Tank

by Erin Bevan

  Where is Tyler?

  Alfred stood and barked at the front door. “Hang on, bud.” She lifted the curtain and glanced out the window. Father stood in the grass, spraying his bike down. A sinking feeling plopped in her stomach. If Father was here, Tyler was gone.

  He didn’t say goodbye.

  She shook her head at the foolish notion as she slipped her shoes on. Tyler was nothing more than a glorified roommate with bodyguard benefits. He didn’t have to tell her goodbye every time he left. He didn’t even have to talk to her.

  Still, an annoying feeling twisted her gut. The same feeling she got last night when he talked about the deer being safe on his land. As long as the creatures stayed on his property, they would be protected. Same with her. As long as she stayed, she would be secure. But she didn’t want to play it safe anymore. Not when it came to him, and not when it came to her living there.

  She wanted to live her life again.

  When she opened the front door, Alfred barreled outside and charged off the steps toward Father, barking; his backside wagged in greeting.

  “Morning.” The biker gave her a wave as he reached down to pet the pup.

  “Good morning. Do you know what time it is?”

  “A little after eight. Tank just left about fifteen minutes ago.” The man reached into a sudsy soap bucket for a sponge as the dog stuck his head in it.

  Fifteen minutes. She’d missed telling him goodbye by fifteen minutes.

  That same, nagging feeling from yesterday sank like a hard rock in her gut, and turned into a slight fear. What if he didn’t want to tell her goodbye? Perhaps he did see her as nothing more than a glorified roommate. Someone to help with the laundry and the dishes.

  “You okay?” Father asked. “You look a little confused.”

  “I’m fine. You need any help with that?” Annie stepped down the porch steps. She needed to busy herself. Worrying about Tyler leaving without saying goodbye was irritating her. Even though she told herself she shouldn’t care.

  He stared back at her. “Your shirt is white.”

  She looked down. “Yeah, so?”

  “Then, no.” Father slapped the sponge on his bike. “I’ve got it. I wouldn’t want your shirt to get ruined.”

  The man mumbled something under his breath. She couldn’t make all of it out, but it sounded like Tank wouldn’t like that.

  “Okay then. I think I’m going to go for a little walk. Stretch my legs a bit.”

  “Don’t go too far. I brought donuts.” The biker pointed to a box on the porch. “And The Morning Show’s coming on in fifteen minutes.”

  The Morning Show. The older man’s favorite. Annie had told him on his first time babysitting that she enjoyed the show. In truth, she couldn’t stand two of the four co-hosts, but Father seemed giddy to watch the garbage, so she lied to please him. Now, at least twice a week, she was donned with the horror of watching the gossip reel.

  “Sure. I won’t.” She gave him a little wave.

  “Why don’t you go get the mail? I saw Tank check the box, flip through it, then put a bunch of it back in. Looked like he hadn’t checked it in days.”

  The mail. She hadn’t seen the sales papers strewn all over the countertop lately. Not that she missed it. “I think you’re right. I’ll do that.”

  Annie strolled down the drive, Alfred on her heels. The morning sun felt glorious on her skin. Even though the humidity was comparable to walking in a greenhouse, she’d gladly suffer the suffocating air, as long as she didn’t have to be trapped inside. Even her fear of being outside seemed to dissipate slightly. Then again, she did have her scary protector trotting beside her. Al’s tongue hung out the side of his mouth, and his tail wagged his whole backside.

  Yeah, real scary.

  She flipped the lid down on the mailbox and reached inside. On top of the pile sat a small envelope addressed to Tyler. The return address read Wade Correctional Facility. She paused and stared at the package, her fingers trembled holding the contents. Why was Tyler getting letters from a prison? In her haste to get away from Duke, she never once thought about Tyler having a criminal record. But hadn’t JoJo said they did a background check on him?

  Her whole body shook slightly as she gripped the pile of mail tighter. Alfred licked her leg and stared up at her as he flopped his tail against the dirt-covered drive.

  She glanced at the dog. Tyler had rescued Al, and he’d never once made her feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Surely, a hardened criminal wouldn’t be so kind. She shuffled her feet against the dirt as she made her way back to the house.

  Father dumped his bucket of soapy water in the grass. “Annie, you ready for breakfast?” he called to her, then looked up from his task. “Whoa, you look white as a sheet. You sure you’re okay?”

  She licked her parched lips and pressed the mail against her chest. “Yeah.” Annie nodded as her heart pounded faster. “Umm…when you guys let someone into the Blue Guardians, JoJo mentioned background checks. Do you do one on everyone?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  “So, you did one on Tyler, right?”

  The man put his hands in his back pockets. “Of course we did. In fact, I did it myself.”

  The shaking in her limbs eased a little. “So, nothing came up, right?”

  “He’s as clean as Harley here.” Father reached over and rubbed a hand on the seat of his bike. “Where’s this coming from? Did Tank do something, because—”

  “Oh, no. Not at all. He’s been great, but I just realized in my haste to get away from a bad situation, did I…could I maybe be jumping into another…oh never mind. It’s not important.”

  He shot her a concerned look. “Are you sure, Annie? Because if you’re not comfortable here, the Guardians can help find another place—”

  “No.” She shook her head and cut him off again. “Tyler is great. Come on. It’s almost time for The Morning Show, and I’m starving.”

  “Okay. If you’re sure.” He held his arm out for her to wrap hers around it. “Here, let me carry that mail for you.”

  “No.” Annie pressed the pile tighter to her chest. “I’ve got it. You grab the donuts.” She pointed to the box. “I hope Sandi put an éclair in there.”

  “She did. Just for you.” He held the door open. “Let’s turn the T.V. on. Those pretty underwear models are supposed to be doing an interview this morning.”

  “Oh, you didn’t hear. The models canceled. Something about having to do a shoot in the Bahamas and getting trapped there by a hurricane.”

  “What? Oh, man. That ruins my whole morning.”

  She snickered as some of the pressure from worrying about Tyler lifted from her shoulders. “Just kidding, old man. Come on.”

  “Old man?” Father slapped the donut box to his heart. “That hurts. I’m not old, I’m seasoned.”

  “Like a fine wine,” Annie teased.

  “Now you’re talking. Let’s go girlie.”

  She followed the man into the house, her heart lighter knowing Tyler had a clean record, yet her curiosity weighed heavy with concern. If he was a friend of criminals, what did that say about his own morals? Duke seemed nice at first, too, but he changed.

  And yet, here she was falling head over heels for another man that she didn’t know much about. Who was Tyler really? And was she safe in his care?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tank pushed through the double glass doors of the courthouse. Father and a few of the other bikers he hadn’t learned the names of yet stood in a huddle at the end of the hall. The leader waved his hand toward him, and the group stepped to the side, revealing Bear.

  The kid sat on a bench with his mom. Steele sat beside the woman, while a man in a suit stood over her talking. Mary shook her head, focused on what the suit said.

  The lawyer.

  “Tank.” Bear stood and ran toward him, the ever-present teddy clutched in his hand.

  “Hey, big guy.” He lifted Nathaniel in a hug. “Your cheek looks
great dude. Can’t even tell you had a battle bruise anymore.”

  “Yeah. It feels better, too.”

  Duke walked down the hall with the short cop he’d seen at the diner and stood by the double doors of the courtroom.

  Tank’s heart rate sped, causing the veins in his neck to pulse. He took in a deep breath as his hands moistened. Subtly, he set Bear down and wiped them on the side of his pants.

  Not today. He wouldn’t allow his fears to get the better of him. He was stronger than his anxieties, and he sure as hell wouldn’t let that bastard, Duke, see how he bothered him, nor would he let anyone else see his unease.

  The Chief of Police stopped mid-conversation and stared, his gaze hard on Tank. He gave his own hard stare in return as the bailiff opened the heavy wooden doors of the courtroom, nearly hitting Duke in the ass.

  Too bad he missed.

  “Case of The State versus Franks. Court will begin in ten minutes.” The bailiff pushed the doors open all the way and set the stoppers.

  Bear reached up to grab his hand, his grip firm.

  “You okay, big guy?”

  Nathaniel nodded.

  Tank kneeled eye level with Bear. “What’s the matter? Are you scared of seeing your dad?”

  The kid glanced down at his shirt, and nodded again. “I’m also…” He leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I’m scared of that cop.”

  “Why are you scared of him?”

  Nathaniel shrugged. “He looks mean.”

  He gave the kid credit for being a good judge of character as he glanced over at Duke again. A woman in a tight-fitting dress, with a stack of papers in her hand and a large political button stuck to her chest, flipped her hair as she talked to the chief. The button read Duke for Sheriff. The man smiled and gently touched the small of her back as he turned to whisper in her ear. The woman giggled as she walked away, sashaying her hips and giving the cop a backward glance.

  No doubt Duke used the same charm to win over Annie.

  Tank stared at him.

  That man…with Annie.

  He knew the facts, but he had a hard time placing the two of them together in his mind. Never again.

  Tank glanced back at Bear. “You don’t have to be scared anymore, okay? You’ve got all of us here to protect you. As long as I’m around, I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you. Got that, big guy?”

  Nathaniel nodded.

  “Good.” He stood.

  Mary walked up to her son. “Nathaniel, I have to go inside now, but Steele has offered to stay out here with you, okay?”

  Bear glanced to Steele then back to him. “Can you stay with me instead?”

  Tank looked to the mother then to his biker friend.

  Steele shrugged while a slight look of dejection marred his face. “Yeah, whatever you want little dude.”

  “Mary, is that okay with you?” Tank asked.

  “Of course.” The woman knelt down to kiss her son on the forehead. “Nate, be good for Mr. Tank, okay?”

  Mr. Tank.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The lawyer walked up to the group. “We should get inside. Judge Mannis doesn’t like it when his court starts late.”

  “Sure.” Mary nodded. “Wish us luck.”

  Father strolled by and leaned in closer to him and Nathaniel. “I know Mannis. We won’t need luck. Just solid facts, and we have them.” The leader of the pack patted Bear on the back and gave him a nod. “See you guys soon.”

  The Guardians, along with a few others, walked inside the courtroom. Duke gave him another hard stare before he went inside himself, small cop hot on his heels.

  At precisely four p.m. the doors closed. Bear fidgeted on the bench beside him, while Tank wiped his brow with his bandana and sat back on the seat.

  “Why are you sweating?”

  So much for getting my nerves under control. “Just something I do when I see cops.”

  “You don’t like them, either?”

  He stared down at the kid. “This is the part where I’m supposed to tell you cops are fine, but I’ll be honest, while most are, not all cops are good. But it’s not cops I have a problem with, it’s the uniforms.”

  “Why?”

  He placed his bandana in his pocket, thinking about how to tell such a small child adult problems. “Remember when I told you my dad was a bad guy?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, he used to wear a uniform. It was a different uniform, but similar. Ever since then, the outfit makes me nervous.”

  “Oh.” Bear nodded. “You know what makes me nervous?”

  “What?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Girls.”

  “Ha!” Tank laughed. What a change of subject. “I hate to tell you son, but it doesn’t get any better as you get older.”

  “Do girls make you nervous?” Bear eyed him, curious.

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Sometimes they do.” One in particular.

  “Do you have a girlfriend?”

  His smile faded. “No. Not right now, anyway.” He crossed his arms. “I’ve got a girl I like, but she’s…she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “Why not?”

  He shrugged and glanced around. Despite the fact he didn’t mention any names, he wanted to make sure their conversation wasn’t being heard. “I don’t know. It’s complicated, I guess.”

  “What does that mean? Complicated?” Bear twisted his nose up.

  “I guess it means things aren’t always as easy as we would like them to be.”

  “Oh.” The boy placed his hands under his legs and stared down the hall.

  “What about you?” Tank nudged him. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

  “No.” Bear shook his head adamantly.

  He leaned closer. “Is there a girl you like?”

  “Yeah.” The kid sighed. “But she doesn’t know I like her.”

  He smiled at the boy’s obvious confusion about the opposite sex. “Is she pretty?”

  “Uh-huh.” Nate’s eyes got big. “Real pretty.”

  “Oh, I bet she is for a guy as handsome as you to like her.” He sat back again. “Do you talk to her?”

  “No.” Nate shook his head. “Well, sometimes I do.” Bear stared at him, his eyes still round and curious. “Can I meet the girl you like?”

  “Sure.” He nodded. “I’m sure she’d like that.”

  “When?”

  A good question. When could he take his Beauty out of hiding? He placed his arm on the back of the bench. “Soon. I hope real soon.”

  “Okay.” Bear finally seemed content with his answers. “I’m tired. Can I lay on your lap?”

  “Sure.” He patted his leg.

  The kid settled his head down on his lap and his small frame curled up on the rest of the bench. “Wake me up when my mom comes out, okay?”

  “You got it.”

  Bear clutched his teddy to his stomach and closed his eyes. Within minutes, a slow steady breathing poured from the boy’s chest.

  He watched as Nate slept. How could a father ever abuse his son? His own heart heavy of emotion, Tank propped his head against the wall, and rested his eyes.

  The sound of the courtroom doors startled him, and he snapped his eyes open. The bailiff’s shoes clicked on the tile as he walked over and knelt down to Bear’s level. “The judge would like to see the boy in his chambers.” The court official glanced up at Tank.

  “Okay.” He shook Nate. “Bear. Bear. You’ve got to wake up. The judge wants to talk to you.” He patted the boy’s arm.

  Nathaniel sat up and rubbed his eyes. “What?”

  “The judge would like to see you in his office,” the bailiff said. “If you come with me, I can take you back there.” The official stood and held out his hand.

  “Can you go with me?” Nathaniel stared up at Tank.

  He glanced at the bailiff. The man gave a slight shake of his head.

  “Uh, I don’t think so big guy. You’ve got to do this one on your own, but I’l
l be right here when you’re done, okay?”

  “Can my bear go?” Nate stared at the bailiff.

  “Sure. Your bear can come.”

  Reluctantly, Nathaniel took the man’s hand. He gave Tank another glance as he walked down the hall.

  “I’ll be right here when you get back,” he called out.

  Tank’s heart hammered in his chest. Why did the judge want to see Bear? Surely, the man wouldn’t ask him any questions to upset the boy. Thinking back to his own court proceedings, he couldn’t remember much. He’d blocked most of his past out. His counselor said it was a defense mechanism. While he chose not to remember the legalities, he remembered the pain. Nothing could defend him against that.

  Tank glanced at the courtroom, but no one came out. What the hell was going on? He stared at his phone and tapped his foot on the tile. His pounding heart not slowing down, he nearly tapped a hole in the floor. Needing to do something different, he stood and paced.

  Please, let everything be okay.

  Just when he thought he might barrel into the judge’s chambers, the door swung open and Nathaniel came running out. “Tank, guess what.”

  “What big guy?” He lowered to a knee.

  “I get to live with Mom. I get to stay with Mary.”

  Custody. Of course. The judge wanted to get a feel of Nate’s emotions, alone, without the prying eyes of adults.

  “That’s awesome, big guy. Your mom will be so happy.”

  Five minutes later, the doors to the courtroom opened. Mary ran out with tears in her eyes, all the Guardians close behind her. “It’s over baby.” She gripped her stepson in a hug.

  Father came to stand by him.

  “How did it go in there?” he whispered.

  “As good as could be expected. The man didn’t even try to defend himself. He knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on. Four people testified against him. Even our Chief of Police had to get on the witness stand.”

  “Really? So he helped our cause?”

  “He wasn’t helping anyone but himself. His campaign for Sherriff is blowing full steam ahead now. He’s putting on a good face.”

  “What was the verdict?”