Fallen Crest University

That was enough.

Sebastian lunged for me, but I was ready. This was what I wanted, and I ducked, ready to hit him when the door burst open.

“Stop!”

Garrett raced into the room. His hand was stretched out, but he stuck his leg out behind him to catch the door. His eyes were wide and alarmed, a look of panic in them. His mouth was open, and he was panting. He said a second time, “Stop.”

I didn’t.

I reached up and grabbed Sebastian’s arm, then flung him into the wall.

“Mason,” Garrett yelled. “Stop.”

“No.” I reared back to swing at him.

Garrett was there. He was on me the next instant, wrapping his arms around mine, and he pulled me back before I could hit Sebastian. The bat fell from my fingers. I bent over and threw Samantha’s father off me. He bounced against the wall but was on his feet the next instant. He shot a hand out to me again. “No, Mason, I mean—I need him conscious.”

Both Sebastian and I threw him a look. “What?” we both asked together.

Garrett turned on him and moved so he was standing next to me. He straightened to his fullest height, and he narrowed his eyes before he cut to where Sam was on the couch. “I know Mason wouldn’t do that. Sam wouldn’t do it to herself. That leaves one person.”

“You’re my godfather,” Sebastian started.

“And you did that to my daughter!” He thrust a finger in Samantha’s direction with each word he yelled. “You, Park. You did that to her. She’s my daughter.”

“He was going to rape her.” My patience was wearing thin. Sam’s dad had three seconds to say what he needed. If it wasn’t enough, I was knocking Sebastian unconscious. I didn’t give a shit about his plans. “Why do you want him awake?”

“I wasn’t going to—”

“Shut up!” Garrett lurched forward.

For a second, I thought he was going to hit him for me. I didn’t know if I wanted that, but I waited. Sebastian and Garrett both seemed surprised by the movement. He caught himself, reining backward and let out a disgusted sound. It was a groan, but a growl at the same time. “I swear, Park,” his chest heaved up and down for control, “you will be quiet, or I will let Mason do whatever he wants to you.”

He moved forward and poked him in the chest as he said the last three words. The second poke was harder than the first, and with the last one, his finger never lifted from Sebastian. It stayed there, drilling into him.

Finally, after another ten seconds of staring into Sebastian’s eyes, Garrett stepped backward. He said to me, his head lowering, “I wasn’t aware you were going to make your move today. I sent Sharon back home where she was safe. I was coming back to tell you guys I would help you, but Logan told me at the house where you really were. I almost got into two accidents speeding here.”

I snorted. “I’m sorry. Were we supposed to run it by you first?” My sarcasm was thick.

“No. I’m just saying that I would’ve been here. She…” He snuck a look at his daughter. His jaw clenched, and he looked away immediately. “She wouldn’t have been hurt. I wouldn’t have even let either of you in.”

Another snort from me. “I’m sure you wouldn’t have.”

He glanced up, holding my gaze. “I mean it, Mason. I would’ve done the dirty work for you.”

That surprised me, and I held my next retort. Instead, I replied, “He’s like family to you.”

“He’s not.” His head lifted again, and he was almost glaring at Sebastian, who seemed to wither in place, his shoulders scrunching together. Garrett clipped out, “Samantha was an innocent, as were you. I don’t know what he’s done to you, but I talked to Gerald. His grandfather told me something about a house being burned down?”

“He used his fraternity brothers to jump me, my best friend, and my brother. All of us at separate times. They tried to hit me with a car last year, too.”

“I see.” Garrett’s eyes narrowed to slits. He stepped toward Sebastian, asking, “Is that true?”

A guttural, “Yes,” came from deep in his throat. “Yes.”

“All of that on top of what you were going to do to my daughter?”

Sebastian was staring at him, then he tried again, “Uncle Garr—”

“I’m not,” he snapped at Sebastian. “I’m not your uncle anymore. I’m not your godfather anymore. I’m nothing to you. Like you’ll be nothing.”

“Garrett?”

He ignored Sebastian’s one-word question and turned to me. “Take Samantha. Take her home. I’ll deal with Park.”

“What will happen to him?”

“He’ll be cast out. All the blackmail material The Network has on him will be used against him and,” he cast a scathing look at him, “I believe there’s enough to strip him helpless. He’ll have no power. The Network will turn on him. Rape of another member is never allowed.”

“She’s not a memb—”

“It doesn’t matter!” Garrett roared back at him. “She’s my daughter, and you were going to hurt her.”

I heard enough. Picking up the bat again, I knew what I was going to do, no matter what Sam’s dad was saying. It wasn’t allowed because she was going to be a member? That was it? Because she was Garrett’s daughter? What if she weren’t? What if she was someone else’s daughter, not someone from The Network? I’d been repressing my fury, but it was done. I didn’t care what happened after this. Whatever Garrett was going to do, it wasn’t enough. ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">