Page 138 of The Convict Gets His Girl

A gasp and a movement to his left drew his gaze. He turned but before he could process, his daughter jumped into his arms, wrapping him in a hug. "Dad!"

His chest squeezed tighter than she did, and he closed his eyes as tears burned.

Chase held Destini tight, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo mixed with bonfire smoke. Behind her, the two other girls huddled together, their faces a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

"Are you okay?" he whispered into her hair, his hands checking her for any signs of injury.

"We're fine." Destini pulled back, her eyes darting between her father and Uncle Gunner. "Those guys outside were getting really weird. They kept talking about 'having fun' and passing around something in a brown bottle."

Skye stepped forward, her soccer jersey torn at the shoulder. "Things got weird. Some of the football guys started doing shots. Then one of them brought out pills. They kept trying to get us to take some, kept shoving drinks in our hands."

Vi nodded, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. "We stood there with drinks but didn't drink anything."

"I thought you were staying with Kayla," Chase said, his arm around Destini's shoulders. He didn't want to let her go, needed the reassurance that she was alright.

"Kayla's out there. She's dating one of the football boys. She said we were chicken shit for not drinking or doing anything. Then she went off with her boyfriend."

Gunner stepped forward, his police officer demeanor shifting into protective mode. "How many people are out there?"

"Maybe ten or twelve?" Skye piped up, her voice trembling. "They seemed really drunk and out of it."

Chase felt the protective surge again, that familiar rush of adrenaline that had propped him up through the drive still flowing through his veins.

"Hey, get out here, soccer babes! You can't stay in there all night," yelled an overly loud voice from the back of the barn.

"I know how to get them out," came a muffled response.

Gunner pulled out his radio, speaking in low, calm tones to dispatch. "This is Officer Gunner Williams. We've got a potential underage drinking situation at Miller's field. Need backup to handle minors and potential drug activity."

Chase watched as his brother eased toward the back door of the barn, peering between the crack to assess the situation outside. The barn felt small, cramped with tension and unspoken fears.

Gunner came back on silent feet, swiftly pointing them toward the front. "We need to get you three out of here," Gunner said, his flashlight sweeping the barn's dark corners out of habit. "Those kids outside might get aggressive once they realize we're here."

As if on cue, a loud crash echoed from outside—glass breaking, followed by drunken laughter. Destini instinctively moved closer to her father, her hand gripping his sleeve. Violet jumped and just looked down, hands buried in the pocket of an oversized hoodie.

"I got you," Chase murmured, his hand protectively on her back. "We're getting out of here, but I can't leave Gunner to handle a dozen teens alone. Come on, y'all can sit in the car."

"Back up's on the way. You take care of the girls," Gunner whispered.

Chase met Destini's gaze and—though fear was still there—she was calm as she said, "No, they have to be stopped. I don't want them to keep pressuring us for the next few years of high school. I—I don't want them to lead to an accident like what put my dad in prison."

Chase sucked in a breath and hugged Destini tight, her small hands settling on his back as she squeezed.

"Fine, sit in the car and stay out of sight," Gunner said.

Chase led the girls through the door to the car, handing Destini the keys in case they got cold. "But if you turn it on, lock it so none of those dweebs can get in."

Destini nodded, and Chase went back into the barn to find his brother.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," called a teen outside.

"Seriously, it's all in good fun. Are y'all alright in there?"

Another crash and a flash of light burst at the back of the barn. A symphony of teens cursing, yelling, and even some laughing echoed as a blaze of fire licked up one wall. Chase and Gunner glanced at each other, eyes wide.

Gunner reached for his radio and called it in. "Dispatch, the teens just lit the Miller barn on fire. Send the fire department."

Chase thought to what he'd seen when they arrived. "The grass is too close to the barn. It could catch the entire field on fire."

---