Page 100 of To Bring You Back
“Olivia?”
27
Gannon’s fists tightened. One of the high schoolers was here? Worse, a man who looked a decade older nuzzled her neck.
“Addie.” The teen squirmed away from the creep. “Addie. I can explain.” A slur softened the words. Her eyes cut to Gannon.
As if she could sense the tidal wave of fury building in him, she took a step back, bumped into a chair, and fell onto the cushion. As she settled, her hands wrapped around her beer as if to hide it.
“You don’t have to explain anything.” The pig slid his arm around her as if to lift her to her feet and take her somewhere else.
“She’s a minor.” Gannon crossed the space and pulled the man away by his arm. “Touch her again, and her cop dad will be the least of your problems.”
The man raised his hands, and the group quieted beneath the blaring music. The woman on Matt’s lap twisted, puzzled concern on her face, then shifted to a seat of her own.
Matt rose. The telltale white powder by his nose explained where he’d found the nerve to throw this party. “She’s twenty-one. She was in a bar. Drinking.”
“She’s a high school student.” Gannon lifted his voice from the low growl to address the room. “Security’s already on the way. You don’t want to be here when they arrive.”
The exodus began, as if they could leave the gated property without dealing with the team. The woman who’d been sitting on Matt’s lap gave him one last look as she gathered her clutch and scampered out of sight.
As if to exit with the others, Olivia climbed to her feet, but she possessed all the grace of a kid trying out a pair of stilts. Had she sampled anything in addition to alcohol? She’d had options.
Adeline crossed to her, detaining her as the last of the others left. Olivia seemed to listen to whatever quiet counsel Adeline gave until the girl’s eyes caught on something behind Gannon. Her chin shifted back with shocked dismay, as if she were witnessing a car wreck.
Gannon heard a deep sniff as he turned. Matt, seated on the floor next to the coffee table, swept the back of his wrist across his nose.
“Do you have no shame?” Gannon asked.
Matt tipped back against the couch, laughing.
A violent urge rocked Gannon. He could pull Matt to his feet, punch some sense into him. But Olivia had already experienced enough darkness tonight.
“If you’re bent on ruining yourself, fine, but look what your actions are doing.” He pointed to Olivia.
“You can’t blame me forthat.”
Olivia shrank in on herself, shoulders hunched forward, collarbones thin and fragile, like bones that belonged on a bird and not a girl.
Gannon met Adeline’s eyes. “Let me take care of this, then I’ll get her a ride home.”
Adeline ushered the girl from the room.
As they left, Gannon texted Tim.911. Rec room now.
When he estimated Olivia and Adeline would be out of earshot, he turned back. “In what world did you think this would fly?”
Matt climbed to his feet, a mocking smile on his face. “I didn’t bring the girl. She was at the bar, so who’s really to blame here?”
Gannon took a breath to answer but exhaled without a word of it.
They’d been doing this dance for years. The first time he’d found Matt throwing a party, lines of cocaine on the coffee table, Gannon had also cleared the room. Then, as now, fire burned in Matt’s eyes.
But that time, like so many others, Gannon had let the offense slide.
No longer.
“You’re out.”
