14. Ryan Fairview
T heo and I followed Cal to the front, and our mom hung back in the kitchen with Caleb. Theo was glaring at me, and I was glaring at the back of Cal’s head. It was one big chain of glares.
I was still reeling from everything that had happened. Cal hadn’t given me a chance to catch my breath, and now Caleb’s dad was here?
I was also pretty sure Cal had just insinuated that he was going to kill the man…what a fucking mess…
Theo stayed quiet, but I knew she was going to grill me later. Her knuckles cracked as she clenched and unclenched her fists next to me as we walked.
My sister’s go-to reaction when she was feeling threatened was always violence. Mine wasn’t, but I had already gotten into two physical altercations in less than twelve hours with this infuriating man. A fistfight between my sister and Cal was imminent, and if I was being honest, I didn’t want to be around for it. It wouldn’t be the first time Theo got into it with a man. It was never pretty.
Caleb’s father was standing in the foyer, and I was hit with another wave of confusion.
So much for the bald-headed dude in a wife beater. This man looked polished and put together. He was wearing a well-tailored suit and had thick blond hair styled meticulously around his head.
I eyed some of the heavy rings he had on his right hand and nearly winced at the thought of him hitting Caleb with them on.
Theo’s already aggressive energy darkened next to me. I heard the telltale sign of her knuckles cracking again, though this time, I could tell the anger wasn’t for Cal.
All three of us stared at this man, and he was either stupid or knew something we didn’t because he didn’t look the least bit worried that we had come to confront him.
“Who the fuck are you?” he asked, meeting Cal’s gaze. He gave Cal a condescending once over, curling his lip up at his tattoos and piercings.
I didn’t like it.
“I’m the guy that’s here to tell you to get the fuck out.” Cal grinned at him, though his smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Even when he hadn’t been sure if I was Caleb’s abuser, Cal hadn’t looked at me the way he was staring at this man. It was like he could sense the sinister nature rolling off him.
“I’m not leaving without my son,” the man growled, stepping toward Cal menacingly. Both Theo and I stepped forward, making a clear show that this man would need to deal with the three of us if he wanted to get to Caleb.
Cal shot me an appreciative grin, and my stomach flipped. I had no idea what to do with this strange, dark-haired man who had just shown up and invited himself into my life, but my mother was right.
For the time being, we were on the same team, and there was no fucking way I was letting this snake-like man take Caleb home to hurt him again.
“I told you, he’s not here,” Theo growled, and I didn’t miss the approving glance Cal shot my sister.
“Then you won’t mind me taking a look around,” the man challenged.
“Nice try, asshole. Come back with a warrant. The kid’s not here. Now get out,” Cal drawled, stepping forward to crowd the man.
My heart was pounding in my chest.
Fuck… I really hope Cal didn’t beat the shit out of this guy in the front entrance…
Caleb’s dad sneered up at Cal, who was several inches taller than him. He reached into the interior pocket of his suit jacket, and I tensed, remembering how Cal had reached into his hoodie the night before only to produce a full-blown handgun.
I let out a small sigh of relief when I realized he wasn’t taking out a gun but a cell phone.
“You want a warrant? I’ll get you a warrant. You have no idea who you’re fucking with, pal.” The man snarled, but before he could put the phone to his ear, Cal snatched it out of his hand. He threw it on the ground and rammed the heel of his boot into the screen, crushing it.
My mouth fell open, and even Theo looked shocked.
Cal leaned forward and growled in the man’s ear. “Hope you have a landline, pal. Now run home and call the police like a good little bitch. ”
Caleb’s dad’s face went red with fury. He sputtered before us in rage before pointing his finger in Cal’s face angrily.
“You’re going to pay for that!” he spat, and Cal sneered.
“Do you take plastic?” he cooed, pissing the guy off even more.
Caleb’s dad whirled on me and my sister next, spittle literally flying out of his mouth as he yelled at us.
“You’re done! You’ll never work in this town again! I’ll have you so fucked up on kidnapping charges you’ll never see the light of day!”
Panic coursed through me, but Cal just shoved the guy out the front door. “Yeah, yeah. Say it, don’t spray it, fuck hole,” he chided, practically tossing the guy out the front door. Theo and I rushed forward and watched as the man hopped in his Jaguar and fired up the engine. Cal turned to us with a very scary grin on his face.
“Keep Caleb safe. I’ll be back,” he ordered before jogging out of the house and climbing into a murdered-out Bentley parked across the street.
Music that sounded like robots fucking suddenly exploded from the black car as Cal peeled off down the street in the same direction the Jaguar had gone.
Theo and I watched him drive away, his weird music fading with each passing minute. We both stood in a mild state of shock for a beat before my sister turned to me, her face a stony mask.
“What the fuck just happened?” she snapped as if I had the answers.
“I think we just got roped into some really messed up shit,” I grumbled, my stomach feeling like it was full of lead.
Theo turned and slammed her fist into the door jam.
“Jesus fucking Christ, Ryan!” she cursed. “You and your fucking strays!” Then, she stormed back into the house, leaving me to stare at the empty street and wonder when that murderous psychopath would be coming back to fuck up my life even more than he already had.