Page 17 of Vengeance

“You can ask me anything.”

He smiles. “Okay, then I have two questions.”

“Hit me.”

Both flinch, and she realizes how terrible the choice of words is. His father is out on parole for beating Tara and trying to kill her. Hit me isn’t the type of thing you say when they’ve lived the lives they have.

“That guy, Ty... do you love him?”

Tyson Reeves came into Tara’s life when she least expected to find anyone. And she never thought she’d fall for a man like him in a million years. Everything her parents always warned her about described Ty to a T. The bad boy out to only break your heart and leave you crying. Instead, that bad boy was the savior she never knew she needed. He showed up and saved her more than once, and he reminded her what it was like to be touched by a man who didn’t derive pleasure from hurting her.

“I do.”

“Good. I like him, although I don’t think Dad would be too happy about that.”

Tara laughs. No, Billy would definitely not be happy about that. “What’s your second question?”

“Are you scared of Dad?”

More than you know. “Where’d that come from?”

“Because I remember what he did to you. I still have nightmares about it, and he’s out of prison. I didn’t know if you were scared of him finding you. Because I am.”

“You’re scared he’ll find you?” she asks.

Matty shakes his head. “I’m scared he’ll find you.”

“Why?”

Licking his lips, he lowers his head. “Because I think he’ll kill you. I don’t want that to ever happen because you’re the only adult who actually likes me.”

“Don’t want what to happen?” a voice that makes her blood run cold asks from behind her.

Matty’s eyes widen in shock as he looks up, and Tara does everything in her power not to let Billy see her fear. “Nothing,” she says. “What are you doing here, Billy? You’re not supposed to be within one hundred yards of me.”

“You think a piece of paper will keep me away from you?” Billy Voorhees asks with a laugh and sits down next to her.

The scent of his cologne wafts around her as he reaches across her to grab a potato, and she feels the taco inching its way back up her throat. She’s completely frozen in fear. There’s nothing she can do, and she wishes Ty was with her right now.

“You could be arrested, Dad,” Matty says, taking another potato and dunking it into his nacho cheese. The laid-back way he acts makes Tara jealous. She wishes she could do the same thing. “You should probably go away.”

“And since when do I take orders from my shithead kid, huh?” Billy growls. “I have to talk to my pretty girl here.”

“She’s not your pretty girl, Dad. She’s someone else’s pretty girl now.”

Billy lifts his hand to run through her hair, and he grabs and tugs it instead. “She’s mine. Always has been, and that’s how it’ll end. Your last breath will be with me right beside you, Tara. Revenge for getting me locked up, but you can be sure I’ll take everything you owe me first. Got that?”

Tara’s breathing hitches, and she can’t find the words. Everything in her tells her to scream, but her voice disappeared on her. She’s frozen in fear, and her eyes narrow in confusion as Matty moves to stand on his chair.

“Police! Someone, call the police! My dad is out of prison and threatened to kill us! Someone, please, help!”

Three large men stand and walk over to the table as a police officer hurries from the other side of the food court. Tara almost cries in relief when Billy releases her hair.

“There a problem here, buddy?” one of the men asks.

“No, no one has a problem, do they, Tara?” Billy asks.

The police officer walks towards them, his hand on his gun, and the three men refuse to move. It’s almost like having the protection of the Drifters around her.

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