Page 17 of Healing His Darkness
GEORGE
As we walk back to the house hand in hand I worry, that he’s going to get hurt again fighting Rodney. Last time he was out for hours recovering, what if next time he doesn’t recover. What if next time I lose him? I needed to figure out a way to get Rodney to leave us alone without Rooster getting involved.
Walking inside, all three of my brothers along with Sawyer and my dad are sitting around our table drinking coffee smirking. Rooster didn’t let go of my hand and sat quickly pulling me into his lap as he did. I won’t lie it felt good being in his lap, it was where I belonged.
“Well, I take it you unfucked the situation out there?” My dad comments while taking a sip of his coffee while giving Rooster and me a once over.
“You could say that.” I reply smiling.
“Wow I sleep in and suddenly my sister is mated off to some dude we just met.” Dom’s voice is full of snark in typical teenager fashion.
“Yeah, well if you weren’t such a lazy ass you would have been up for all the fireworks this morning. Speaking of you missing things, where the hell were you last night when Rodney attacked Rooster in our front yard? You were supposed to be home by the time I got off.” Dom swallows loudly looking around the table nervously. He must have been up to something, or he was up to someone instead of being home like he was supposed to be.
“I was…” He mumbles something under his breath knowing damn well I can’t hear him, but apparently everyone else at the table can because they all start to chuckle.
“Don’t be too hard on him darlin’ he was busy with important matters.” More chuckling followed by some coughing.
“What could have possibly been so important that you stayed out late?” When Dom blushes three shades of red and grins at me I get the picture.
“Oh, I see it was important backseat matters that you needed to attend to.” I can’t stay mad at him when he looks like he wishes the floor would swallow him whole. Dom might like being out on the football field in front everyone, but he doesn’t like attention directed at him.
“It wasn’t a backseat George; girls deserve better than backseats. At least any girl I’m with deserves more than a backseat.” He eyes Rooster the accusation clear, Dom doesn’t like the idea that Rooster took me in the backseat. It kind of pisses me off that Dom would even think I would let that happen. Okay, I almost did, but he doesn’t know that.
“Ohmigod Dom, do you seriously think I would do that right out in the front of the house?” I try to hop out of Roosters lap, but he grabs me around the waist, holding me tight.
“Calm down beautiful, he was just being a good brother, giving me a warning.” Rooster whispers into my ear soothingly and I relax against him while Cole swats Dom upside the head. My brother is lucky I enjoy sitting in my man’s lap more than I do kicking his ass.
“What are your intentions with my daughter exactly Darryl?” My dad asks while giving Rooster his I’m-a-lie-detector look. He used to give all of us kids that look when he thought we were lying.
“Well first I’m going to get rid of Rodney along with his little pack, then I’m going to claim my mate, as for the rest George and I have a lot to discuss first. It’s only fair that I talk to her about those things first before I discuss it with y’all.” What things do we need to talk about? He wants Rodney out of the picture and then he can claim me and we’ll happily ever after. Isn’t that how this supposed to work? I figure my dad will keep asking him questions, but he just nods in understanding.
“Rodney will be taken care of; you don’t have to worry about him. The deal I made has clear rules where George is concerned.” What was the deal he was talking about? All I knew about was the money he borrowed; I didn’t know anything about a deal.
“I think I can take Rodney out of your lives completely, without retaliation. I’ll have to make a few phone calls, but I’m pretty sure the backup he claims he has no longer exists based on what George told.” What if he’s right? Then we could be rid of that asshole out of our lives once and for all, without fear.
“But in case the threat is still out there I need to know what this deal was you made with him. Because it didn’t look like he was abiding by any kind of agreement last night. He forced George to kiss him and manhandled her. He’s determined she’s his mate, and I’m pretty sure he’ll take her the next chance he gets.” Rooster squeezes me, nuzzling his nose against my neck, causing goosebumps to form all over my body. My dad sighs heavily and runs a hand down his face before he begins.
“When George was dating him, she knew we needed money to make some repairs at the bar. Rodney offered to loan me the money, no interest as a discount for his future father-in-law. A few months later George found him in a compromising position outside the back door to the bar.” I can’t help the words that burst from my lips anger lacing them. Just thinking about that night makes me want to scratch Rodney’s eyes out.
“Meaning he had some chick bent over and he was balls deep in her.” I mutter and Rooster gives me a hug and I melt against him. Because even though I’m still pissed at Rodney he means nothing to me anymore.
“Well after that George understandably broke things off with him. That’s when he came to me and informed me that since George wouldn’t take him back, he’d have to add interest on our loan. It started out with twenty-five percent interest. At the time, I was just happy George got away from his dumbass. I was almost done paying off the loan anyway; we were only a couple thousand away from getting rid of him.” I knew Rodney added interest, but Dad kept how much it was to himself. Hearing how much Rodney was charging him made my blood boil. He cheated on me and he punished my father for breaking up with him. Fucking prick.
“Let me guess he didn’t stop at twenty-five percent.” Rooster says drumming his fingers against my thigh.
“You would guess right. A few weeks later, he said we were late on our payment so the interest would increase another five percent, and it would increase five percent each week that George didn’t take him back. He wanted me to get her to take him back, I refused.” A growl emanates from Rooster as my own anger starts to rise. When I became a leopard, I was totally going to tear Rodney a new asshole. Maybe slice him into tiny pieces and dip him in rubbing alcohol and salt.
“Yesterday, when you saw him at the bar, he offered me a deal. He would forgive my debt if I got George to go back to him. When I told him, I couldn’t do that he offered me a second deal. If I gave him the title to the bar, he’d forgive the loan and wouldn’t bother you ever again.” My brothers are out of their chairs looking like they’re about to change and rip the whole house apart. Jumping out of Rooster’s lap, I grab my father’s hand, hoping he didn’t do what I think he did.
“Daddy tell me you didn’t agree to that. Your bar means everything to you, you’ve worked your whole life for that bar.” When he won’t meet my gaze, I know he did it, I know he gave up his dream for me.
“That’s why I thought she was safe from him, he agreed if I gave him the bar he’d leave you alone.” His head is hanging in defeat. My daddy doesn’t get defeated, he’s the strongest man I know. I did this to him, it’s my fault he lost his dream.
“You should never have adopted me.” I cry out as I run out the front door and take off running. The sounds of pursuit reach my ears, but I know how to hide. I’ve been hiding from my brothers and their shifter sense for years. I need time to figure out how to fix this, I need to figure out how to get my dad's bar back for him.
“Damn it George come back!” Cole's voice rings out in the woods behind our house. He’s the one that taught me how to hide from a shifter. Rubbing against several trees before taking off in the opposite direction, I head for the small creek.
Stopping at the creek, I listen for any sounds of pursuit. When I don’t hear any I’m sure that I’ve been able to evade them, until a giant fucking leopard jumps in front of me. I skid to a halt screeching with my hands out in front of me to fend it off, because a measly human can fend off a giant leopard shifter with just their hands. It’s almost laughable, but then he starts to shift. I watch in fascination as his limbs transform from beautiful sleek cat to muscled tattoo hotness. We stand there staring at each other, our breathing labored.
