“It’ll have to be some other time.” I force myself to remain calmeven though I’m antsy to get inside and get the situation sorted out. “Now isn’t good.”
She gives a tight shrug and relents. “Okay.”
The breath whooshes from my lungs. “Don’t leave the car.”
It’s a relief when Daisy jerks her head into a nod. She’s one less thing for me to worry about in a situation where I have zero control over anything. With a final look in her direction, I jog toward the house and slip inside the front door. As soon as I do, Dad’s booming voice echoes throughout the first floor.
How the hell did he even get in here?
The first thing we did after serving him the paperwork was call a locksmith to change the locks. We also upgraded the security system.
I follow the raised voices that are coming from the kitchen. It takes a moment to realize that Dad is slurring his words. He’s not a man who gets wasted and then turns into a mean drunk. He’s an asshole all the time, drinking just makes it ten times worse.
“You worthless fucking whore!” he bellows.
The sound of glass shattering makes me flinch as I step into the kitchen.
“How dare you throw me out of my own house? The house I bought and paid for!” He thumps his chest with his fist. “Me!”
Mom’s wide eyes lock on mine. She’s never been one for confrontation. Being controlled and beaten down over the last twenty years has only made it worse. She’s a shell of the former woman she used to be.
It breaks my heart to see her like this. Reduced to a mouse when she used to be a lion. Filing for divorce is the first step to taking her life back. I won’t allow him to suck her back into his abusive dysfunction again.
Dad follows the direction of Mom’s gaze and swings around to face me. His cheeks are stained red and his eyes are wild with rage. “You!” He stabs a finger in my direction. “You ungrateful little shit! This is your doing, isn’t it?Youtalked her into this.”
“She deserves better than you,” I say.
His lips peel away from his teeth into a feral snarl as he emits a lowgrowl and charges at me. I brace for impact. Five strides are all it takes to eat up the distance between us. Both hands hit my chest and knock me back a step.
“I should have kicked your ass out a long time ago,” he sneers, emphasizing the sentiment by shoving me again. “You think you’re so fucking special just because you’re being drafted by the NFL? Well, let me set you straight, you’re nothing! And you willalwaysbe nothing!” He throws an irate look at his wife. “Just like your useless cunt of a mother.”
The ugliness of his words makes me see red. I don’t give a crap what he says about me. He can call me every goddamn name in the book.
Hell, he already has.
But to call herthat?
“I’d like to know what team will pick you up with two broken arms.” Just as he bites out the words, he lunges and grabs my left arm, giving it a vicious twist.
What the fuck is wrong with this guy?
Most fathers would be filled with pride if their kid had the prospects that I do.
But not him.
Before he can do any real damage, I twist away and slip out of his grasp. Normally, I hate when he gets shitfaced, but not this time. It allows me to evade him more easily. He’s unsteady on his feet and stumbles when I shove him away.
“You little fucker!” Spittle flies from his mouth as he takes a swing. I duck and he staggers to the side with the momentum of his arm.
I’m so focused on my father, anticipating his next move, that I barely hear the gasp. I glance away from the man weaving in front of me to see Daisy standing frozen in the doorway. Her eyes are wide with horror and both hands are pressed against her mouth as she watches the scene unfold. Any color filling her cheeks has been leeched away.
The moment our eyes collide, everything around me ceases to exist.
I don’t want her anywhere near this miserable excuse for a human being. Just as I step in her direction, Dad’s fist connects with my jaw. The impact sends me staggering back a step.
Both Daisy and Mom scream.
As much as I want to remove Daisy from the situation, I can’t. Instead of throwing a punch at my father, I close the distance and wrap my arms around his body in a bear hug. It would be so satisfying to beat the piss out of him, but I refuse to stoop to his level. Then I would be no better than he is.
