Page 119 of Campus Crush
“I'll get it,” I said quickly, already moving toward the door before Abby could get up.
I looked through the peephole and my stomach dropped. My father stood in the hallway, his expensive suit wrinkled and his usually perfect hair disheveled. Even through the distorted lens, I could see the fury radiating from him.
My hand hesitated on the deadbolt. I’d wondered after the stunt he’d pulled with the guardianship hearing if he’d try something else, but I hadn’t expected him to be so brazen to show up at our front door.
“Who is it?” Abby asked.
“It’s my dad.”
I unlocked the door, opening it just wide enough to see his face clearly. His eyes were bloodshot, and I caught the faint smell of whiskey on his breath.
“Foster.” His voice was tight with barely controlled rage. “We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing left to say,” I replied, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I’d never seen my dad in this state, but he’d lost any chance of gaining sympathy from me when he tried to pay my girlfriend to break up with me. His actions since then had only solidified my resolve. “I made my position clear.”
“You think you’re so smart,” he sneered, pushing against the door. “Think you can just walk away from everything I’ve built for you?”
“I can, and I did.” I started to close the door, but he slammed his palm against it, pushing it all the way open.
His glazed eyes landed on Abby and his face contorted into an ugly snarl. “I’m not done trying to destroy you.”
I stepped in front of him, blocking his view of her. “You need to leave,” I said, my voice deadly calm. “Now.”
Instead, he did something that shouldn’t have surprised me, but did all the same. He shoved me. I was so taken aback, I stumbled before catching myself as rage lit like a fire through my veins.
“Get out of our home,” Abby said, now standing in front of her brother, her voice sharp with authority despite the fear I could see in her posture.
My father’s cold gaze swung to her. “You did this. You ruined everything, you little bitch?—”
The words weren’t even fully out of his mouth before he lunged toward her, his hands reaching out to grab her.
I moved faster than I’d ever moved in my life, intercepting him before he could touch her and shoving him back against the nearest wall. My forearm pressed against his windpipe, pinning him in place. His eyes went wide with shock and something that might have been fear.
Good.
He should be afraid.
There wasnothingI wouldn’t do to protect Abby and Mason—my family.
“Don’t you ever try to lay a fucking hand on her again,” I growled, my face inches from his. Every word dripped with the promise of violence if he dared to test me. “Better yet, don’t come near us, or I’ll go to every client you have and tell them all your dirty secrets.”
He tried to scoff, but it came out as more of a wheeze with my arm pressed against his throat. “I have no secrets.”
I leaned in closer, close enough that he couldn’t mistake the deadly serious look in my eyes. “You sure about that? How do you think they’d feel if they found out about your propensity to cut corners when costs get too high and then pay off your favorite inspector to look the other way?”
The effect was immediate and dramatic. He went completely still, like a statue, his face draining of color before flushing a deep red with anger and panic. His eyes darted around frantically, as if looking for an escape route.
“Bet you didn’t think I knew about that, huh?” I continued, my voice low and menacing. “I know a lot more than that, and if you come anywhere near us again, I’ll end that business you love so much.”
I’d always had questions about some of the things my dad had done with the business, but I hadn’t cared enough to dive deeper. But I’d learned some very valuable information when I’d requested a character reference for the guardianship hearing from one of my construction employers. My dad’s business wasn’t on the up-and-up like he’d always made it out to be. That was the reason certain construction companies had stopped working with TheKane Group, something my dad had said was his choice, not the other way around.
It was information I’d been holding on to since I’d found out, not sure what to do with it.
But him showing up on our doorstep and threatening us had made everything clearer.
If holding this information over his head got him off our backs, then so be it.
I was done letting him think he could mess with us.
