Brutal Heir (Court University 1)

Scorching rage in his eyes as he turned back, and many of the older men with him gasped. One of which had been his grandfather, completely stunned with that cane in his hands. His salt and pepper eyes narrowed. “Young lady, what is the meaning of this!”

My fist clenched, ready to strike again, but Knight got my arm before I could lift it. He pulled me, jerked me so hard I thought my arm might pull right out of its socket. He had me by the shoulders as he pushed me away from the old guys, the older men talking amongst t

hemselves while Knight skirted me away from the crowd. He basically tossed me behind a tree, and when I came for him again, not only did he get my wrist, he pulled me up to meet his face.

His expression could have frightened even the most wicked man.

“I let you have that one, dove,” he announced, throwing my arm away from him. He darted a finger. “But hit me the fuck again, and I don’t know what that will mean for you.”

He was literally the worst, literally the most fucked-up human being on the planet. How else could he explain what he did to me, did to Mom, Ben, and me. My eyes watered. “How dare you? How fucking dare you—”

“Young lady, I’ll ask you to calm down, or I will have to call campus security for you.”

Gerald Reed strolling across the quad, clearly the representative amongst the old guys. The rest of them congregated out of the fray while Mr. Reed strode off to obviously see what was up, but on the ball, Knight didn’t let him get within many feet of me before jerking me away. He raised a hand. “I’m handling this, Grandfather. You don’t need to worry.”

“And what’s to be handled?” The older man came forward, raising his chin. “What is this, son—”

“This,” I said, working Knight’s hands off me, “is your grandson being a complete and utter dick.”

“I recognize you, don’t I?” Mr. Reed asked, then lift his chin again. “You were at the frat house the other night when I’d been there.”

“She was, but she doesn’t mean anything.” Again, with the disrespect. Again with him being a complete jerk to me when it hadn’t been warranted at all. I never asked to stand between him and Bryce, to come across what I’d seen that horrible night.

My lips quivered. “How could you, Knight?”

He faced me then, looked me clear in my eyes. His hand lowered from his grandpa’s direction. “I’m assuming this is about my family’s decision to redirect some of its funds.”

“Redirection?” Mr. Reed exchanged a glance between us, then sighed as his attention drifted to me. “If the reallocation of the monies has affected you negatively, I’m sorry. The Reed family puts its money where it feels its needed more when it comes to campus activities and programs. I’m sure you understand.”

I didn’t because that decision didn’t just adversely affect me, it shattered me. Both me and my family. “That money you scaled back siphoned directly from the campus police department and maintenance staff. That money paid for my mom and stepdad to have jobs. They’ve now been let go. Done, and since they don’t have jobs, I can’t go to school here next term!”

Mom and Ben basically told me last night, called me over for dinner and everything when it hadn’t even been our night to eat together. They’d urged it, telling me they needed to see me and it was important.

“I’m so sorry, honey bug,” Mom had said, looking truly sick. She’d sighed. “These things just happen sometimes, but we’ll bounce back, and if you can’t return to Pembroke next semester, we’ll see what we can do for next year. I’m just… I’m just so sorry.”

No, these things didn’t just happen. They didn’t just occur out of the ether and completely due to chance and circumstance. I had higher odds getting hit by lightning and setting myself on fire.

Maybe in a way I had.

I did the minute I got involved with Knight Reed, an arrogant fuck who not only looked at me right now with zero remorse, but was completely blinded. This had nothing to do with my parents, only me, and this may have been his family’s money, but the decision was definitely influenced by him, had to be.

Knight said nothing in response to what I said and his grandpa between us, it was him to actually step forward. Mr. Reed frowned. “I understand your anger, but if the school felt the need for cutbacks, that has nothing to do with the Reed family. Least of all my grandson.”

“All do respect, sir? I think it does.” My lip quivered as my gaze shift to Knight. My eyes narrowed. “How could you? How fucking could you! We get in an argument, and you do this?”

“You’re embarrassing yourself.” Knight’s eyes darkened in my direction, his face red and flushed from where I’d struck him. His jaw worked. “Now, I suggest you take you and your little tirade somewhere else before it gets you in trouble. You have no right speaking to me or my grandpa this way.”

I hadn’t disrespected his grandpa, the only one really disrespected in this situation was me. I came to him with something, and not only had he disregarded it, but punished me for it.

Knight’s hand touched his grandpa’s arm, the two of them starting to walk away.

“Your dad would be real proud, you know?” I stated. “About who you turned out to be?”

Eyes wild, Knight shot them in my direction. His grandpa frowned again. “What is she talking about, son?”

“Nothing, Grandfather. I’ll take care of this.”

Knight strode away from him quickly, back to me and this time, he kept things between us, snatching me up and making me stay behind the tree. He put a finger in my face. “You know nothing about my family.”