Page 84 of Find Me

“Whoa, now,” Gabe’s father said, stepping closer.

Knox got to his feet and came to stand behind me.

Gabe’s father looked up at Knox, taking in his giant build before his gaze dropped back to me. “Let’s talk about this,” he said, sounding a little nervous. “I’m sure we can find a way to settle things amicably.”

“Henry!” Gabe’s mother hissed. “The little bitch is bluffing.”

I took all of her in. Her hair was big, her makeup was heavy, and her clothes were too young for her. Her handbag told me all I needed to know. The label read Louis Vuitton, but it was a knockoff. I could tell from the stitching. This woman was trying to look like she had money.

“I come from money and a lot of it. I will get the best lawyer money can buy and I will take you to court for however long it takes. Lawyers charge a lot of money by the hour. I can afford it. Can you?” I asked.

Insinuating that she was poor only made her red in the face, but I was really talking to her husband. He seemed to be the reasonable one at the moment.

“What can we do to resolve this?” he asked.

“Henry!” his wife hissed again.

“Shut up, Connie!” Henry snapped. “Gabe admitted to throwing her in the pool and the principal said they caught it all on the school’s security cameras. An assault charge could fuck up his future, especially a sexual assault charge.”

“If you promise not to press any charges against Creed, I won’t press charges either,” I said.

“Shiloh, don’t,” Creed said, standing.

I refused to look away from Henry. “It’s my deal to make.”

Henry nodded. “We’ll agree to that.”

Connie huffed and stomped out of the office. Gabe walked past me next. “This isn’t over, bitch,” he threatened.

“Gabriel!” Henry barked.

Knox moved me behind him. “It better be, because we’ll be getting a copy of today’s footage of the pool. If you touch her again, it’ll be the first thing she’ll hand off to her lawyer to use against you.”

Henry grabbed Gabe by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of the office.

My shoulders slumped with relief.

“Now that’s settled, Creed, can you and your guardians please come into my office?” Mr. Morgan asked from where he stood by his door watching us.

Keelan and Knox followed Creed into Mr. Morgan’s office. I sat in the chair next to Colt. He took my hand in his and we waited.

About a half hour later, the guys came out. All of them looked a little defeated. “What happened?” I asked.

“I’m suspended for two weeks,” Creed answered.

My mouth dropped open. “Wait here,” I said and stormed past them into Mr. Morgan’s office.

“Two weeks?” I said a little loudly.

Mr. Morgan looked up from his desk. “Miss Pierce, why don’t you shut the door and take a seat?”

I didn’t move. “Did Gabe get the same punishment?”

Mr. Morgan laced his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. “He was suspended.”

I narrowed my eyes at the way he said that. “But not for two weeks?”

He didn’t confirm or deny it. With all the yelling Gabe’s mother had done in here, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d threatened Mr. Morgan into giving Gabe a lesser punishment.