Page 27
“Is it a boy band?”
I guffaw. “No, it’s a rock band.”
“Rock?” Condescension is evident in his tone.
“Yes, heavy metal.” I take out the business card Dante gave us, stride to him and hand it over.
He glances up at me and then down at the card again before handing it back to me. “So what.”
“So what?” I echo, but I am not really surprised by his comment. “I have followers, man—people. And my band will back me up when I go on social media and discredit the person you are, by showing the world the video of you berating your son. You are not a nice man.”
“What video?” Joon growls, looking around us.
“The one my bodyguard took earlier.” I smile wide.
“That will do nothing,” he says but there’s a lack in assurance in his tone.
“Then play my bluff, leave and I’ll post it the moment you drive away from here,” I say, looking him straight in the eyes.
Joon glances at the house, then down the driveway before returning his attention to me. “What do you want?”
“Let your mother and Lyric visit longer.”
Lyric’s father snarls something in Korean, but I’m not afraid of this motherfucker, who likes to use intimidation tactics on his own son. I glare right back at him, not cowering before his arrogant behavior.
“You think to blackmail me?”
“No. Call this an incentive.” I smile. “Besides, Lyric hasn’t seen his grandmother for a long time. Give them a month.”
“What would you give me for their time?” I eye the man for a long moment, before he says, “Fine.” He gets in the car and starts it. Then he rolls down the window, but Joon doesn’t look at me when he says, “This isn’t over.” Then he takes off before I can contradict him.
“Bastard.” As I walk back to the house, an orange tabby waltzes up to me, tail straight in the air and its eyes a brilliant green. It brushes against my leg while purring like crazy. I’m normally not a cat guy, but I can’t ignore the animal and bend down to pet the cat.
“Bitty doesn’t like anyone except for me and grandmother,” Lyric says as he steps out of the house in brown flip flops. “Strange.”
“Then Bitty has good taste because he sure likes me.”
“Like I said, strange.” Lyric draws close, his beautiful eyes still watery. “What did you say to my father?”
I straighten to my full height and lose my smile. “To give you and your grandmother more time together.”
“Why? How long?”
“A month. She’s important to you, and you’re important to me.”
Lyric’s eyes widen. “What did you say to sway him?”
I lift the phone in my hand. “While he was abusing you and your grandmother verbally, Fig videotaped him on his phone. I warned your father to step back and stop being a dick, and give you the time with her. And if not, I told him that I would spread that video all over social media.”
Lyric gasps. “Rafe. You can’t do that.”
“It’s all good. I won’t unless your father goes back on his word.”
“You can’t—not without humiliating me too.”
Shit. I didn’t think of how it would affect Lyric if I posted it on my social media. “I won’t,” I promise.
“Don’t trust what my father says either.” Lyric’s tone has me glancing at the house, where I see Lyric’s halmeoni, Fig and Ji watching from the doorway, and I chuckle.
