Graceless - Page 72

“Answer me, you little gay freak,” Randy was shouting.

“Actually,” Cassidy spoke up, her eyes fierce, “they’re my boyfriend.”

“That’s it. You’re coming home with us right now.” Randy moved fast, pushing Savannah aside like she was nothing, Brynn catching her by the arm to stop her falling. Everything happened quickly. Randy stormed toward Cassidy and Lane stepped in front of her. Randy growled and his fist came up, putting his whole body into the punch. Lane moved sideways and ducked, their hands barely seeming to move but a second later Randy was lying flat on his back on the floor, his breath knocked out of him, winded.

The next second, two security guards burst into the room, their eyes instantly tracking to where Randy was pulling himself up to sit, red-faced, eyes bulging with rage. Savannah surveyed her family quickly. Cassidy was flushed and frightened and Lane was breathing hard. They put their arms defiantly around her and she leaned into them. Brynn was bristling with alarm and rage and her mother was frozen still in the middle of the room.

“We got your call about the potential threat,” the older guard addressed her. Annabelle was nothing if not efficient. “Do you want us to remove the intruder?”

Savannah looked at Randy who was back on his feet, no longer swinging his fists now that two larger men were in the vicinity. Both appeared about eight feet tall in the moment and that was without the holsters on their hips that made damn sure Randy wasn’t coming up swinging any time soon. She took a deep breath.

“No,” she said quietly. “But you can stay.” She was grateful for their presence. Both men stepped aside, but were clearly poised for action if needed. “Okay, listen up, Randy,” she said after a minute. “Cassidy is my sister as much as she’s your daughter. She’s also a damn adult and you’re an abusive asshole, so if she wants to live her life far away from you that’s your own damn fault.”

“You have no right-”

“She does,” Cassidy spoke up. “She’s cared for me my whole life.”

“I fed you and housed you-”

“No, she did. You just spent and gambled all her money so we had to fight just to get fed.” She stepped closer to him, her eyes blazing. Savannah’s vision blurred.

“You what?” She got within two feet of his face. “Mom?” She looked over at Bethany who sank down onto the couch and buried her face in her hands.

“You sponged off her.” Cassidy was red-faced, ferocious. “You let her feed money she meant to care for us into a void, while you did whatever the fuck you wanted to. You stopped me from leaving home or going to college, then you hit me every time you thought I might step out of line. Of course I won’t go back home with you. You’re a piece of shit, Randy.” She held her chin high.

“Mom.” Savannah turned to her mother again. “All this time?” Her voice cracked. Her mother finally raised her head. She looked intensely old all of a sudden.

“It’s so easy for you to judge, isn’t it?” she said quietly. “When this is what your life looks like?” she gestured briefly, at the mansion, at her appearance, at Brynn. Savannah stared at her.

“Oh, shut your mouth, Bethany,” her stepfather interjected, his frustrated rage spilling over. “You’re just lucky your daughter made it big,” he told her derisively. “I would have left you years ago if you didn’t suddenly have a big fancy house and a stack of cash coming in.”

Savannah felt the blood leave her face.

“You stayed because of me.” She could barely speak. “You stayed because you could steal their money and live in a nice house, and hurt them both. Because of me.”

She looked up at her sister, who was weeping. She remembered Cassidy’s tears, her rage, her sister accusing her of being careless and controlling of her family’s lives without knowing a damn thing and her heart broke. When Randy shrugged, mockingly, the rage came, hard.

“Keep the fucking house!” she yelled. “It’s yours, Randy, fucking keep it. Live in it forever for all I care, it’s all you’ll ever get. The money is cut off, right now. Not another cent. And if you come near me or my family ever again, I swear to god, no one will ever find your body.” Everyone in the room stared at her. She took a savage breath. “Mom,” she addressed her. “You can go home with him if you want, but I’m giving you nothing. He can’t use you anymore. If you don’t want to go with him, or you want to leave him at any point – ever – I will keep you safe.”

Her mom froze still, panic-stricken. Randy took a step towards Bethany and both security guards who’d been watching the drama with frank interest, straightened just enough that he stopped. She watched her mother’s face as she struggled. Finally, Bethany looked over at Cassidy where she stood, young, clear-eyed and strong.

“Goodbye Randy,” she said faintly. Savannah immediately turned to the security guards.

“Get him out of here,” she said, not sparing her step-father another word. “Drop him in Nashville; he can find his own damn way home.”

Randy squared up, ready to fight, taking in a breath to yell, but the two men had one of his arms each without so much as a struggle, practically picking him up and removing him from the house.

The room was silent as everyone stared at each other. Then Cassidy spoke.

“Lane,” she said incredulously. “When exactly did you turn into an action movie hero?”

Everyone turned to look at them. Lane shrugged, but the relief on their face was obvious.

“Did you think I was helpless?” they asked. “I’ve been doing self-defense through the center since I was a kid.”

Cassidy kissed them on the mouth and Savannah felt her eyes fill with tears. When Cassidy drew back, Savannah crossed the room toward her.

“Honey,” she said. “I am so, so sorry. I…ruined your life.” She broke into tears. “You were right about everything I did. I fucked up. I fucked up so bad.”