“Because the son of a bitch is dead,” I grind out, staring at him like I’ve never seen him before.
“He is?” Tommy frowns. “I don’t?—”
“Did you know?” The growl leaves my chest before I can stop myself, and I pounce on him, grabbing him by the shirt.
Tommy is still frowning. “Did I know what?”
“What he did? Did you know he killed my fucking family?!” Both hands are balled into fists with his T-shirt in a death grip.
“Hey, come on.” Z moves close to us, putting one of his hands on mine. He’s a good five inches and fifty pounds bigger than me, but I don’t care.
“Did you?!” I yell, shaking Tommy.
“Know what?!” Tommy finally reacts, which is what I’ve been waiting for. He shoves me back. “What the fuck are you?—”
I don’t let him finish as I pull back my fist and catch him in the jaw.
“What the fuck?!” Tommy shoves me again, this time side stepping my swing.
“Knock it off!” Z grabs me from behind as the band surrounds us. They’re all worried, confused, and I can’t blame them.
But Tommy…
Jesus fucking Christ.
All these years I’ve been working for the son of the man who killed everyone I loved. How did I not know this? And how could he keep it from me?
“You trying to say you didn’t know your dad was a killer?”
“Yeah, I fucking knew!” Tommy snaps. “Why do you think I changed my fucking name?”
The rage shooting through me is like kerosine on an already burning flame. It ricochets through my veins with such ferocity I’m momentarily blinded. Then I lunge.
Hard enough to break free from Z, landing on Tommy and taking us both down as I swing wildly. He’s surprisingly strong—probably from sitting behind a drum set for the last fifteen years—and shoves me off him. But I’m too blinded by rage to do anything but keep swinging.
Somehow, they get me off him. In my peripheral vision I see the ladies clustered together, eyes wide, staring at us. Z and Kellan pulling me back. Kingston and Devyn pulling Tommy back. There’s blood on his face and he’s going to have a black eye tomorrow.
Good.
“What the fuck is happening?!” Z yells.
“You fucking knew!” I hiss at Tommy. “And you let me make an ass of myself for nearly a decade! Fuck you! Fuck all of you!” I yank my arm free from Zee and Kellan. “I fucking quit.”
“Would you tell us what the hell you’re talking about?” Z growls, obviously irritated now.
“Ask him!” I motion at Tommy with my chin. “Let him tell you about his father.” I turn and run for the door.
“Ross, wait!” Kingston calls after me but I can’t stop moving.
I just have to get away from them.
All of them.
They probably all knew. Tommy would have told them. I know they did a background check before they hired me and I never hid my identity as Ross Rockit. They all knew and never said a word.
For all I know, everything about this has been pity. A way for Tommy to assuage his guilt.
I see the startled glances from the crew as I head out the back of the arena.
