***
My parents and I always had dinner together. It was a family tradition that my mom had introduced since I was a little girl and no matter how busy dad was, he always made sure to join us for this meal.
Dad was a busy man. He was the captain of a biker club, and even though I didn’t know much about the businesses he was involved in, I knew that he didn’t exactly belong in our neighborhood. We lived in an ordinary suburban neighborhood with white picket fences and golden retrievers in the yards.
My parents were an unlikely couple as well. Dad was a gruff biker who rode noisy Harleys and parked them in our driveway. Mom was a petite blond who played bridge with her friends.
I’d always been amazed by their love story, of how they had met at the hotel lobby where mom used to work and she had instantly fallen in love with this “bad boy” with tattoos, and dad had swept her off her feet.
So, mom always knew the life that dad was involved in and she had been supportive and nonjudgmental of his choices. She loved him for them in fact, but she had also made him promise that he would try his very best to keep that life away from me. She didn’t want the family to be affected by his business and dad had done a pretty good job of that.
I had led a relatively normal life: got good grades, had normal friends and always ate dinner with my family. To me, my dad was a hero. He was tougher than all the other dads I knew and he had instilled in me good values of courage and standing up for what was right. I was grateful for my parents. No matter how much other people might have judged my dad’s lifestyle, I didn’t. I knew what he was made up of and I was proud of him for it.
We were sitting around the dinner table now, eating in relative silence. It was usually dad who did all the talking, but tonight he was quiet.
“How were your classes today, honey?” mom asked, breaking the silence and I looked up at them and smiled. Just like dad, I had some things on my mind. Ever since my conversation with Casey, I couldn’t get Carl out of my mind. Now, sitting at the table with my parents, I was guilty of thinking about him in front of them.
“Good, Mom. I submitted my essay on the slave trade in North Africa,” I replied, averting my eyes from them. It had been two years since that fateful kiss on my eighteenth birthday, two years since I had a conversation with Carl. Even though he had pretended like nothing had happened, what was the explanation for his absence from our lives?
My dad and Carl were best friends, I knew they met often and spoke even more often. Carl had just made it a point to never visit the house anymore just so that he could avoid me.
“And Mike, how was your day?” mom was the one trying to rally the conversation. Dad cleared his throat before he answered.
“Fine, fine, everything is fine Abby,” he said, in a low grumbling voice and I knew instantly that something wasn’t fine. Dad was always cheerful at dinner. Because he was so busy during the day, and rarely ever had time to spend with his family, meal times were precious to him.
“No, actually, everything is not all fine. We’ve been receiving threats,” Dad said and his spoon clanked against the plate when he dropped it. I flinched and looked up at him. Dad’s eyes were bloodshot and he was gritting his teeth. Mom was staring at him, too, and she had a worried expression on her face.
“Threats? What kind of threats? Threats to your life?” Mom asked, and her voice had turned screechy. My mother was a dainty delicate woman, and I knew that my dad did his best to keep her shielded from everything that went on in his life at the biker club. So, for him to admit that there was something dangerous going on in his life meant that it had to be something very serious.
“No, not threats to my life . . . forget it Abby, forget I said anything,” Dad growled and he threw me a quick look before toying with the food on his plate.
“What’s going on, Dad?” I asked, peering at him.
“Now, Virginia, you stay out of this honey. If dad doesn’t want to talk about it, let him be,” Mom said turning to me. She had always desperately tried to shield me from dad’s lifestyle, but I had always been curious.
I had known that there was an element of danger involved in his business, and I didn’t think that some knowledge about it could really hurt.
“But Dad should be allowed to discuss it with his family. Who else is he going to talk about it with?” I argued with her.
I could see Dad clenching his fists like he was trying to control his rage.
“He can talk to me, honey, you don’t need to know,” Mom argued in a soft voice and Dad banged his fists on the table. Mom and I both fell silent at that. I had never seen Dad react like this. I was fully aware of the violence he was capable of – his work required him to be like that – but he had never behaved like this in front of us. Something was seriously wrong.
“Your mom is right, mouse, please just forget about it. Forget I said anything, baby,” dad said and started chewing his food angrily.
I couldn’t argue with him. I glared at him though, trying to persuade him to spill the beans, but Dad wasn’t about to budge.
So, the three of us went back to eating our meal in silence.
Chapter 2 – Carl
I was in the middle of my morning meeting with the team when Mike walked into my office. He stood at the door and our eyes met and instantly I knew that something was up.
“Okay, that’s it, folks. Back to work,” I said to my team, which was made up of big muscular men who I had trained in the art of security. I ran a high profile security firm and provided clients with the best-trained bodyguards that money could buy. Every morning, we met as a group to discuss strategies and plans and how best to tackle tricky situations.
Mike waited until all the men in my team had trickled out of the room before he approached my desk.
“Mike,” I tipped my head at my best friend, who breathed in deeply and crossed his arms over his wide chest. We had been friends since high school. We ran with the same crowd, had gotten ourselves in the same trouble until we both chose two different businesses to get involved in. Mike was the head of a biker club, while I was the head of a security firm. In a lot of ways, our work wasn’t very much different from the other.
“Hey, man, I didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting. I just needed to talk to you,” Mike said, and then I watched him turn around and go shut the door of my office.
“What’s up, Mike?” I asked, and when he came back to stand in front of me, I could see that his eyes were bloodshot and he looked nervous about something. I could always tell the difference when Mike was hungover or when there was something bothering him. This morning, my friend wasn’t hungover.
“Someone’s been threatening Virginia,” Mike said. At the mention of his daughter’s name, I felt my spine stiffen and I had to resist the urge to look away from my friend. I still hadn’t gotten over the guilt that wrecked me every day. The guilt of kissing my best friend’s daughter. No matter how drunk I was, it was not an excuse and I knew that if Mike ever found out, he would never forgive me for it.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked, following his every movement with my eyes as Mike started pacing the room.
“I mean that we’ve been receiving death threats, phone calls, packages, messages. Someone wants to get to Virginia and I have to start taking it seriously now,” Mike said and ran a hand through his thinning hair.
“Do you know who it is?” I asked. I could see that my friend was upset, and of course, he had every right to be. Virginia was the most precious part of his life.
“I would have done something about it by now if I knew!” he thundered and I saw the rage in his eyes. He rushed towards me apologetically and shook his head.
“Sorry, Carl, I’m sorry. As you can see, I’m fucking losing my mind!” he growled and clutched his head with both hands.
“Okay, Mike, you need to calm down. Tell me what I can do to help. Do you have any leads I can chase?” I asked, trying to catch his roaming gaze.
“There is
something you can do for me, Carl. You are my most trusted friend. I can’t trust anyone else with this; we’re talking about my daughter’s life!” Mike sounded like a madman as he spoke. I could see that he was losing his mind with worry.
“Yes, okay. Tell me, Mike, what can I do?” I said and I watched as he slipped his hand into the pocket of his leather jacket and extracted two tickets which looked like they were for flights. I had my brows crossed as I stared at him.
“I want you to take her, and disappear for a few days. Just a week, give me some time to figure this shit out,” he said and stuck the tickets out towards me. I felt like someone had knocked the wind right out of my lungs. Mike wanted me to take his daughter, Virginia, the girl I had kissed on her eighteenth birthday and had tried so hard to avoid since then, and spend a week with her?
I took a step away from Mike, but he came closer to me.
“I know you have a business to run, Carl, and I know this is a big deal. But, you are the best fucking bodyguard that my daughter can have and you are my best friend,” Mike growled, and his face had darkened with both anger and fear.
I gulped and clenched my jaws. I would have done anything else that Mike asked me to do, anything but this.
How was I supposed to keep my hands off his beautiful daughter for a week if we were going to be locked up together?
“Mike . . . ” I began to say and I shook my head.
“Just a week, Carl, she will not be safe anywhere other than miles away from here and with you. I can’t put her at risk here,” Mike insisted.
We were glaring into each other’s eyes and I had no choice but to nod my head. I could understand what my friend was going through, and I knew that I couldn’t say no. It was what I would have expected from Mike if I was in his position. We were like brothers.
I took the tickets from him and stared at the print.
“Alaska?” I remarked and looked up at him in shock.
“I couldn’t think of a better place to hide out,” he replied and shrugged his shoulders. At least now he looked somewhat relieved.
“I’ll pick her up in two hours,” I said and stuffed the tickets into my jacket pocket. “Before that, I need to brief my boys on what to do while I’m away,” I said and Mike thumped my back in gratitude.
Chapter 3 – Virginia
“Are you kidding me?” I was glaring at my dad with fury, while mom dabbed tears from the corners of her eyes at the door of my bedroom. A bag was lying open on my bed, into which my dad was expecting me to pack some essentials.
“Mouse, please don’t fight me on this, sweetheart. Just do what you’re told!” Dad looked upset. He wasn’t being aggressive, but he was being firm. I couldn’t believe a word of what I was hearing.
“I have an exam coming up in a few days. I can’t just go to Alaska for a week!” I screamed and dad walked around me and threw open the doors of my wardrobe.
“C’mon, mouse, tell me what you need and I’ll help you pack,” he said, staring at my clothes.
“Mom?” I shrieked, who shook her head and a few more fat tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What is going on? Why do I need to go to Alaska?” I yelled, and Dad pulled out a bunch of hangers with clothes on them and strewed them all over my bed.
“Tell me what you need,” he said, ignoring my statement.
“Why won’t you even tell me what’s happening? Why do I have to go now, alone?” I shrieked and dad looked up at me, peering into my face.
“All you need to know is that I’m doing this for your safety and you’re not going alone. Now pack!” he growled, and his tone had changed from pleading to commanding.
“My safety? What does that mean? Dad, what is going on!” I shrieked and threw my hands up in the air.
“Virginia!” he barked and I clamped my mouth shut. I couldn’t understand what had gotten into him lately. I couldn’t remember the last time he had yelled at me. “Mouse . . . baby, do you trust me?” he came up to me, and his voice had softened.
I could feel my eyes watering. I was confused, afraid, and angry that my dad wasn’t giving me any explanations.
“Do you trust me?” he urged me again, and my lips quivered as I looked away from him.
“This needs to be done. It’s only for a few days and it’s the only way I can take care of what I need to take care of. Please, trust me. I wouldn’t force this on you if I had any other choice,” he said.
I stared into his eyes, then walked around him and started picking out things off my bed and throwing them into the bag. I didn’t want to look at him or my mother. I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me. What did he mean when he said that I wasn’t going alone?
“There’s a cab waiting for you downstairs,” dad said, as I zipped up my bag. I didn’t even check to see if I had everything I needed. I didn’t even know what I could possibly need in Alaska!
I walked over to Mom and hugged her tightly and she brushed my hair as more tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Virginia!” I heard Dad call out as I bounded down the stairs. If he was sending me away to Alaska without an explanation, I didn’t owe him a conversation either.
I banged open the front door and saw that there was a black SUV at the end of our driveway. I could sense that mom and dad had run to the door but I didn’t turn to look at them. How could they do this to me?
I yanked open the back door of the car and threw my bag in. It was only when I lowered my head to get in that I noticed Carl sitting inside. My body froze, and I felt like my voice was caught in my throat.
“Hello, Virginia, it’s nice to see you again,” he said, in his usual deep smooth voice. I could feel my hands shaking, as I tried to make my limbs move. I hadn’t seen him in practically a year, but nothing had changed about him. He was just as hot as I remembered him.
He was a big man, and he seemed to fill up the entire back seat of the SUV. His head grazed the ceiling of the car. I knew he was muscular underneath the t-shirt and leather jacket he was wearing. His beard was dark and thick, and he always maintained a clean neat shape to it. His hair was dark, too, and very thick, unlike my dad’s which was greying and thin now.
It was Carl’s eyes that had always weakened me, and as he stared at me now, I could feel those familiar tugs in my belly return. He had crystal clear blue, dangerous eyes that could turn stormy and dark at a moment’s notice.
“Are you going to come in?” he asked, and there was a soft grin on his face. I felt foolish and like a child as I continued staring at him, still feeling immobilized.
“We should get going before we miss our flight,” Carl said and I had no choice but to slide in and settle down beside him. I shut the door behind me and looked out of the dark tinted window. Mom and Dad were at the front door of the house. I could tell that Mom was still crying, and Dad had his arm around her, trying to console her.
“Virginia, I don’t want you to be scared. I’m going to do everything I can to keep you safe,” Carl’s voice was strong and deep, and I turned to look at him again.
“I’m not scared,” were the first words I said to him, and the grin on Carl’s face widened.
Suddenly, I didn’t hate my dad so much anymore. I only wished that I had packed more appropriately. I was going on a trip to Alaska with the man of my dreams, and I couldn’t be more excited!
Chapter 4 – Carl
I was about ready to explode. I was sitting on a seat that was too small for me beside Virginia, who was the hottest young woman I had ever set my eyes on. I had nowhere to go, we were on an aircraft! On our way to Alaska! Not that it should have been a problem, but the fact was that she was also my best friend’s daughter. I clenched my fists on my sides and hoped that she couldn’t see.
“Has my dad told you anything about what’s going on?” she asked, and I had no choice but to look at her. Virginia had said very little since she got into the car earlier, and I had assumed it was because everything was happening so fast.
/> “Very little. All I know is that your life is in danger back home, and he wants me to keep you safe; at least for a few days till he can figure everything else out,” I told her and she looked away from me and out of the window at the passing clouds.
It was strange that the kiss had changed everything. Before her eighteenth birthday, when I had set my eyes on her body in that short black dress she was wearing, Virginia had been nothing more to me than my best friend’s cute kid. I had watched her grow up in front of my eyes. I’d been there when she was in pigtails, drawing absurd shapes in crayons.
I had no idea when she had grown up and turned into this gorgeous woman. At eighteen, it was the first time I’d really noticed her.
“You know, all it would have taken was for my dad to just explain it to me. Instead, he told me to pack up and get in the car,” she continued, turning back to me. Now that she was sitting right there beside me in such close proximity, I noticed that she had the widest green eyes. Her eyelashes were long and dark and the skin of her cheeks was smooth and soft, the color of peaches and cream.
How had I not noticed these things about her before?
“Mike is panicking. You mean the world to him, and it is only natural that he wants to keep you safe,” I said, trying to hold an actual conversation with this girl I was secretly fantasizing about.
That kiss had happened out of nowhere. One moment, we were standing in the backyard, looking up at the stars. There were people inside the house, drinking and dancing and celebrating her eighteenth birthday. The next moment, she was in my arms and my tongue was pushing her lips apart.
I knew I had been drinking. We had been talking casually and she followed me outside when I decided to have a smoke. But how drunk did I have to be to kiss my best friend’s eighteen-year-old daughter?
I’d stopped it immediately, and walked away from her. Back in the party, I’d pretended like nothing had happened and once I was back in the safety of my apartment, I vowed to make sure that I never ran into her again. Well, that plan was totally ruined.
Daddy's Best Friend: An Older Man Younger Woman Box Set Page 17