by Aiden Bates
It couldn’t have come a moment too soon.
I unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. Harper, Kaleb, Ernesto and Miranda were all huddled together on the doorstep together, crammed in like sardines.
“Niños! You’re alive!” Ernesto shoved forward to wrap his thick, tanned arms around Daniel and I before anyone else got a chance.
“Ernesto—you’re—crushing—us,” I choked out. Even years after his black ops days had ended, the man still had one hell of a choke hold.
“Sorry, sorry. I’m just…ah. I’m overwhelmed.” He shot Miranda a dirty look. “She told us you were dead.”
“Had to,” Miranda reminded him. “We had to make this believable. But as you’ll recall, I was kind enough to brief you on the real story during the car ride over.”
“Could you have not at least winked, Detective?” Ernesto had all the presence of a wet cat at the idea of being left in the dark.
Harper and Kaleb, thankfully, just seemed relieved.
“Come here, shithead.” Harper threw an arm around me as well. I was quick to dodge the noogie I knew would follow.
“Not this time, jackass.” I bobbed left and smacked him upside the head. “You’re slowing down, old man. Always knew you were going to go geriatric before Kaleb or me.”
“Speak for yourself, idiot.” Kaleb took both our heads and knocked them together before engaging hug mode. “I feel older than I ever have in my life.”
“A jail cell will do that for you.” I rubbed my head where it had banged into Harper’s and prayed I wouldn’t end up with a goose egg. We both had crooked noses already. Matching forehead bruises would only complicate what was already a pretty hard look to pull off. “How’d you dummies like it?”
“I’d rather have a root canal.” Harper gave Miranda a glare of his own. “I’d rather have seven.”
“We had to make it convincing.” She only grinned. “Next time, I’ll be sure to book you boys into the Ritz.”
“You gonna introduce us to your friend, Rusty?” Kaleb nodded in Daniel’s direction. “Or did you forget all your manners back at the morgue?”
“Manners. Those were dead on arrival the day I was born, you old grump.” Nonetheless, I swept an arm around Daniel’s waist and brought him forward. “Daniel, this is Harper and Kaleb.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” Daniel hesitated, shot me an uncertain glance, then held his hand out for them to shake.
Harper and Kaleb shared a glance, then cracked up. Kaleb chuckled. Harper howled.
“Manners.” Harper rolled his eyes, dodged the handshake and gave Daniel a hug as well. “Who needs ‘em?”
“Any word on Nick and Derek?” I’d been dying to know how they were doing since they’d been released. They were, after all, the fathers of my future nephews.
“Ernesto’s got them back at Nick’s place.” Harper clapped Ernesto on the shoulder and Ernesto beamed with pride.
“Four personnel on them at all times. They’ve got Big Man knitting baby booties, last I heard.”
“Good.” I turned my attention back to Miranda. “Anything else to report?”
“Rasner is doing what Rasner does,” she said with a shrug.
“Milking this story for all it’s worth.” Daniel groaned. “God, I bet he’s just eating this up.”
“And then some.” Miranda whistled low. “The stage lost a great actor when your father went into politics, kid.”
Harper clapped his hands together. “So what’s our next move. Because whatever it is, it has to be good.”
“It will be,” I assured him. “But we’ll need a couple of days to put it all together. I’m assuming that’s why we’re all here—we need to put this case together, and it needs to be airtight.”
“Speaking of tight…” Kaleb glanced around the room, which felt smaller than ever. The little bedroom in the back fit the bed in it, and that was all.
“I’ve got some sleeping bags and pillows in my trunk. I’ll bring ‘em in, then I’ve gotta head back into town.” Miranda moved for the door, keys in hand.
I was all grins, though. The place was small, but now that we were all together again, it was beginning to fill with something that felt like hope. “Guess we’ll have to pretend to like each other.”
Over the next few days, the five of us reconstructed the case. Any cracks that needed filling, we used Ernesto’s contacts and the laptop Miranda had left us to fill in. It was all coming together. Our story was looking good.
But on the night it looked like we’d finally finished getting all of our evidence in line, I glanced over to Daniel and saw him gnawing his lower lip raw.
“Hey, you.” I shifted across the couch to him, pulling his legs onto my lap. “You hungry or somethin’?”
“What?” Daniel reached up to touch his lip and winced. “Oh. Yeah, I guess so.”
“Okay. Spill, then. What’s up?”
He sighed. “I haven’t gone this long without seeing Lissa since she was born, Rusty. If I can’t hug that little munchkin soon, I think I’m gonna crack.”
I considered it. I had some idea of how he felt—for the last six years, I’d been feeling pretty much the same thing. Compared to that, I hadn’t thought that a few days apart would hurt.
But Daniel had always had Lissa in his life. From the sounds of things, for a while now she’d been the only think in his life.
“Okay.” I worked my phone out of my pocket and padded his knee. “Lemme make the call.”
Miranda wasn’t quite as understanding as I’d been, though.
“I…could swing it. But this could send the entire thing to hell if Rasner catches on. You two okay with that?”
I glanced over at Daniel’s swollen lip. The dark circles under his eyes seemed deeper and darker than ever.
“We’ll have to chance it. Daniel’s about to pass out from worry alone over here.”
“Tomorrow, then. I’ll bring her around at lunch time. Rasner’s men probably have eyes on the school, but there’s a field trip planned. We can sneak her away then. Work for you?”
I glanced at Daniel and mouthed tomorrow. He cringed, then nodded.
“Works for us. Thanks, Miranda. Can’t fuckin’ wait.”
The next day, Daniel couldn’t stop checking the clock. In fact, I wasn’t sure he took his eyes off it at all until we heard the knock on the door.
“Lissa!” Daniel wrestled with the lock, threw the door open, and dropped to his knees immediately.
“Daddy!” Lissa all but threw herself into Daniel’s arms. He squeezed her so tight, I was worried for a second that her eyes were going to pop. “You’re—choking—me.”
“Sorry. Sorry.” He loosened up his hold and busied himself with smoothing down her hair. Must’ve rained a hundred kisses down on her brow. “I just missed you so much, hon.”
“Rusty? Did you miss me, too?” Lissa stared up at me, innocent eyes wide.
“Course I did, matey.” I’d been slowly briefing myself on pirate talk. Figured it’d make up for the pancake incident, if nothing else. “Missed you a whole bunch.”
Lissa giggled, but Daniel looked suddenly sober.
“Lissa…there’s something I need to tell you. I should have told you a long time ago.” He picked her up and straightened. As he carried her over to me, there was worry written all over his face. “I told you a fib, Lissa. I’m very sorry about it, but I want to make it right.”
“Oh, I forgive you.” She laid a sweet little kiss on his cheek. “I already know the tooth fairy isn’t real.”
“What?” Daniel blinked. “That’s not what—”
“It’s actually a mouse.” Lissa nodded sagely. “Ernesto told me.”
Across the room on the couch, Ernesto chuckled. “Ratoncito Pérez. I love that little guy.”
“That’s not, um. That’s not what I’m talking about.” Daniel took a deep breath. I could tell he was trying to get it out before his courage wavered. If it did, I wouldn’t
have blamed him. But he was brave, my golden-eyed man. He pressed on. “I didn’t tell you the truth about your Alpha dad. He isn’t dead, Lissa.”
“He’s not?” Lissa blinked with surprise, then grinned. “Well, where is he, then?”
Daniel nodded at me, and I inched forward a little. Now I was the one who was nervous. Felt like I’d been called into the principal’s office at school all over again.
“I’m right here, kiddo.” I rubbed the back of my neck, then offered her my hand to shake. “I’m your dad. I mean. If you want me to be.”
Lissa looked a little wary. She leaned back in Daniel’s arms and gave me a long, discerning up-and-down.
“How come you were gone for so long, then?” she finally asked. “I’ve been waiting ages.”
My grin was a little uneasy, but it was genuine. “I didn’t wanna stay away. Promise I didn’t. But…” The grin wavered. “A bad man kept me away. I won’t let it happen again.”
“Like the police guys?”
Miranda had stayed quiet up until that point, but if there was a time for her to speak up, that was it. “Hey! I’m a police guy. What gives?”
“Me too,” Kaleb rose from his place at the kitchen table. “And I’m, uh. Your uncle, by the way. So…”
Lissa looked between the two of them for a moment, then collapsed in Daniel’s arms and rolled her eyes. “Okay. Maybe not all police guys are bad.”
Pleased, Miranda checked her watch and gave Daniel an apologetic look. “Okay. We’ve gotta get going. Time’s a-wastin’.”
“You’re really my dad?” Lissa glanced down at my hand, then wrapped her little fist around two of my fingers.
I gave her a shake that sent her whole arm wiggling. “You bet I am. So be brave for me, okay? Just for a little while longer. And when you’re done waiting, we’ll be a family again. Sound good?”
“Boys…” Miranda warned.
Lissa beckoned me close and cupped her hands around her mouth like she only wanted Daniel and I to hear something. Her whisper might as well have been a roar, though.
“I don’t want to leave.”
Daniel and I exchanged a look while Miranda tapped her watch.
Well…I supposed I hadn’t been practicing my pirate talk for nothing.
“Now look here, little lady.” I put on my best pirate voice, squinted an eye shut and made a hook shape with one finger. “We’re about ta take down a great big ship, y’hear? And there’ll be lots of booty for all when we make those yellow-bellied scoundrels walk the plank.”
“Yes!” Lissa breathed, her eyes wider than I’d ever seen them.
“Aye, ye mean!” She giggled. “That’s what this here crew is for. But we’ve got ta be quiet while we wait for the right moment ta make our move. So ye’ll have ta be brave, me…hearty. And ye’ll have to wait until the Captain says it’s time to strike!”
“Who’s the captain?” Lissa looked around the room in excitement. “Is it Ernesto?”
“It’s me, actually.” Miranda held her hands out, looking a little uncertain about this turn of events. Compared to Daniel’s big reveal about Lissa’s real father, I hadn’t imagined that pirate talk would phase her so much. “Are you ready to go, you…scurvy dog?”
“Aye,” Lissa said, setting her brow and giving me a serious nod. “Avast! Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of root beer!”
Daniel and I stood in the doorway as we watched her go. From the back seat of Miranda’s car, Lissa gave us a parting salute. Pirates one and all.
“What’d I miss?” Harper emerged from the bedroom, looking around like he’d just woken up the minute after the end of the world.
“Lissa came over to see us.” Daniel shrugged. “But you’ll get to meet her next time.”
“Dammit!” Harper slumped, annoyed. “I was gonna show her my gun!”
“You were not,” Kaleb said pointedly. “What were you in the bedroom for, anyway?”
“Oh.” Harper rubbed the back of his neck. “Just a phone call. Nothing important.”
But under his breath as he turned away, I heard him mutter an addendum.
“Not yet, anyway.”
That night, while Harper, Kaleb and Ernesto sat at the table arguing last minute details of the case, I grabbed Daniel’s hand and pulled him into the bedroom with me.
“That’s a little forward,” he said with a laugh. He’d perked up a lot since Lissa’s visit. As much as he seemed happy to see her again, it struck me that he was also probably pretty relieved that his big reveal had gone over okay. “But if you’re offering…”
I grabbed his hand as he reached down to undo his belt.
“Maybe in a bit,” I told him. “But first…I just wanted to make sure that what I told Lissa was okay.”
“The pirate stuff? Oh, she loved that.”
“No. Um. About us being a family again, I mean.”
“Oh.” Daniel squeezed my hand, a soft grin on his gorgeous lips. “Yeah. Of course it was. I’d…really like that, actually. Lissa seemed keen on the idea, too.”
Now it was my turn to feel relieved. “Good. You know I’ve always loved you. Lissa too. But now that I’ve met her, heard her cute little voice in my ears…”
“The pirate thing,” Daniel added with a smirk.
I nodded. “All of it. It feels so much more real now. I just…now that I’ve had it, I can’t imagine letting it go.”
“That’s what being a parent feels like, handsome.” He moved his hands to my belt this time. “You know that I love you too. And, ah…since we’re already in here…”
“Oh? Maybe you’d like to show me how much you love me, too?”
Daniel’s grin was wicked. “Thought you’d never ask.”
Descriptive sex scene 4, briefly interrupted when Harper comes in to say that they’ve got their audience and then hurriedly leaves them alone.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this, darlin’?”
Daniel rested his forehead against mine and gave me a little nod. “I’m ready.”
“Even though we’re about to throw your father beneath the bus?”
“That fucker threw himself beneath the bus. We never had much of a relationship to begin with. What we did have, he only cultivated so he could mass market it.” Daniel sighed, then nodded again. “Let’s get him, Rusty. Fatherhood is something that you earn. After everything he’s done…I don’t think he deserves the title anymore.”
28
Daniel
We stood in the back of the crowd that my father had gathered to make his big speech against the Omega Rights bill. At first, I was nervous. The chilly Columbia city park he’d chosen to make his stand in was teeming with police officers and my father’s black-suited security guards. At any moment, despite the ball caps and sunglasses Rusty and I wore, we could be spotted. It would ruin our entire plan before we’d even had a chance to spring our trap.
Rusty would go to jail, and me… I had no idea what would happen to me.
After all, I was supposed to be dead.
But then a group of protesters pushed through the crowd. They were waving signs and shouting, “Say it out loud! We’re Omega and proud!” The posted police moved for them immediately. My father’s orders, I was sure. He liked protesters about as much as he liked journalists.
Which was to say, he’d do everything right up to having them killed if he thought he could get away with it. For these protesters’ sakes, I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
They’d done me a favor. With the police otherwise occupied, my father’s security guards swept in close to the stage, closing their ranks. It limited the likelihood that Rusty and I would be spotted.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough to calm my nerves.
“Hello, South Carolina!” When my father took the stage, he did it like a rock star. His sound tech guy blasted a popular country music song with twanging guitars from an Alpha artist as Congressman Rasner took the stage, smiling and waving.
Given his en
trance, it was hard to imagine him as the man whose son had just been killed in cold blood. That was part of his charm though, I supposed. He was the big strong Alpha. Didn’t show his feelings unless it benefited him somehow. The Alphas in the crowd ate it up, whistling and cheering. To my horror, so did a few of the Omegas hanging off of their arms.
If only they knew what a jackass he really was.
If only Dad knew that he was about to look like an even bigger one.
His speech bandied about for a little at first. He had to warm up the crowd, of course. But once he had his Alpha fanboys hooting and hollering, he sobered up, leaning over the podium and gripping its sides tightly with his hands. It was one of his favorites when he had something serious to say. The ol’ Abraham Lincoln. A classic.
“Now, some of you might have heard that there’s been a tragedy in my family recently. My own son, Daniel, was murdered just a short while ago—at the hands of an Alpha who just couldn’t seem to control himself.”
The crowd rankled at that. One of their own, committing a murder against their congressman’s precious Omega son? To them, Rusty was a traitor to their creed and cause.
“You see, there’s a natural order to this world. Alphas are meant to protect Omegas, and our Omegas so obviously need that protection. Some people will try to tell you otherwise, but it’s the God-given truth. We defy that order at our own peril. I’ve seen the consequences of that firsthand. Excuse my French, but dammit—it’s just not right.”
His voice dropped into a snarl as he pounded his fist against the podium. It was compelling, and the crowd responded in kind. He was riling them up. Stirring the pot the way he always did. My father was an expert in manipulation, and he was playing these people like Charlie Daniels played the fiddle.
“Now, I’m not the only one who’s been affected by people trying to tamper with the order of this world. Just this year, we’ve seen how playing with nature can have dangerous consequences. Omegas going wild with heat in their workplaces and in the streets. Hormones running rampant. Alphas and Omegas alike who can’t handle themselves around one another. And what’s that lead to now? My son is dead.” He gave a long pause. For once, this one wasn’t so he could think about what to say. His speech was probably timed down to the second. No, this pause was just for dramatic fucking effect. “I don’t want anyone else’s son to suffer the same fate.”
