Page 53 of The Forbidden Note

I face him, my whole body burning.

“Drum on my car? Sleep with my wife?” He scratches his chin. “Because that stick in your pants seems to be your only weapon.”

For a brief moment, I consider grabbing one of my drumsticks and beating it over his face.

Dad leans forward, eyes glinting black. “This is why you will never be a threat to me, Zane. This is why you will never amount to anything.”

My nostrils flare.

“You explode with emotions. You can’t control yourself, which makes it so easy to see your self-destruct button.”

His words are like poison, coiling around me and choking me with a smoky, cloying insistence.

He reaches for something at his feet. A moment later, he throws a box at me.

“A gift,” dad says.

The bottom of my stomach drops out.

Condoms.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not because of the inheritance.” I can practically hear him hissing, like the snake inside is coming out to play. “This is for your own good. I don’t want you to ruin some girl’s life the way you so easily ruin your own.”

My chest pumps up and down.

The box of condoms remain in my lap, singeing through my jeans to my skin.

“You can never have what you want, Zane,” dad whispers. “Those little girls at Redwood might be blinded by your looks and talent, but a sensible woman will see right through to what you are—irresponsible and unreliable.” He juts a finger, calloused from years of playing lead guitar, at the box. “So you’re better off trying to minimize the consequences of your reckless actions.”

Crazed laughter rams into my chest, fighting to pour from my mouth. It feels like an invisible hand is grabbing my heart and pinchinghard.

I blink away the angry tears stinging my eyes. Dad will misinterpret it. He’ll think I’m crying because I’m hurt when, in reality, I’m crying because the other option is to choke him.

Dad winds the window down. “Ron.”

The giant stomps around to my side of the car and opens the door. He gives me a pointed look that says ‘are you going to get out or do I need to escort you out?’

I storm out of the car and the condoms drop to the ground.

Ron picks it up and hands it to me.

I grab the box and hurl it inside the car. Silver-wrapped packets pop from the lid and explode over dad’s head like confetti.

Dad’s eyes widen in shock and he bats the latex down in rough, frantic movements.

It’s satisfying to watch.

So satisfying that I know I want more.

More of that shock in his eyes.

More of that feeling of victory.

My lips curl up in a show of dark confidence and I lean against the car to speak through the window. “You’re right, dad. I’m the son who flies off the handle without caring about the consequences.”

Dad sneers at me.

I smile at him. “I’ll show you what it feels like when I lose it.”

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