Page 137 of Blade

“No.”

I stood from Micah’s lap and walked to the front of the room. I stared at my uncle, waiting for him to move. He stared back at me until I lifted my eyebrow at him. Sighing, he stood up, giving me his seat that was directly in front of my dad.

“Daddy.”

Yeah, I was pulling out the big guns. He looked up from the table and stared at me. I could see the fury in his eyes.

“You can’t do this. You are the goddamn sheriff here, and you aren’t dirty. The only option for you is the law. She hasn’t actually done anything illegal.”

“Beck—”

“No, Dad.”

“He tried to rape you. He would have tried again if the boys hadn’t gotten to you in time. She has to answer for that,” he rasped.

“But you can’t prove it. Unless she admits to telling him to rape me, which you know she would never do, you have nothing.”

“She’s right, brother, let us handle this,” King agreed.

“No.”

I swung around on my uncle. “That is not what I meant. I have an idea. I need you to trust me and let me do this my way.”

“What does that mean, baby?” Micah asked.

“It means I am the only one in this room who knows the real Conifer Washington. I know how to hit her where it hurts.”

My dad stood from his chair and walked out of the room without a word to anyone. We heard the front door slam as we spilled out into the main area. Walking over to the bar, I closed my eyes in defeat. Laying on the bar top was my father’s badge. His gun was gone.

King stepped up beside me and spied my dad’s badge.

“He knows what he’s doing, sweetheart.”

“He’s being stupid.”

What was he thinking? He couldn’t just shoot her.

She was my mother, for God’s sake.

“Yea, well, your father hasn’t always made the smartest decisions when it involves the people he loves. He’ll be ok.”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

I knew there was a lot to learn about both men. Anything King could tell me now would help me find my father before he did something he couldn’t take back.

“A lot,” he simply replied, walking away. “Let him be. He’ll come home when he’s ready.”

“Baby, I need to go deal with Grant,” Micah said without looking me in the eye.

Micah knew I wasn’t stupid. He knew I understood what that meant. I should stop him, make him promise not to kill him, but I couldn’t bring myself to care about what happened to Grant.

He had already attacked me twice. I knew he would do it again if given the chance. Micah would make sure he never had that opportunity again.

“Ok, I’m going home. Take your time. I’ll see you when you’re done.”

I kissed his cheek. If he noticed I was brushing him off, he didn’t say a word. Walking back across the street, I tried to call my dad. Of course, he didn’t answer. I knew he wouldn’t, so I left him a message.

“Hey, Dad, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but this isn’t smart. I know we haven’t known each other for long and I know it’s her fault, along with a slew of other things, but you’re a good man. Let me call her, let me talk to her, let me handle this. I know how to handle her. Let me do this. I love you.”

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