“Answer me, goddammit!”

“Yes, but I wasn’t in my right mind! I don’t remember half of what I said! God, Bing. I was in such a fog of grief—”

“Get. Out. Of. Here.”

She dashed her tears away. “Bing! You don’t mean that.”

His father’s face was pasty, and he looked to be in shock.

Deacon locked eyes with his mother. “Go. Give him some space.”

She backed away slowly. Then she turned and ran from the room.

The vindication Deacon expected to feel didn’t happen.

His dad lowered himself into the closest chair. Deacon followed suit.

After a bit, Deacon said, “Dad?”

“I . . . didn’t know.”

Not an accusatory Why didn’t you tell me? “I know. What can I do now?”

His father reached for his hand. “Just sit with me while I try to make sense of this.”

“Sure.”

Deacon tried not to show his impatience after they’d been sitting there in silence for half an hour. By the time another thirty minutes passed, he was damn near ready to crawl out of his skin.

But this was his father’s way—quiet contemplation. Dante had been the same way.

So does that mean you take after your mother?

No. Fuck no.

As much as he wanted to find Molly and tell her everything that’d happened tonight, it’d keep. She was strong enough to hold her own among this superficial crowd. And for the first time, maybe ever, Deacon didn’t walk away from his dad when he needed him.

•   •   •

MOLLY had been pacing in the hallway since Deacon had barreled past her. His rudeness should’ve pissed her off, but it didn’t. It scared her.

She’d never seen him like that.

So she’d heard the shouting inside the room but not the actual words exchanged. Whatever was going on . . . she knew it was bad.

Her conscience, the part that loved him, urged her to go to him.

But he had made it clear he didn’t want her involved.

Isn’t this the way it goes with Deacon? He keeps you in the dark. He kept from you that the reason he agreed to come to Texas was for a JFW board meeting—for a board you didn’t even know he was on. You had no idea that he’d agreed to fight Watson—and you find out the same time as his family—the family he despises? Then he drops the bombshell about staying in Texas for training camp? Not to mention he ditched you today—and he abandoned you tonight. Now he’s rude and uncommunicative and you just shrug it off? Offer excuses for his behavior? When he’s exhibiting the same closemouthed behavior that sent you running from him the first time?

She tried not to let the doubts get a foothold, but they already had. With each minute that passed, they only grew stronger.

“I’d ask why you’re hiding—but I suspect a poor farm girl like you didn’t get invited to many parties like this growing up in a cornfield and you don’t know how to act.”

Molly faced Clive. “How astute.”

“I try.” Clive’s gaze flicked to the door, then back to her. “But you aren’t hiding because like Deacon you have zero social graces. So the question is, why are you out here and your beloved is in there?”

She said nothing.

“Sounds like a family fight and someone is unhappy. I’d ask you what’s going on, but it’s obvious you don’t know.”

“How can you be sure I wasn’t tasked with watching the door so they didn’t get interrupted during their family meeting?”

“Because you’re pacing. If you knew what they were talking about, you wouldn’t be outside the door, trying so hard to listen in, would you?”

“Are you always such a know-it-all asshole?” Molly asked in a saccharine tone.

“Pretty much.” He leaned closer. “And doesn’t it rankle that you’re not allowed in the inner sanctum? For being the first girlfriend Deacon has brought home in years, you don’t rate high enough to be involved in this family discussion?”

Stung, because he’d zeroed in on her insecurity, she retorted, “If you know so much about what’s going on, why don’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s so much more fun to watch you twist in the wind and freak out about not knowing.”

God. Clive was just like her cousins.

“I saw how you reacted last night when Deacon spoke of his upcoming fight.” His eyes gleamed with malice. “That was the first you’d heard of it. So I have to wonder if my cousin tells you anything important. How long were you together before he told you about Dante and the accident?”