Derek narrowed his eyes at me before he leaned over and turned the lamp on beside his bed. I blinked. “And? She cried to you about how terrible I treated her?”
I pulled my lip between my teeth. “She’s been lying to you.”
He waited for me to continue, like he was holding his breath.
“She isn’t pregnant.”
“How can I believe you? Every turn someone is trying to ruin me. Can’t I just be left alone to ruin my own life?” His words came out in a snarl.
All I could do was hand him my phone and play the video. His chest rose and fell quickly as she spoke. He practically threw my phone at me before he buried his face in his hands.
“Thank you.” There was relief in his tone but also sorrow. “I called Ian earlier and didn’t know what to do. Will you send that to him?”
I nodded my head.
Just as I was about to click send. My phone started to ring again.
This time it wasn’t an unknown number.
“Hello?”
“Anna, please, don’t hang up.” My father’s voice came through the speaker.
I squeezed my eyes closed and tried to not fall apart right there. It had been ten years since I had heard his voice. Ten years since I had seen his face and here I was with practically a stranger listening to it again. My heart shattered. A tear rolled down my face before I could stop it. Derek’s eyebrows drew together and for once I could see past his mask of anger and indifference.
Chapter Seventeen
Derek
Aiyanna’s voicebroke as she spoke into the phone. “I can’t do this, daddy. I can’t talk to you. You can’t try after all this time. You have no idea what I went through these past ten years. You killed my mother and when you did that, you severed our relationship. You cannot fix this or repair what has been done. Don’t call me again or I’ll come back to the res and press charges.”
She turned her phone off and looked at the worn carpet beneath her feet. “Wanna talk about it?”
Her brown eyes flashed to mine. I preferred them over her colored contacts, I wanted to tell her but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. We could share secrets but we couldn’t get close.
She laughed but there was no joy in the sound. It hurt to hear it. It was almost as broken as mine. “You leave tomorrow.”
I shrugged. Did it really matter now? “I have a few hours.”
I patted the bed beside me and she sat down. She twisted her hands in her lap and let it all out. I didn’t know what to do about the tears. I didn’t know how to comfort or do the right thing so I listened.
“Growing up my father was an alcoholic,” She paused. “Is an alcoholic. He would beat on all of us but especially my mom. People on the reservation are nosey but they usually didn’t say or do anything. They just let him spiral like most others did in our little community.” She stopped to lick her lips and her eyes went distant. “One night he went too far. I don’t know what happened besides the screaming and I watched as he shoved her down the stairs.” Her hands shook as she closed her eyes and more tears came. “There was so much blood. I saw her lifeless eyes and I knew she was dead. My father killed her. While he was sobering up, my brothers were trying to call an ambulance but I knew it was too late and if I stayed, I knew it would happen to me too.”
My breathing picked up as her story continued. Her eyes glassed over and the tears fell faster now. A sob worked its way up her throat and she wiped at her face. “You don’t have to go on.”
She nodded her head and her shoulders fell in defeat.Damnit. I had said the wrong thing but I didn’t know what to do. I was the last person anyone wanted to confide in. I didn’t do emotions well.
“I should probably get going. I’m sure you have some packing to do or something. Sorry about Alex.” She got up quickly and before I could say something, she was gone.
* * *
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking of Aiyanna. Her story played on repeat in my head. While I was swimming or running miles with Jace, there was her face at the back of my mind. I tried to convince myself that I didn’t like her. That her bright colored hair and high heel shoes all over her apartment were a deal breaker, but when it came down to it, I knew I was lying to myself. Did those things really matter? She cared. She had gone out of her way to find me before I deployed so I didn’t have that burden on my shoulders. She could have waited. Hell, she could have shrugged and said it didn’t matter but for whatever reason… It did.
I couldn’t remember the last time someone had cared for me like that. Then I did and it sucked the air clean from my body. The pain was back and I remembered why I pushed away people that cared. Why I slept with women that were shallow and loved to use people. Because of the aching hole in my chest. Sweat rolled down the side of my face and I tried to bring myself back to the present. I wasn’t back at home, I didn’t have the luxury of spacing out right now. I huffed out a breath of air and rounded another corner of this deserted building. Except it wasn’t deserted.
Gunshots echoed around the building and my heart stopped. Everything in my body locked into place. I was made for this. There was no other occupation for me. This was my destiny.
Brody was on my tail and his eyes were wide with panic. The poor kid hadn’t been in the field enough, but this was the only way. I remembered my first tour. It had been a shit show. I was stoic on the outside but shaking on my insides. I hadn’t realized what I had gotten into until someone was shooting at me and a grenade was thrown at our car.
