Blackbird (A Stepbrother Romance #1)(36)

“No.”

He slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. “What did you say?”

“I said no,” I snapped back at him. “I like it here. I like Victor. He’s fun. I have fun with him.”

“You’re not here to have fun.”

“You’re not paying for this. I earned the scholarship.”

I reached for the door. He hit the power locks. I popped the lock and he seized my arm in a vice grip, yanked me back into the seat and floored the gas, throwing me back.

“You can’t!” I screamed, “You can’t!”

He slapped me.

It knocked me back in the seat. I covered my mouth. My fingers came away stained with a hint of red from my split lip. I didn’t even feel the pain.

I let out a low whine as the tears started to flow.

“Stop that,” he snarled. “How many times do I have to teach you to keep your emotions under control? You’re a girl. If someone sees you crying you’ll be destroyed. You have to be ice, Evelyn. Ice.”

“I don’t want to be ice. I want to go home.”

“We are.”

“Not with you.”

The steering wheel creaked under his fingers. “I will tolerate this for now. You’ll come to understand after you calm down and we have a chance to talk. After I speak with Karen and Victor leaves, you might be allowed to come back here. I can understand your wishes to stay. I’d rather you graduated from my alma mater as well, but-“

“No. No. You are not going to take him away from me.”

“He’s your stepbrother, Evelyn. It’s unseemly, and I already have…”

“Have what?”

“Nothing. Nevermind. Be quiet. It’s a long ride and I’d rather not listen to your inane chatter the entire way.”

I was going to say something else when a white shape rocketed past his side of the car. Victor’s Firebird blasted past us and her tires shrieked as Victor wrestled the wheel around. The car bucked on its springs as he came to a stop across the road. Father slammed on the brakes again, stopping short. He turned the wheel sharply and hit the gas, trying to drive around, but Victor rolled forward, blocking his path. He leapt out of the Firebird and ran around the back, threw open the trunk and pulled out the longest, heaviest wrench I’d ever seen. It was as long as his forearm and looked like it weighed twenty pounds. To my utter shock, Jennifer was in the passenger’s seat. She got out as well, following Victor.

“Out of the car,” he bellowed, in a voice that shook the windows.

The wrench bobbed in his hand.

I wasted no time. I ripped the door lock open and spilled out, dropping my books in the process. I ran around and behind Victor. I clung to his back with my arms around him.

Father stepped out of the car.

“Evelyn,” he said, calmly. “Get back in the car.”

“No,” I spat at him. “I won’t.”

“You heard her,” said Victor. “Now kindly f*ck off.”

Father was livid. He bared his teeth, and turned redder by the second.

Jennifer took my arm. “Come on. I’ll get your books.”

“She’s my daughter,” Father said.

“This is how it works,” said Victor. “You stay the f*ck away from her or I have a long, detailed conversation with my mother.”

Father’s face was a frozen mask. His bright blue eyes burned almost as brightly as my nightmare. He didn’t move.

“Get in your car, old man, and I don’t bash your brains out.”

I tensed, clutching Victor.

“Don’t hurt him.”

“Hurt him?” Father snorted. “I wouldn’t worry about that, Evelyn. Get over here. We’re leaving.”

“No. I’m staying.”

“You heard her,” Jennifer added. “Leave.”

He didn’t, not until the sound of sirens rose in the distance. Then he walked over and got in the car, and nearly backed over my textbooks. He tossed my messenger bag on the ground, did a quick turn, and drove off in the opposite direction. Victor scooped up my things while Jennifer led me back to the car and crawled in the back seat. Victor got in and let out a deep breath, turned the car around and drove down a side street, back towards the college.

“Jesus,” He said. His hands were shaking like leaves.

“How did you know?”

“Victor came to the room looking for you,” Jennifer said, quietly. “I told him I saw you get in the car with him and Victor freaked out. That’s your father?”

“Yes,” I said, softly. I was starting to shake.

“We’re going to talk to campus security,” Victor said, calmly. “I don’t want him around here.”

Jennifer cleared her throat.

“Can you drop me off?”

“Yeah,” Victor said. “Listen, Martin Ross is bad news. If you see him around, call somebody. Stay with other people. You shouldn’t be involved in this at all.”

“I couldn’t just let him drive off with her,” said Jennifer. “I should have gone outside when I saw, but…” she trailed off.

“Thank you,” I said, turning to her.

We let her off out front of the dorm, and Victor sat there until she was inside before he drove off.