Page 16 of Tucker
Fuck.Why did she tell me that? My cock responds instantly to the picture in my headof her slim, naked body lying in my bathtub. I can’t think that way. It’s wrongfor too many reasons, the least of which is that she’s Dare’s baby sister. Thatdoesn’t keep me from picturing her bent over the edge of my tub, though, wetand slick while I plunge inside her.
WhenI fail to answer, she texts again.
Leah:You’re picturing me naked aren’t you?
Ifeel like I’ve been caught red handed when there’s no way she could actuallyknow.
Me:You aren’t funny.
Leah:Nope, but I’m nude and soapy.
Fuck.Me. I have to end this now.
Me:Good night, Leah.
Leah:Killjoy.
Sighing,I lay my head back. Leah drives me insane sometimes with her peppy attitude andenthusiastic energy, but I’ve grown used to her. At first, I was just countingdown the days, and the plan was to avoid her as much as possible, but it’s likeshe’s a shiny piece of metal and I’m a magnet.
I’mdrawn to her sunny optimism despite my own gloomy outlook. Maybe because of it.She’s the first bright spot I’ve had in my life after a long, dark period. I’mattracted to her. I doubt there’s a man who wouldn’t be, but it’s not my desireto fuck her into next week that worries me. Lust can be fought.
No,it’s the way I think of her when I shouldn’t. The way I wait for her to join mein the living room in the evenings even though we don’t talk much. I just likehaving her there, typing on her laptop or reading from her tablet.
Duringmy evening runs, my mind would always wander to the past, to everything I’vedone. The war, the fellow soldier I killed, my time in prison, and especiallyher; the woman whose life I ruined.
SinceLeah has started running with me, I’m not so tortured by the memories. I’mlistening to her laugh when she thinks she’s winning or watching the way herponytail swishes back and forth with the beat of her feet on the dirt.
Shebrings me something I haven’t known in too long.
Shebrings me peace.
ButI don’t deserve it.
AndI can’t keep her.
Thatdoesn’t keep me from thinking about her, though.
It’safter two a.m. when I think I hear something in the hallway. I haven’t heard avehicle approach or anything, and I suspect it’s just one of the kids out ofbed to go to the bathroom, but I still need to check it out.
Thehouse is silent as I walk past Kevin’s room and the master bedroom where theirmother sleeps. When I get to the end of the hall, I hear whispers from thegirl’s room. Pressing my ear to the door, her words become clear.
“Imiss you too, Daddy! No, she still has some big guy here. He’s in the living room.”
She’sobviously on her cell phone with her father. There is supposed to be no contactuntil the court date next week. I feel sorry for her. She’s too young tounderstand the danger posed by him. She just misses her father.
Ihave every intention of letting it go and just telling Mason that the guy isstill trying to make contact until I hear her next statement. “Really? You’rehere? Yes! Just come to my window. He won’t know you’re here.”
Themotherfucker is using his kid to break in.
Asquietly as possible, I let myself out the back door and creep around to thecorner of the house to watch. A man strolls across the yard as if he belongsthere and goes straight for Daysha’s window.
I’ma soldier. I know how to walk quietly and the guy doesn’t seem too concernedwith monitoring his surroundings. I hear the window slide up. As soon as hebraces his arms on the windowsill, I tackle him and he goes down like a wetsack of hair. Within a few seconds, I have him sitting with his arms above hishead, his hands zip tied to the fence. Rule number one when you’re providingsecurity, always have your gun, phone, and some zip ties.
He’sletting out a string of curses a mile long and his daughter is screaming andcrying in her room while I make a quick call to nine-one-one and report thesituation.
“They’remy fucking kids! This is my house! I can come home whenever I want. You aren’ta cop. I know what you’re doing here. I don’t care who she’s fucking now. Youcan have her. But the kids belong to me.”
Iignore his ranting, and Robin looks out of the bedroom window. She blinks,trying to comprehend the situation when she’s been pulled from a dead sleep.
