“Haze is right,” Max says. “Dad, you’ve gotta stay out of it.”
“Who asked you?” he throws at Max. “Is it not bad enough you’re now a goddamn Hellion, I have to put up withhimas well?”
“You don’t have to put up with anyone,” Max says calmly. “You can just go home.”
“And leave you two clowns in charge of this operation? I don’t think so.”
“We’ve got this covered,” I say. “Maybe a little distance might help you find your manners. This isn’t your jurisdiction. If anythin’, you’re just in the way.”
“You speak to me as if anything you say has merit. So far, it doesn’t. What have you found out so far?”
I snort. “You’re the fuckin’ hotshot detective, you figure it out.”
“That’s not gonna get us anywhere,” Max interrupts. “Squabbling like schoolkids. We’re all here because we want to protect Willow.”
But of course, Sinclair can’t let it go. “Suddenly you care about your sister?” He smirks. “It took long enough for you to even get in contact, but I guess that is a little hard when you’re injail.”
Max, to his credit, doesn’t get mad. Me, however? My hands curl up into fists. “That’s all behind me now?—”
“You’re such a disappointment, do you know that?”
Max’s face falls, and he looks down at his shoes. The fucking bastard didn’t just say that.
“All this time I thought prison might straighten you out, but clearly you haven’t learned a damned thin?—”
I don’t think, I just swing, clocking him on the side of the jaw. Not enough to break it, but enough for it to fucking hurt. He rears back, stumbling as he stares at me in shock. It only takes a few seconds for him to come charging at me when the door flies open.
“Dad!” Willow gasps, then seeing Max holding him back and me with my arm pulled back to my shoulder, ready to strike again, she puts both her hands over her mouth. “What is going on here?”
“This son of a bitch just hit me!” Cameron roars.
Her eyes widen as they fall on me. “Haze?”
“Dad deserved it,” Max says. “But since I’m such a disappointment to him, it won’t matter what I’ve achieved or done with my life, it’ll never be good enough.” He continues to hold the old boy back until all the fight leaves his father’s face.
I grip Max on the shoulder. “You’re a good guy,” I tell him. “I’m sorry this piece of shit doesn’t see it, but I’m proud of you. No matter what. You changed your life around, and that’s somethin’ to be celebrated.”
Max gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I appreciate that, brother.”
I don’t know why Sinclair can’t just see what amazing kids he has and be damn proud of them. Why does he have to be such a soft cock, pushing his own son to the brink when he’s done nothing wrong? I wish I’d broken his fucking nose.
Cameron storms past, shoving me in the shoulder as he passes. Willow calls for him, but he waves a hand at her.
“It really wasn’t Haze’s fault,” Max begins, but Willow silences him with a glare.
“You hit my dad?” She folds her arms across her chest. “I know what an asshole he can be, but Haze, you can’t go around throwing punches!”
“I can if he deserves it,” I fire back. “And I’m not gonna stand there and listen to him dissin’ your brother like that and bein’ a dick about us. If you think I’m gonna put up with that kinda shit, then maybe you really don’t know me at all.”
I storm out, leaving the two of them behind. I’m mad, really fucking raging. It’s one thing to be told by this man I don’t even respect how worthless I am in his eyes, but it’s another to have a go at his son who is trying to turn his life around. If Willow can’t see that, then maybe I was wrong about her, too.
I rub my chin, hoping Cameron left the building so I don’t have to see him again.
The phone rings and I half expect it to be Willow, but it isn’t, it’s Star.
“Hey, Haze,” she says when I pick up.
“Star, what’s goin’ down?” I try to leave the snark out of my voice. It isn’t her fault I’m pissed off.
