12. Christian
Christian
It’s been a long ass day. I’ve been out delivering trees from dawn until dusk, my back is aching and my fingers are numb from the cold. All I wanted was to walk into my house, kick off my boots, and maybe pour a drink. But that thought dies the second I step through the door.
Travis is slumped over the sink, blood dripping into the basin and smearing across the kitchen counter like a scene out of a backwoods bar brawl gone wrong.
Tissues are scattered everywhere, all of them soaked through and useless.
I rush over, clutching his head and tilting it back to assess the damage, when I catch sight of Piper sitting at the kitchen table.
She’s leaned back in the wooden chair, one leg draped casually over the other, her arms resting loosely at her sides. There’s a calm to her that isn’t calm at all, and those eyes are pure wildfire. Green and burning, filled with a quiet rage so controlled it’s breathtakingly beautiful.
“What the hell happened to you?” I demand, peeling Travis’s trembling hand away from his face. There’s blood everywhere, and beneath my fingers, I can feel the swelling, the telltale signs of bone out of place.
Yeah, that nose is definitely broken .
He doesn’t answer right away, just points a shaky, blood-smeared finger straight at Piper like she’s the monster in the room.
“Ask that crazy bitch.”
“Guilty,” she drawls, lifting her hand proudly like she’d break his nose all over again if given the chance.
I turn away from Travis without another word. “Are you okay?”
My attention shifts entirely to the woman sitting before me, and I swear to god, if she even so much as winces, if my son touched her in any way that crossed a line…
“What the hell do you mean, is she okay? She broke my fucking face!”
“Why?” My voice is low now, dangerous, the kind of tone that should have him thinking about more than just his busted nose.
Travis hesitates, glancing at Piper, who hasn’t moved a damn muscle, and then finally she speaks. “Your son here thought it’d be a smart move to backhand me across the face.”
I’m at her side instantly, crouched down so fast my knees hit the floor. Gently, like she’s made of glass, I reach for her hair, pulling back the curtain of sleek black strands that spill over her cheek. I see the marks straight away, red and swelling and already darkening to purple at the edges.
“The asshole bitch-slapped me.”
“You hit her?”I ask, rising slowly and turning to Travis with a fury I didn’t know I could feel for my own flesh and blood.
“It was a tap,” he protests, as if that makes a damn bit of difference. Like there’s a fucking spectrum where a man can lay hands on a woman and not face the consequences.
Something in me breaks wide open, a part I didn’t even know existed. And for the first time in my life, I want to hurt my own son.
“You ever tapped her before?”
“First time,” Piper mutters, the venom in her voice making it clear she’s already halfway to ripping him apart herself.
“Travis, I might be your father, but right now I don’t recognize a damn thing about the kid standing in front of me.
And that’s a problem for you because all I see is a full-grown man who put his hands on a woman half his size, and if you weren’t my blood, I’d have already buried you in the dirt out back.
So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re gonna grab your shit, get in your car, and drive to Callan’s.
You don’t call her. You don’t come back here.
You don’t breathe near this house until I say you can. ”
“Are you fucking serious?” he snaps, the indignation written all over his bloodied face. “Look at me! Fucking look at me!”
I slowly approach him, forcing him to back up against the counter.
“You hit a woman, Travis. You deserve worse than a broken nose. Now get the hell off my property before I show you what worse looks like.”
I barely hold myself back. Every muscle in my body is coiled so tight it’s a miracle I haven’t already put him through the damn wall.
“And a word of advice,” I add, stepping in close enough that he has to tilt his head to meet my eyes.
“I wouldn’t go running your mouth to Cal about this.
You probably think he’s your best bet right now, but I promise you, he’ll beat your ass and then bury you with his bare hands, but unlike me, he won’t give you the courtesy of a head start. ”
Travis’s jaw clenches tight, nostrils flaring as he blows out a frustrated breath.
He shoots me one last glare, clearly weighing his options, but he’s not stupid enough to push me.
Without another word, he grabs his keys and phone from the table before storming out, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rattle the entire frame.
The second he’s gone, I turn back to Piper. I crouch down in front of her again, lowering myself until I’m eye-level and reach out, letting my fingers brush against the back of her hand.
“Are you really okay?” I whisper, but there’s a crack in my voice I can’t hide. “I need you to tell me how this happened.”
“I guess he doesn’t handle being dumped well.” She tries to play it off, but the bruise blooming across her cheekbone makes my stomach turn.
“I’m serious, Piper. I need to know how my son turned into someone who could lay his hands on a woman.” My fingers tremble as I brush her hair back from her face, revealing the full extent of what Travis did to her. “I never raised him like?—”
“No.” She whips around to face me so fast her hair fans out around her shoulders. “This is not on you. This is no one’s fault but his. And maybe mine a little because I probably provoked him, but… I never thought he’d actually hit me.”
“There’s no excuse. Not a single fucking one for what he did.”
“I shouldn’t have hit him back.” She drops her gaze to her lap, where her fingers twist together.
“I’d be pissed if you hadn’t.” Christ, I want to still those nervous hands with my own. “If a man puts his hands on you like that, you either break his nose or take away his ability to have kids. Those are the rules.”
A small smile tugs at her lips, and God help me, I’m tempted to trace it with my thumb, to smooth away the hurt that’s written all over her beautiful face. Instead, I drag out the chair beside her and sit down, close enough that our knees almost touch.
Right now, I don’t know if I should pull her into my arms and promise her she’s safe or hunt down my own son and make sure he never touches her again.
“We were fighting…” She gathers her dark hair into a messy knot, fingers trembling slightly as she pulls the black band from her wrist. “I ended things, and it got bad between us. That’s all there is to it.”
She’s protecting him, even now, even with her face wearing the evidence of his rage.
She doesn’t want to tell me the details, and that’s fine—it’s her story to tell when she’s ready.
But I’ll be asking Travis because I don’t give a damn what she could’ve said to him.
Nothing, absolutely fucking nothing, could justify what he did to her.
“I packed my things earlier. I’ll head to my sister’s tonight, but I’d appreciate a ride.” Her voice is steady, like this is just logistics, and she hasn’t just sucker punched me with those words.
“You’re leaving?”
“Well, yeah… It’s inappropriate for me to stay here after what happened, and I don’t want to risk running into Travis.”She swallows hard, lifting her chin like she’s ready for me to argue. “I’m sorry. I know that leaves you shorthanded up here, but?—”
“I don’t give a shit about that. I just don’t want you thinking you have to go.” I’m damn near begging now, and I don’t even care. “At least stay tonight, and I’ll take you to Violet’s myself tomorrow after we close up.”
“What if Travis comes back while you’re out delivering?”
“I have no deliveries tomorrow. I’ll be here all day.” She nods, and when she moves to stand, I’m already rising with her, instinct kicking in like it always does when she’s near.
But as I take her in, the guilt sinks deeper into my bones. I wasn't the one who hurt her, but he's got Crawford blood running through his veins, and his cruelty feels like a stain on everything I tried to teach him about being a man.
“I’m gonna head to bed. I just… I think I need to sleep.”
“You know where I am if you need anything, okay?”
“Thank you, Christian.” She takes a few steps down the hall, then turns back, hands twisting together. “I’m sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.”
I fall silent, every muscle in my body locked down tight.
If I speak, I’ll move. If I move, I’ll cross the room in three strides, and if I cross the room, I’ll kiss her until she forgets every bad thing that’s ever happened to her.