Page 85 of Hard Rock Heat

Gareth scowled atme.

"Have you really been blackmailing Damon for years?" Ian askedhim.

He flicked his eyes between his two sons. "I was simply collecting what's owed tome."

"We don't owe you shit," Ian said flatly. "So you really have been extorting him formoney."

"So what if I have?" Gareth said with a snort. "I'm yourfather."

"You think that means we owe you something? Go fuck yourself," Ianspat.

"You better learn some respect, boy," Gareth said with a warningtone.

"Or what?" Ian challenged, his eyes burning withfury.

Damon looked between his brother and his father, expression both confused and amazed. Damon really had expected Ian to fall apart if he saw his father again. But Ian was holding hisown.

"Or I'll call my buddies down at the station and have you hauled off to jail," their fatheranswered.

Ian let out a derisive laugh. "Get the fuck out of mysight."

A slow grin spread across Damon's face as he watched his brother confronting their dad. A glow of pride and delight shone from hiseyes.

"I said get the fuck out," Ian repeated. "You have tenseconds."

"Ungratefullittle—"

"Fiveseconds."

Gareth took a moment to glare at each of us in turn. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, to get the last word in. Instead, he turned on his heel and stalkedoff.

"Good fucking riddance," Ian muttered. He shocked his head and turned to Damon. "You asshole, what the fuck were youthinking?"

Damon cringed. "I'msorry."

"You've been keeping this from me for years," Ianaccused.

Damon nodded miserable, not trying to denyit.

Ian let out a sigh and pulled his brother into a hug. "You dumbass." There was both exasperation and affection in his voice. "I can take care ofmyself."

"I'm your big brother," Damoninsisted.

"Stop." Ian smacked his brother in the head. "Don't pull theone minute olderthing."

"Oh my god, does he do that, too?" Hope said with a laugh. "I hate it when Faith doesit."

The four of us shared a chuckle, the tensionbreaking.

"I'm sorry." Damon looked his brother straight in the eye, earnest. "I didn't mean to keep this from you for so long. But I thought it would just be the one time and he'd go away, so I didn't think you needed to know. And then he showed up again, promising this was the last time. And then it happened again. And then before I knew it he'd been doing it for years, and every time I didn't tell you, that just made it evenharder."

Ian examined his brother, scrutinizing him. He nodded. "I guess I'd be a hypocrite if I stayed mad at you for keepingsecrets."

"I really did think it was for the best," Damonsaid.

"I know. But you need to stop treating me like akid."

"You'll always be my little brother," Damonsaid.