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“Goddamnit, Add—”
The door wrenched open, and she tumbled forward out of my arms—right into Dad’s. She jerked away from him as though his touch burned her, and she stumbled up the stairs where safety could be found.
My teeth clenched as Dad watched her go, and I fisted my hands at my sides, still standing on the damn stoop, my heart pounding. Balls aching.
Fuck. He fucking saw. Goddamn surveillance shit he had installed…
One fucking costly mistake, one my mind scrambled to explain—
Dad turned toward me, his face as cold as always when he glanced down over me. Thank fuck my sweatshirt hung low over my belt, somewhat hiding my raging boner. “The hell was that about?” he asked.
“She’s upset.” I glanced up the stairwell she’d disappeared into, brain still ramped up on finding an excuse, on blowing my load.
“Obviously.”
Knowing I had to redirect his focus away from whatever he thought he saw on the doorbell video feed, I went with the truth.
“Some prick was pawing at her at the party she and Jenny snuck out to. Caught him with his tongue down her throat.”
Dad’s jaw clenched like he felt the same sick jealousy I did. “Who?”
“Devon Bradshaw. Junior—thinks he’s big shit.”
“Sheriff’s son, her little wanna-be boyfriend.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, even though he hadn’t asked a question. The sheriff had become his best friend, so he knew exactly who Devon was.
Lloyd eyed me and my blood-splattered sweatshirt, but I didn’t shift or try to hide what I’d done. “I take it you beat his ass for touching her?”
“Bloodied his face up, but his friends were helping him when we left.”
My dad dipped his head once and clasped my shoulder. “Good job, son.”
All thought fled, and my jaw dropped. An encouraging word and an act of affection when fighting before had gotten me tossed into juvie?
“Ingrid is sleeping and doesn’t need to know,” Dad said, stunning me even further. “We’ll keep this to ourselves. I’ll talk to Addilyn and tell her the same.”
I nodded, dumb and mute.
Dad turned and walked away, leaving me standing there in the open doorway. I stared after him, wondering what the hell had gotten into the man who found negativity in everything I did, who’d been happy to send me away for my anger issues during my earlier teen years.
Addilyn had let me rub all against her backside without hissing like a pissed cat or acting high and mighty like she had a stick up her ass, and Dad all but told me I’d pleased him with the aggression he used to find so distasteful.
I strode into the house—fucking grinning.
