Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
L uc pulled away from his father’s apartment complex with a huge grin on his face. The old man had been sober for a change. They had an actual conversation with genuine topics. Luc had the afternoon shift, so he’d brought over breakfast for his dad. He’d planned on getting stopped at the door again and just dropping the food off. But he’d been pleasantly surprised when his father—freshly showered, clear eyed, and coherent—had invited him in for a visit.
Optimistically cautious, he’d accepted the invitation, fully expecting to be hit up for cash. Wouldn’t be the first time. He got the shock of his life when instead, his father talked for half an hour about this new sobriety group he’d found through a buddy in the building. He’d been going to meetings every day for two weeks now and hadn’t touched a drop in ten days.
Before he let this feeling of elation fill his mind with hope, he reminded himself they’d been down this road before. His father had been in numerous rehabs and help groups. Every time his mother had been sure this time would be the one to fix him and every time it didn’t work, he’d watched the woman who’d sacrificed so much for her family lose another piece of her heart with each fall from the wagon.
He wanted to believe in his father, he wanted it so much his chest ached with painful hopefulness. But he needed to stay cautious. A healthy dose of realism would do him well. Addicts slipped all the time. His father was sure as hell proof of that. Still, it didn’t hurt to put faith in his old man.
Faith. Not blind trust.
Which is why he wouldn’t be telling his mother about this new turn of events until a bit more time had passed. He could deal with the disappointment if things didn’t pan out again, but he didn’t want to raise his mother’s hopes just to see them crushed again. His parents might not be married anymore, but they never stopped loving each other. Sadly, sometimes love wasn’t enough to help someone.
They had to want it for themselves.
He hoped to hell his father had finally realized that. It appeared he had. He’d never heard his dad talk so openly about his past mistakes before. Progress he’d never seen before.
Luc shook his head, unable to wipe the smile from his face. His mind drifted back to last night and the way Charlie shared her pain with him. How she’d allowed him to see her vulnerability. Seemed everyone was opening up to him lately. Maybe it was something in the water. Whatever the cause, he was grateful.
Last night he’d been so afraid he’d screwed things up with Charlie, pushed her too far. But the feisty woman surprised him yet again, letting down those steel walls she barricaded herself in daily. When she allowed him to see her pain, let him comfort her, he felt like he’d been given the most precious gift in the world.
The sex had been different too. He knew she felt it. Freaked her out a little, but she didn’t kick him out of her bed. In fact, she seemed to want him to stay. He’d take that as a good sign. Truth be told, every fiber of his being had wanted to stay in that warm bed, wrapped around a woman he suspected he’d been falling for since the moment she spilled her burrito on him and cussed him out. He didn’t want to cause her any trouble. He didn’t give a shit what anyone thought about him, but he didn’t want people talking badly about Charlie. What they were doing wasn’t technically over the line, but it was in a gray area and people loved to blur.
Making his way into town, he drove straight to the hospital. Once he parked, he went inside and headed to the front desk.
“Hey, Luc. How’s it going?” Dean asked, placing a patient file in a rack by the computer.
“Not bad. Any excitement today?”
Dean laughed. “Actually, we have a tourist in room one who thought it would be a great idea to try and feed the deer by the side of the road.
“Oh no.” Luc wasn’t used to the wildlife in Kismet yet, but even he knew not to feed wild animals.
Dean nodded. “People always forget deer have teeth. Guy nearly lost a pinky when the deer accidentally nipped him. Nina is stitching him up now.”
“Any emotional trauma?” Maybe tonight would be his first non-scheduled evaluation.
“Naw, he seems fine emotionally,” Dean said. “Can’t account for his logic processing though.”
Luc chuckled along with the nurse.
The afternoon went smoothly. Luc saw the five patients he had on his schedule. Each appointment ended with them making excellent progress in their work. Before he knew it, his shift was over. The late-night sky was dark, inky black outside the windows of the hospital. Luc had just finished putting a note in a patient file when Nina stopped by the station.
“Fucking hell.” Her brow furrowed, worry filling her eyes as she stared at her phone.
“Something wrong?”
Luc paused. His shift was over, but if there was an emergency, he would damn sure stay to help. He wasn’t a medical doctor, but psychological help was needed in emergency situations more often than people thought.
“I just got a text from my sister. She’s at Jacks and there’s some guy causing a disturbance there. The cops are on their way.”
His heart stopped. Full-fledged skipped two beats as those words registered in his brain. A disturbance at Jacks. Charlie!
Her name screamed in his head even as his body remained tense and cool. He had no idea if she was at the distillery right now. She said her schedule fluctuated from day to day. Much like his. She helped out when needed and as the accountant she could get her work done almost any time. Was she there now? Was someone hurting her? What the hell was going on?
“Fuck, my shift isn’t over for another two hours,” Nina said, worrying her bottom lip.
“I’m off, I can go check things out.” His words were calm, but inside he was a raging tornado of worry. “They might need my help anyway.”
Kismet had recently adopted a program in Colorado where therapists and other social workers were called to emergencies the police were less equipped to handle. A bar fight seemed more up the cop’s alley, but Luc knew a calm, cool head—that didn’t have a gun—often helped deescalate situations. Especially with drunks.
Nina nodded, thanking him as he promised to text her on his way out of the hospital. Luc jumped into his car and peeled out of the hospital parking lot, raging like a hurricane inside. If anyone hurt Charlie, he’d…damn, for the first time since he was an angry teen he found himself overrun by feelings of fury.
He’d seen a lot of human misery over the years as a therapist. Women beat to hell, but refusing to press charges against the man with blood on his knuckles and a matching ring on his finger. Kids filthy and underfed while their parents were passed out, high as kites. Killers with no regard to human life.
All that made him angry, want to seek justice for the victims of a cruel world that bred cruel people. But he’d never felt this raw, burning need to inflict pain on another person. If someone had hurt Charlie, all he could think about was hurting them in return.
What the hell is this?
He had no idea, but he didn’t have time to ponder the weird sensation swirling around in his gut. In moments he was pulling up in front of Jacks. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline and fear coursing through every vein of his body. He calmly made his way inside, not wanting to cause any sudden movements that would make the situation worse.
As it was a weeknight the room held only a few scattered people. Most were cowered in the back of the room, far away from the man struggling under the weight of two heavily muscled men he thought looked familiar. Sirens blared outside and in moments two men in uniform stormed into the bar, alert and ready. Luc recognized the taller one with salt and pepper hair as the police chief, Justin Gray. He’d met the man a few weeks ago at the hospital when they’d been talking about the Co-Responder program.
“Luc?” Gray’s eyes widened as the older man took him in. “You get called in for this?”
He shook his head. “No. I was at the hospital, heard there was a disturbance and thought I’d come by if you needed me.”
Gray nodded. “Couldn’t hurt.”
“Hey, Gray. Got a drunk and assholery for ya.” The slightly smaller man with light brown hair said, eyes never leaving the guy pinned under his knee.
Gray turned his attention to the bar, motioning for Luc to stay behind him as he and the other officer started forward. “Thanks, Del. You and BJ wanna let us take it from here.”
It wasn’t a request, and the men knew it. Luc stayed a few paces behind the officers as they walked to the front. Gray crouched down, replacing his hands over BJ’s grip on the perp’s wrists. He motioned to his partner who grabbed the handcuffs from his belt and bent down to cuff the guy. Gray pulled the perp up and a waft of whisky blew from the guy’s mouth as he immediately started to complain.
“I didn’t do shit! That bitch over there wouldn’t serve me!”
Bloodshot, glazed eyes glared at the bar where Luc saw Kelley flanked by Cassie and —thank fuck—Charlie.
“I’m a fucking paying customer.”
“You’re a drunk asshole who grabbed my shirt and took a swing at me!” Kelley spat back, lunging forward. Cassie and Charlie quickly grabbed the woman by the arms to hold her back.
“Fuck you!” the man screamed.
“Sir, assault is a crime,” Gray said with quiet authority.
“I didn’t assault no one.”
“Just because the punch didn’t land, doesn’t mean you didn’t throw it. Kelley,” Gray nodded at the bartender. “You wanna press charges?’
“Fuck yeah, I do.”
Drunk and assholery’s face turned bright red. Spit flew from his lips as he screamed, struggling ineffectually against Gray’s strong grip.
“You fucking bitch!”
“Get him the hell out of here, Gray.” BJ snarled. “This dick has a lifetime ban.”
“I’m taking him in for processing,” Gray said, walking the drunk forward. A difficult looking task since the guy was so wobbly. “I don’t think we need you in this situation, Luc. But thanks for showing up.”
Luc nodded. Drunk and disorderly wasn’t something his expertise could help with. If the guy wanted to talk about rehab and counseling after, then he could help. But right now, his attention was focused on something else. Someone else.
Charlie.
He moved to the front of the bar, shooting off a quick text to Nina letting her know everyone was safe. Charlie stood there with Cassie, both women comforting Kelley who still looked mad enough to spit nails. Del and BJ had joined a third man who looked like a mirror image of BJ, except for the shorter haircut and stern expression on his face.
“Hey, Kelley. You okay?”
The woman glanced at him with fire in her dark brown eyes.
“Yeah. I’ve dealt with jerks like him before. We get drunks occasionally, but no one has ever tried to punch me before.” Her hands clenched at her sides.
He pulled his card out of his wallet, passing it over to her. “If you want to talk about it, later when the dust settles. Give me a call and we’ll set something up.”
People often discounted how traumatic things like this could be. Even if they were used to the bar life getting rowdy at times, attempted assault was different.
Kelley nodded, tucking the card into her palm and nodding. “Thanks, Luc.”
“You handled that great, Kelley,” Del said with a grin. “I do believe you deserve a raise for that.”
“Maybe you should talk to the person in charge of finances before you start handing out raises left and right, baby brother.” Charlie rolled her eyes.
Luc took a small step forward, bending his head down to ask in a hushed whisper, “You okay?”
Soft, blue eyes focused on him then darted away quickly. “I’m fine, but Ace needs a doctor.”
The shorthaired BJ doppelganger dropped the hand holding his left shoulder and grimaced. “The hell I do.”
Charlie sent the guy a death glare. “The asshole landed on your shoulder when you guys were taking him down. Your bad shoulder. Don’t bullshit me, Alfa. You need to go to a hospital.”
Bad shoulder? Luc had no idea what that meant, but the large man he assumed was one of Charlie’s brothers glared.
“Leave it alone, Charlie. You’re not my mother.”
“Oh, you want me to call mom?” She raised her hand, cell phone clutched in her palm. “See what she has to say about it?”
Ace swore.
“You know she’s going to find out about it soon, if she hasn’t already.” BJ nodded to the patrons furiously texting on their phones. “Might as well head to the hospital or at least call up Doc Stevens and have him check you out.”
Luc watched in fascination as the large man, surrounded by his staff and family finally sighed in resignation.
“Okay. I’ll call the doctor, but I’m fine and if anyone tells mom different, I’m putting them on tin cleaning duty for the next six months.”
As the group agreed and started to talk amongst themselves, Luc gently grasped Charlie’s hand, tugging her away to a quiet corner of the bar.
“Are you okay, seriously?”
She gave a quick glance over her shoulder and when her eyes came back to him, he saw the fear in them. “Honestly?”
She could always be honest with him. Always.
“It freaked me out a bit. I mean, we’ve had some rowdy drunks before, but nothing like this. We’ve never had to call the cops on anyone. I don’t even know who that guy was. Tourist I think because I’ve never seen him around or anything. Kelley was amazing, but then the guy started to charge the bar and Ace and BJ tackled him. I shouted for Del when Ace went down and—”
Her voice hitched. He started to pull her into his arms, but she stopped him with a hand to his chest.
“I’m fine.”
Her gaze darted around the bar. Nobody was paying them much attention, but he got it. They were in public. He could be a therapist comforting a person who’d witnessed something traumatizing, but he couldn’t be a man comforting the woman he was sleeping with.
Shit!
This sucked.
“You want me to call an ambulance for your brother? Or take him back to the hospital? Dr. Stevens isn’t there, but Dr. Ray is still on shift.” He nodded his head toward Ace.
The fear drained from her face. Lips turning up in a devilish smile, she shook her head. “Oh my god, that would be hilarious! Ace would throw a fit if we tried to force him into an ambulance over this.”
“Ex-military?”
“Marines. How’d you know?”
He worked with the VA for a time a few years ago, recognized the type. Strong, proud, unable to admit when they should get their asses to a doctor. Thought they were invincible.
“He and BJ twins?” he asked instead of answering her.
“Yup. Alfa and Bravo are the oldest then there’s me and Delta is the baby.”
He could see the family resemblance. It was in the eyes—hold on a second. “Did you say Alfa, Bravo, and Delta?”
Her lips curled back in a grimace. “Yes.”
“Your parents named you Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta?”
She groaned, covering her face with her hands. “My dad thought he was funny, and my mom loved him. And now we’re all stuck with names that sound fine on their own, but like a bad dad joke all together. Because they are.” Dropping her hands, she shook her head. “Now you know why the guys go by nicknames.”
Made sense. It also made him wonder what kind of man Mr. Jackson had been. Obviously, the guy had loved his kids and had an odd sense of humor. He’d also been a great parent judging by the way his children had turned out. Especially his amazing daughter.
Staring down at Charlie, her dark brown hair shimmering in the lowlight of the bar, he dipped his head until he could whisper in her ear. “I’m finished working tonight, can I come by your place after you’re done here?”
Crazy. He knew it would be too late. They’d both be exhausted. She just had a horrible, traumatic experience and he’d lost ten years off his life worrying about her. But he needed to be with her tonight, hold her, assure himself she was okay.
Pale blue eyes gazed up at him, fear completely gone, replaced with a burning desire. One he fully reciprocated. Her sweet, pink tongue came out to graze her bottom lip. When she spoke, it was so low he had to lean in to hear her.
“Okay, but I have a request.”
“Anything.” He meant it. He was quickly coming to realize this woman could ask him for anything in the world and he would move heaven and earth to give it to her.
A soft blush rose on her cheeks, easy to disguise in the dim light, but he saw it.
“You stay the whole night this time.”
With that she turned and headed back to the bar where her brothers and friends waited while he contemplated how deeply he’d fallen for this woman and how much trouble he was in.