Starting his bike, Jared revved it loudly, then took off. It was time to make shit right with Tessa. His mind kept going back to something she had said earlier. Adoption. A lump formed in his throat. He’d always regretted not being a part of Raven’s life, watching her grow and teaching her things.
Speeding down the road, he pushed the thought of a child to the back of his head. He needed to focus on making things right with Tessa, which he should have done a long time ago; he just hoped it wasn’t too late. He’d made so many mistakes he didn’t know where to begin, but one thing on his side was he had a reason. His reason was his daughter. He just hoped Tessa’s kind heart would understand.
Pulling into the county jail’s parking lot, he forced himself to stay on his bike. He needed to respect her wishes and let her handle the situation the way she needed to, but he could also make damn sure she was protected, even if it wasn’t by him. He made a quick phone call, then took off again. Yeah, he was here to support her; that was it. Unless the son of a bitch hurt her again. In that case, he was a dead man, and nothing would stop him. Not even his mate.
Chapter 22
Tessa had a feeling she was going to have trouble seeing her father, but as she walked up to the jail, she squared her shoulders and prepared herself. Opening the door, she went to the counter. An officer looked up and smiled. “Mrs. Kincaid, we’ve been expecting you.”
“You have?” Tessa frowned, glancing around. All eyes were on her, but as she met each gaze, they went back to what they were doing. “Why?”
“Please put your purse, phone, and anything else in here.” The officer provided a plastic container. Tessa knew the routine and put everything in it that would set off the metal detector. Once she walked through, she grabbed her belongings, realizing the officer hadn’t answered her. He picked up a phone and hit in a few numbers.
“Mrs. Kincaid is here,” the officer said, then nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Tessa looked at the other officer, who stared at her. “I’m sorry, but how did you know I was coming?” Tessa followed the officer who held open a door. They walked down a few hallways and into a large room where rows of metal tables littered the area.
“Your husband called and asked that we make sure you see Frank Pride,” he finally responded. “Please have a seat.”
Surprise flickered through Tessa, and she glanced around to make sure Jared wasn’t there somewhere, but he wasn’t anywhere that she could see. The officer walked over to the door and opened it. Her father shuffled through dressed in an orange jumpsuit, his ankles and wrists shackled. Following him were ten uniformed police officers. The man who’d brought her to the room, grabbed her father’s arm and led him to the table, then sat him down across from her. Following him were fifteen uniformed cops.
She couldn’t help it. A smile curved her lips. As much as she wanted to be mad at that man, it was hard. She could actually hear Jared ordering the police officer to make sure the room was full of uniforms to keep her safe. How in the hell could she be upset about him caring for her well-being? It was annoying, yes. Yet deep down, it made her feel wanted and… loved.
“You know the rules, Frank,” the officer said, his tone hard and unforgiving. “Break them, you go back.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Frank grumbled, his eyes on Tessa.
“You look good in orange, Dad.” Tessa couldn’t help being a bitch. It actually felt quite good. The smile on her face was real.
“I don’t see what the fuck you’re smiling at,” Frank spat, his eyes glaring into hers once she looked at him. The anger and hatred she saw reflected at her sent a slither of sadness through her, but only for a moment. And she’d be damned if she let him know that. “I hope to hell you’re here to bail me out.”
“No chance in hell of that happening.” The smile remained on her face. Him thinking she would bail him out didn’t surprise her at all. Nothing surprised her where her father was concerned.
“This is all your fault, you know. If you wouldn’t make me so damn mad, I wouldn’t do stuff like that.” He huffed, his face turning red with anger, but then he smiled. It was an evil spread of his lips. His eyes lit up with what seemed to be excitement. “I know I broke some of those ribs and yet, here you are.”
“Yes, here I am.” Tessa tilted her head, her eyes never leaving his. “Are you done?”
“Girl, you best watch yourself.” Her father sneered at her.
“Or what?” Tessa taunted.
“Oh, so now you’re going to play badass because I’m shackled.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “And even then you’re weak. Always been weak.”
Tessa ignored his own taunt. “Why do you hate me?”
That seemed to set her father back a bit. He opened and closed his mouth, stumbled on some words, and then looked at the guards. “I’m finished here,” he shouted, glaring at them, but they refused to move. Instead they looked toward Tessa, as if waiting for her instruction. “Did you hear me? Get me out of here.”
“I’m not finished,” Tessa said, her voice strong and hard. “I am pressing formal charges against you as well as filing for a restraining order. Not that I’ll be needing it for some time. I will do everything in my power to make sure you pay for what you put not only my mother, but Adam and myself through.”
“I’ll be out in a few months.” He leaned forward, his eyes hard with hatred. “And when I do—”
“I will be expecting you.” Tessa cut him off. “You come anywhere near me, Adam, or anyone we care about with the intent to harm, I will kill you and not shed a tear for it.”
“How dare you threaten me.” He hissed. His voice turned low so only she could hear him. “I swear when I get out of here, I’m going to find you and—”
Tessa leaned across the table so fast her father backed away, shocked. She bared her fangs at him. “Please do.” Even to her own ears, her voice sounded possessed by someone other than herself.
“You wouldn’t do it,” he replied after a few seconds, but his voice didn’t sound so sure of that.
“I could do it now.” Tessa once again moved so fast no one was prepared, especially her father when she grabbed him around the throat and squeezed. “And there is nothing no one in this room could do about it.”
Tessa squeezed a little bit harder, just to hear him wheeze, and then let go. She calmly sat back down and watched as he struggled to breathe. Once he got his breath back, he nervously stared at her. Then she looked away from him to the sheriff.
“I’m finished here.” She said the same words her father had said a few minutes earlier. Tessa sat still as two guards walked over to each side and pulled Frank from the chair. She didn’t look away from him, staring straight into his hate-filled eyes as he cursed and threatened her until the door slammed behind him and the guards, who’d filed out after him. She could still hear him shouting as he was led away, until his voice finally faded.
Tessa closed her eyes briefly before reopening them. The sheriff stood silently, giving her a minute. Finally, she glanced his way. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.” The sheriff grinned. “It was enjoyable watching you put him in his place.”
She definitely felt empowered by standing up to him, but there was a deep-seated sadness that the father she had always wanted was nowhere to be found. “It’s been a long time coming.”
The sheriff nodded and walked over to another table and picked up some papers. “I had one of the guards run and get these complaint forms. If you fill them out, I will make sure they are filed.”
Surprised, Tessa frowned. “Did Jared tell you to do this as well?”
“As well?” He frowned, then chuckled. “Okay, yes. Jared told me to make sure you were protected. Though I really don’t think you needed it.”
“Wish he thought that,” Tessa mumbled, taking the forms from him as well as the pen he handed her. She began to fill them out but stopped when the sheriff sat across from her.
“You know, I don’t blame him,”
he said, looking up from the papers she was filling out.
“You’re a man, of course you don’t.” Tessa snorted, tapping the pen against the table.
“That’s not exactly true,” he replied, and chuckled at her look. “Okay, maybe it is. But my wife is a pro fighter. She has been in some type of martial arts since she was ten years old. She could kick my ass without blinking an eye, and I’m actually not ashamed to admit that. I’m so damn proud of her; she’s an amazing fighter. I will tell you one thing. If that was her sitting at that table today across from a man who broke her ribs by kicking her when she was down, I would have had the whole department in here.”
“Because you don’t have confidence in her,” Tessa said, as if she knew his reasoning.
He shook his head. “No, because I love her.” He looked a little embarrassed, exposing himself like that. “It has nothing to do with confidence. It has everything to do with protecting the person you love, even if they can easily protect themselves.”
Tessa stared at him, her mind whirling. She really didn’t know what to say. She knew for a fact if Jared was in danger, she would do everything in her power to protect him. So why in the hell was she upset that he would do the same for her? Clearing her throat, she finished the rest of the forms, glanced over them, and handed them to the sheriff.
“Thank you, Officer Jones, for everything.” Tessa nodded and stood.
“Name’s David, and if you need anything else, just ask for me.”
“I will, David.” She followed him out of the room, down the hallway and to the door leading outside. She stopped and smiled at him. “Your wife is a very lucky woman.”
“Nah, I’m the lucky one.” He grinned and waved at someone behind her as she opened up the door. “Take care.”
Tessa glanced behind her to see Jared leaning against a police car. His gaze held hers as she walked toward him.
“Slade send you to hunt me down?” She stopped in front of him.
“No.” He remained where he was, not looking away.
“You here to yell at me, tell me I should be in the hospital and that coming here was a mistake?” Tessa questioned, figuring it was at least one of those three since it was Slade who sent him.
“No.”
“Then why are you here, Jared?” Tessa sighed, moving a strand of hair from her eyes whipped by the wind.
“Because I miss you.” Jared’s response was without hesitation.
Months ago, Tessa would have melted at that kind of response from Jared, but not today. “Bullshit,” she snapped, then pulled out her phone to call an Uber as she walked away from him. “I escaped from the hospital, came here, which I know you wouldn’t have approved of, even though I know you called to make sure I got in to see my father as well as take dozens of guards away from their more important positions to stand in a room while I choked the crap out of my piece-of-crap dad. So don’t tell me you came here because you missed me.”
“That was a mouthful,” Jared said as he followed behind her. “And it’s not… bullshit. I do miss you. And you wouldn’t have gotten in to see that asshole if I hadn’t called in a favor. So, you’re welcome.”
Tessa snorted as she punched her information into her phone. “If you think I’m going to thank you, then you’re going to be waiting a very long time. And I would have seen him without your help.” Tessa pounded on her phone with her fingers. “I did successfully break into the VC Warrior compound.”
“Who in the hell are you texting?” Jared stomped behind her, and she could hear the frustration in his voice. Good, let him be frustrated. She’d been that way for months.
“Uber,” she said, then wondered why she even answered. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Jared grabbed her phone, typed something, then shoved it inside his pants with a grin. “Your Uber has been canceled.”
“Don’t think I won’t go in there.” Tessa indicated with a nod to his lower half.
“Please do,” Jared said seriously. A moment later, a large smile spread across his face.
Staring at him, she realized how much she missed this side of Jared. It had been so long that it felt like forever. “I’ve missed you, too,” she whispered. A frown settled between her brows. “This Jared. I’ve missed this Jared.”
Something that looked like regret crossed his face, but it was gone the barest of seconds later. “Yeah, about that.” This time he did look away from her. “I’d really like a chance to explain. There are some things that I need to talk to you about, but not here. First you need to go get X-rays.”
“So Slade did send you to find me?” The disappointment overwhelmed her, and she knew it showed on her face.
Jared shook his head. “Tessa, I would go to the ends of the earth to find you, and no one would have to send me.”
“I have serious doubts about that at the moment,” she mumbled. Taking a heavy breath, she realized she wanted this over and done with, so she nodded. “Okay, but on one condition.”
“What condition is that?” Jared frowned.
“We talk first.” She hoped what she was going to hear wouldn’t devastate her. Dread filled her, but she pushed it away. Not only would she listen to what he had to say, but he would hear her too because she had plenty on her mind, and today was the day it all came out. Whether Jared Kincaid liked it or not.
Silently, Jared stared at her with a concerned frown. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Tessa nodded, but didn’t say anything. She wanted to see if Jared could come to terms with her also calling the shots.
Taking her hand, he led her to the bike. “Maybe I shouldn’t have canceled that Uber.” He paused next to his bike.
“Why?” Confusion swirled inside her before she realized he was worried about her. “I’m fine, Jared. I promise.”
After a few moments, he nodded. Jared helped her on the bike before he himself got on. Looking at her over his shoulder, he gave her a cocked-eyebrow stare. “Don’t go thinking I’m going to cave on all your conditions.” He gave her a wink.
“We’ll see,” she countered, and clung to his waist as he started the bike and took off. Nerves had her stomach in knots, wondering what she was about to learn of the man she thought she knew. She had a feeling this was going to be the most important conversation they’d ever had, and she was having a hard time feeling positive about it. Pressing her cheek against his back, she closed her eyes and let him lead the way. Other than being in his bed, this was her favorite place to be. Against him on his bike, riding free. She pushed her fear aside and just enjoyed the ride, in case it would be their last.
Chapter 23
Tessa had opened her eyes only a few times during their ride, enough to realize they were going to the house. In truth, she really didn’t want to talk there. As they pulled in, she was surprised when he passed the house, rode into the backyard, and kept going.
The thing with the Warriors’ bikes, they had been custom made for street and trail since they never knew where the bad guys would take them. Jared expertly rode the trails, careful not to jar her too much, but in fact, she would have loved to have gone a little faster. She decided not to push her luck by asking. He took a trail she knew well and smiled. It wasn’t her spot, but their spot. A place they had found together while walking. It was a steep cliff overlooking a deep watering pool.
This area was littered with hidden caves and deep pools. She loved this place. It was a part of her. Tessa had enjoyed showing Jared around and exploring new places. They had found this spot together and yes, it was special.
Stopping, Jared scooted up, then reached around, helping Tessa off the bike before he got off. There was an uncomfortable silence between them, but Tessa refused to speak first, allowing Jared time to get his thoughts together. Walking toward the edge of the pool, she looked into the dark water. They had swum there but never jumped.
“I was married,” Jared said, his words startling her, not the sudden sound of his voice in the sil
ence.
Tessa turned so quick she stumbled a little too close to the edge, but Jared was there and caught her. She looked into his eyes, searching them. “Married? Was?” Tessa whispered, then her voice grew a little louder. “To her?”
“Yes,” Jared replied. A frown quickly followed. “Wait, what? Who?”
“Raven.” The hurt in her voice was unmistakable.
“What? No!” Jared shook his head, then cursed. “Jesus, no, she’s my daughter. Raven is my daughter.”
“Your daughter?” Instant disbelief slammed into her. “You have a daughter?”
“Shit.” Jared ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not doing this right. Shit!”
Tessa watched him pace around, his shoulders slumped. She felt sorry for him, but then again, she didn’t. He should have told her. “You should have told me, Jared,” Tessa said, repeating her thoughts.
“Would it have made a difference?” he asked, and stopped to look at her. “That I was once married, hundreds of years ago, lost track of my daughter more than once and then walked out on her to keep her safe. Would any of that have made any difference on how you felt for me?”
“No, but I had a right to know,” Tessa said, her anger clawing to the surface. “Do you still love her?”
“My wife?” Jared asked, confused when Tessa nodded. “Tessa, she died hundreds of years ago. Janice was a good woman, yes, I loved her. I chose her and my unborn daughter over the rest of my family to live.”
“I’m sorry you had to make that kind of decision,” Tessa said, and meant it. No one should have to make a decision like that. “What happened?” She knew he needed to start at the beginning. She needed him to start there so she could understand.
Jared looked at her for a long minute. “I’m sorry, Tessa.” He took a step toward her, but stopped, uncertainty in his gaze. “I should have told you everything, but I was still trying to protect my daughter.”
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