“O-kay,” Scarlett drags out as she looks at me skeptically.
“I’ll see you in a bit. Let me get inside to talk to Mom,” I say.
“Okay, cool. Maybe we can hang before you leave.”
I nod, stopping myself from telling her I’ll be around for a while. Something tells me that might not be true. I wasn’t expecting to find my father here.
I enter the house and go straight to where I’ll find my mother. She’s always in the sitting room agonizing over this event or that. Putting on airs for the world.
Yeah, events for him. My father is out there fucking his whores, while my mother’s still at the beck and call of an ex-husband who loathes everything about her. Bullshit.
“Will,” my mother breathes as soon as she sees me. She jumps from the chaise lounge she’s been seated on and rushes to give me a hug. I wrap my arms around her and give a squeeze. “It’s so good to see you outside of that place.” She shudders as if it’s the worst possible thought. Looking into my eyes with sad green ones, a million thoughts cross her face. “I wanted to come see you again…”
She trails off. Yeah, just as I figured. He forbid it.
“I’m good, mom. I didn’t want you to see me in there anyway.”
“How are you?” She takes a step back and looks me over. “You put on some weight. That was good, right. I mean, to keep the others from trying to rape you and things,” she whispers the last part.
I choke off a laugh and tug her into me. “I’m fine, Mom. No one tried to rape me.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“I did lose my apartment. I have an appointment with the dean about my classes. It’s a setback, but I still plan to finish,” I start. However, the look on her face causes me to pause. “What?”
“William. I want you to worry about you. I know your heart, but you have to let this go. You can’t save everyone.”
“I’m not trying to save everyone. I’m making sure we don’t have to live under his thumb.”
She cups my face and smiles. “Since you were little you’ve been the one to beat the bullies up for all the smaller kids. It’s what you do. Your mouth has always been smarter than the next and when you couldn’t make someone feel small with a few choice words, you’d beat them up and move on about your business. It’s who you are.”
“Yeah, well, I was raised by one of the biggest bullies in the world. Go figure.”
“He’s not that bad.”
I pin her with a glare. We both know my father is a sorry fuck. Even their divorce was a way for him to establish control.
“Listen, I have it all planned. It will just take a little longer. I’m going to make it, so you never have to ask him for a thing. We don’t have to be under his control.”
“Sweetheart, listen to me. I need you to worry about you. You’re only going to make him angry with this. Think about Scarlett and Leo.”
“I am thinking about them,” I say, my voice raising.
I pinch the bridge of my nose to rein in my temper. My father rides my little brother’s back just like he did me. I see it killing all the light within Leo. I have to stop that shit.
“I heard you were released.”
I spin on my heels as the words are hurled at me with disdain. My father stands in the threshold with a tumbler in his hand. He has a smug smile on his thin-ass lips. Fucking prick.
We got lucky taking after my mother. Other than my height and dark brown hair, I’ve taken nothing after him at all. I glare at him, a million thoughts racing through my mind.
“You waited long enough to get me out of there,” I say bitterly.
He roars with laughter before throwing back his drink. He pulls a face as he swallows. Then looks at me like I’m a piece of shit. “I did nothing for you.” He moves in to close the space. “And if I find out you were running your fucking mouth to get out, I’m going to bury you myself.”
“Thaddeus,” my mother gasps.
I grind my teeth. Why did I think he had anything to do with getting me out? I should have known this prick didn’t take the time to think about anyone other than himself.
Then who?
“I pay for him to go to one of the best universities and this is how he repays me?” he seethes.
“You haven’t paid for shit. I pay my own fucking tuition, you pompous asshole.”
“I’ll shut all that shit down,” he roars. “One phone call and you’re done. No school and I’ll have you locked up again for those fucking races.”
“Do it, motherfucker,” I say, getting into his face.
He scoffs. “You think I can’t? Those two boys are still in the hospital. They almost died. Do you know what that shit could have done to my name? Do you even care?
“No, you never care, you lowlife. I’ll have all that shit pinned on you and make sure you never see the light of day, least of all become a fucking attorney, you fuckup.”
I move in closer until our chests begin to touch. We’re nose to nose. I can taste his alcoholic breath.
“You’re the only fuckup I see. After all, you did try to have your own son killed in prison. Epic fail, you son of a bitch, now I’m your worst enemy and I never fail,” I bark in his face.
The stunned look he gives me confirms the pieces I just put together. My heart feels like it’s been torn through. I knew he hated me, but I never thought he’d go this far.
“What?” My mother says from behind me. “Thaddeus, what is he talking about?”
“If you and the twins want to continue to live here, you will get this trash out of
