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Frank literally stumbled back a step, his mouth falling in horror.
“Oh look, he’s a homophobic twat too,” I said to Kai mildly. “He really is going for the full bigotry bingo card.”
“Think he scored a full house on that years ago,” Kai said darkly, not taking his eyes off Frank.
“I still want my money,” Frank spat out stubbornly.
“Well, I wanted a dad who gave a shit,” I said bitterly. “I didn’t get that from you, but I got that from Mike. So, you can go and find your money from someone else. Because you’re not getting a penny from me.”
That was Frank’s breaking point. With a muffled curse, he swung one of his meaty fists.
Even if Kai hadn’t caught it with his arm, I could’ve easily evaded it. I’d been right. The years had slowed him down.
But him taking a swing was apparently Kai’s breaking point too.
Grabbing my dad by the collar, he swung him up against the wall of a nearby shop. I glanced around frantically, but we were alone. Thank fuck.
“Now listen here.” Kai’s voice was dangerously low as he pinned my struggling sperm donor in place. “I might’ve listened to Silas when we were kids, but I won’t let you touch him now. Silas ismine. If you ever come near him again, I’ll kill you.”
Frank gave an incredulous laugh. “You can’tkillanyone. You’re one of the most famous people in the world, for fuck’s sake.”
“Exactly.” There was an icy malevolence in Kai’s voice that I’d never heard before. “I’m famous. And disgustingly rich. Rich enough to hire someone to do my dirty work for me. Rich enough to bribe whoever the fuck I need to turn a blind eye to your disappearance. Not that it would even be a problem. I doubtanyonewould even notice you’d gone missing, let alone give enough of a shit to do anything about it.”
“I’ll tell everyone about this,” Frank seethed. “I’ll go to the press and tell them you threatened me.”
Kai smirked. “You do that. Let’s see who they believe. Me and Silas, upstanding celebrities who actively volunteer for child abuse charities. Or you, a washed-up drunk whose only known connection to his son is the stories he sells for money.”
I stepped next to Kai, looking Frank in the face for what I prayed was the final time. “Not only will no one believe you, but if you do that, I’ll tell my own story.”
Kai’s head whipped to me. He knew better than anyone how well I hid my past. But no more. I wasn’t letting Frank have any power over me. “I’ll tell them about the beatings. How you’d lock me in my closet. How you’d purposefully starve me until I was too weak to fight back. I’ll tell them all of it, Frank. I’ll go to the fucking police if I have to.”
“And we’ll add that you are threatening him and trying to extort money,” Kai said. “Our words against yours, Frank. Who do you think they are going to believe?”
Kai glared at him for a moment longer before releasing him. He wiped his hands on his coat like he was trying to remove the feel of him.
Frank shoved past us, muttering under his breath and eyes on the ground.
Kai waited until he was a few feet away before speaking. “Oh, and, Frank?”
He looked over his shoulder.
“I meant what I said.” Kai spoke like he was commenting on the traffic. “Touch Silas again, and you’ll end up at the bottom of a river somewhere. I mean that.”
For the first time, there was fear in Frank’s eyes. He nodded once before scurrying off into the night.
I kept my knees locked in place until I could no longer see him.
Only then did I let myself break. I sank forwards, knowing Kai would catch me.
He did just that, supporting our weight and holding me as shuddering sobs tore from my chest.
“I got you,” he whispered, cradling me to him. “I’ll never let him hurt you again.”
Chapter twenty-six
Kai
Iwasn’taviolentperson. But there wasn’t a shadow of a doubt in my mind that I could become one where Frank was concerned.
