“What the fuck happened here?” Matt demanded, his voice deceptively soft. The scent of stale and fresh blood hung heavy in the air and it didn’t take a genius to see past Abby’s attitude. Someone had beat the hell out of her. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why do you think I’m here, Abby?” He winced and corrected himself. “Miss Weathers?” His gaze swept over her again, appalled. What had happened here? Was that a trail of blood on the floor? “The other day you jumped me in a janitor’s closet and the next thing I know you disappear. Then you don’t show up to school. I figured it might have something to do with what happened. Now though…” he let out a low whistle and shook his head. “Abby,” he murmured, his expression softening somewhat as he reached out but, remembering what she had reacted like before, quickly dropped his hand. “What happened to you? Why haven’t you been to hospital?”<br/><br/>Inside he simmered with rage, knowing instinctively that something was very wrong here and there could only be one reason Abby hadn’t gone to get those wounds looked at. She was protecting someone. Some pathetic excuse for a human being who thought it was okay to beat the hell out of a kid. Okay so maybe he had tried it on with her in the janitor’s closet but this? This was a whole other level of scumbag.<br/><br/>“You realise that as a teacher I have to report this?” He looked around again, his blue eyes narrowing dangerously as his temper threatened to get the best of him. “Is your father home, by any chance?” It had to be him. Her father. When she had cowered from him in the bathroom…and ran from him after they kissed, she had mentioned her father. What was that fucker doing to her? Sighing deeply, Matthew massaged his temples. He wanted nothing better to help her but he knew she would fight him every step of the way.<br/><br/>“Will you at least let me help clean you up? Clean this place up?” That would be a start. Then he could wait around and see if her bastard of a father showed up. Confront the sack of shit himself. Tear out his pitiful throat and feed it to the wolves. Literally.