Page 83 of Hard Rock Heat

"Damon's made his position clear," I said firmly. "You're going to walk away or we call the cops and have you arrested forblackmail."

A sick grin crossed his father's face. He flicked his gaze between me and his son. "She's cute. Funny. Maybe she's more than just a goodfuck."

"You son of ab—"

"I'm not kidding," I jumped in before Damon could blow up. "Blackmail isillegal."

His father chuckled, slowly at first, then turning almost boisterous. "She doesn't know,hm?"

I frowned. "Know what?" I turned to Damon,questioning.

His eyes were pained. Haunted. His usual dynamic green eyes were darkened, almosthollow.

"My father's a cop," he saidflatly.

I started, taken aback. Acop?

"You try anything with me and I'll have you arrested like last time," his fathersaid.

My mouth dropped open. I turned to Damonslowly.

"Last time?" Iasked.

With a clenched jaw, Damon nodded sharply. He cast his eyesdown.

"Ian… got hurt." The pause made me think it was something more than that. I didn't interrupt. "I guess I went fucking crazy, I don't know. I barely remember what happened. Next thing I know, the cops are there and my dad's face is all busted up and I'm being hauledaway."

"Of course, as a concerned father, I didn't press charges," Gareth said blithely. "Teenagers, you know? All full of hormones and testosterone, angry at their parents and lashing out for no good reason. But you're an adult now," his father continued. "If I decide to press charges, if won't go so well for you. And you can't just take your brother and run away like lasttime."

"Fuck you," Damonspat.

Shit. This was really bad. I gripped my phone in my hand, hoping,praying.

"All these little threats are cute and all," his father continued, "But we all know how this is going to go down. Give me mymoney."

"Like fuck I will," Damon said. "This ends now. No more showing up at my place. No more showing up at my brother's. I want you out of ourlives."

"And how are you going to make me?" The words were eerily similar to the words Damon has said to me earlier, but the tone, the slimy way he said them, felt like slick oil running down myback

Damon's shoulders tensed even further, bunching, as if ready to pounce. Then his father said the one thing I knew would set Damonoff.

"Give me what I want or I'll be forced to ask my other son. I wonder how Ian will react when he sees me again after all these years?" he pretended to muse. "As I recall, it didn't end so well for him,either."

And that did it. Damon snarled and launched himself forward. Gareth tried to duck out of the way but Damon was too fast. His fist connected with his father'sjaw.

I screamed in surprise. "Damon,stop!"

Gareth grunted, head snapping back, but it didn't faze him for long. He immediately threw himself at his son, landing a punch in Damon's stomach. Damon reeled back with agrunt.

"Think you're such a big man, now?" his father taunted. "Think you can beat me?" Gareth swung his own fist at Damon's face. It connected with a sickeningsound.

I yelled again. "Stopit!"

But of course they didn't. They continued grappling with each other and throwing punches, fists and mouths turning red with blood. They panted heavily, but neither of them seemed to be slowing down. It was an even match, for now, but I could see Damon's movements getting slower, weaker. It was only a matter of time before his father got the upperhand.

I stood, shaking, watching the fight and wondering what the hell I could do to stopthis.

A voice rang out from a few yard away, an answer to myprayers.