title. Not with how you treated her. Not with how you walked away.”
Calista’s face crumples, but it’s all performance. All vanity and no remorse.
“And if Aria wasn’t watching,” Cole adds, “I’d tell you everything I really think about you.”
She rears back, offended. “You wouldn’t dare hit me.”
His jaw flexes, hands fisting by his side. He might. He absolutely might.
I rush in, grabbing his arm. “Cole. Hey—stop. Aria is watching.”
He freezes, breath ragged, eyes locked on mine. That’s all it takes for him to pull back—barely, but enough.
Behind him, Toby groans on the ground. Jace pushes his wheelchair forward like he’s ready to run the man over.
“That was a long time coming,” Jace mutters, staring down at Toby like he’s dirt needing composting.
Beck appears next, hands curled into fists. “You want round two?” he asks Toby.
Toby whimpers, curling into himself.
Calista snaps, “Touch him and I’ll—!”
“You’ll what?” Beck asks, stepping into her space. “Lie? Manipulate? Abandon a child again? Hit our sister?”
Calista looks personally victimized. “She hit me too!”
“After you slapped her,” Beck fires back.
Dad chooses this moment to step in, the way he always does when things reach the line of criminal activity. He doesn’t shout—he just stands there, a mountain of a man with years of authority carved into his posture.
“That’s enough,” he says quietly.
The entire rodeo seems to exhale.
