“That’s funny. I’ve never known my father to have any friends.” She took her overnight bag and tossed it onto the sofa. “Where is he anyway?”
“He just went into his bedroom.” I stood up and walked over to Parker. “He had a long night last night.”
“Oh? And why’s that?”
“Well, he’s...”
I had no idea how much the girl knew about Billy and his line of work, so I wasn’t sure how to answer. I was trying to think of an excuse for us being there when she smiled, “Ah, he’s doing a job for ya. Say nothing more. We live by that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ philosophy around here. I don’t really like all the secrecy, but there’s not much I can do about it.”
“Sis?” Billy stepped out of his bedroom wearing a pair of baggy boxers and an old wife beater. It was the first time I’d seen him without his khakis and button-down, and I was shocked to see that the guy was cut. He was muscled up from head to fucking toe, without an inch of fat on him anywhere. His arms were tatted up, and there were several deep scars on each of them that looked to be bullet wounds. Surprise marked his tired face as he stared at his daughter and asked, “Is it really you?”
“Yes, Daddy. It’s really me.” She walked over and wrapped her arms around Billy, hugging him tightly. The ordinarily cold and distant man I’d become accustomed to practically melted in his daughter’s arms as he hugged her back. “But I won’t be here long. I’ve gotta get back to finish up a project I’ve been working on, and it’s looking like I might have a new one coming up on the horizon. I don’t know for sure.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re here—even if it’s only for a short visit.” Billy took a step back, and there was no mistaking the love in his eyes as he gazed at his beautiful daughter. “You look well.”
“I am well... very well, actually.” She gave him a warm smile, then turned her attention to Parker and me. “I’ve met your friends.”
“Oh, yes. They’ll be here for just a few more days.”
“Yeah, but we’ll do our best to stay out of your hair,” Parker added. “I know you don’t get to come home often, and we wouldn’t want to get in the way of you enjoying some time with your father.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Kiersten motioned her head towards her father. “If you know my father at all, then you also know he’s usually busy in his office. I just get a few glimpses of him when he comes out for air.”
“I have to work,” Billy replied, sounding wounded.
“I know, Daddy.” Kiersten placed her hand on his shoulder. “You look tired. Why don’t you go take a nap, and I’ll fix dinner tonight.”
“I don’t want you to have to cook. I can—”
“I want to cook,” she argued. “Go get some rest, and we’ll catch up when you’re feeling more rested.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m positive.” She shooed him to leave. “Now, go.”
Billy nodded, then turned and headed back to his room, leaving Parker and me alone with his daughter. I thought she would have something more to say to us, but instead, she walked over to the sofa and grabbed her backpack, then slung it over her shoulder. As Kiersten started out the front door, she turned to Parker and said, “I’m going to town for a bit. You wanna tag along?”
“Oh, that would be great, but...”
I had no doubt that Parker would love to get out of the house, even for a little while, but the fear of being seen had her turning to look at me for affirmation. Billy lived in a small town close to the Kentucky border. I found it doubtful that anyone would recognize her, so I said, “I’m sure it would be fine.”
“Are you sure?” Parker’s brows furrowed with concern. “Maybe I should just stay here like Billy said.”
“If you’re worried, you could hang out in my car. I’m only going to grab a few groceries, so it shouldn’t take long,” Kiersten suggested, making me wonder how much she knew about her father’s line of work. Clearly, she was aware of the secrecy, but I had a feeling it was more than that. When Parker didn’t answer right away, Kiersten leaned over to her and smiled. “I’d really enjoy the company.”
“Okay, I’ll tag along then.”
“Great!” As they headed out the door, Kiersten looked back over to me and announced, “We’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
After she closed the front door, I stepped over to the window and watched as she and Parker got into her little red Camaro. I stood there until they pulled out of the driveway, then went back over to my laptop and began looking through the week’s surveillance footage. I’d hoped to find some clues that might give me a bit of insight as to what Viper was concerned about but found nothing that seemed out of the norm. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right though, so I took a moment to look over the footage at the clubhouse as well. Again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.