“Don’t you get it?” I scream, my voice breaking. “The puck damaged my larynx. I’ll never have the lung capacity to play pro again.”
He frowns as he stares down at me. “Nonsense. We just need a second opinion.” He folds the scrap of fabric and places it back in his pocket. “But enough distractions, do you hear me?” His stony gaze falls to Fi and Sebastian. “Honestly, I’m surprised you two are still around.”
What the fuck does that mean?
Fi and Seb exchange incredulous looks.
“Stop talking about them like that,” I growl. I wish my head would stop spinning so I could stand and actually hit this asshole.
But Fi seems to read my mind, as usual. She springs to her feet and cocks her fist back, her fiery hair wild around her face and her green eyes blazing with fury. But before she can punch him, Bastian steps in front of us and swings, catching my dad directly in the nose with an audible crack. His slick dress shoesslide on the pavement and he stumbles, bright red blood pouring over his white shirt and suit.
He stares at Sebastian, his eyes wide with shock.
“Don’t you fucking touch him again. Do you understand? Because Iwillkill you.” Sebastian is a grumpy fucker sometimes, and yes, he’s always been protective of Fi, but I’ve never seen him this worked up. His muscles are taut and shaking, the cords in his neck standing out as he looms over my father with what can only be described as murderous intent.
My dad’s gaze connects with mine. “You’re just going to let him do this? I’m your family, Brantley. What? Is he your boyfriend?”
“And what if I am?” Bastian asks coldly, taking a menacing step forward. “Stoplooking at him like he’s yours to control. He’s not.” Despite my throbbing cheek and fucked head, my insides swoon.
My dad gives Bastian a bloody smile. “You’re a wild card, aren’t you? I’m starting to see why Nedry was so incompetent.”
Sebastian grabs the front of my dad’s shirt, pulling him up. He’s tall enough that my dad has to balance on his tiptoes. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“Wait.” Fi jumps in. “How doyouknow about Nedry?
I sit up quickly, but fall back on my hands with my head spins.
“You said you know where Brantley is at all times,” Fi says. “You’ve been tracking us. You’re working with Dennis. You’re the reason he keeps finding me.”
“What?!” Bastian and I exclaim together as my dad starts up his maniacal giggling again. My entire life he’s always been so calm and collected, so seeing this unhinged caricature is unnerving.
“She’s smart,” he says to me, still dangling from Bastian’s grip. “I guess it wasn’t just her magic pussy.”
Clutching Fi’s arm for support, I climb to my feet and give my father a hard stare.
“Talk, motherfucker,” Sebastian growls. “Or I will make you talk. How do you know Fi’s stepbrother?”
My dad chooses to ignore the scary, beautiful man in front of him and focuses on me, which is probably a mistake on his part. But then something clicks, and I understand.
“Your company does security tech for the FBI,” I say quietly. “He would have met Nedry and Dennis through that connection.”
“And he gave Dennis the means to track us,” Fi finishes for me. “Where’s the tracker?” she demands.
When my dad doesn’t answer, Bastian shakes him. “Answer the fucking question.”
“I have no idea, okay? I gave them to Dennis.”
Them. There’s more than one.
Sebastian finally drops him, and he steps back with a hand on his chest, gasping. “Are you coming with me or not, Brantley?”
I raise my eyebrows incredulously. “No, I’m not coming with you. I’m done with you and have been since you ghosted me while I was in the hospital. I’m sorry you wasted so much of your time on me, Dad, but I’m not your little pet project.”
“Pet project?” He raises his eyebrows. “Don’t you understand what I did for you? Foryourdream? I spent money and favors to eliminate distractions at great personal cost—that gay kid and the closeted jock I caught you fucking in high school? They would have been toxic to your career, Brantley.”
I shake my head angrily while he continues.
“Then, in college, when your focus started slipping, I had to pay off the dean and several of your professors so that you maintained the GPA to graduate.” He sneers. “When I found out it washeryou were so obsessed with, I had to cut that thread too. Honestly, son, it was a lot of work.”
