Sebastian skidded to a stop in the open doorway, one hand on either side of the frame. His breath caught at what he saw.

A humongous man, maybe six feet tall and a doughy two hundred and fifty pounds, was leaning across Via’s desk, viciously pointing a finger at Via and Principal Grim, who stood side by side. Via’s cheeks were pink, but she looked calm. Shit, even her hands were tucked into the pockets of her trousers. Fin’s purple necklace glinted against the golden skin of her chest.

Principal Grim looked just as calm, if not a little less patient. Her wild dyed hair was starting to come a little loose from her barrette. She raised a hand to quiet the man shouting obscenities, and when that didn’t work, she raised her voice herself.

“Mr. Tate. I’m going to ask you one more time to sit down. And you are obviously being extremely inappropriate if even Mr. Dorner could hear you all the way in the cafeteria.” She gestured toward the doorway.

Sebastian intentionally pulled up to his full height of six foot four. He wasn’t as big around as this guy, but he wasn’t as squishy either. He crossed his arms over his chest and let his biceps flex a little.

The man, a sheen of sweat shining on his forehead and his brown hair sticking up in a few places, sneered at Sebastian. But he sat his ass down in the chair.

Principal Grim gave Seb a meaningful look, and he stayed right where he was in the doorway.

“Mr. Tate, I understand that you have taken offense to some of the things that Miss DeRosa has written in this report. And that you resent being asked to come in to go over them. But I will have you know that I familiarized myself with your situation and reviewed this report before she was authorized to show it to you. I stand by everything she says. I have complete confidence in her.”

“She doesn’t know shit about my family life.”

“She’s a licensed and qualified professional who knows a great deal more than you think she does. And honestly, the fact that you view this kind of aid as a personal attack reveals quite a bit, Mr. Tate.”

He puffed up. “She can’t tell me I can’t see my own fucking kid.”

Via took a small step forward. “Mr. Tate, I’m going to repeat myself here. I’m not the one who said that you couldn’t see Sarah. The courts did. I had to get special clearance to even allow you to come in for this meeting, seeing as it isn’t during your previously appointed visiting hours. Your case administrator and I thought it would be a good idea to go over some strategies—”

“I don’t need strategies to hang out with my own fucking kid.”

“I’m telling you that, based on my conversations with Sarah, you do need strategies. Some of them aren’t as bad as you think. Here.”