“What is it? Is she underage?”
I nearly choke on my drink. “W-What? No, Dad. She’s legal.”
Relief floods through him. “But?”
“But it could get messy if the wrong people found out.”
His eyes narrow. “Please tell me you’re not fucking a married woman.”
“Not that you have any room to judge, but no,” I growl, pinning him with a hard stare. “She’s single.”
Dad, a damn good lawyer, starts connecting dots far too quickly for my liking. “What did you say Kerry’s last name was?”
“I didn’t,” I clip out.
“Zane.”
I lift my gaze, trying not to wither under Dad’s furious one. “Bowden.”
Confusion mars his features as he runs the name through his mind. I can tell the moment he realizes it because his eyes widen.
“As in Miss Bowden, your damn guidance counselor, at Brown High?”
My phone buzzes as the waitress delivers our check. He hands her some cash and tells her to keep the change, before turning his stern glare my way.
“We’re both consenting adults,” I challenge. “It’s fine.”
His nostrils flare as he leans toward me. “It’s not fine, Zane. I know I didn’t raise you to be a damn idiot.”
“I can handle it,” I growl.
“Can she?” he snaps back. “Can she handle being dragged through the mud? It’s her reputation that will take the hit, not yours.”
Guilt infects my every pore. “We’re being discreet until the end of the year.”
“If anyone finds out, they will turn it into a media circus sideshow. You’re my son. Not some Joe Blow who doesn’t matter. They will turn this into a nightmare for everyone involved.”
I rise to my feet, anger bursting up inside me. “So sorry to embarrass you, Dad. Take me back home so I can get my car. I’m not going to do this with you. I’m a grown ass man who knows what he’s doing.”
He curses under his breath the whole walk out to his car. I pull out my phone to check the notification I missed. A voice message. As soon as Dad sits down in the car, I listen to the message.
“S-Sean. Partment. Drurgsh. Halp.”
What the fuck?
Icy dread washes over me.
“Dad,” I bark out, throwing myself into the passenger seat. “Drive me to Woodmeadow Apartments. Hurry!”
He doesn’t question my alarm, but instead peels out, hauling ass out of the parking lot. I try to dial Kerry back to no avail.
“Fuck!” I roar, slamming my hand down on the dashboard. “He has her. That motherfucker has her.”
“Who?” Dad demands.
“Sean. Some lawyer asshole Kerry’s dad set her up with.”
Dad curses. “Sean Gentry?”
“I don’t know his last name. Greasy, weasel looking rich guy.”
“He’s bad news,” Dad growls. “He’s also loaded and well connected. When we get there, let me handle it.”
I can’t make that promise.
As soon as he puts the vehicle into park in front of the building, I fly out of the car. I don’t wait for the elevator. Instead, I take the stairs two at a time. When I reach her floor, I fling the unlocked door open and charge into her bedroom.
The sight before me is disgusting and wrong.
Sean is shirtless, groping my naked woman.
My fucking girl.
Red fills my vision as I lose myself to rage. I grab his shoulders, slinging him off her into the floor. Turning, I tackle him, pummeling him with my fists. I slam my fists into his smarmy face over and over again, the world around me a blur. I’m vaguely aware of my hands in pain and a stern voice in my ear before I’m dragged away.
So much blood.
I stare at Sean’s battered face, unblinking and unperturbed. Dad tells someone to hurry and then he tosses his phone down to grab my face.
“Listen to me, Son,” Dad bites out. “We were walking by and heard the commotion. You stepped in to help the woman.”
“But she’s my—”
“No,” Dad bellows. “She’s not. Not as far as anyone knows. Trust me. If that gets out, all of this becomes worse. You have to trust me.”
“Is she okay?” I croak out.
“She will be. Just sit tight and do whatever Sheriff McMahon asks you to.”
All I want to do is take care of Kerry, but the severity in Dad’s tone tells me we’re walking a thin line here and one error could have everything blowing up in my face.
Two days later…
“Mullins,” Sheriff McMahon grunts. “Your dad is here. Let’s get you to the interview room.”
He unlocks the cell door and guides me to another room where my dad waits, dressed sharply in a three-piece suit. His expression is cool and unreadable. I know, from experience, it’s for the benefit of the other person. It’s clear he wants to keep his emotions in check until Sheriff leaves the room. As soon as Sheriff is gone, Dad sits down at the table in front of me.
“Kerry?” I ask, pain slicing through me.
“She’s been thoroughly checked at the hospital and was released yesterday. I can’t represent her, because I have you to think about, but I called a buddy of mine, Dane. He specializes in divorce law, but he can handle this case just fine.”
“Is Sean going to jail too?”
“Dane and I are doing our best to make sure that happens.”
“But?”
“But…” He sighs. “Kerry’s father is representing him.”
“What?” I snarl. “How could he do that to his own daughter?”
“He believes Sean is only guilty of taking care of his daughter who was inebriated. Sean is denying that he drugged her and that their sexual acts were consented upon. They did a rape kit at the hospital, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to have sex with her yet, so it’s a lot of he said she said at this point.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He drugged her, Dad.”
“Toxicology proves she had traces of drugs in her system, yes,” Dad agrees, “but there’s no proof that he gave them to her. Currently, they have the story spun that Kerry is troubled and is lashing out at her father through Sean.”
“Unbelievable.”
“That’s not the bad part.”
My eyes lift to meet his. “How could it get much worse than that?”
“They know you weren’t just passing by. Sean remembers seeing you with Kerry. He claims you were having a sexual relationship with her and are a jealous ex-boyfriend who wanted to hurt him for dating her.”
“Fuck.”
Dad nods, frowning. “And because you’re my son, they’re like wolves, ready to destroy me.”
“What do we do?”
“If either of you admits you were in a relationship, then the story points back to Kerry. It’ll become that she’s a predator who lured her student into her bed. It’ll prove their case that she’s troubled and it’ll be a slam dunk. I can get you out of the fire, but it’s at her expense.”
“What about Sean?”