Garr (Voodoo Guardians #30)

CHAPTER ONE

Patrick Garr Slater, son of Wade and Hannah Slater, watched as his cousin Tiger, sprinted into the endzone, running for the touchdown. He’d made the block that allowed him to run past the defenders, but it was up to Tiger to make the touchdown. And he did. In decisive Tiger flair. Always the showman, always the one happy to give a little touchdown celebration for the crowd to enjoy.

“Great block!” said Sebastian, slapping his back. Garr, as he preferred to be called, nodded, smiling as Tiger ran toward him.

“You need a new dance,” laughed Brix, congratulating his teammate and friend.

“Awesome run, brother,” said Walker.

“Great throw by Leif, and of course, I can’t run if my cousin doesn’t give me the great blocks.”

“It was a team effort,” smiled Garr. “And that’s state for us. Last big hurrah!”

After accepting their trophy, showering, and changing, their parents were anxiously waiting for them, along with more than a hundred people from Belle Fleur.

“Nice job,” smirked his father.

“Thanks, Dad,” he grinned. “Killer run by Tiger at the end there.”

“Killer run because you gave him a good block. Remember that always. Touchdowns don’t happen without blocks, and blocks are wasted if the touchdown isn’t made.”

“Got it,” he laughed. He heard someone crying and turned to see Macie Cooper, Sam and Mia’s daughter. She was wiping her eyes, her elbow bleeding.

“Hey, it’s okay,” said Sam. “Doc went to get the first-aid kit. You’ll be fine.”

“What happened?” asked Garr, frowning at the young girl.

“Some kid pushed her down as we were coming over here. A bully at school. You know the kind, Garr.” He looked around as if to sniff out the offender. “He’s the big kid over there. I’ve already had a word with his parents.”

“That kid is twice her size!” he said.

“Yeah, he’s in eighth grade, and she’s only in seventh. His father assured me he’d handle it.”

Garr wasn’t so sure he believed that, having more than one experience with bullies in his lifetime. They always underestimated his size and strength in spite of the fact that he was usually a head taller. Of course, part of the underestimation was due to his sweet-natured behavior.

He bent over to face Macie, taking his sleeve to wipe her tears. Five years younger than him, she was so small it seemed as though she were much younger. Or maybe he was so big it felt that way.

“You were very brave, Macie,” he said, smiling at the little girl. Although she probably wasn’t exactly a little girl anymore. She was a blossoming, beautiful teenager. She had a mix of her parent’s features, with auburn hair and piercing green eyes.

“He’s a jerk,” she sniffed. “He’s always trying to touch me.”

“Touch you?” frowned Sam. Before Sam could do anything, Garr walked toward the younger boy. His eyes grew wider and wider, knowing exactly who the Slater boys were. “Garr! Garr, don’t do anything stupid, son.”

“You like touching girls without their permission?” he asked, shoving his chest against the smaller boy.

“What? No! She’s lying! I wouldn’t touch her for anything.”

“You’re lying,” said Garr.

“What’s going on here?” said the boy’s father.

“Your son seems to like to touch girls without their permission. If he does it again, I’m going to beat the shit out of him.”

“Who in the hell do you think you are?” frowned the man.

“I’m Patrick Garr Slater. That man over there, Wade Slater, is my father. The man behind him, Zulu Slater, is my grandfather. Any more questions?”

The man stared at the teenager in front of him. He had at least four inches of height on him and probably twenty pounds, but the older man had experience on his side.

But he also knew that Garr wasn’t stupid. That was evident by the kid having the audacity to push his own son and then point out his father and grandfather to give a fair warning to the man. He knew who the Slater kids were. Hell, they all knew who the men of Belle Fleur were. He’d begged to get his son into their school because of issues he’d had with him at other schools. He looked down at his son, who was expectantly waiting for his father to throw a punch or shove the younger boy.

“Did you touch that girl?” he asked his son. The boy said nothing, staring at his father, then back at Macie and her father. “I asked you a question, and don’t lie to me, boy.”

“It was all in fun,” he said, shrugging. “I just touched her bottom.”

“No, you rubbed it and slapped me,” sniffed Macie. Garr nearly lost his shit again. His father and grandfather held him back as the man gripped his son’s neck, pulling him backwards.

“I’ll handle this,” he said to the adults. “Macie, I’m sorry for what my son did.”

Macie said nothing, realizing there was nothing to say. She just wanted it all to go away. She found out Monday morning that her bully had decided to transfer to another school. His fourth in as many years.

But for her, it was learning that she had a hero, always on her side. Someone who watched out for her, followed her, and asked about her. He was always there. When he left for the military at the end of the school year, she was nearly heartbroken.

Five years later, he was home on leave the same weekend she was graduating from high school and headed to college. She’d never forgotten about Garr. How could she? He was her savior. He was the face she dreamed of when other girls talked about music or movie stars.

“So, you’re off to college, huh, Macie?” he smirked.

“I am. Not far for right now. I hope to work for G.R.I.P. one day.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Is that funny?”

“No. No, not all. It just seems like yesterday I was wanting to beat the shit out of your bully. You’re all grown up.”

“Am I?” she smiled.

“You are,” he grinned.

“Then kiss me,” she said quietly.

“What?”

“Kiss me. If I’m all grown up, kiss me, Garr.”

“Macie, you’re still five years younger than me. I’m a grown man with a grown man’s experiences, life, and combat experience. That changes a man. You’re still just a kid.”

She stared at him, the look of hurt evident on her face. Finally, she stood, looking down at him. Her long auburn hair brushed his arm, and he froze. The curve of her body in the sundress nearly sent him straight for those lips.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Garr, I haven’t been a kid for a while now. Let me know when you’re ready to be an adult. With me.”

He watched as she walked away, then felt his cousin nudge his shoulder.

“She put you in your place,” laughed Brix.

“Shut up,” he frowned. Brix raised his hands in self-defense, shaking his head.

“You can be pissed all you want, but she’s right. She’s not a kid anymore, Garr. You don’t have to be intimate with her, but if you don’t show that girl the interest I know you have, she’s going to find someone else.”

“That’s what she should do,” he said, standing. “I’m headed to The Well.”

“Getting drunk won’t help you, Garr,” said Brix. “Talking to Macie will. She’s a brilliant, talented young woman. She won’t last five minutes at college without some asshole scoping her out and taking her home to mommy.”

“No asshole is going to scope her out!” he said in a gruff tone. He walked away, and as he did, Sebastian and Leif watched him.

“Still stuck on Macie?” smirked Leif.

“Yep. About the same as you are with Ellie.” Leif shoved his shoulder, Sebastian laughing at him.

“He’ll figure it out. Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” asked Sebastian.

“To The Well. I’m not letting him get drunk and start a fight with the entire bar. It would take all of us to calm that bastard down, and I am not in the mood.”