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Commando
The sound of the clock on the wall was loud in the quiet room. Dad was sitting across from me, behind his oak desk, his fingers steepled together. I knew Ava was safe at her friend’s house, I had just dropped her there. And when I returned to the Lucky Lady, I’d asked everyone to clear out the meeting room so I could talk to him alone.
“What is it, Kelley?” he asked, in a somber voice. He had judged from my eyes, from my demeanor that whatever it was, it was serious. He wasn’t in the habit of using my given name, at least not since I turned eighteen.
I needed to come clean with him, at least him. Things were getting out of hand with Ava and he needed to know.
“Ava Christenson,” I said her name and her red hair flashed before my eyes. For a moment Dad’s brows furrowed in confusion and then a knowing glaze washed over his face. I didn’t have to say anything else, he knew.
“When?” he asked.
“Couple of days ago.”
“How many times?”
“A few. She stayed over at my place.”
Dad banged the table with his fists, clenched his jaw and then looked away from me.
“You’re my son, Commando. The rules apply to everyone! But especially to you,” he barked and then settled himself.
“I wasn’t fucking on a mission to break the rules. This has never happened before,” I was speaking through gritted teeth and we glared at each other.
“So, what are you saying to me?” he said and I fought the urge to drop my eyes to my hands. I needed to hold his gaze. I needed him to know I was serious about what I was saying.
“She could be the one,” I told him and Dad ran a hand through his silvery hair and shook his head.
“Fuck, Commando!” he growled and I clenched my jaw. “I hoped this would never happen to you, son.”
“There is something about her.”
“There is something about your mother too. These women bring us to our knees and weaken us!” Dad growled and I glared at him.
“You don’t have to lecture me about your relationship with Mom.”
“I fucking love that woman!” he barked and I held my tongue. I knew he did. I knew he fucking did. But he had made her cry. Over and over again. He might have changed his ways now, but I wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt Ava, the way he had hurt Mom. That was what I was really fighting.
Dad was thinking, he was silent for a few moments and then looked back at me with his piercing blue eyes.
“She’s been beaten up,” he said out of the blue and I had to grip the edge of the desk with my hands to not lash out at something. He had noticed the bruise on Ava’s arm.
“I know.”
“Do you know who did it?”
“Her ex boyfriend.”
“He needs to be taken care of. If she’s going to be your woman, you have to make sure she remains that way. I don’t want any trouble over a girl, Kelley. Handle it now before you get into anything,” Dad said and I felt like I could breathe again. This was his way of giving me permission to be with her, and that was all I needed to hear.
I got up from my chair to leave.
“Son,” he stopped me before I left the room.
“She’s a good kid and I hope she knows that you’re not,” he said and I looked him in the eye.
“She does,” I said even though I wasn’t sure if she did, or if she cared. I wasn’t even sure if she wanted to be with me. With everything else in my life, I had taken what I wanted, but with Ava, I wasn’t going to force her.
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