"Your cousin understands the importance of our family's reputation, even if he occasionally forgets himself," my father said, his tone falsely paternal.
"Which reminds me, Ryder. How is that damaged whore of yours recovering? What was her name? Katie?"
The room temperature seemed to drop ten degrees. My vision tunnelled, narrowing until all I could see was my father's smirking face across the table. I was halfway out of my seat when Luce's wine glass shattered against the wall behind my father's head, red liquid dripping down the cream wallpaper like blood.
"Don't you bloody dare call her that!" Luce was on her feet, her entire body trembling with rage. "Cade is my best friend, you disgusting pig! She was kidnapped, tortured, raped, and you have the audacity to call her a whore?" My father's face contorted with fury as he rose from his chair. "How dare you speak to me that way in my own house? I'll teach you some respect, girl."
He moved toward Luce with frightening speed, but Stephen and I were faster. We formed a human barrier between them, my body humming with adrenaline and barely contained violence.
"You touch her, and I'll break your fucking arm," I snarled, every muscle in my body coiled to strike.
"Luce, go," Stephen ordered, his voice brooking no argument. "Wait in the car."
"No! I'm not done telling him what a monster he is!" Luce shouted over my shoulder, her voice raw with years of suppressed fury. "You've terrorised this family for decades. You locked your own wife away in an institution. You treat Ryder like a weapon instead of a son. You're pathetic!"
"Luce, now," Stephen insisted, physically turning her toward the door while keeping himself between her and my father. She went reluctantly, still hurling accusations over her shoulder as Stephen guided her from the room.
"You're a bully and a coward! Everyone knows it! Everyone!"
The door slammed behind them, leaving me alone with my father. The dining room fell into a silence broken only by our ragged breathing.
"That cousin of yours has grown too bold," My father said, straightening his tie as if nothing had happened.
“Sister,” I gritted out. “She’s my fucking sister.” My father waved his hand as if I were offering him a drink.
"Needless to say, something will have to be done about her attitude." Ice flooded my veins.
"What did you just say?" My father's smile was reptilian.
"You heard me. That girl needs to learn her place." I took a step closer, my hands curling into fists at my sides.
"And where exactly is that?"
"On her knees for whatever bastard I sell her to," he replied, cold and matter-of-fact, as if discussing a business transaction.
"Perhaps I'll call Dominic Blake. He's always had an eye for fresh meat. He could get me a fair price for such a sweet, young, innocent girl."
Something inside me snapped. The first punch caught him squarely in the jaw, sending him staggering back against the table. The second connected with his stomach, doubling him over. I grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against the wall hard enough to rattle the paintings.
"Listen to me very carefully, you sick fuck," I hissed, my face inches from his. "If you go anywhere near Luce, if you so much as breathe in her direction, I will gut you like a fish and use your insides for Christmas decorations. Do you understand me?" A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remained cold, calculating.
"You've always been weak, Ryder. Too emotional. Too unstable. Just like your mother." I tightened my grip on his throat, watching with savage satisfaction as his face began to redden.
"My mother was the only good thing in your miserable life, and you destroyed her. I won't let you do the same to my sister."
"You can't protect her forever," he wheezed. "And you certainly can't protect that broken little toy of yours. How long before someone finishes what the McIntyre boy started?"
The mention of Damien's name nearly sent me over the edge. I slammed him against the wall again, harder this time. "I'm going to find him, and when I do, I'll make what we did to Blackwood look like a fucking mercy killing. And if you ever threaten Luce or Cade again, you'll be fucking next." I released him abruptly, watching with disgust as he slumped against the wall, coughing. Without another word, I turned and stormed out of the dining room, slamming the door hard enough to crack the frame.
The cold January air hit me like a physical blow as I burst out of the house. Stephen's car was already gone, good. The further Luce was from this place, the better. I fumbled for my keys, hands shaking with residual adrenaline and rage. My phone buzzed again as I slid into the driver's seat. Three missed calls from Logan, two from Cole. Whatever was happening at Covenant House, it couldn't be good. I started the engine, tires squealing as I peeled out of the circular driveway, desperate to put as much distance as possible between myself and my cunt of a father.
But I couldn't outrun the cold dread settling in my stomach. I knew my father too well to believe my threats would deter him for long. If anything, they would only strengthen his resolve. My father never could stand being challenged, especially not by his own son.
"Fuck!" I slammed my palm against the steering wheel, the pain a welcome distraction from the panic rising in my chest. Luce was in danger. Cade was in danger. And I was caught in the middle, trying desperately to protect them both while my own demons threatened to overwhelm me. I pressed harder on the accelerator, watching the speedometer climb. Logan needed me back at Covenant House. Something must have gone wrong in the meeting. The thought of that monster still out there, still free, made my blood boil. The memory of seeing Cade in that place, broken, bleeding, barely conscious, flashed before my eyes, and I gripped the wheel tighter to keep from veering off the road.
We'd made progress with her in the past few days. The purple hair had been a breakthrough, a small but significant step toward helping her reclaim her identity. She'd even smiled a few times, genuine smiles that reached her eyes, not the hollow, empty ones she'd been giving us since her rescue. And now myfather was threatening Luce, and Damien was still on the loose, and I was driving too fast down dark country roads with my thoughts spiralling out of control. I forced myself to slow down, to breathe. Losing control now wouldn't help anyone. I needed to be clearheaded and focused.
My phone rang again, Logan. I connected the call through the car's Bluetooth.
