Page 180 of Damaged Protector

My dad threw up his hands in disgust. “Why the fuck did you lock my daughter in her studio, Karen?”

“Insubordination,” she said, lifting her chin.

“She’s not your subordinate. She. Is. A. Human. Being.”

Forget a heart doctor. My dad was going to need extensive dental work from the way he was clenching his teeth.

“Don’t attack me, Brian Fitz. Mallori is the one who got kicked out of school.” She pointed an accusing finger at me, throwing me under the bus because she probably didn’t think I’d share the entire story. Well, she was fucking wrong.

I glanced behind me to find Hawk’s eyes boring into me. He dipped his chin slightly. It was the tiniest of nods, but I could feel his strength radiating across the table as clearly as if he was holding me in his arms.

Straightening my shoulders, I faced my father. “Because I punched Bernard Moreau in the nose.”

Dad’s brow crinkled in concentration. “That dance guy your mother was always going on about?”

“Yes, he was my professor.” Clenching my hands into fists at my side, I said the words. Words I realized I’d been needing to tell my father for over a year. “I punched him when he tried to force me to give him a blow job.”

Two beats of silence preceded the explosion in the room. Cam’s chair toppled over as he leaped to his feet and yelled, “What the fuck,” at the same time as my father. Shiloh let out a squeaking noise and buried her hands in her face. Even Uncle Sean, who was usually so jovial, looked like he wanted to throttle my mother.

Hawk was the only one that didn’t react because he already knew the story, but his lips tipped up into a tiny smile that told me he was proud of me.

I was proud of me too.

Cam marched around the table, his blue eyes snapping as he stepped up to my mother. “Get the fuck out of my house,” he growled before glancing at my dad. “Sorry, Uncle Brian. You’re welcome in my house any time, but not her.”

Then he pulled me into his arms, and I pressed my cheek against my cousin’s chest. But I didn’t cry. Not a single tear—because they believed me. No one questioned my story at all, and I loved them for it.

My dad’s voice was low and dangerous. “Go to the car, Karen. I need to say goodbye to my family.” When she started to protest, he barked, “Now!” and I heard her scurry out of the room, high heels tapping on the tiled floor.

Gentle hands tugged at me, and Cam released me so my father could pull me into his arms. “I’m so sorry, honeybunch. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay, Daddy,” I said, my voice muffled against his sweater. He smelled so good. Like love and home.

“How many times?” When I looked up, he asked again, “How many times has she locked you in your studio?”

“Um, probably seven or eight, but usually just for a day or two. Never for that long.”

He kissed my forehead over and over. “Still not acceptable. I’m so sorry, baby. If I’d known…”

“You didn’t, so you can’t blame yourself.”

“But I will anyway.” He smoothed a piece of my short hair behind my ear and smiled down at me. “I really like your hair like this, baby. It shows off your pretty face. And donating your hair… that just shows you’re pretty on the inside too.”

“And cue the ugly cry,” I said, tears dripping down my face.

Dad chuckled and gave me one more squeeze. “I’ll come by and see you tomorrow before we head back to Pennsylvania. For now, I have to go deal with my wife.” His face hardened.

“I thought you were flying straight to Miami from here for your cruise.”

He shook his head. “I’m not going on that. I can’t even stand to look at her right now. Can you imagine being stuck on a boat with your mother for seven days?”

“Actually, yes. I went on a dance cruise with her one time.”

Dad held my shoulders and scowled down at me. “No more secrets. I’m your father, and you should be able to share anything with me. I promise I will always stand behind you. Or beside you. Or in front of you, if need be.”

“I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he said. I could feel it in the final embrace he gave me before stalking out the door, calling, “Wish me luck,” over his shoulder.

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