TYLER
“What are you doing lurking in the doorway? Damn.” Dad almost gave me a heart attack when I walked in. “And what’s that stupid grin on your face for? You didn’t sign me up for some crap again I hope, because I’m not going and I’m not covering for you with your wife.” Who’s the kid here anyway? I think his midlife crisis is about to give me grey hair.
“Lora called me dad.” That one stopped me dead in my tracks.
“Don’t go getting any ideas old man. Technically, as my future wife she is indeed your daughter in law.”
“I know that, can’t you let me be excited for two minutes? By the way, I know what you’re up to. Lora and I had a long talk.”
His lying ass. I always know when he’s lying. He averts his gaze. Add the fact that Lora doesn’t have the first clue what the hell I’ve been doing. I played along all the same just to trap him in his own bullshit lie. “Oh yeah, and what exactly did she tell you?” I crossed my arms and looked him full on.
“You know, and I think that you need to stop and let the law handle this stuff. That is some serious stuff that girl is into, and what with her already causing her own mother harm, I don’t think you nor Lora should be dealing with this.”
“Nothing you just said is any different from what I’ve already told you, nice try dad. Besides, I’m not up to anything.” I waved the flowers I was holding in my hand in case he missed them. “I went out to get my girl some flowers.” I bypassed him and headed for the stairs leaving him to mumble about teenagers and something about him not signing up for this.
I found Lora in her bed staring up at the ceiling and from the look in her eyes when she turned and looked at my entrance I knew she was thinking about shit that had nothing to do with her. Freaking dad and his fishing expedition must’ve set her on that path again. Parents can be such a damn pain.
“Hey baby, miss me?” I held out the flowers for her and saw the look of pleasure as she reached out for them. “Why don’t we go find a vase to put those in?” Anything to distract you from whatever the hell is on your mind. If she questions me about this shit or frets about it in anyway, I’m gonna get dad back. Maybe I’ll order some shit in his name that I knew for sure his wife told him is off-limits. That’ll teach him to stick his nose in my shit.
“Tyler, your dad’s worried.” Okay, now that puts a whole new spin on things. His meddling is one thing, but if he’s genuinely worried that’s another kettle of fish. He hadn’t seemed that worried downstairs a minute ago. Then again maybe the fact that she’d called him dad had overclouded his judgment. And maybe this one’s doing some fishing of her own. I’m surrounded by nosy ass fishermen.
“What’s he worried about?” I followed her from the room and headed down the stairs to go in search of a vase for the blooms I’d bought her.
“He thinks you’re up to something that can get you into trouble. I told him that you weren’t so you better not be.”
“Of course not, what the hell could I possibly be doing that would get me into trouble?”
I don’t have to do shit because I’m pretty sure right about now, Penny and her dad who worships the ground she walks on are busy finding ways to tie up Sherry and the law will take care of Kevin.
Not only has he been arrested for assault, but in a few hours, they’d be receiving some anonymous tips about the shit he’s been up to. Once that shit goes down, his straitlaced conservative mind fuck of a dad is going to go ape-shit and cut all ties with him because his reputation is more important than getting his son the help he so obviously needs.
If he hadn’t gone after Lora I may have been inclined to do some kind of intervention for the guy. After all, he’s only eighteen years old and this shit is bound to go on his record somewhere. Even if he never stands trial for lack of any concrete existing evidence, this blemish will not soon go away.
But he’d crossed the line and there’s no turning back. As for the men who Sherry had had lined up, Paul and Steve are in the process of figuring out who they are. I have the task of getting in touch with her past victims and seeing about getting them justice as well. Something Penny was on board to help with.