Page 73 of No Fear
Rachel nodded and then leaned up and brushed a kiss over his lips, “Be careful.”
“He can’t hurt me.”
Her eyes softened, “Yes, he can.”
Since her words of understanding made his chest feel heavy, he only clenched his jaw and then pushed her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. She understood him so well. Decker couldn’t hurt him, not physically, but he could and would still hurt him given half a chance. He would throw every vile, angry thing he could at him and it would still hurt even though he should know better by now
Decker had been a terrible father, but the bastard was still his dad.
Remy went back to his bedroom and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt as quickly as he could. The pounding was still coming, though it was getting weaker. The drunk bastard was losing steam. That was a good thing. He wondered momentarily if he could just wait it out, if Decker wouldn’t wander off and pass out somewhere, forget he’d ever been here. Then he remembered that he wasn’t a kid anymore, that he was a grown man and he’d sworn he was done running, done hiding, from his problems.
Even if he didn’t want to do this, he could and he would. For Rachel. Because if he didn’t face Decker down now, that bastard might show up again later. He might show up when there was no one here or when Rachel was alone. And he didn’t want his father anywhere near the woman he loved.
He shot the bathroom door one last look and as he walked past it he heard Rachel on the other side. She wasn’t running a bath like he’d told her. She was pacing. He wanted to break down the door and pull her into his arms. Instead, he paused long enough to put a hand on the rough surface.
“I love you, Rachel.”
A sharp intake of breath, “I love you too.”
“Stay in there and turn on the water. I don’t want you to hear this.”
He turned before he could hear her answer and headed for the door. After another deep breath for courage, he pushed it open. Decker had been standing near enough to it that he stumbled back, out of the way, and nearly landed on his ass. His arms spun in comically wide circles, trying to regain his balance, but Remy didn’t laugh as he stepped down out of the trailer so that he was on solid ground to face off with his father.
Decker looked almost exactly like he remembered. Big and muscular, a mountain of a man. Despite the alcoholism and the fighting, years of abusing himself and others, he’d somehow managed to age well. If it wasn’t for the gray that had begun to pepper his dark hair around the temples and the extra pounds that turned his chest and stomach into a barrel, it would have been like looking in a mirror.
All this time, all the years away, Remy had somehow managed to convince himself that everyone was wrong. That he didn’t look as much like this violent bastard as they said. But here and now, face to face with him, it was impossible to deny that he hadn’t inherited every bit of his DNA from this man.
Same dark hair. Same dark blue eyes. Same dimpled chin and square jawline. He had the same broad shoulders and muscular build. He was a Bomar through and through, every muscle and bone.
He swallowed hard when the older man narrowed his eyes at him, “What are you doing here, Decker?”
“Oh, look at that. The little prince remembers me after all. What’s with that Decker shit? You call me Dad and you tell me right fuckin’ now what the hell you’re doin here.”
“I live here.”
“Bullshit.”
“I do. I live here. This is my home and I don’t appreciate you just showing up here.”
Those dark eyes narrowed and Decker swayed slightly as he glanced around, “You livin’ on my land and you didn’t feel the need to maybe ask me if that was okay?”
“It’s not your land. This parcel is Uncle Duke’s and since he’s still behind bars, Abel gave me the okay.”
“Abel gave you the okay.” There was a sneer when Decker spoke his nephew’s name and Remy wondered momentarily what his cousin had done to earn the ire, “I take it everybody knew you’s back but me, huh?”
Remy shrugged.
“You come home after being gone eight… nine years and you cain’t be bothered to let me know?”
He kept phrasing his words as questions but his slur was becoming more pronounced and so was the anger in his voice. He wasn’t really asking because his feelings were hurt that his son had come home and he hadn’t been told. He didn’t even know how long Remy had been gone. He was only upset that the rest of the family had known something he didn’t. That’s what this was about.
“You too good for your Dad now? That what this is?” Decker stumbled slightly, moving forward, most likely to shove him but Remy stepped out of the way and Decker nearly fell when he spun on him, “You’re too good to come see your mama too huh?”
His throat felt tight at the mere mention of his mother but he shook it off, “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“You’re a piece of shit just like those bastard twins. You been with those little shits haven’t you? They know you’re here? Been sucking up to ya, turning ya against your own family? Those bastards don’t know a thing about family!”
A flash of red hot anger made Remy’s fists curl, “If you mean my brothers, yes they know I’m here. I came home for them, not you.”
