"You wouldn't," I seethed.
"The gun tucked under my coat says otherwise," he sneered.
Any belief I'd had that there could be an ounce of good hiding somewhere deep down in my father was completely shattered in that instant. I knew he'd never cared or given two shits about me. I'd had enough run-ins and blowouts with him over the years to make that abundantly clear, but I had hoped that somewhere in that ice-cold, whiskey-soaked heart of his, there was some humanity left.
As I watched him look down on us with those familiar hazy eyes, now filled with hateful determination, I knew...he would always be the villain. Nothing could ever redeem him. When someone threatened the life of a child, there was no coming back from that. My father was a shell. He was nothing but a soulless alcoholic, intent on finding his next bottle, and nothing would ever get in his way.
"I think it's time the three of us took a little trip," he said, patting his hip, with a wicked smile.
With that gun in his possession, I was backed into a corner. Every molecule in my body was screaming to turn, run, and yell for help. But I looked at the man in front of me, and I didn't trust him. I didn't know what he would and wouldn't do. Would he turn and run? Or would he shoot? One thing my father had proven today was that he was unpredictable.
I should have known better after reading those letters he'd saved from my mother. I'd always cast him aside as a lifeless drunk, but behind those vacant eyes lay something much more sinister. Feeling Connor's small body behind me, knowing I was his sole protector in that moment, I knew I couldn't risk doing anything bold.
I gave a slight nod, squeezing Connor's hand, as he quickly shoved my phone back into my pocket.
"All right, Dad. You win. We'll go with you."
~Declan~
"One second, she was crying over a commercial she'd seen, and the next, she was shoving me down onto the couch, begging me to take her. It's weird, man," Logan said as we continued to unload boxes from the moving truck into the house.
This was our house —the house I owned with Leah, the house we now shared with my son. Well, we would share it once all the court documents were filed. It was a surreal day.
"So, this is what I have to look forward to someday?" I asked with a grin.
"I think you have a few more steps to go through, dude, before you knock Leah up...unless you're planning on going the celebrity route and doing everything ass-backwards."
We set the boxes down in the formal living room, a room I didn't quite understand. Why did a house need two living rooms? It seemed redundant.
"No, I definitely plan on putting a ring on that woman before long. That way, she can't run," I said jokingly.
"Yeah? Good for you, man. Does Connor know?"
I nodded, remembering the conversation we'd had a week or so ago. Leah had been out, grabbing take-out, and I'd sat down with Connor to have a man-to-man chat. He had been excited as he'd asked how I was going to do it.
"You can't just ask her. You have to make it romantic, Dad."
I'd laughed and assured him I would do just that. It still tore me up every time he called me Dad.
"He's really happy," I said to Logan as we headed back outside to grab another box for the hundredth time. How much damn shit did we have? "But you can't tell Clare. Leah would know in five seconds flat. You know those two don't keep any secrets."
"What are you two talking about out here?" Clare asked, poking her head out the door.
"You weren't lifting anything, right? I told you to just put away small things, like kitchen things and clothes," Logan scolded, immediately taking residence next to his wife.
She was barely three months pregnant, but Logan was treating her like she was about to give birth any day. We'd all given him shit because he was so cautious and careful with her. As a doctor, he knew better, but apparently, that need to protect overrode all of his medical training. I knew it was a bit of a miracle that they'd conceived in the first place. They hadn't been planning on it, especially with Logan just recently going into remission. But here they were, expecting a child. I'd never seen my friend so frazzled and happy all at the same time. It was a look I hoped I'd have the pleasure of having someday.
"I was just saying how you and my lovely girlfriend can't keep secrets from each other," I said to Clare.
"Oh," she said with a giggle, "that's very true. Very true indeed."
"I don't even want to know what that smile means," I said.
She just laughed and headed back inside. I searched around the moving truck, grabbed another box, and took it inside, heading towards the kitchen. I found Clare sitting on the countertop with Logan standing between her legs. His arms were wrapped around her waist, and he was pulling her body closer as he kissed her.
"Dude! Could you at least let me be the one to deflower my kitchen?" I found a magnet on the counter and threw it at his head.
He ducked and laughed, chucking a kitchen towel in my direction. Just as I was looking around the kitchen for something else I could launch at my horny friend, my phone vibrated in my back pocket.
Leah had been sending me funny texts all day, so I was curious to see what shenanigans she was up to this time. She had sent me pics of flowery bedspreads and another one of herself looking miserable as she and Connor entered yet another store. I'd also received a text saying that she was seriously considering painting his room pink as retribution. She'd thought she was getting off easy by taking Connor shopping for bedding and not having to unpack. Little had she known that it would turn out to be an all day affair. I felt bad for her, but then not so much while I stretched my aching back as I remembered when she'd told me we didn't need a mover.
With a goofy grin on my face, I pulled out my cell and saw that I did have a new message from Leah, but this one wasn't funny or snarky. This one stopped my blood cold and left me frozen in my tracks.
Dad, need U. At mall. Man with gun.
"Declan, you look like you just saw a ghost," Clare said.
Someone tugged at my arm, pulling the phone out of my hand, which snapped me back into reality.
Leah and Connor needed me. I didn't understand what was happening, but I needed to get to them —now.
I heard Logan and Clare's reaction to the text message a second later, and I didn't even need to voice my request as Logan grabbed his keys and headed to the door with me. He turned briefly and gave Clare a quick but passionate kiss that seemed to say everything all at once.
"Tell Maddie I'll be home soon," he said.
And we were gone.
I barely remember the car ride. Thank God Logan drove because I didn't know how the f**k I would have gotten there otherwise. Logically, I knew the mall was only five minutes away, but it felt like an eternity to get there.