Page 14 of Renegade

“Dad?” I croaked out before reluctantly opening my door.

“Hey, Junior. Your mom said you needed help. What’s going on?”

Just like that.

Like he hadn’t been out of the picture for the last five years.

“She called you?You?Of all the people she could’ve recruited—she chose you?” My voice got increasingly louder until I was shouting in his face.

David leaned across me calmly and pointed toward the back of the pickup truck. “The problem’s in the back.”

My father leaned in closer to look at David. “You John’s boy?” When David nodded, he stepped back to check the bed of the truck, letting out a low whistle when he saw Patrick.

“What the hell happened here?”

I climbed out and limped over to meet him. “Guy jumped me—I only hit him once though—he fell back and cracked his head.”

He looked at me with something that could only be described as pride. “You hit him with an uppercut, yeah? One and done, just like I taught ya.”

I shrugged. “I guess—I just need to know what to do. Do I take him to the hospital? Call his dad?”

My dad reached over and hit Patrick’s side with the back of his hand. “Why? He’s dead, son.”

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. “Jesus, fuck. What am I gonna do? I’m gonna get arrested.” I leaned down and clutched my knees as blood poured from my reopened leg wound. I was so screwed right now.

David’s voice cut the silence. “Did you say dead? He’s dead? Like dead, dead? Are we sure he’s not just unconscious?” His face looked almost green in the light from my father’s truck and I knew he was seconds away from puking.

My father surveyed both of us for a minute before gesturing to his truck. “Get what you need out of your truck and head back to the house. Where’s his vehicle parked?”

“He’s parked at the oldCaptain’s Quarters. Wait, what about David’s truck? We can’t leave it here.”

My father laughed and pointed down at my leg. “Junior, your leg ain’t gonna stop bleeding unless you get it taken care of. Your mom’s back at the house; She’ll get you fixed up and David’s truck will be waiting out front in the morning. Sound good?” He gripped my shoulder and squeezed lightly.

I stared up into his eyes and nodded, feeling choked up. “What about,” I pointed to the bed of David’s truck, “him?”

I sighed as David leaned over and hurled.

My father chuckled. “Damn, kid, you gonna make it?” David gave a small groan before retching again. “Guess not. Look, I’ll take care of this fucking mess—you get home to Betsy and don’t tell anyone shit. Got it? You left the hospital and went straight home.”

I nodded, still trying to wrap my mind around him being here.

He squeezed my arm again. “I’m damn proud of you, son. You did what you had to do. Let me take care of it for ya, okay?”

I nodded again, my throat tight. “Thanks—I, uh, I owe you for all this.”

He ruffled my hair and helped me into his truck and suddenly, I was eleven years old again. Just a kid, desperately seeking approval. He led David back to the truck and gave him the keys.

“You boys drive safe. I’ll take care of this.”

David started the truck, but left it in park. “Mike, you killed a guy. We have to go to the police. And your dad? When the hell did he show up? And how does he know my dad? Oh god, I can’t be a part of this!”

I leaned over and shifted the truck into reverse. “David, you need to drive us back to my mom’s.” He hit the brakes, so I tried again. “David, c’mon. Just get us back to Beaumont.”

“I helped you—I’m an accessory to murder!” He began hyperventilating and I knew I was going to have to calm him down if we wanted to make it home in one piece. At the rate we were going, he was liable to drive us right off the ferry and into the ocean.

“David, look at me. This is all on me. If the shit hits the fan and my old man can’t fix it, I’ll take the fall. But, if we pull it off, I’ll owe you one. Anytime, day or night.”

He drove around his truck and got us back on the road before replying, “Like I’ll ever cash in on that favor.”

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