I was still coming to grips with the haunting images I’d seen on that screen in the cell I’d been trapped in. When they locked me up and had Blake in another room all alone where I couldn’t get to her…They wanted information, and she wouldn’t give it. There was nothing I could do to save her.
I closed my eyes, hoping to banish the images of Blake being waterboarded, but they just wouldn’t go away. No matter how hard I tried, nothing could erase the image of her limp body being pulled from that water basin.
“Hey, I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Blake said, trying to reassure me, pulling me from the depressing thoughts roaming in my brain.
“Yeah, I’m sure he will be.”
Three months ago, I was just praying to one day be able to return to my home at some point. Now that I was here, nothing was going as planned.
About half an hour ago, my parents had disappeared behind the double doors leading to Liam’s room. It had been a relief—a sort of stay of execution for lack of a better word. But now they were both headed this way, and my father didn’t look at all happy to see me.
Not that I thought it would be any different.
Pop and I had always had a slightly contentious relationship. We didn’t always see eye to eye on things, but we always managed to work shit out.
When I left the last time, I knew things would be harder when I returned. Ma had been devastated that I was leaving her again, and Pop had been pissed as hell that I was disappearing when he needed me at the ranch.
But I knew I couldn’t stay. Not with the way the rumors were swirling around me. They wouldn’t die down until I left, and only then would my family find peace.
I was a rapist.
I deserved more than a dishonorable discharge.
I should be in jail.
Those were just a few of the things I’d heard the last time I’d been home,and I didn’t expect that to change right away, but at least now I could hold my head high, knowing that my DD had been overturned.
It would take more than that for Pop to forget the way we left things, and that was clear as he approached with a scowl permanently etched on his face.
My muscles bunched in anticipation of the fight we were about to have. Blake wasn’t too much better, her nails digging softly into my skin. This wasn’t the way I’d planned to introduce her to the family, and it definitely wasn’t the way I wanted my father to look at my future wife.
We both stood at the same time, waiting for the fallout that was sure to come. Pop’s eyes were dark and stormy, but Ma…she looked at me with all the love in the world, just grateful I was home.
And then those dark eyes turned on Blake, and I felt a chill skate down my spine. I hadn’t exactly expected a warm welcome, but I hadn’t thought he would actually look at either of us like he wanted to murder us.
“How is he?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“He’s on a ventilator right now. We’ll know more in a day or so.”
Though the words were directed at me, his eyes never left Blake.
“We haven’t been introduced,” he finally said, his voice low and gruff.
“This is Blake, Pop.” I wrapped my arm around Blake and pulled her into my side. “She’s my girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend,” he grunted, not sounding very impressed. “Thought you were out there hiding from the world.”
He really wasn’t going to make this easy on me. “I was, and then I met some people who helped me out. That’s how I met Blake.”
“Well, technically, we met when I shoved you through a window,” Blake grinned, only making the situation worse. I almost started laughing at the anger on my father’s face.
Blake was a spitfire, and she didn’t take crap from anyone. She was trying to lighten the mood, but clearly, that wasn’t in the cards for tonight.
“It’s usually a great conversation starter,” Blake muttered.
“You shoved my son through a window?” Pop snapped.
“Well, in all fairness, he broke into my room.”
