Come Home Bad Boy (8 page)

Leading the way, I walked a step behind him, knuckles whitening as I squeezed hard around his fingers. I wanted the fear to disappear, transforming into tiny grains of sand and roll off my shoulders.

But that was difficult, I still harbored this young girl feeling, the sense of doing wrong in my father's eyes. It was hard to swallow, no matter how badly I wanted to not care.

The music hit my ears, a low lull of country twang through the speakers. Roger's was almost on the outskirts of town, a place you could hit off the highway for a bite to eat and a beer.

I wouldn't suggest getting anything other than beer there, the mixed drinks were composed of really cheap alcohol and bad bartending. If you were looking for a low grade drink and a high pained hangover; then by all means, go for it.

The jingle of the door caused every head in the place to turn our way. Conversations were paused, and eyes were drawn to the newcomers. Recognizing a few faces, they tossed me sideways smiles, followed by an eye roll
.

Let the whispers begin.
I thought to myself, anticipating the awed hushes and words of the people glaring at us,
at me.

Being the daughter of the longest running sheriff in the history of Fermont County had gone rotten once I hit the tender age of fourteen. And after my mom was taken from us, it only got worse. Every damn resident took it upon themselves to keep an eye on Dalton Gavin's last blood line.

A loud yelp screeched from the back corner. “Si! You walking ghost, get over here!” A man, thick shouldered, with a shaved head, yelled. Waving his arm rapidly, he held his beer up high.

Silas smiled big, teeth bared. “That's Jeff. He's got no filter, so don't mind him.” He whispered in my ear, walking in the direction of his friend.

It was easy for me to see the closeness of those two guys. Silas' eyes lit up as he embraced Jeff's hand. Slapping each other on the shoulders in a side hug, Silas stepped to the side. “Jeff,” he said, pulling me up beside him. “This is Heidi. The woman who I left you for.”

Jeff smirked, lip tugged to his ear. “So you're the one who caused us to divorce.” Thumbing his chin, he looked me over. “Well, I don't nearly have tits as nice as yours, so I guess I can't blame him.”

“See, no filter.” Silas shoved his friend, laughing.

“Jealousy at its finest. I know a good doctor if you ever want an upgrade.”

Both the guy's jaws dropped, a gut wrenching laugh exploding from their lungs. I wasn't sure if Silas realized I had a good sense of humor. I could dish it as much as they could put it out.

I felt relaxed, at ease with Silas at my side. Untouchable, was a good way to describe it, like nothing around me mattered. No wandering eye, no hushed whisper, nothing was crashing the rush surrounding me.

The three of us played pool for a while, a couple more friends of Jeff's trickled in. A guy named Clint, then another they called Gunmetal. It was the first time I could remember being out like this, with a group of people who actually cared for each other.

Of all the friends I had, only one, Livie, turned out to be a true friend. Everyone else either wanted immunity from getting in trouble because of who my father was, or wanted me to give them answers for school tests.

But Livie, she had been the only one I could count on. It's been hard not having her here, when she left for college, my days grew darker. Boston was too far away for me to drive up for a weekend visit.

So being here, enjoying myself, it was freeing. So freeing that I didn't even realize the entire bar went silent. Lifting my head, everyone around me had their faces frozen, eyes wide.

Arching a brow, wrinkles swept across the bridge of my nose. “What's wrong?” I asked, turning my head to glance over my shoulder. That's when my mouth dropped open, hitting my chest.

“Heidi! Get your ass over here!” My father yelled, as he took long sweeping steps towards us.

What the fuck is he doing? Are you kidding me?

His bear-sized hand stretched out, reaching for my arm. Silas stepped between us, before I could even utter a sound. “Whoa! Wait a minute, Sir.” His hands drew up to his chest, palms out.

“Move out of the way, I'm here for my daughter.” He spoke through gritted teeth, forcing the words off his tongue.

A fear began to settle in my stomach, acid climbing up and burning the back of my throat. My father had a look in his eyes I'd never seen before. He was enraged, furious I had completely disregarded his authority.

I was with the man he strictly forbid me to see, the man he dubbed troubled and unworthy of having his daughter.

“Sir, I don't mean to disrespect you. But, Heidi is fine, and I'd planned on bringing her home soon.” Holding his hand out, Silas made an attempt to be cordial. “I'm Silas, Sir.”

My dad looked Silas up and down, lids slit tight. “I know who you are. Heidi let's go.”

Swallowing hard, I forced the fire back into my belly. “No,” I said, a mere squeak that trolled off my tongue.

“Excuse me? What did you just say to me?” The black gaze widened, our reflections were perfectly visible in the large discs. “I said let's go, you're done here. Don't make me say it again.” His jaw twitched, veins in his neck bulging as his head cocked to the side.

My spine firmed, the guy had controlled me all my life. I couldn't take this childish treatment anymore. “I said no. I'm not going with you, Silas will bring me home later.”

“If you're not in my car in two seconds, then you don't have a home to go to.”

“Mr. Gavin, that's harsh. Heidi isn't doing anything wrong.” Silas wrapped his arm over my shoulder, stroking behind my elbow. “Your daughter's in good hands.”

My father's mouth went crooked, lip curling. “You're a bastard, and my daughter deserves better.”

“I'm a soldier, and you're being the bastard right now.”

I felt stuck, a barrier between these two men, each one pining for me in different ways. In front of me was my father, the man who raised me. And beside me was the man I was growing to love.

It wasn't a fair choice, I shouldn't have to choose between them. But my father was trying to drive a wedge between us, giving me an ultimatum.
I could use my mom right now.
Her soothing chorus to calm my dad, tender words to remind him of their earlier days.

“Some soldier you are, is this what our country has come down to?” A devilish grin filled my father's face. “Lost boys, the ones no one gives a shit about?”

“Dad!” I yelled, air filling my lungs like heated needles. “Don't be an asshole! This soldier saved me from being mugged earlier!” Anger had bubbled to the surface, any piece of me that even debated leaving with him dissolved. My dad crossed a line, what he knew about Silas didn't shed an ounce of light onto who he was.

Suddenly, my dad's face softened. The realization that his daughter had been in danger, the possibility that he could have lost me, drenched his expression. Thick lines ran up his forehead, his hardened stare now filled with worry. “What?”

“Yeah,” I huffed out. “At the library, I was leaving and some guy dragged me into the alley. But Silas saved me.” Reaching my hand out, I gripped Silas' wrist.

“Wh— Who was it?” His hands grasped his head, dragging over his cheeks.

“I don't know, a drifter maybe. But that doesn't matter, what matters is that Silas saved me. He protected me, doesn't that tell you something about him?”

His body went limp, stumbling backwards he gripped the pool table. “And you're okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?”

“I'm fine.” Hooking my arm in Silas', I said, “And you can thank him for that.”

My dad's eyes fell to the floor, darting around the concrete. Shifting them up, he set them on Silas. “You saved her?”

Nodding yes, Silas stepped forward, hand out. “Silas Hamilton, Sir. And I kept your daughter safe, and I always will. You have my word on that.”

Lifting his hand slowly, my father wrapped his fingers tightly around Silas'. “Thank you doesn't even cover it. You have no idea how precious she is to me.”

“You might not believe me, but I do.” Shoving his hand in his pocket, Silas said, “And I promise to bring her home safe to you later tonight.”

Every vein in my body froze, prickles climbing over my skin. My dad was finally seeing this man as more than just someone trying to get in his daughter's pants. There was a connection between them, a raw need to protect me.

Stepping forward, my dad reached out, yanking me in tight. Whispering in my ear, the first soothing words of a father finally trusting his child. “I'm sorry.”

Tears began to well, balancing on the edge. The drops dangled there, a mix of happiness and sadness. My father was letting me go, giving me to another man he knew could protect me.

He carried so much guilt about what happened to my mom, feeling like he had let her down. My father cast all that onto me, and did everything to make sure nothing harmed me.

He needed to know I would be kept safe, with the same devotion he always did. That's all he wanted, all he needed to free his grasp around me.

And Silas gave him that.

Silas

I
'd told Heidi's dad I would bring her home, and I planned to stand by my word. It was easy to see how much he loved his daughter, how much she meant to him.

But holy fucking shit! Dalton was about a hair away from trying to kick my head clear off my neck. I was happy he finally saw the light, I would've hated it if I had to beat the piss out of him.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt an old fuck, especially the father of the woman who was stealing my heart. Everything about Heidi screamed she was worth it, and I heard that loud and clear.

Fiddling with the key in my door, I jiggled the handle, popping it free. “Stupid fucking door. I can't wait for a transfer onto base.” Flicking the light, I guided Heidi in, gently rolling my fingertips across the trim of her pants.

“What do you mean?” she asked, tossing her purse onto the end table.

“Well, when they sent me here, there wasn't any housing open on the base. So I'm stuck in this shithole till one opens up.” Throwing my jacket onto the chair, I let my body crash down onto the couch. “Fuck, your dad was pissed, huh?” Chuckling, my hands lifted behind my head.

“You think?” Heidi's lip curled playfully, curling at the edge. “He's just really protective of me, especially after...” Her voice softened, eyes glazing over.

She looked like she was falling deep inside her own head. Her face fell flat, muscles going limp, chest slowing with each inhale. I couldn't figure out where she had gone, where her mind had brought her to.

“After what?” I asked, sitting up, cupping my hands in my lap. She was standing only a foot away, but she felt miles further. Reaching up, I gripped her wrist, thumb caressing the porcelain flesh. “After what?”

Exhaling a deep breath, she shook her head forcefully. “Nothing.”

“No, obviously it's something. What?” Raising her hand, I placed delicate kisses over her skin. “Tell me, after what?”

Her hand drew up to my hair, pushing it from my forehead back. “Four years ago, my dad arrested this guy, it was a pretty big drug bust. The town went nuts, my dad got awards and was in the paper. It was a big deal for this small town.” Watching her speak, every word she uttered she seemed to be reliving. The hairs stood up on her skin, goosebumps jumping a mile high. “The guy got out on bail, but he was looking at doing some hard time, thirty years behind bars. Well, the asshole decides he's going to make my dad pay, make his life a living hell. So, he stalks my mom, follows her around for awhile.”

“Heidi, my god. That's scary shit.” Every piece of my body began to ache. Anger and fear mixed with heat in my veins, turning my insides on fire.

Her fingers stroked my ear, sliding over my cheek. “One night, my mom was headed home from work. She worked at the library, and she loved her job, her books.” Each word was getting harder for her to speak, tongue tangling over the letters. “She was coming home, home to us, when he jumped in her car, and put a gun to her head. His name was Keith, and he shot my mom. Killed her in cold blood.”

A single tear rested in the corner of her eye, holding its grip on the edge. I waited for her to blink, to set it free. But she didn't, she stared wide eyed. The lone tear balanced there, as she looked off behind me.

Gavin, Faye Gavin.
It started to sink in, I remembered hearing her story on the news. The anchors called it,
'Coming home, a twist of fate.'
The police officer who had only been doing his job, protecting the kids, protecting his city; was trying to stop the flow of drugs into the small town.

Then the tragic twist, the brutal slaying of his wife for revenge. It was all making sense, I started to understand why she'd been at the library that day.

Heidi was at the place her mom loved, the one place besides her home where she could feel that connection, that closeness she was missing.

Pulling her down beside me, I wrapped her in my arms. “I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Heidi.”

“That's the reason, Silas. That's why my dad's like that, he's afraid of losing me too. I mean, he's always hovered over me, but after that it only got worse.”

I wanted to pull the pain and hurt out from inside her. I would have given anything in that moment to take that from her, and give it to myself. She didn't deserve to go through that, no one does.

“I will never let anything happen to you, Heidi.
Ever.”
Her head fell to my shoulder, tilting in. “It doesn't matter what it takes, I
will always
protect you, I promise. That's what I do, I protect people.”

Looking down, her lashes fluttered against her face. The innocence of who she was, before her mother was taken, still shined through. Her father tried to keep that, tried to keep his little girl boxed off from the world so she wouldn't get hurt again.

I couldn't blame him for that, she was worth saving.

And she became my second chance, my reason for living, the one to live for.