“Tack –” I started and his eyes cut to me.
“Shut your mouth.”
Ouch.
I shut my mouth and took a step away from the bed.
Tack’s eyes sliced back to his daughter and he growled, “Tabby, won’t tell you again.”
I prayed she’d sit up and my prayer was answered. She did and leveled one narrowed eye on her father. The other one was covered up by ice. This was not a good stance to take for a variety of reasons.
“What’d we talk about?” Tack barked at her the instant she got in position.
“Dad –”
“What. Did we…” he leaned in and clipped harshly, “talk about?”
“No lies,” she whispered.
“Yeah. No lies. I trusted you. And you lied.”
Instantly, her bravado melted, her face collapsed and I started to go to her as tears filled her eyes.
“Do not f**kin’ move, Red,” Tack bit at me and I stilled.
Then, carefully, I said, “Kane, maybe now’s not –”
“You got a voice in this?” Tack asked, cutting me off and before I could answer he did. “No. You f**kin’ do not. So keep your mouth shut.”
I shut my mouth as I felt pressure build in my head again.
Tack looked back at Tabby.
“Got yourself hurt,” he pointed out the obvious.
“Dad –” she whispered.
“Coulda got Tyra hurt,” he went on.
“She –” Tab started but got no further.
“She went chargin’ in there, he had a bat,” Tack informed her, her one visible eye shot to me and got wide. “Eyes to me,” Tack growled and she quickly looked back at her father. “Your ass does not leave this house for the rest of the summer,” he declared.
“Dad!” she cried, straightening up further and taking the ice away.
This was a bad idea. The swelling was up and the bruising had started to come out.
“Ice on your eye,” Tack clipped. “Keep it on. We’ll finish this tomorrow when I’m not in the mood to rip you a new ass**le.”
I pulled in breath.
Uncle Marsh was right. Definitely not father of the year.
But it was none of my business. Tack made that perfectly clear.
“You, bed,” he grunted at Rush and then he looked at me. “You, my room.”
I pressed my lips together to stop from telling him to go f**k himself. Tab and Rush didn’t need to hear that. No, when I said that, it would be for him and him alone.