“Man-to-man,” I told him.
He walked off, passing on the basketball defense strategy to the others to cover a guard when the shit hit.
I took off my mask, smoothing my hair and straightening my suit.
“Cover the door,” I mouthed to Lev who’d just walked in.
I briefly considered leaving Winter there for the moment, not wanting my father to see her, but that left her vulnerable to any of his men if they got to her.
I took her with me and walked over to my father, keeping her behind me.
Taking a drink off a tray, I approached, the man he was talking to seeing Gabriel’s eyes lock on me and taking the hint.
He excused himself, and I walked slowly over.
Gabriel regarded me and then the people around us, probably wondering where I thought I could take this. “What do you want?” he asked.
I stepped forward, stopping at his side and taking a sip of my drink.
“Thunder Bay,” I replied in a low voice.
“You can have so much more.”
“Leave,” I ordered, ignoring him. “Or I will make you leave.”
He just laughed and sipped his drink. “It would take a lot more than that to bring me down.” And then he looked at me, his long face adorned with a smirk. “You’re still a shit kid. Always tough with everyone but me.”
Winter gripped my jacket behind me, and I felt her forehead touch my back, reminding me that she was here.
But I stared at him, knowing he was right. Even when I finally started opening my mouth and talking to people as a kid, beating down whatever tried to beat me down, hurting others so I wouldn’t hurt, he was the one I feared, because I needed him. How much worse would it have been for me without his money and influence to protect me?
At a certain point, I started wondering—did I behave the way I did because I could? Or did I behave the way I did because it was the only thing keeping me alive in that house? Because eleven-year-olds shouldn’t be thinking about how to end their lives.
Commotion started filling the room as I held his eyes, and I knew without a doubt—with my friends back and Winter with me—that nothing he could threaten me with would change my course of action. I didn’t need him, his money, or his protection. I just wanted him gone.
Away from this town and away from us.
And if he didn’t leave willingly, I would not hesitate to use that little flash drive to send him away. It might not take him down, but I wouldn’t feel badly about trying.
Blue smoke drifted up around us, and I heard people start to exclaim as the room filled, the two cans Will covertly dumped pouring thick clouds into the small, tight space.
Our gazes stayed locked, guests shuffling and moving about, trying to get away from the mountains of smoke as they coughed and worried about staining their dresses.
A small smile curled his lips because he knew what was happening and I followed suit, smirking back.
The smoke consumed the entire room, like a cigarette in a jar, breezing between us, and suddenly, everyone moved, heading for the doors and running to get away from the polluted, closed space.
But just then, I lurched forward, someone crashing into Winter who fell into me, and I whipped around, seeing her fall to the ground, lost in the smoke.
Shooting down, I reached for her and pulled her back up as someone ran past, their knee knocking her in the head.
“You okay?” I put her on her feet and held her face.
She nodded, a little shaken. “Yeah.”
I looked around the room, trying to see if Will and everyone got to the guards and if Lev was still covering the door, but I couldn’t see shit.
I turned back to my father, but it was suddenly empty air. He was gone.