Unexpected (The Protectors 10)

“We forgot the rolls, Daddy,” Charlie said quietly.

“What?” I asked.

“They were in the oven and they started to burn. Reese took them out and Pépère told us to come find you guys to see what was keeping you. I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“It’s okay, honey. You didn’t do anything wrong,” I said as I patted her back.

As I spoke, I was doing my best to catch up to Everett and Reese. They’d just reached the steps leading to the house. Reese stumbled as he tried to climb up them in his rush, but when Everett latched onto his arm to help him up, Reese lashed out at him with his cane. “Stay the fuck away from me!” he shouted. He didn’t actually hit Everett with the cane, but he came close and that had Nash moving faster.

“You ruined my life!” Reese added, just as Nash reached them. Everett grabbed Nash before he could go after Reese.

“Nash, don’t!” Everett cried. “Please!”

Charlie let out a sob and covered her ears with her hands. As badly as I wanted to get her away from the whole thing, I needed to intercede before someone got hurt. Reese managed to right himself and just as he reached the top step, my father threw open the door.

“What is going on out here?” he asked. “You all right, son?” he asked when Reese stumbled past him.

Everett released Nash, then covered his face with his hands and began to cry as he sank down onto the bottom step. Nash crouched in front of him, then pulled him forward against his chest, but Everett shook his head, then shoved away from him. He climbed to his feet and hurried up the stairs and into the house. Nash followed.

“Gage, what’s happening?” my father said, his voice full of worry.

I just shook my head at him because there was no quick and easy way to explain it. He followed me into the house and toward the kitchen, which had the lingering scent of burned food in it. Everett was knocking on Reese’s door, which was just down the hall from the kitchen.

“Reese, please, I just want to talk to you.”

There was no response from inside. Everett tried the knob, but nothing happened. “Reese, I can explain—” Everett began, but his words were cut off when the door abruptly opened. Reese pushed past his father. He had his phone in his hand, but nothing more. As he limped past me, he snapped, “You lied to me.”

That was it, nothing more.

Charlie hugged me tighter and I turned to hand her to my dad. “Can you take her upstairs?” I said. “The dogs too,” I added, since all three dogs were reacting to the tension they were sensing. Happy was pacing back and forth between us and Reese as he made his way toward the front door, and Medusa was turning in circles, a habit she only did when she was anxious. Even Zeus had woken up enough to let out a few short barks.

My father nodded and called for the dogs. They were obedient enough that they all followed him.

I hurried to catch up to Reese.

“Reese, just talk to us.”

“No! I’ve called for a car. I’ll send someone for my shit later. Or you can fucking burn it. I don’t care.”

I stepped in front of him just as he reached the door. I slammed it closed and stood in front of it.

“Five minutes,” I demanded.

“No! Fuck you! Get out of my way!”

He tried to reach past me to open the door, but when I refused to budge, he lashed out at me. I grabbed his arm and got in his face. “I know you’re pissed, but you and I both know you’re not up for this fight. So back the hell off!”

Reese shoved away from me and then stepped back into the room a bit. Nash was blocking the exit to the kitchen where the back door was. Everett’s son looked between us both and then shook his head. “God, he must be one hell of a good fuck,” he muttered.

“Hey!” Nash snapped, but Everett stepped in front of him.

“Reese, please, just give me a minute to explain…”

“Explain what?” Reese said as he made his way into the living room, presumably so he wouldn’t feel as confined between me and Nash.

“That you can’t keep your dick in your pants long enough to just be my fucking father? Or why everything needs to be about you? Or that you wouldn’t know a lie from the truth even if it bit you in the ass? Why you couldn’t just let me have this one thing?” he asked bitterly.

“Reese—”

“Why don’t we start with something simple?” Reese asked. He pinned his father with his brittle gaze. “Like how you could stand there and look me in the eye today and let me actually thank you for being here for me all this time.”