Suddenly he’s off of me, and my head rolls on the ground. I’m panting, blinking in confusion as I watch my father throwing Victor against a wall.
My sister rushes to me, crouching as she asks, “Are you okay?”
Feeling drugged, blood running into my right eye, I nod. We look over at dad who is kicking the living shit out of a man who deserves it. “You think you can hurt my son? You think you can beat up on a woman? What kind of piece of shit are you? I’ll tell you what kind! The kind who’s going to prison. The kind who will never try this again because I am going to make you remember me! How about these fingers? I think you lost your right to a fist.” Dad slams his motorcycle boot on Victor’s right hand so hard we all hear the bones break. “Shut the fuck up,” Dad says at the cries of agony before silencing them with a knockout punch.
Dusting off his hands, Dad sighs and looks over at me. “You okay, Junior?”
“Yeah, I’m okay, Dad. Thanks, but I could’ve handled him.”
Blue eyes blink at me before his grin breaks free. “Hey, I was just helping out. I knew you had it covered.” He points to the gunshot wound. “That your handiwork?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice work!”
I didn’t inherit those smiling baby blues, nor did I inherit Dad’s lust for fighting. Ever since I exchanged my first boxing gloves for my first book, I’ve disappointed him. Children are trained as soon as they can understand the difference between a good fist and a bad one. That’s how I knew to go for the wound. That’s how I took this as far as I did today, because I do have some abilities even though they were never enough for him.
As I blink at him through the blood I know that all I’ve ever wanted was for my father to be proud of me, even though I couldn’t compromise who I was in order to get that pride and respect.
My sister has been the only one to glean the admiration of this man. She’s a sweetheart and a badass and I’ve always looked up to her. But her baby brother never had it in him to follow in their footsteps.
That pride shining from his eyes…I needed that today.
I feel a soft touch on my back from where I’m lying on the ground, and glance over to see Stacy squatting by the top of my head. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers stroking my back.
“Who cares what it took, because right now you’re looking at me like that. Let’s do it all over again.”
She shakes her head, “No.”
“He’s not going to bother you again.”
Through tears she smiles with hope in her eyes, and that’s the first time I’ve seen it.
I had something to do with that.
Daniel groans, “What the fuck happened?” rubbing the back of his head as he surveys the scene. “Who’re you?”
My father bucks his chin in greeting. “I’m that guy’s dad. Tonk Senior. You Dan? Nice to meet you.”
My black jeans, black tank-top wearin’, leather booted sis opens her mouth to introduce herself, but I beat her to it. “And that’s my sister Celia holding Celia.”
Her eyes go wide before they drop down to look at her little namesake.
Well not really, but I like to think this coincidence happened for a reason. Especially after how my sister came into the world.
If I get my way I’m going to raise that little baby as my own, just as my dad raised Celia despite the fact that she wasn't his, either. That story got me to New York, and I’ll have to tell Stacy it someday.
“Dad,” Ceels says with warning in her tone.
He nods, “Have to call the cops, yeah. Tonk Jr.? You know what to do?”
Sitting up I wince. “You were never here.”
He walks over, legs bowed, stride confident. He offers me his hand and helps me up. “You did good, son.”
My chest tighten with emotion. “Thanks, Dad.”
CHAPTER 10
STACY
T he ambulance arrives at the same time as the cops. Tonk’s father and sister disappeared. They said they would be back and it was all so mysterious.
I saw the family resemblance in Celia, but Tonk is not like either of them in personality or presentation. They were so gritty and he’s so clean. But even with their edges the energy had a light behind it. Unlike with Victor who was just plain evil. I think if you dabble with darkness in mind and action long enough it consumes you. And the opposite happens with light. It elevates you.
I don’t know why Tonk’s being so kind to me. Lying for me. Fighting for me. Shooting for me.
Yes, I feel a current between us, too. It’s palpable. But I can’t believe this could ever last. I’m not that lucky. How could I ever look into Tonk’s sweet face and feel like he shouldn’t be with somebody better.
One of the police officers is going over the details of how we got here. “So you said her boyfrie—”
“EX boyfriend,” Tonk corrects them.
“Right. He followed you here, broke into the building, and then two guys he owed money to came in and kicked the shit out of him just in time while he was attacking you?”
“That’s right.”
Daniel nods, “And it’s a good thing too. That guy knocked me out so hard I was out for all of it. I couldn’t help, so they showed up just in time. Karma, right? All I know is I woke up and he was on the ground a real mess, and Tonk’s head looked like that.” He points at the crusted hair.
The police officers look at me for confirmation of what Tonk and Daniel are saying. With Celia sleeping in my arms I nod and stay quiet.
The female police officer tilts her head a little. “Was this the first time he hit you?” It’s in
