Yeah, that nose is definitely broken.
He doesn’t answer right away, just points a shaky, blood-smeared finger straight at Piper like she’s the monster in the room.
“Ask that crazy bitch.”
“Guilty,” she drawls, lifting her hand proudly like she’d break his nose all over again if given the chance.
I turn away from Travis without another word. “Are you okay?”
My attention shifts entirely to the woman sitting before me, and I swear to god, if she even so much as winces, if my son touched her in any way that crossed a line…
“What the hell do you mean, is she okay? She broke my fucking face!”
“Why?” My voice is low now, dangerous, the kind of tone that should have him thinking about more than just his busted nose.
Travis hesitates, glancing at Piper, who hasn’t moved a damn muscle, and then finally she speaks. “Your son here thought it’d be a smart move to backhand me across the face.”
I’m at her side instantly, crouched down so fast my knees hit the floor. Gently, like she’s made of glass, I reach for her hair, pulling back the curtain of sleek black strands that spill over her cheek. I see the marks straight away, red and swelling and already darkening to purple at the edges.
“The asshole bitch-slapped me.”
“You hit her?”I ask, rising slowly and turning to Travis with a fury I didn’t know I could feel for my own flesh and blood.
“It was a tap,” he protests, as if that makes a damn bit of difference. Like there’s a fucking spectrum where a man can lay hands on a woman and not face the consequences.
Something in me breaks wide open, a part I didn’t even know existed. And for the first time in my life, I want to hurt my own son.
“You evertappedher before?”
“First time,” Piper mutters, the venom in her voice making it clear she’s already halfway to ripping him apart herself.
“Travis, I might be your father, but right now I don’t recognize a damn thing about the kid standing in front of me. And that’s a problem for you because all I see is a full-grown man who put his hands on a woman half his size, and if you weren’t my blood, I’d havealready buried you in the dirt out back. So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re gonna grab your shit, get in your car, and drive to Callan’s. You don’t call her. You don’t come back here. You don’t breathe near this house until I say you can.”
“Are you fucking serious?” he snaps, the indignation written all over his bloodied face. “Look at me! Fucking look at me!”
I slowly approach him, forcing him to back up against the counter.
“You hit a woman, Travis. You deserve worse than a broken nose. Now get the hell off my property before I show you what worse looks like.”
I barely hold myself back. Every muscle in my body is coiled so tight it’s a miracle I haven’t already put him through the damn wall.
“And a word of advice,” I add, stepping in close enough that he has to tilt his head to meet my eyes. “I wouldn’t go running your mouth to Cal about this. You probably think he’s your best bet right now, but I promise you, he’ll beat your ass and then bury you with his bare hands, but unlike me, he won’t give you the courtesy of a head start.”
Travis’s jaw clenches tight, nostrils flaring as he blows out a frustrated breath. He shoots me one last glare, clearly weighing his options, but he’s not stupid enough to push me. Without another word, he grabs his keys and phone from the table before storming out, slamming the door behind him with enough force to rattle the entire frame.
The second he’s gone, I turn back to Piper. I crouch down in front of her again, lowering myself until I’m eye-level and reach out, letting my fingers brush against the back of her hand.
“Are you really okay?” I whisper, but there’s a crack in my voice I can’t hide. “I need you to tell me how this happened.”
“I guess he doesn’t handle being dumped well.” She tries to play it off, but the bruise blooming across her cheekbone makes my stomach turn.
“I’m serious, Piper. I need to know how my son turned into someone who could lay his hands on a woman.” My fingers tremble as I brush her hair back from her face, revealing the full extent of what Travis did to her. “I never raised him like?—”
“No.” She whips around to face me so fast her hair fans out aroundher shoulders. “This is not on you. This is no one’s fault but his. And maybe mine a little because I probably provoked him, but… I never thought he’d actually hit me.”
“There’s no excuse. Not a single fucking one for what he did.”
“I shouldn’t have hit him back.” She drops her gaze to her lap, where her fingers twist together.