Reece's Faith (53 page)

"Shh... kiss... mmmm"

Maybe making up won't be such a bad idea,
thought the actress as she wrapped a leg around her lover's thighs.

 
*  *  *

Quinn sat back down in the recliner and flipped on the TV. He stopped at the live report from the club. They were rehashing the earlier scenes, cutting bits and pieces together randomly. They began by showing the tape of when Faith exited the club with Reece, the two strange girls and his wife.

While he had to admit he was impressed with the way the tall woman protected his little girl, easily parting the crowd and keeping the protesters away from her, he felt Faith still had no business being there.
If it wasn't for that crazy woman corrupting her, she'd have been home right now and not displaying these antics to the entire Tri-state area. In addition, home not only for the holidays... and for good.
He made a disgusted sound and raised the volume on the TV.

"Ms. Ashford? Are you involved with Ms. Corbett romantically?"

"*Bleep* you, you *bleep*hole!"

My daughter, the truck driver. Jesus, Faith!

"Have you any idea of her criminal past?"

Criminal?

Reece turned to the reporter with a venomous glare, then the image of her face was replaced by one of the sidewalk. When the camera righted itself, the two strange girls were wiggling their tongues at the camera while just sliding into the car.

"Freaks, the whole lot of them," he muttered, shutting off the TV.

"Funny you should say that, dear," Mrs. Ashford chuckled, ushering the girls into the room.

"What the hell is that?" Quinn pointed at Cori with disbelief.

"Cori and Violet. They're Faith's very good friends. They'll be having Christmas dinner with us tonight."

"Like hell they are! FAITH! Get down here this instant!" he yelled, deliberately knocking into Violet on his way to the stairs.

 
*  *  *

"Son of a bitch!" Faith jumped off the bed, slamming Reece's head into the headboard.

"OW! Oof." the club owner fell onto the pillow, blinked away the stars and turned over.

"Why is it when ever that man is in my house, I come up injured?" she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead, pulled down her shirt and ran out after Faith.

 
*  *  *

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Faith asked her father.

"That's what's wrong with me," he hollered, pointing at Cori. "I will not eat Christmas dinner with that."

"Cori," the dancer provided.

"Shhh," Marsha patted Cori on the shoulder.

"You know, I could say something profound about how one shouldn't 'judge a book' and all that rot, but in your case, Dad, it'll just get lost between your ears. I don't know why I thought you could be civilized long enough to have dinner. I can't believe you're my father."

"You watch your mouth, little girl!" he pointed his finger at Faith.

"Honestly, Quinn, she's hardly a little girl and I think you're the one who should watch your mouth. This isn't your castle, have some respect. If not for Cori then for Theresa's home."

Reece took her place at Marsha's side and folded her arms.

"Respect?!" he waved his finger at Reece.

The club owner widened her stance, her upper lip curling.

"
Her
!? A common criminal? Why, she's nothing but a worthless thug..."

Faith covered her father's mouth with one hand and put the other on Reece's chest to hold her back. The feel of Reece's heart hammering wildly against her hand frightened her.

Quinn grabbed his daughter's hand and yanked it away.

"I am still your father, Faith! How dare you..." he held her hand up in the air and, to the dismay of everyone in the room, Faith grimaced in pain.

Reece reached around her lover and covered Quinn's face with her hand and squeezed. Her teeth ground together audibly.

"Reece, no!" Faith cried.

"Don't... you... ever... touch... her... again," she spoke slowly in a very deep voice. "Ever. Do you hear me?"

Marsha gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Cori and Violet froze. It appeared to the piercer that Reece actually became larger. Violet had only heard about the Reece of the past and the stories were scary enough. Witnessing what she feared was The Animal was downright chilling. This wasn't her friend.

Reece squeezed harder, the man started bending at the waist.

"REECE! PLEASE!" Faith yelled in a panic, holding on to Reece's shirt.

"Apologize, worm," the tall woman let go of his face as she shoved him backwards and balled her fists at her sides.

"Faith, let go of me," the tall woman growled.

"No. You're scaring me. Please calm down, please! I'll make him leave, I promise!" she begged.

Reece stood there, leaning against Faith's hand, her chest heaving erratically into her palm.

Faith stared into Reece's narrowed eyes, she noticed her jaw clenching spasmodically, her nostrils flaring.
God, she is just like an animal.

Reece was fuming and Faith had never actually felt her lover's body this tense with anger. The actress hadn't ever been in body contact with Reece when she'd lost control; the energy pouring into her body through her hand was intense. She let go of her shirt and started rubbing her hand in small circles on Reece's chest, not really knowing what to do.

"Quinn, come in here this instant!" Marsha was petrified for her husband.

Quinn stood there shocked. That woman was stronger than any man he had ever met. With just her hand, she had sent him sprawling on his ass.
And Faith is holding her back.
He shivered with the thought of his little girl on the receiving end of such strength and again at the thought of his daughter denying her anything.
Oh god!
His mind filled with images of the maniacal club owner controlling his daughter, abusing her, taking what she wanted forcefully and he became furious again.

Seeing her father open his mouth, Faith turned her head towards him and warned, "Don't you even think about it. If I was so inclined, I could have just let her at you and maybe you would have learned your lesson. However, I'm not so inclined and I really don't want to clean up the blood on Christmas Eve." Faith's calm tone was the best acting job she'd done yet.

Reece's body started to become more pliant and her heart had slowed down some, but Faith knew that she was still enraged. The actress felt trapped. She looked at her mother who nodded worriedly, tiling her head in the direction of her soothing motions.

"Baby, it's okay, I'm going to take care of it and then we're going to eat. Please trust me," she glanced at Cori who was just as scared as she was. Faith tried to convey confidence to her friend. She was going to let go of Reece and send her off with Cori. "Mother, take Reece into the kitchen. Cori and Violet, you go and see to it that they stay there. I have something to discuss with my father."

Reece stepped forward naturally when Faith let go of her and Quinn flinched. The club owner sneered at him.

"C'mon, Bosslady, let's go play with the turkey," she tugged on Reece's rigid arm and managed to pull her away.

Faith shoved her hand into her hair so hard she practically threw herself backwards. "I want you out of here. Do you hear me? Never, ever step foot into this house again. I'm ashamed of you," the actress said through her tears.

"Faith, how can you let that monster..."

"Monster? You're calling
her
a monster? God, Daddy, did you ever listen to yourself? Did you ever think before you spoke? How does Mom even stand to breathe the same air as you?"

"I'm scared for you. Baby, listen to me..."

"Baby?" she laughed. "No, you listen to me. Like it or not, Reece is my lover, my heart and soul. She loves me, she holds me and she makes me feel whole. I'm incredibly happy with her. If she's only gone for an hour, I miss her terribly. Speaking her name makes me smile. I feel like a thousand little sparks run through my body every time she touches me. Most of all she respects me. She'd never hurt me knowingly and she'd never ever raise her hand to me in anger. Simply looking at her sometimes makes me giddy. Reece is my whole world and that's perfectly fine with me. Most fathers would do anything to have that for their little girl. You... you just insult her, hurt me and disrespect me in our home. How dare you? I want you to go away and don't ever come back. I'd give you an ultimatum like, 'When you think you can accept Reece,' but since I don't see that happening any time soon, just go."

Quinn sat heavily on the couch. He leaned his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands. He began to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Faith, please don't make me go," he sobbed.

Faith looked at her father and felt a twinge of guilt. "This is my house, you're not welcome here anymore."

The actress broke down. It was harder than she thought to say what she did. It hurt her to tell him that she didn't want to see him any more and her father was crying for the first time in her life.

"I'm so sorry..." he blubbered.

She was hurt, guilty, confused and needed to feel her lover's strong comforting arms around her right that second. Which is exactly what she felt when she turned to leave the room. "Oh, Reece," she sobbed into the tall woman's chest.

"Shhh, it's okay, Faith, it's all going to be okay," Reece cooed and scooped her lover up into her arms. The tall woman stared at the broken man for a moment before glancing over towards the kitchen where three worried faces eagerly awaited the outcome. Reece nodded at them and kissed her lover's head. "I got ya, baby," she whispered into the red hair as Faith burrowed deeper into her chest.

 
*  *  *

The tall woman laid Faith down on the bed and held her until she cried herself to sleep. She wondered as she gazed at her lover, what it must feel like to have a father, and to have him turn on her like Faith's did.
God, that must suck.
Reece thought about how it must hurt Faith; what it must feel like to be torn between your lover and your parent. She couldn't get a good grip on the emotion, but if it made Faith this upset, it must be horrible.
Who is he to come in here and make her feel this way? He's her father! He should be holding her hand, making her laugh, embarrassing her by singing off-key. This is no way to treat a child.

Faith turned over into her usual fetal position and Reece knew she was out for the count. She kissed her lips and closed the door behind her. Coming down the stairs, she heard Marsha begging Quinn to stay for dinner.

"My daughter doesn't want me here Marsh, she hates me. I really made a mess, didn't I?" he sighed heavily. "My daughter hates me."

"See, here's the good thing in all this, sir, I don't think Faith can hate anybody. Even you."

Quinn looked up to see Reece halfway down the stairs, leaning over the banister.

"Your daughter cried herself to sleep just now and I couldn't do anything about it. That just makes me feel bad. She was crying over you. That sickens me," she said as she came down the stairs.

Quinn backed up as she got closer. Reece stopped moving and lifted her hands.