Page 160 of Too Far

“Whatever you’re doing is unnecessary,” Kylian offers. Despite the tension so thick it’s threatening to choke us all, his tone is dispassionate. It’s exactly what I’d expect from him in a moment like this.

With his phone still pressed to his ear, my dad whirls around and points a finger at him. “I knew you had to have something to do with this, you freak.”

“Whoa.” Kendrick steps up so close my dad’s eyes go just a little wide, and he takes a step back.

Josephine drops my hand and shuffles to one side so she’s standing between Kylian and Locke. They move in, flanking her, with Kendrick blocking up front. She’s safe.

“It’s done, Dad,” I tell him. “There’s nothing you can do to change this. It’s done.”

He stabs at the End button on his phone’s screen and turns to glare at me.

“You’re married? Legally bound to that woman?”

Of-fucking-course.

Why am I not surprised that this is the issue he has the biggest problem with?

“You didn’t even show me your prenup,” he accuses. “According to our lawyers, they don’t even have it on file yet.”

“Those areyourlawyers, Dad. And there is no prenup.”

Misty makes a startled, choking sound, and my dad surges forward, getting right up in my face.

His hot breath wafts over me with each exhale. “What do you mean there is no prenup? When she leaves you, if she turns out to be a two-timing bitch like your mother—”

“Watch it,” I snarl with enough vitriol to cause him to shift back on instinct. “That’s my wife you’re talking about.”

“God dammit, Decker!” he shouts, the vein in his forehead bulging. “Have I taught you nothing? You let this whore pussy whip you into marriage? You don’t realize what you’ve done.”

He’s wrong. I know exactly what I’ve done.

“If Josephine leaves me, she’ll get half. Maybe more. Her best friend’s going to be a lawyer. I bet the two of them could take me for a fucking ride.” I look to my wife—see her trying to bite back a grin, just like I knew she would be—and wink.

Bracing myself, I prepare to shoulder my dad’s outrage over what I say next.

“There’s no prenup, and I don’t want anything to do with you or her.” I regard Misty. “Ever again. I’ve hired my own lawyers. I have new PR representation. I won’t be entering the draft, but I still intend to make something of myself.”

My father’s eyes practically bug out of his head as he processes my declaration.

“You’re nothing without me,” he hisses. “You can’t do this alone.”

“I won’t be alone,” I quip. “I’ll have my family by my side.”

I knew the dig would cut deep. What I didn’t anticipate is the way he whirls and storms toward Josephine with just as much fury as he was projecting onto me.

K sees it coming, thank fuck, and grabs him by the shoulders.

I’m on him a second later, nothing but a ball of rage. Was he physically going after her? If Kendrick hadn’t stopped him, it sure as shit looked like he was going to put his hands on her.

He fights against our hold, hands fisted and face a mottled red, reduced to verbally assaulting her since there’s not a chance we’ll let him get even one more inch closer to our girl.

“You spiteful, evil bitch. I should have had them do more than chase you. I should have had them take out the whole damn boat. I should have ended you like I ended her.”

Kendrick’s wide eyes catch mine, the horror I feel mirrored in his expression.

“What did you just say?” I choke out, suddenly going numb.

“It sounded an awful like he admitted to murder,” Kylian quips. He’s ridiculously aloof, given the situation.