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Romeo
I drove like a bat out of hell to get home to Dawn. The whole way to the hospital my mind kept flashing back to the night I made a similar drive. The drive where I rushed back from Florida to save my son. I made a lot of mistakes with Striker. Mistakes I hope to never repeat.
I’m scared that I’m gonna lose my baby girl. I’m afraid that she’s gonna be just like her mother. The thought kills me. I never want that life for her. I don’t want her being chased by demons. I can’t figure out for the life of me why she’d do that. How could she be so damn stupid?
When I get ahold of her, I’m going to lay down the law, and if she doesn’t want to listen, I’ll lock her ass up until she can see reason.
Sunshine is waiting for me in the parking lot. Grim offered to come with me, but it sounded like Rebel is stirring up a shit storm. He had a call from Foxie saying Rebel knew about Baby and Striker—that they were in Florida. That shit’s gonna be a Goddamned mess. However, that shit show is the last thing on my mind. I’ve gotta be a dad to the kids I have. Grim and Foxie can settle that shit. Rebel is their problem not mine.
Sunshine does her best to fill me in on the situation as I storm through the doors of the emergency room. I really don’t want to hear shit from her mouth right now. The sound of her voice is grating my nerves, like nails on a chalkboard.
I’m given access to the floor my daughter is on instantly. They don't want to fuck with me. My veins are popping out of my neck, as if my tattoos and my leather cut weren't enough of a warning.
Sunshine trails behind me. I have some words for her about locking Dawn in her room and taking over when I told her to let the damn girl be. That conversation will be had later. Right now my daughter is all that matters.
Her doctor is just making his morning rounds and when he sees me heading to Dawn’s room, he stops me.
“Mr. Wells, I’d like to talk to you about your daughter in private.”
“Lead the way,” I growl.
We step into a family waiting room and if he tries to lay into me, I will knock his ass out. I don’t need anyone telling me how to be a father. I’ve made enough mistakes to know I’m not a very good one, but at least I try. Goddamn it I try.
“Are you aware of your daughter’s drug problem?”
“Are you aware of who I am? Get to the point before I put my boot in your ass.”
Sunshine squeezes my arm and I shove her off. She’s on my shit list right now.
“Sir, there’s no need to threaten me. My only interest here is the health and wellbeing of your daughter. Social services and the police will be calling on you soon, now that you’re here.”
I flick my teeth with my tongue. No skin off my back. Not the first time I’ve dealt with the pigs.
“Can I see my kid now?”
“In a moment, I’d like to let you take her home. I have a number here, it’s for a counselor that deals with troubled teens. I think your daughter can benefit from seeing a professional.”
“Anything else, Doc?”
“No, I’ll sign off on her release. Your girl was very lucky.”
I leave Sunshine to handle signing off on Dawn’s release.
I need to see her for myself.
I need to see she really will be okay.
Then I’m gonna bust her ass, like I should have years ago.
When I open the door to Dawn’s room Sunshine and that devil Paul’s spawn—Mute is up in the bed with her canoodling like lovers. Fuck no. Daddy ain’t havin’ this shit. Seems Sunshine has more explaining to do.
I trusted her to watch over my daughter, and what do I come home to find? I come home to my daughter nearly dead and then snuggling up with her intended stepbrother, who is too damn old for her.
The motherfucker has the balls to step to me. Me! I don’t know whether to pat him on the back, shake his hand, or slit his throat.
I’ll have to decide later.
Sunshine interrupts saying she can’t sign off on Dawn’s release papers. That high and mighty doctor is with her. This motherfucker is gonna say one wrong word too many and I’m gonna snap his neck.
Sunshine gets her boy out of my face, and I tell that cocksucking doctor to get the fuck out after I sign his forms. He did his part.
“Just remember what I said about counseling,” he says as he goes to the door.
I nod and he moves the fuck on. Smart man.
“You want to explain to me why ye were cuddled up with the devils’ spawn or why ye were shooting poison in your veins? You pick which one you want to explain first.” I cross my arms and wait. I’ve got all damn day.
I’m expecting her to make up some sob story about how some boy took advantage of her, that she didn’t know what was happening, and that Patrick stepped up and saved her like a hero.
What I’m not expecting is for my child to look me dead in the eye and say, “I know what you did...I saw you...standing over her dead body. Knowing you murdered my mom is killing me. It’s ate away at me piece by piece. Bit by bit.”
“Dawn...”
“No.” She shakes her head. “You listen and you listen good. Your sin nearly destroyed me. But I am done living my life based on you and your choices. I am done being haunted by her death. I’m done keeping your secret. I won’t turn you in, but I won’t carry the burden of knowing the truth anymore. I travelled Mom’s road and it wasn’t a pretty one. I wanted to forget what happened, but I wanted to feel close to her too. I’m done with that though; I never want to go down that path again. Patrick is good for me, and I'm good for him. We both carry the scars of our parents. We’re both fighting to move forward and make a life for ourselves. I know I fucked up, Dad, but so did you. You can’t keep him away from me.”
Her words shred me and break me into a million pieces. I did this to my daughter, the child who looked up at me as if I was some sort of Goddamned hero. I broke her.
I wipe at my eyes attempting not to break down and cry. My heart feels dead.
“I don’t want to take him from ye. I’ll never take another thing from you, another person, as long as I am breathing. I didn’t mean for things to go down with your mom the way they did. She wanted to take ye, Jamie, and Miracle away from me. The three of ye are all my sorry ass has. I couldn’t let her take ye away. I won’t ask for your forgiveness. I don’t deserve it. I’ve fucked a lot of shit up baby girl. I screwed up with Miracle, but she has a better life. I promise ye from this day forward, I’m gonna be your dad. The dad you deserve. We’ll get through this shit together. I’ll help Patrick, get him set up with his own place and job. If he wants to be with ye, he’s gonna do right by ye, prove to me he's the man for ye.”
“All we can do is try, right?” She smiles, and I know it won’t be easy, but she’s right we will damn sure try.