Page 47

Chapter Eleven

Porter

“Well, don't you twolook cozy?” My father's voice slipped into my ear, rousing me awake. “Get up.” His fist hit my shoulder, nudging me hard.

Pushing myself up, I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear the fog. I must have fallen asleep beside Emery, because the last thing I could remember was pulling her into my arms and laying my head on the pillow.

“What time is it?” I asked, swinging my feet off the side of the bed and planting them on the floor.

“It's time for you to get your head out of your ass.” Franco wrapped firm fingers around my arm, yanking me to my feet and dragging me across the room. “Come with me.”

“What the hell!?” I yelled, stumbling forward, still suspended in that half awake half asleep vortex.

“Porter, what's going on?” Emery sat up in bed, her eyes frantically watching Franco drag me away.

“It's fine, don't worry.” Through slit lids, I curled my lip. “Right, Franco? Everything's fine.”

Stopping short, he bared his teeth and glanced between us. “It's not fine, none of this is fine. So don't try and act like it is.” Zeroing his gaze on Emery, he barked. “Evenyouknow it's not fine, don't play stupid. You can't be that fucking dumb. Are you that dumb, little girl? Obviously you must be if you'd sleep with a piece of shit like this.”

“Hey!” I yelled, tearing my arm from his hand. “Don't talk to her like that, she's been through enough.” Taking a step back, I growled. “She's a victim here, she doesn't need you treating her like she's done something wrong. Don't you ever talk to her like that again.”

Balling my fists, I spread my feet to gain more balance. If he said one more fucking thing to her in that asshole tone of his, I was going to lay him out.

I could take him talking to me like I was dirt, I would shut my mouth and let him call me every name in the book if it meant he'd never step foot in this room again until this was all over.

The one thing I wasn't going to do was stand by and let him talk to her like she was beneath him, as if she deserved to be in this mess.

Franco's fingers tapped against his thighs, the vein in his neck going crazy as his blood boiled. “Do not tell me what to do in my own home, Porter. Now let's go, we need to have a little chat.” Fanning out his arm toward the door, he dipped his head. “After you, Asshole.”

Looking over at Emery, I forced a tender smile. “I'll be back in a few minutes, try to just relax.”

What the hell are you trying to do?

It was hard for me to find that balance between understanding the position he was in and my hatred for who he was to begin with. No matter what I had done to cause all of this, I still fucking hated that man with all of my being.

When he was around, I instantly became irritated and annoyed. Anything he said, even if it was constructive in some sick asshole way, bothered me. I would argue with that man just for the sake of arguing.

That wasn't the smart thing to do, but after years of verbal abuse, after dealing with him day in and day out, his dickhead ways had just stuck with me. I felt like a soda bottle, shaken violently with the cap still on, ready to burst.

Closing the door behind me, I followed Franco downstairs. Stopping at the island in the kitchen, he whipped around on his heels, his eyes hard as rock. He didn't say a word, not one fucking word.

“Well? What the hell do you want? What the fuck was that all about?”

Pulling his arm back, he threw himself forward, socking me in the jaw. It caught me off guard, making me wobble on my feet as I grabbed my face.