The door opened a moment later, and my men silenced the guard at the door in a split second. I heard my father calling out from inside the house, wondering who was at the door. I didn't answer, instead allowing my anger to build up deep within me until it reached its shocking crescendo.
By the time Dominic Windsor appeared in the doorframe, I was fucking ready.
"Devlin," he said, glancing at me, then at the men behind me, with their guns at the ready. "What a pleasant..."
He never got to finish that thought.
I slammed my fist into my father's face instantly. He groaned, stumbling back as my men entered the house, making quick work of the few guards left inside. My father was still grumbling on the floor as I grabbed his salt-and-pepper hair and dragged him into the house, throwing him against the wall unceremoniously. There was a loud crack and he gripped his bloody nose.
"You fucking bastard," he cried out. "You broke my nose!"
"Do I look like I give a shit?" I snarled, advancing on him. "You're going to tell me where the hell she is, and you're going to do it right the fuck now."
"Who?" my father demanded, staring at me with rage for a moment before laughing out loud. "Is this about that goddamn Cabot girl again?"
I remained quiet and he groaned. I'd had enough. Grabbing him by his shirt collar, I lifted him up, slamming him against the wall. "Tell me where the hell you're keeping her. Or else."
"I don't know," he insisted, and I tossed him on the ground before commanding my men to search the house.
"Find her," I demanded. "Do whatever you have to, just fucking find Violet Cabot."
The men dispersed, leaving me alone with my father.
I wanted to hurt him. And I allowed myself to lose control, kicking the man over and over again while he lay on the floor.
"You're fucking whipped," my father managed to get out, spitting out blood. "You're whipped by this little girl, and the worst part is, you don't even realize it."
The red mist descended. I could have killed him then and there, but there was cool calculation behind my moves as I approached him, lifting him up by his shirt. I dragged him across the room, sending him sprawling over the stairs. The worst part was, the old bastard never tried to defend himself. In my eyes, it made one thing very fucking clear. He was guilty as shit. That's why he didn't fight back.
"Tell me where she is or I'll kill you right here, right now," I told him.
"I don't know," he insisted brokenly. He was a bloody mess by then, but I didn't give a shit.
"Liar!" I accused him. A guard handed me Brynne's diary and I held it up in front of my father's eyes. "You know what this is, old man?"
"A notebook?" He laughed out loud. "That's all you've got?"
"It's a diary, you fucking fool," I snarled. "Brynne Davenport's diary. From before she became a Cabot."
His face turned ashen in a matter of seconds, and I knew I had him.
"Start at the beginning," I demanded. "From getting Cabot arrested."
"It wasn't me who got Cabot arrested," my father insisted.
"Well, you sure as fuck took credit for it." My words come out in a snarl, and I stare my father down.
"It was a power play." He shrugged, shaky hands feeling his jacket as if to see if something was there.
"A power play?"
"You should be familiar with those." Despite everything that was happening, my father's eyes crinkled and he smiled. "Just like you fucking Violet in front of Hugo Cabot's business partners."
I cleared my throat, unsure how he'd found out about that. "I'm not here to argue with you. I'm here to find out what you've done with my property."
"I don't have her." He shrugged nonchalantly, making me kick him again. My father groaned. "The Cabot thing... it was a lie. I didn't put him in jail. It was believable because of our history."
"Oh, and what a history it is," I spat out. "I know all about Brynne Davenport."
He paled at this, and I took a step forward, smirking at him.
"That's right, Dad. I know what you did to Violet's mother. And I'm going to make sure everybody knows if you don't fucking collaborate. Now, I'm only going to ask you one more time. Where. The. Fuck. Are. You. Keeping. Violet?"
"I didn't take her," he insisted from the ground.
"I've had enough of your lies. It's time to start telling the truth."
"I would never hurt Brynne," Dad sputtered from the ground. "Or one of her children. I could never do it. I..."
"You what?" I snarled, positioning my boot in front of his face. My father didn't shrink back. His eyes met mine and his jaw set in place as he went on.