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“It’s about your real dad,” he said. “I’m him. Derrick Ellington.”
The air left my lungs as I struggled to remember what he had looked like when I was six years old. That was the last time I’d seen him. Honestly, I never thought he’d get out of jail after trying to kidnap me and holding Remi for ransom.
“Jensen Jeffers is myrealmy dad.” I said, wanting it to hurt him. “Now, get out of the building before I call security.”
“Dylan, please, son…” his voice was pleading. “It’s been twenty years. I’ve changed. I’m out on parole for good behavior. I just want to get to know you.”
I could feel my face start to burn and my heart speed up, but an invisible wall came up around me like it was made of steel. Suddenly I realized who was making those anonymous calls. “Don’t care. Get out of the building.”
A few seconds of silence followed, but I didn’t hear him move away from the door. I looked again. He was still standing there. I wanted to open the door and shout in his face, to take a swing at him, but I couldn’t jeopardize my career by getting arrested for assault. My fist clenched.
“Look, I’m sorry about what happened, but I only wanted to be with you. Your mother stole you from me. Haven’t I been punished enough?”
Oh, God, I thought. I shook my head. “She never would have run if you were a decent human being. Instead, you were a bastard. You hurt me, you hurt my mother, and you hurt Remi. We’re done.” My voice was ice cold. I wasn’t yelling, but I left him in no doubt of my hatred of him. “Ten more seconds and I’m calling security. I’m fairly certain being here is a violation of your parole.”
“No, no. Don’t do that.” A small scrap of paper was shoved under the door. “I’ll go.”
I bent to pick it up and it had a phone number scratched on it in black pen.
“That’s my phone number. Call me if you want to talk.”
I crumpled it up in my fist. “I don’t.”
I walked away from the door and watched the security app on my phone until I was sure he’d left the building. “What the fuck?” I said aloud, reaching for the beer as I sat down on the sofa again.
I let out a huff. I didn’t remember much about him, at least before my mom and I had moved to Atlanta. I’d blacked most of the time when we lived with him out, but I remembered him taking Remi and me. I remembered every second of it.
My mind raced. Would he go after my mother again? I didn’t want to scare her, so the first thing I did was call my dad.
“Hey, Dylan! What’s up?”
“I don’t really know how to say this, Dad, so I’m just going to say it. Ellington is out of jail, and he showed up at my apartment.”
“Oh, shit,” Dad muttered. “I thought he was put away for life.”
“I did, too. He just showed up at my door. He said he was out on parole, but I don’t trust him. Can you check on that? Maybe if he’s on a parole violation they can lock him up again.”
“I’ll see what I can do. How did he get into your building?”
“He snuck in somehow.”
“This is not good. Your mother will freak out.” I could hear the edge of anxiety in his voice. My dad was tough, but not when it came to my mom. “Maybe you should move, son.”
“I haven’t even lived here a year, Dad. I’m not afraid of him.” I was taller than he was, but I wasn’t sure what his stature was beneath his coat. “I can protect myself.”
“Why don’t you move in with Chase until we know more.”
I shook my head and frowned. “I’m not doing that. He’s my coach, right now. I’m going to act like he my dad’s best friend. I don’t want to confuse things with the team.”
“Dylan, don’t be so stubborn!”
“I’m not doing it. I hate him enough to pound the hell out of him.”
“Stay away from him. If you see him, call the police. Why didn’t you this time?”
“He took me by surprise, and he was kind of pathetic, if I’m honest. I’m more worried about Mom. He is supposed to stay in Georgia, and that’s where you guys are, not me.”
“Well, he’s bad news in either place, Dylan. I’m going to let Chase and Ben know. I can’t believe they let that fucker out.”
