For a moment, Zeke must forget who he's talking to. It's cute that he thinks I'll listen to orders. But deep down, he has to know better than anyone: it isn't going to happen. No way am I going to let them go across that street and walk into who knows what. Ted is evil and scary. The uncertainty of what could happen to them is far more terrifying than facing my attacker directly. Despite my fear of Ted, I will not let him hurt the people I love. Nor will I let him see how he has affected me, the fear he has evoked. No way will I let him have that power over me. Ted and Sheriff Dawson thrive on intimidating others; it gives them a dangerous sense of superiority. I understand that if they believe they have succeeded in breaking me, their actions will only escalate, leading to much worse consequences. To me, those who prey on weakness are nothing but cowards, lacking real courage.
Standing there, unable to tell Zeke no, is frustrating. He doesn't wait for me to answer anyway. He turns back toward the other two men and begins talking low enough that I can't hear them. Noticing my death glare at Zeke, my stepmother, Sharon, lays her hand on my arm and tries to steer me into the house. Her actions are driven more by fear than anything else. She prefers not to stay outside, afraid of witnessing any potential confrontation. Smiling at her, I signal for her to go ahead into the house. She appears hesitant, probably weighing which option is worse: staying outside with us or facing more of what happened the other night inside. She seems scared of both choices but ultimately goes into the house to make coffee. The house is a far safer place than being near the creep, which is what I have nicknamed Ted. After making sure she is secure in the house, I follow the others.
Walking a short distance behind the three men in my life, who have become an essential part of it, I watch as the sheriff and Ted continue their tense conversation while we approach them cautiously. They are unaware of the eyes on them from across the street, steadily approaching. The sheriff's face is distorted with anger, and he is wildly gesturing with his hands. Ted just stands on the porch and stares at him, unmoving, and every once in a while, he points a finger at the sheriff. I'm sure his words are not kind either. Now what could they be arguing about? We are still too far away. It is frustrating because we are too far away to hear what they are saying or read their lips. But we are close enough to read their body language, and it is hostile.
As we get closer, I am shocked to see that Ted's face is swollen from where Donovan had hit him repeatedly when he pulled him off me. His left eye is swollen, and bruises line his jaw. He has a busted lip with dried blood where it has been split. His face is almost unrecognizable from the altercation, but I am impressed by my uncle's handiwork; the sleazeball deserves everything he did to him. My only regret is that it isn't me who beat him up. Zeke looks over at Andy, then Donovan.
"What do you think they are arguing about?" he asks. Andy shrugs his shoulders. He is intrigued like the rest of us. Mainly because his father is involved, all three men are tense as they watch the scene before them, oblivious to my presence right behind them.
"Probably because Roxanne has gotten too close to the truth, I'm putting a stop to this," Uncle Donovan announces, leaving no room for the other two men to argue. "Next time, he might actually hurt her, and I can't lose her after I just found her." He starts walking faster, leaves my driveway, and crosses the road into Ted's driveway. As soon as his feet hit Ted's driveway, both men on the porch turn toward the sound of several feet crunching on the ground near them. Ted's face instantly drains white; he must be unsure what the men are going to do. He starts to retreat but stops. Instead, he squares his shoulders and walks back toward the growing crowd of people. He hides his fear quite effectively and quickly. No one notices but me.
He sees me trailing behind them, and his creepy smile spreads across his face. Looking at my neck, he seems to enjoy the hand marks he left there, savoring how close he came to taking my life. I just want to punch his smug face, but I am not willing to get close enough to do it. I hesitate as they get closer to the porch. Maybe I should turn around and help Sharon. But instead, I steady my nerves and keep my pace. He wants me intimidated and scared; it is as if he takes pleasure in it. That makes my skin crawl more than anything else.
The sheriff doesn't notice my presence because he is focused only on Andy. It irks me how scared I am of both men. Andy notices Ted looking past them at something, then turns to see what it is. He sees me standing behind them and whispers to Zeke and Donovan that I have followed them. Zeke slowly turns around and approaches me. He is not happy I am this close to Ted. His protectiveness seeps out of him as he looks at me.
"Rocky, why did you follow us?" he asks softly. "I told you to go inside because I don't want you to see him." He knows I can't respond, but he still asks. Instead of arguing for me to cross the street again, he takes my hand and pulls me behind him to hide me from the two monsters on the porch. "Keep close to me and stay behind me," he states firmly. Andy and Donovan flank Zeke, protecting me on both sides. They form a shield that neither the sheriff nor Ted can break through. Ted looks frustrated that he can't see me behind Zeke. He keeps peeking around Zeke's tall figure, trying to catch another glimpse, but Donovan and Andy move closer to block his view. This only infuriates him more.
"Get off my property, but you can leave her behind," Ted smirks, with laughter lacing his voice. He is irked at first when he realizes he can't admire his handiwork anymore because of the human wall of muscle protecting me from his eyes.
"What did you just say? Why should we? You trespassed on ours and hurt someone we care about. You keep your filthy gaze and hands off her," Donovan says angrily. That is the first time I have ever seen my uncle this upset. He usually seems like the nerdy, reserved type, but over time, he has broken through my initial image of him. At first, I think he is a bit of a scaredy-cat because he won't come to the house after I find him, but he has shown me he just needs time to reconcile with his past, especially the parts he doesn't know and blames himself for. His love for his family is evident through his protectiveness and love for me.
It is amusing how Ted's initial fear quickly vanishes when he sees me, replaced by his usual cocky attitude. Instead of hiding in his house, he chooses to taunt my uncle, likely out of curiosity. It probably annoys him to learn Donovan is still alive; the sheriff can't keep his eyes off my uncle. Both men want answers. They believe the entire family was killed, thinking no one could have survived, but obviously, they are wrong. My uncle and I prove that he and my mother survived. What we don't reveal is that my other uncle and aunt might also be alive. We want to protect them from possible targeting or harm.
"How did you make it through that night?" Ted inquires, staring intently at my uncle. "I saw them drag your body to the woods." The sheriff continuously stares at Donovan from head to toe, as if he might vaporize if he blinks. It seems he hasn't believed Ted that my uncle is still alive until he sees him for himself.
"Surprise, sorry to disappoint you," Donovan replies sarcastically. "I'm just here to tell you to stay away from my niece. If you go near her again, you won't like the consequences." My head snaps quickly to my uncle. It surprises me how menacing his words sound. Zeke squeezes my hand to reassure me that everything is fine. He hasn't let it go once and keeps me pulled up against his back. The fingers of my right hand dig into the back of his shirt, while he holds my left hand. I am worried about where this confrontation is leading. Before anyone else can speak, the sheriff confronts my father.
"Andy, why are you involved with this family? Just because she might be your daughter, you're risking your life," the sheriff says, looking worried. His words show both caring and frustration. It is clear he disapproves of the bond forming between Andy and me.
"Might be my daughter, old man. I have already proven with DNA that she is my daughter," Andy says, irritation in his voice. "Thanks to Ted and the other assholes you're involved with, both Roxanne and her mother were taken from me. I will not let anyone do that again."
"What are you talking about? No one took her mother from you. She was never yours. She probably faked the DNA test results. You're just too gullible to see the truth. She's just like her manipulative mother. Had she not disappeared, your whole life would have been ruined," the sheriff yells. Andy and Donovan both let their anger get the better of them at his words and step menacingly toward the sheriff.
"Watch your mouth," is all Donovan says. He is trying to rein in his anger before he gives the sheriff a reason to arrest him.
"I will help them find out who was involved that night and why. Don't get in our way, old man, and if you're involved, all I can say is, God help you," Andy warns. The sheriff looks like he has more to say but decides to keep his mouth shut for now. Ted's fear seems to seep back in for him, and he is slowly backing up toward his door to abandon the sheriff.
"You'd better make sure your creepy little buddy stays on his side of the road," Donovan growls out. I tug on Zeke's shirt, trying to get his attention. When he looks down, I motion for us to go home. He smiles down at me, trying to keep me from being scared or stressed out. He nods at me, telling me he will take me.
"I'm taking Rocky back home," he says, turning to face me. He leans in close to my ear and whispers, "I'll carry you. Tuck your face into my chest so they won't see you." I follow his instructions. Zeke slips an arm under my knees and uses his other arm to support my back as he lifts me in a bridal carry. I press my face into his chest, breathing in his scent, which makes me feel safe.
As we walk back, I am in awe. He carries me as if I weigh no more than a feather. He isn't out of breath or struggling. He laughs when he catches my expression as he sets my feet back on the ground at our front door. Leaning down, he gives me a quick kiss and opens the door for me. We don't even get a chance to walk in before we hear loud banging and Sharon screaming. She comes running out the door, almost running into us. Terrified, she points into the house.