Page 220 of Face Off

Lance sees the hit land and smiles. He believes finding the wound means he owns it.

“You think growing up wealthy made you better than me?” I ask. “All that money bought you a family, and you still couldn’t make them love you without fear. I had nothing, and every person standing behind me chose me without being threatened, trained, or purchased. That is why you hate me. I built loyalty from fucking dirt while you inherited everything and couldn’t keep your own daughter from seeing exactly what you are.”

His face tightens. “Charm saw what she wanted to see. A tragic little project she could dress up and pretend was a man.”

“You keep calling me trash like repeating it will make your blood cleaner.” I glance toward Crystal before returning my attention to him. “Your wife is leaving you. Your daughter is ashamed of you. Your son would be disgusted by the man you became after his death, and all the money in the world can’t buy you one person at this table willing to say you’re wrong about that.”

“Ryan,” Charm whispers.

Lance steps closer until only a few feet separate us. “You will not speak about my son.”

“But you can speak about my mother?”

“She produced exactly what the world should’ve expected from her. The best thing she could have done for you was keep her legs closed the night your father knocked her up.”

The rage inside me changes. Heat becomes something colder, clearer, and infinitely more dangerous.

“My mother survived more before breakfast than you have in your entire pathetic fucking life.”

“Your mother failed to survive at all.”

Cade moves first, but Briggs catches his arm. It isn’t because Briggs disagrees. His face says he wants Lance’s blood as badly as Cade does. He stops him because both of them understand this belongs to me.

Lance watches that understanding pass between us and mistakes their restraint for another victory. “Your father chose drugs over raising you. Your mother surrounded herself with the kind of people who got her killed, and then every home that took you in eventually handed you to someone else. At some point, even a man with your limited capacity for self-reflection should recognize the common denominator.”

My fists loosen.

Not because I’m calm. Because I no longer need them clenched to know exactly what I’m going to do if he crosses the last inch between us.

“You went digging through the deaths of two poor people because you needed ammunition against the man your daughter loved.” I look across the terrace, ensuring every person listening understands what stands in front of them. “That is what your privilege made you. Not refined. Not superior. A rich racist so fucking terrified of being irrelevant that he weaponized two graves to feel powerful at someone else’s wedding.”

Lance’s fist catches the side of my mouth.

The impact turns my head and sends Charm’s scream through the terrace. Pain explodes across my jaw, followed by the metallic taste of blood where my teeth cut the inside of my lip.

Cade and Briggs move, but I raise one hand without looking at them.

Nobody touches Lance.

Nobody touches me.

I straighten slowly and drag my thumb beneath my mouth. Blood marks the pad of it. I study the red for a second before lifting my eyes to his.

“That’s one,” I tell him. “It’s free. That’s it.”

Rider and Easton are already moving the women back from the table. Aura goes with Easton after one look at my face, but Charm fights Rider’s attempt to guide her away.

“No. Get off me. That’s Lance.”

“Stay the fuck out of this, Charm.”

Her head snaps toward me. “Ryan, he hit you.”

“And I’m handling it.”

“He is doing this because of me.”

“No, he’s doing this to me.” My voice cracks across the terrace hard enough to silence her. “This is between us. You don’t get to step into it now because watching the consequences hurts you.”