Unbreakable: Haven Falls (Book 6)

by Sheridan Anne

  I finish the groceries all too soon and I find myself walking back to aisle eight as slowly as possible. When I get there, Jackie is laughing, throwing her head back and brushing her fingers over dad’s forearms. All I can do is grin. She likes him and dad’s a fool if he can’t see it.

  I clear my throat from the top of the aisle, dreading that I have to break this up. “Dad,” I say just loud enough for them to hear. “We’re all done.”

  “Oh,” he says in surprise as though he hadn’t even realized we were gone. “Ok, well, um…,” he turns back to Jackie with a smile that seems just a little disappointed. “It was lovely to meet you, Jackie. Perhaps my girls will try to bowl you over again.”

  Jackie laughs before giving Ari and I a small wave and looking back to dad. “Perhaps they will,” she says, picking up her basket of groceries. “I should get going too. My boys will probably start wondering what’s been keeping me.”

  With that, the two go their separate ways and I can’t help but notice the way dad looks back over his shoulder as we leave.

  Jackie doesn’t get mentioned and we go about our business, that is until we’ve paid for the groceries and are just about to leave the store and dad’s looking back, completely distracted by the woman picking out a loaf of bread.

  It takes me all of two seconds to realize that dad isn’t going to do anything about it. He’s going to think about it for the next few days until he forgets about the connection they had and that’s going to be as far as it goes.

  I let out a sigh. If I don’t intervene, this is going to go nowhere so I turn to dad and hold out my hand. “Quick, give me a hundred bucks.”

  “What?” he says, stopping to stare at me.

  “Just trust me and hand over the goods.”

  Dad narrows his eyes on me and I can hardly believe my eyes as he digs into his wallet and hands it over. Wow, I should try this a little more often. “What’s it for?”

  “None of your business,” I tell him. "Why don’t you go get the car packed and I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Dad’s lips pull into a tight line but he decides to trust me and pushes the cart with Ari still hanging off it out the door.

  I grin to myself. Showtime.

  I dart back into the store and find the row of fresh flowers the store brings in every day. They’re nothing compared to what Tully plans on doing with her life but they’ll do the trick for today. I pluck out one red rose and walk back to the counter to face the bitter, old woman who couldn’t stop scowling at me and Ari for the noise we were making earlier.

  I give her a warm smile and try my best to win her over. “Hi, would I be able to ask a favor?”

  The woman presses her lips into a thin line and narrows her eyes on me. “That depends, now wouldn’t it?”

  Ugh. Got to love a bitter, old woman.

  I look back to the store in search of Jackie before finding her over by the deli section. I point her out. “Do you see the woman with the brunette hair, peach-colored shirt, and dark jeans? Well, my sister and I kind of disturbed her shopping and we’d like to make it up to her by paying for her groceries.”

  The bitter, old woman suddenly becomes a lot less bitter. A smile graces her face and she looks at me in a new light. “I think I could arrange that. That’s a lovely thing to do. I wish there were more kids like you around. Back in my day, my parents would have given me a good spanking.”

  I give her another smile and nod in agreement before asking for a piece of paper and a pen. I get busy scribbling out a note and hope my father isn’t going to kill me for doing this.

  Jackie,

  It was a pleasure meeting you today.

  Again, I’d like to apologize for my children’s behavior and would like to make it up to you by taking you out to dinner.

  Let me know.

  Harrison

  I add dad’s number at the bottom before attaching the note to the rose and placing it down on the cashier’s counter. As I look up, I realize that she knows exactly what I’m up to, but upon giving me an amused smile and shaking her head, all I can do is shrug.

  “I’m not sure your daddy is going to be too impressed when he realizes what you’re doing,” she laughs making me realize that she’s still down to help me out.

  “Trust me, it’s going to be the best damn thing to happen to him in a long time.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Definitely.”

  I hand over the cash for Jackie’s groceries and give the woman one last smile before taking off out the store doors to find dad and Ari, knowing that today with what I just did, is going to be a game changer that could only bring greatness.

  Chapter 15

  I step out of the grocery store to find dad just about finished loading up his old pick up with our groceries while Ari runs around the parked cars being as unhelpful as possible.

  I shake my head as I watch the scene before me. Perhaps I could help him out a little. After all, I’m kind of hoping that life might change for dad from here on out. We should celebrate the times of it being just the three of us before dad goes ahead and makes it the four, maybe six if we include Jared and his little brother.

  Shit, I’m probably getting my hopes way too high, but I can’t help but want the best for dad. He deserves love in his life, especially after having to deal with me for all those years. It couldn’t have been easy.

  I make my way over to dad and grab the last bag out of the cart and put it away. Once the job is done, I grab hold of the cart and have one last joy ride as I return it to the store. Ari’s scream steals my attention and I watch over my shoulder as dad chases her through the parking lot so he can get her back in the truck.

  Doesn’t he know you’re supposed to entice her with treats? Works every time.

  Dad finally catches her and tackles her into his arms before dragging her ass back to the truck. I laugh to myself, get rid of the cart, and head back when I hear a feminine voice calling out over the sound of the busy street going about their day.

  “Harrison,” Jackie calls from the entryway of the grocery store.

  I grin like a devil child as I watch dad’s head whip around at the sound of his name. He stops what he’s doing, looks dumbfounded at her for a moment before righting himself, and starts heading her way with Ari’s hand firmly clutched in his. Jackie goes to meet them in the middle and I decide it’s probably best that I do too seeing as though dad has absolutely no idea what I just did inside that grocery store.

  I reach them just in time to hear Jackie give the politest scolding I’ve ever heard in my life. "You really didn’t need to do that.”

  Dad’s brows pull down and it’s clear that he’s about to put his foot in his mouth so I discreetly clear my throat and catch dad’s eye, letting him know to play along with it. I see the internal battle inside and smother a grin when he gives in to my games.

  “Really, I insist. It was the least I could do.” Dad’s eyes flick back to mine and I see it all over his face, hoping he just said the right thing and didn’t come off sounding like a complete fool. I give him a little nod and he lets out a silent breath.

  My grin widens. I’ve never seen him look so nervous in my life. It’s fucking hilarious.

  Jackie gives dad a gracious smile that blows him away and I don’t doubt he’s doing his best to work out what the hell I did with that cash. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she tells him, going all breathy as Ari watches on without even the slightest clue of the magic happening right before her eyes.

  I can’t miss the opportunity to play matchmaker once again. “How about dinner? Does tomorrow night suit you?”

  Dad’s mouth drops as Jackie blushes.

  Score one for me…Actually, I guess it’s a score for everyone.

  She nods ever so slightly and I see the big, fat ‘yes’ on her tongue when at least eight massive, black SWAT trucks come tearing down the street with a fleet of police patrol cars right on their tails. Their lights are flashing
red and blue, but not a sound is coming from them and it’s clear that whatever is going down here is happening with the intent of not alerting the person they're after.

  The whole street stops to gape as men in black tactical uniforms storm out of the trucks, guns up and ready to go as the cops work quickly to block off both sides of the road, giving them a huge perimeter to work with.

  It all happens within seconds with dozens of people stopping to watch the show.

  Every eye remains glued to the SWAT team as they barge their way into a clothing store, the same very clothing store that Tully and I had only just been in the other day to ask for an employment application.

  Ari tugs on dad’s sleeve. “What’s happening, daddy?”

  “I don’t know, Squirt. Just stay here,” he tells her, clutching onto her a little tighter before stepping protectively in front of me and Jackie despite not needing to. I mean, the grocery store is right next door to the clothing store but we’re far enough away not to be in any immediate danger. I think anyway. Though, he can’t help it. I guess it’s just a father’s basic instinct to protect what’s his from the unknown.

  Before I know it, the local news reporters are turning up and setting up cameras. A lady in a pair of sweats quickly brushes through her hair, puts on some lipstick, and a blazer over the top of an old worn-out shirt before stepping in front of the camera. Clearly, she didn’t expect to be working today. She looks as though she had way too much to drink and just got out of bed, but whatever story this is, it’s got to be a big one.

  Looking around, taking in the magnitude of this raid, it becomes clear that this has got to be about Anton, but I can’t quite work out why the hell they’re raiding a clothing store. Noah had said that Anton had some kind of warehouse, and this…well, this certainly isn’t that. I hope they don’t have the wrong place because, with this shit all over the news, Noah is going to be in a world of trouble.

  We hear shouts and screams coming from within the store as a row of police officers stand outside, guns drawn, ready and prepared to protect themselves and the people around if it comes down to it.

  The people standing around the grocery store and in the streets stand motionless, staring on, waiting and wanting to know what the hell is going on inside that store. I’d give anything to be a fly on the wall right now.

  It takes three minutes for two of the SWAT members to come back out of the store and I suck in a breath as they stand with Anton, handcuffed between them.

  “They got him,” I murmur in disbelief as dad’s hand finds my forearm. Giving me the support he thinks I need, but truth be told, I don’t need anything. All that’s running through me is relief. Relief for not only me but for Noah as well. If they’ve got him and they’ve found the right place, this could all be over. Noah and I are safe and our futures can be whatever we want to make of them.

  It would all be over.

  I watch on as the two SWAT members transfer Anton over to a couple of cops. I instantly recognize them as the two who had shown up at Noah’s door only a few days ago- Langston and Thomas.

  I don’t doubt those two will be getting some kind of bonus this year, maybe a promotion to go with it. People have been trying to take down Anton Mathers for as long as I can remember and here, these two have finally done it. Well, I’m hoping they’ve done it.

  I’m assuming there will be some kind of trial and Anton isn’t exactly afraid of being a slimy bastard. I’m sure he’s going to try and pull every string necessary to wipe his hands clean of this and get back to business, and if that happens, we all better watch our backs.

  Anton is carted across the road towards the rows of police cars which is when his head snaps up, his eyes lock directly on mine and it’s almost as though someone had specifically told him exactly where I was. Either that or he’s been watching me for so damn long that he can just sense when I’m around.

  His eyes narrow on mine and I raise my chin, letting him know that he can’t hurt me. No matter what he does, I’ll always come out on top. I see it in his eyes that he’s trying to work out if I had anything to do with this. He takes in my family standing around me and the old pick up filled with groceries and I hope to God that he must know that my being here is coincidental.

  I knew nothing about this clothing store and I’m wanting to curse out Noah for not telling me about it. On the inside it looks just like any other clothing store, but if I’d known there was something more to it, I would have looked a little closer and busted him myself.

  Shit. I can’t believe I was in there just the other day.

  Anton is put down into the police car and I can’t help but wish that Rivers was here to see this. I hope that those reporters got that on camera because I plan on saving it for him. It’s something he needs to see and hopefully will help to heal something within him. Maybe he’ll finally believe that it truly is safe for him to come home and start building a proper life. He can move on from all the bullshit of his past and create a life for him and Tully. You know, if she’ll take him back. It looks like Spencer is planning on worming his way into her heart and if Rivers isn’t careful, he could risk losing her altogether.

  The police car takes off and the second the car disappears around the bend, I can’t help but feel a strange, uneasiness settle into my stomach.

  Ari’s little voice speaks up from dad’s arm and my eyes shift away from the clothing store for the first time since they arrived here. “Why are the police taking away the man that found me?”

  Jackie sucks in a breath and I resist looking at her, not wanting to see the confusion on her face. “Squirt, that man isn’t a very nice man,” dad explains to her. “He’s done some really bad things and the police have to take him away because of that.”

  “But he found me and brought me back home,” she insists, her little brain not yet capable of comprehending what’s happening before her as she believes Anton to be her saving grace.

  “I know, sweet girl,” dad tells her. “But sometimes when someone does something good, it doesn’t take away the fact that they’ve also done some really bad things, and what happens when you do something bad?”

  “You have to be punished,” Ari finishes for him.

  Dad nods before looking over at me. “Are you alright, Squish?”

  “Yeah,” I say, slowly nodding, hating that strange uneasiness still in my stomach. “I think so.”

  A few more men start being brought out of the store and I find myself gaping, wondering where the hell all these people were hiding inside that place. It’s not like it was a huge place, just big enough for the racks of clothes, a changing room, and a cashier’s desk. It’s the same as all the stores you’d see inside the mall.

  “What a shame. These men are all so young,” Jackie murmurs over dad’s shoulder, taking them in. I do the same and realize that she’s right. They’re all certainly older than me but I wouldn’t say they’d hit thirty yet and here they are, working for Anton and throwing their lives away.

  I don’t doubt that if everything here goes down as planned that each of these men will end up serving time. That could have so easily been Noah and Rivers and it makes me feel sick. “I don’t know what I’d do if my Jared ever got caught up in Anton’s twisted games.”

  I hold my tongue as dad replies. “You never know with these young ones,” he tells her. “Living in Haven Falls isn’t easy. It’s a kill or be killed kind of town. I guess we just have to be grateful that our kids seem to have their heads screwed on right and want to make something of themselves the honest way.”

  I remember Jared saying something about getting into a college football team and realize that Dad and Jackie must have talked about it earlier. The thought is stolen from my mind as I see Rocko being carted out in cuffs and I have to shake my head in disappointment. Jackie was right, it really is a shame.

  All the men are eventually carted off in the same way that Anton was and I’m left speechless and still a little in shock. The second the p
lace is deemed safe, the cops storm in and begin pulling the place apart. More cops arrive, police tape is put up, and their official investigation is finally underway with their bad guy in custody.

  “I better get going,” Jackie says. “My boys will start to get worried with all this going on.”

  “Of course,” Dad says. “I better get out of here too. Aria here is going to have a breakdown if she gets home to discover the ice cream melted.”

  Jackie laughs and gives Aria a beaming smile. “Well, I, um…it was really nice meeting you.”

  “You too,” dad tells her. “I’d still love to take you out for dinner tomorrow night if you’re interested.”

  She looks at dad for a silent moment with a smile slowly spreading across her face. “You know what? Yeah. I am. I’d love to go out for dinner with you.”

  I’ve never seen dad look so smitten in his life. “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “And I’ll call you with the address.”

  Dad nods, clearly not picking up on the fact that he didn’t give her his number, but it’s fine as I’d put it on the note earlier. It just goes to show how out of the game dad is. It’s going to be fun watching him tomorrow night working out what to wear and getting all sweaty as he tries to pump himself up.

  Jackie picks up her grocery bags off the ground and walks away. She looks back once over her shoulder with an intrigued, flirty smile before unloading her bags. I want nothing more than to kick dad in the shin for not offering to take the bags for her. I guess I’ll need to train him up a little over the next twenty four hours.

  The second she drives off, Dad puts Aria down and grabs me, practically shaking me with his excitement. “Whatever you did in there, squish, it was fucking brilliant. Did you see that? Your old man’s still got it. She was practically eating out of my hand. I’m a fucking machine.”

  “Woah, calm down there, old man,” I laugh, having to peel myself out of his arms. “Without me, you would have been watching her from a distance like some kind of stalker.”