Chapter 12
12
ELENA
“ E lena.”
Just the way my father says my name makes my skin crawl. Backing up slowly, I hit the brick wall of the department store. My bags fall to the ground as my hands lose all their strength.
“Don’t be like that.” His voice is gentle, but the look in his eyes makes my blood run cold. He’s always been unpredictable. I’ve never known if he’s on drugs, or what. I just hope the yelling doesn’t start right here on the street.
Dad steps closer, with Lawney and the other guy flanking him on either side. “You wouldn’t even know what to do with those investments, or?—”
“Investments?”
He stops in his tracks. “Fuck. You really don’t know, do you?” His head shakes. “That bitch of a mother of yours certainly kept her secrets.”
“Please don’t talk that way about her,” I whisper.
“Fine.” An oily smile slides across his face. His nasty stare has me pinned in place, making me feel like a frightened rabbit. “Just give me the key to the safety deposit box, and I’ll never speak of her again at all.”
“I don’t have it with me.” That’s the truth, thank goodness. It’s hidden in the bottom of my duffle bag at Clark’s house, along with the necklace.
Why did I have to leave on my own? How could I have been so utterly foolish? My body is clenching so hard that my teeth and knees begin to ache. I knew something bad was about to happen the second I got comfortable here. It always does for me.
“Then let’s go get it.” Dad takes another step toward me. “Once we get those stock certificates, I can cash some of them in. We can split the proceeds, how’s that?”
Yeah, right. I don’t believe him for a second. He’s never done anything but take from other people.
I’m still frozen like a deer in headlights. There’s no way I can outrun these guys.
“I’ve tried to be polite.” His voice becomes hard. Louder. “You’re going to give me that key, or I’ll?—”
I jump with a squeal as a wall of black t-shirt jumps between me and the evil glare that’s haunted me for years. Clark’s arms are already around me. “I’m right here, Elena. I’ll always be here.”
Breathing him in, my body unlocks. “Thank you,” I murmur, my face buried in his chest. No matter what happens next, everything is going to be some kind of okay now. His left hand cradles the back of my head as he holds me tight against his heart.
“Hey, asshole, that’s my daughter. Who do you think?—”
Clark twists slightly and I hear a sharp crack before his right arm returns to rub my lower back. There’s a stumble, and a thud, then I hear Dad spitting the familiar, foul curses I haven’t heard in a few years.
“Baby,” Clark murmurs softly, “I’m going to let go now, and I want you to face the wall and not turn around to look. Okay?”
“Okay.”
As soon as I’m turned, Clark’s warmth disappears. I wince from the sound of his fist cracking somebody’s jaw. Then another few punches, maybe chests or shoulders. It sounds like a fight scene out of a movie.
“That’s probably enough, don’t you think?”
I slide just my eyes sideways to the authoritative voice. I’ve seen the local policeman around town, and heard people call him James. He’s usually smiling, and people always laugh when he cruises by the restaurant patio to sneak a few fries off a friend’s plate.
He’s not laughing now. That stony-faced glare means business. “Barrett, would you grab those two, please?”
Glancing in the other direction, I see a burly lumberjack type grab Lawney and his friend in a couple of headlocks. Facing the wall again, I hear a scuffling sound, then my father groaning in pain down on the pavement.
“Clark, care to catch me up?”
“This useless bastard is my girlfriend’s father. He’s been chasing her, trying to steal her property. Sending idiot goons out to look for her.”
There’s another shuffle. “We don’t treat women like that in this town, asshole.” James’ voice is icy. “Two choices. I can either get legal, bust all of you for stalking. The whole restraining order scenario. Sue you for damages if this nice girl has so much as broken a nail because of you.”
Barrett chuckles at that.
“ Or ,” James continues, “I could throw you off our mountain permanently and make sure everybody knows it. Which means, if you’re found within two hundred miles of this town, you’re fair game for any local guy who hasn’t gotten his daily boxing practice in. What’ll it be?”
There’s a pause, then a shuffle, followed by a groan from my father, as if he’s being squeezed. “All right. All right. I’ll leave.” More shuffling. “But if you think I’m dropping this, Elena?—”
A strangled groan, followed by a decisive thump.
“If you ever speak her name again, if you ever even think about her, it’ll be the biggest mistake of your miserable fucking life.” Clark’s deep voice is savage, almost feral.
Taking several slow breaths, I try to get my body to relax, but everything is locking up again. There’s a bunch of shuffling and cursing, and car doors opening and shutting.
“Just one minute more, Elena,” James says soothingly.
There’s some more muttering near the cars, but I can’t make anything out. Clark is keeping his voice so low I can’t hear a word, but from his dark tone, I truly believe Dad won’t ever be coming back to Wolfe Mountain.
I love that he blocked my father from my vision the second he got to me and wouldn’t let me watch any violence. No man has ever cared for me the way Clark has. It’s like he appeared in my world already knowing everything I need.
About a minute later, his voice is soft and warm, right behind me. “It’s okay, Elena. You can look now.”
I turn just in time to see two cars driving away quickly.
“I’ll follow them out of town,” James says, tapping Clark’s shoulder on the way by.
The other man steps closer, extending his hand. “Hi Elena, I’m Barrett. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out for that son of a bitch if he ever tries to come back. But I doubt he will.”
“Thank you.”
Clark shakes his hand as well. “Thanks, man.”
Barrett shakes his head and sighs. “Next time, just tell me you need help. That’s what we’re here for.”
He strides away toward a big truck as Clark turns to me. He seems almost nervous as he opens his arms, but I rush right into them. “I’m so sorry,” I begin. “I didn’t mean?—”
“Shh, baby, it’s okay,” he murmurs.
“I should never have left the house?—”
He kisses the top of my head. “You should be safe to do a grocery run into town, baby. It’s all his fault. Not yours.” He tips my chin up with his finger. “At least now we know he’s gone. James got a photo of him, and he’ll send it to a bunch of the locals, including the Wolfes. If he’s ever spotted, well…” He chuckles. “That’s going to be a very bad day for him.”
My body sags with relief. “I can’t believe it’s finally over.”
Clark pins me gently against the brick wall, bending down to nuzzle under my ear. Then he picks up the grocery bags and peeks inside. “I can’t believe you drove all the way down here for…ricotta?”
“I wanted to make you a lasagna.”
“Oh! Well, in that case, let’s get going.”
As I drive toward his house with Clark following in his truck, I let the beautiful scenery wash through me to chase away the last of the tension.
It’s over. What will life be like without my father lurking in the shadows at the corner of my mind?
Amazing , that’s what. It’s going to be amazing.
Especially since I now know in my heart that I’m staying with the man I adore.