“And what about your dad?” I ask hesitant, not wanting to upset him but feeling like it’s something that I have to know for myself.
He snorts before replying. “My father is alive and well. Well enough to walk back into my life and torment me in my adulthood.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that he is here in town. I’m sorry Lucy. What I asked of you was unforgivable and I did it to save you as much as I did it to save myself. I have to do something, so I have to leave here but I ask you not to say here in this apartment. He knows where I live. And if he knows where you live a desperate man strung out on heroin can rationalize all kinds of evils.” He glares at the ground. “I want you to drive to Abbie’s,” he tells me.
“What?” I say incredulously.
“I need you to drive to Abbie’s. Don’t argue with me. For the love of God just do this one thing I ask of you please.”
I stare at him for a moment and consider asking him what he intends to do. I decide to trust my father once again though after the story he just told me.
Chapter Thirteen
KENTON
Kenton
* * *
I can’t believe I’m in this fucking situation. How the hell did this happen? How can I possibly have miss read her so much? I didn’t think she was like this I didn’t think she was like her father. Honestly, the whole thing makes no sense. I wish I had the sense to stay there and talk to her while I could. I was too angry though in the moment and unsure of how to process what I was seeing. I felt so betrayed by it all I let my anger get the better of me, even in my silence. When I drove back to her house later to talk to her I was completely distraught. I was ready to start yelling and breaking things because my heart felt broken.
Imagine my pain as I knocked on the door and she was gone. Where the hell could she be? This is a small town but still big enough for someone to get lost in if they wanted to. I drove to her work and she wasn’t there, and they hadn’t seen her all day even though she was scheduled to work from 12 to 6. She didn’t call in either.
I hope she isn’t in too much trouble. My gut tells me there is something worse, something more nefarious going on, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Yes Noah Knight is behind this, but to what extent though?
There’s only one way to find out.
I will need to confront the bold-faced bastard and demand to know where she is and why she is doing this. I don’t know how I’m going to get the answers out of him, but if I have to break every bone in his body you better believe that I’m going to get those answers. Storming out of my office into an empty police department. I turn the corner and walk smack into the very asshole I was getting ready to hunt down. Fucking Noah Knight. There are probably plenty of reasons why I shouldn’t be talking to him right now while I’m so mad but in this moment I can’t think of a single one that matters to me. Noah is on my shit list. He hurts the girl I love and now he is going to die.
“Kenton,” he says after stepping back a step and holding his head where ours collided a moment before and cursing. “I have to talk to you.”
“Damn right you do,” I snarl, my hands clenched at my sides as I resist the urge to yank him by his throat to the ground and cut it open.
“The last thing I need right now is an assault charge against a police officer. Especially in the midst of a drug trafficking investigation. Kenton, I know you know about the drop last night.”
I freeze for a moment. I was not expecting him to talk to me about anything remotely related to drugs. Honestly, I am still hoping for an opportunity to punch him in his stupid face. And the more he talks the harder it will be to justify in court. So this is a bittersweet moment of conflicting feelings.
“I do,” I admit, pausing to look at him. “How could you do this Noah?” I ask my eyes throwing daggers at her him. “Do you understand the situation that she is in right now? Do you understand That she may go to prison because of your actions?” I shake my head in disgust and resisting the urge to spit on him.
“Of course I know,” Noah says shaking his hand in front of him. “I know exactly the risky situation I put her in.”
“How could you do this to her? How could you hurt her like this again? You told her were done with drugs when you got out of prison. How many times have you told her that would be the last time only for it to not be the last time?” I yell realizing I’m talking in circles as rage fills my soul.
I don’t think I have ever hated someone more than I hate this man right now.
“You are her father,” I yell, my voice booming echoing through the police department. “It was your job to keep her safe. Your job to teach her right from wrong. Your job to set the example! And instead, you have led her down a road full of crime and drugs. You just got out of prison and now you want your daughter to go there too. Do you wanna share a cell? I’ll tell you what if you do that, if you go down this path with her you will never see her again. Neither of us will,” I choke on the words.
Noah’s face hardens. “I understand what I did, and I understand what is going on between you two too,” he snarls looking at me with a look of disgust. “But we will get to that later. First, we need to talk about last night. There’s a lot going on and we don’t have a lot of time. Lucy is in danger.”
That stops me cold.
“Why the fuck is Lucy in danger? What the fuck have you done?” I growl as I grab him by the collar of his flannel shirt and shove him against the wall.
“Do you remember my father?” Noah asks his eyes cold. Not even flinching even though I still have my right hook raised high and another hand clinched dangerously near his throat.
I pause for a moment thinking back. I do remember his father, I grew up here with Noah, though I left for a little while and move to a city. I came back here when I married my wife Charlotte and moved my family here because it was safer than Cheyenne.