I got up too. “Dad, just let it go…”
Mason stared at him for a few seconds before he turned away again, this time having the humility to look uncomfortable by his mistake, a mistake a lot of people made, not just because Derek and Dad looked similar, but because Dad still looked like a man in his late thirties rather than his sixties.
Dad went after him.
Oh my fucking god. “Dad, no.” I put myself between him and Mason and placed my hands against his chest. “Just forget it. Daisy wouldn’t want you—”
Dad shoved me aside, got to Mason, and grabbed him by the back of his shirt and slammed him to the floor.
The patrons in the bar backed up, everyone releasing a loud gasp in shock when the fight broke out.
Mason had fast reflexes and got to his feet quickly, fists up and close to his face like he had some kind of training.
Dad stared him down, unintimidated, arms by his sides. “Come on, boy. Give me your best shot.”
“Dad.” I couldn’t believe the scene in front of my eyes. “Stop. He’s not worth it.”
Mason slowly lowered his hands but kept his fighting stance. “I’m not gonna beat up an old man—”
Dad struck with the speed of a fucking cobra, slamming his fist into Mason’s face so goddamn fast I didn’t even see it.
Mason flew back and hit a couple vacated chairs and a table.
“Old man, huh?” Dad came closer, his arms still by his sides.
Mason’s mouth dripped with blood, and he snarled as he looked at my father, like he was about to break every bone in his body.
I rushed forward to get in the way to protect my dad before he got seriously hurt.
But I didn’t need to.
Dad moved so fucking fast, it was like an action sequence. He slammed his fist into Mason’s face, broke his nose, punched him in the stomach, and then hit him again in his chin, all of it happening quicker than I could really see. When Mason finally tried to get his hits in, Dad moved like it was a dance, like he predicted every hit before it came. Then he grabbed Mason by the throat and squeezed him, choked him with a single hand, and got right in his face. “Hurt my daughter. I hurt you.” He shoved him back, making him land with a thud on the hardwood floor, choking violently, his face covered in blood.
Dad took it one step further and spat on him. “Look like this old man made you his bitch.”
The cops were called, Mason pressed charges, and my dad was arrested.
Arrested.
The cuffs were put on his wrists behind his back, and he stood there with the same calm expression, like he didn’t give a damn that he was about to be taken downtown. His eyes stayed on Mason the entire, like beating him bloody and humiliating him wasn’t enough retribution.
This man was an upstanding citizen, a hero, didn’t have a speeding ticket—and he was going to jail.
I had no idea what to do.
Mason had ice over his nose, and his friends tried to wipe up the blood while he sat broken in the chair, like he’d be in pain for a very long time.
I walked up to my dad. “Dad, what the fuck?”
He kept his eyes on Mason and ignored me.
“I don’t know what to do. Should I call Mom?”
Still nothing, like he was still pumped with adrenaline, like he needed to finish what he started and put Mason in the grave.
“Dad.” I moved in front of his eyes so he would be forced to look at me. “You’re going to spend the night in jail. Do you understand?”
His eyes focused on my face. “No regrets.”
“This is gonna be on the news—”
“Good.”
The cops grabbed him by the arms and escorted him outside and into the police car. They put him in the back seat, shut the door, and then drove off.
I couldn’t believe I was about to make this call, a call I never ever thought I’d have to make. When his taillights were out of sight, I pulled out my phone and called my mom.
She answered right away. “Hey, honey. Is your father on the way home?”
“Um…he’s on the way somewhere but not home.”
“Dex, what do you mean by that?”
I inhaled a deep breath before I told her the news. “Dad was arrested for assault. He’s gonna spend the night in jail unless we pay his bail.”
Mom and I checked in at the front, and then Mom pulled out her checkbook and wrote out the amount for his bail before she ripped it off and handed it to the clerk. “I can’t believe this.” The jail was cold and full of concrete, not the place for someone like Deacon Hamilton. “Is he okay?”
“Not a scratch on him, Mom.” I hadn’t wanted that exchange to happen, but I couldn’t help but be proud that my dad could open up a can of whoop-ass like that. Just on the fly. With no preparation at all. “I didn’t know Dad knew how to fight.”
She sighed. “That man knows how to do everything.”
We took a seat and waited until they were ready to lead us back to his cell and get him out of there.
Mom kept rubbing her temple, like this incident gave her a migraine. “What the hell happened?”
I told her everything, but it didn’t make much sense, because Dad was so calm and composed all the time, thought through every action before he made it. It was completely out of character for him to get into a bar fight. I pulled out my phone and checked to see if someone recorded it on their phone and posted it online.
Yep, it was there.
I played it for her.
Mom watched the video, slightly shaking her head as she listened to their exchange, and then she watched her husband beat the ass of a guy half his age. She gave the phone back to me and sighed.
“Mason came over to say hi, and I hoped Dad wouldn’t figure it out…but he did.”
“Because he figures out everything.” She kept glancing at the front desk, anxious to get him out of that place as soon as possible.
“Has Dad ever done anything like that before? I’ve never seen him lose his shit like that.”
Mom was quiet for a long time, glancing at the counter then the opposite wall. “Maybe once…”
“Really? What happened?”
“Before you were born, a guy I used to see said something to your father, so your father broke his nose.”
“Wow, go Dad.”
Mom ignored what I said. “I knew this whole thing bothered him, but I didn’t realize how much.”
“I’m not surprised, actually.” There was no line he wouldn’t cross, not for Daisy. “You have to admit, Dad was pretty badass. Gotta be proud…at least a little bit.”
She shook her head. “Your father could have gotten hurt.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t. Maybe his knuckles are a little sore from breaking Mason’s face, but that’s it. And I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty satisfying watching Mason get his ass handed to him like that.”
Mom didn’t say a word.
Eventually, we were led into the back, past cells full of drunken men who had made some wrong decisions that night. I made sure to walk between her and the front of the cells so the guys wouldn’t stare at her.
When we reached his cell, he was alone, sitting on a bench up against the wall, his eyes still dark and furious like a few hours behind bars wasn’t enough to dim his rage. He didn’t even look at us.
“Free to go.” The guard unlocked his cell and opened the door before he walked off.
Dad didn’t move.
Mom stood in front of the open doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.
I stepped aside and tried to give them some kind of privacy.
Dad still didn’t make eye contact.
Mom gave a loud sigh. “This is going to be on your record for the rest of your life. You know that?”
His dark eyes shifted to her. “Then it’s a good thing I’m a billionaire and my own boss.” He still wasn’t himself, responding with rage when Mom did nothing to spark that anger.
“What will your patie
nts think—”
“They aren’t going to give a damn because I save lives.”
“You could have gotten hurt, Deacon.”
“But I didn’t. I reminded that asshole that I’m a man and he’s a boy. Fucking boy.”
Mom took another deep breath because there was no reasoning with him right now. “Daisy is perfectly capable of—”
“Nobody hurts my daughter and gets the fuck away with it. I don’t care about the consequences or the repercussions of my actions, nor am I sorry, nor will I ever be sorry. I would put that motherfucker in his place over and over again. He can sue me for damages, and I don’t give a shit. Money will never replace the dignity and respect I took away from him. Money will never fix the embarrassment, the sheer humiliation I caused. He betrayed my daughter and humiliated her in front of her own family. Now we’re even, bitch.”
Damn, my dad was a fucking gangster.
Mom had said her piece, and there was nothing more to say. “Let’s go home.”
Dad lingered for another moment before he got off the bench and walked out of the open cell. He walked past my mom and barely acknowledged her. He didn’t look at me either.
She grabbed him by the front of the shirt and tugged him toward her.
He moved with the pull, letting her do whatever she wanted, weak whenever it came to her but a fucking badass when it came to others. He stared her down as he waited for her to say something.
She whispered so low I could barely hear. “I love you.”
He melted at her words, and his arm slid to the small of her back, tugging her close and pulling her into a kiss.
My impulse was to look away, but there was something special about the moment, a memory of my parents that I wanted to keep when they were gone, to remember how much they loved each other.
Her arms circled his neck, and she hugged him as she pressed her face into his chest. “I’m so happy that you’re the father of my babies.”
Thirteen
Dex
It didn’t take long for Daisy to figure it out.
Because that shit was all over the news.
Nobel-Prize-winning and world-famous oncologist beat the shit out of some guy in a bar. They showed videos of Dad being taken into the police car, and they also showed a clip of him in action.
Daisy let herself inside, frantic as if she’d run all the way from the lobby and then down the hallway. “What the hell happened?” She shut the door behind herself, wearing a skirt and a blouse like she’d just left the clinic and headed straight here after a late night at the office. “Dad?”
He sat on the couch with his chin down.
She turned to me, in hopes I might give her an explanation.
I shrugged. “It just kinda happened…”
Like that wasn’t a sufficient answer, she marched over to Dad and sat beside him. “Dad, what the hell were you thinking?”
Dad kept his eyes on the coffee table. “I wasn’t.”
She dragged her hand down her face, sighing loudly. “That was so unnecessary.”
“Did you see the video?” I asked. “Mason made the mistake of calling him an old man…kinda his fault.”
“But how did this happen?” She turned to me. “Did you just point him out to Dad or what?”
“No,” I said. “Mason came over and made the mistake of saying hi to me. Thought Dad was Derek and said he’d heard so much about him from you. And then Dad figured out who he was and just lost it.”
Daisy turned to Dad. “So, he came over to be civil and polite, and your response was to break his nose?”
Dad stared at the coffee table. “If you’re expecting remorse or regret, you will receive none.”
Daisy sighed loudly and dragged her hand down her face again. “Dad…I just can’t believe this. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. He didn’t even do anything that bad—”
Dad snapped. “He hurt my daughter.” He turned to her, looked her in the eye, furious all over again. “He stood you up and dumped you when he was supposed to meet us. He wasn’t there for you, humiliated you, and didn’t deliver on his promises. Fucking prick.”
Daisy looked at me, accusation in her eyes because he’d obviously gotten that information from me.
I shrugged in guilt.
“He broke your heart,” Dad said. “That’s enough reason for me to do far worse than what I could have done.”
Daisy looked straight ahead, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. “Dad—” Her new phone started to ring on her lap. “Great…it’s him.”
Dad grabbed it and answered it with lightning speed. “Bitch, you want some more? Call my daughter again, and I’ll fucking track your ass down.” He hung up and tossed the phone on the table and wiped his hands like they were dirty.
Now Daisy’s face was a mixture of shock and humiliation. “Okay…I need a moment with Dad. Alone.”
Mom and I left the living room and headed into the hallway, but I was too nosy to walk away so I watched them from behind the wall, peeking around the corner.
They sat side by side in silence for a long time.
Dad wasn’t good at this sort of thing when he was angry, so he stayed quiet.
Daisy took the lead. “I know you love me and you’re protective of me, and we all do crazy things in the moment, but…you did not need to do that. I’m a grown woman who can handle myself. Yes, Mason hurt me and it was hard, but I’ll get over it. We all get our heart broken sometimes. It heals, like all things do.”
“I’m not sorry, sweetheart. If you want an apology from me, you’ll never get it.”
“I’m not asking for an apology, Dad. I just… I want you to understand how tough I am, that you don’t need to worry about my broken heart or broken anything. I was raised by two of the strongest people I’ve ever known, and if you think some guy is gonna get to me, you’re wrong.”
He turned his head slightly to look at her.
“I loved Mason, but he wasn’t the one. It happens. I won’t say it was a mistake because there’s no such thing as mistakes. Life is a series of meaningless and unrelated events. This was just an event. I will love someone again, and he will be the one. He’ll shake your hand, and you’ll love him like a son. It will happen. It just didn’t happen today. And you can’t beat the shit out of every guy who doesn’t give me that.”
Dad was quiet for a long time before he responded. “I…I can’t believe you’re my daughter.”
Daisy’s eyes softened as she looked at him.
“I just…” He shrugged as he looked at her. “I just can’t believe that your mother gave me this strong, ruthless, unapologetic, unbreakable woman. In my eyes, you’re that little girl with the bow in her hair, having a smile that outshines the warmth of the sun, and I just feel compelled to protect you…but I guess you don’t need me to.”
“Daddy…” She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder.
His arm wrapped around her, and he turned his head to press a kiss to her forehead. “I can’t explain how much I love you. There are no words. When it was just your mom and Derek, I thought I’d never be able to love another person the way I loved them. And then Dex came, and I couldn’t believe how much I loved him. But I was certain there was no more room for anyone else. And then the best was saved for last…and I loved you in a way that physically made me ache. My only daughter. Someday, you’ll understand what I mean. Someday, you’ll understand why I snapped the way I did. Someday…you’ll love someone so much it’ll hurt…and it won’t be your husband.”
They sat together, cuddled close, his hand rubbing her other arm.
Mom came next to me and peered around the corner to watch them.
I whispered to her. “She’s totally his favorite…”
She gave a slight grin.
Dad dropped his arm and shifted back to his regular position. “I’m sorry.”
Daisy turned to look at him, a slight grin on her face. “No, you aren’t.”
Dad g
rinned back. “I am…just not that sorry.”
She chuckled as she shook her head. “I’m not gonna lie, it was a bit satisfying to watch you knock him to the floor and call him bitch.”
Dad gave a guilty shrug.
“Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“I’ve been doing it with my trainer for decades. We change up our workouts all the time, and then we always make it back to boxing and street fighting, so…I’ve had a lot of practice.”
“Can you teach me to fight like that?”
Dad regarded her for a while before he gave a nod. “Yeah. I’d love to.”
“Wait, I wanna learn too.” I came from around the corner and approached the back of the couch. “What the hell, Dad? You’re this martial artist, and you’ve been holding out on us?”
Daisy turned to give me a glare. “Uh, so much for privacy.”
“Oh, come on.” I dropped onto the other couch. “There are no secrets between us, right? Dad, come on, train me.”
Dad watched my mom take the seat beside him, ignoring us for a second as she came into his proximity and slipped her arm through his, her head moving to his shoulder. Then he turned back to us, like she’d just finished speaking. “Dex, you seem busy enough as it is.”
“I’ll make the time,” I said.
“The only time I have is early in the morning during my workouts,” Dad said. “You ready to get up at five every day?”
“Um…” I rubbed my hands together. “Nah, I’m good.” Sleep was the only luxury I continued to afford myself, and without it, I wouldn’t be a good physician, researcher, and teacher.
“I’m in.” Daisy turned back to Dad. “I’ll get my workout out of the way before work.”
“As opposed to your workout…when?” I teased.
Now she gave me another glare. “You’re just pissed I’m the favorite.”
“I’m not pissed,” I argued. “You think I didn’t already know that? Dad wouldn’t kick anyone’s ass for me.”
Dad released a sarcastic chuckle. “If Catherine were a man, I might.”
The Doctor Who Has No Chance (Soulless Book 11) Page 9