He couldn’t shake the heavy feeling in his gut like he was missing some obvious part of the puzzle. Or maybe that unsettled feeling had everything to do with letting Danny go home and face his parents alone. He should have tried to insist more firmly that he go along to make sure the conversation didn’t get out of hand. He’d told Danny he’d be there for him when the time came. They just hadn’t expected it to be so soon and so out of their control. He couldn’t help but worry, especially since Gina had seemed to think things would get hectic if Danny’s father ever found out.
“Perez, I thought I told you to go home.” Sheriff Hayes came over and took the coffeepot out of his hands, which he’d just been standing there holding. “You’ve had some night. The best thing you can do is get some rest.”
He forked a hand through his hair. The sheriff was probably right. Problem was, he didn’t know how he was ever going to sleep tonight. Not with everything that’d happened. He just couldn’t let go of the idea that Danny was in serious danger.
“Will you just think about what I said?”
“If I do, will that convince you to go home?” The sheriff was clearly exasperated with him, but he supposed it was marginally better than pissed off.
He was about to answer, when a call came over the radio that was always chattering in the background, since it covered the whole county’s emergency services. Usually it was just background noise, but something caught his attention. He hurried over and picked up the speaker.
“Dispatch, ten-nine, can you repeat that last call?” he requested. A second later the operator came back to him.
“Ten-sixteen, domestic disturbance reported by a neighbor at three-seven-six Buckland Street.”
He dropped the speaker with a clatter, looking in alarm at the sheriff, who’d come over to stand next to him. His heart was pounding too hard, sending shock waves through his body.
“That’s Danny’s house.”
The sheriff’s expression hardened, and he reached down for the speaker. “Ten-sixty-nine, sheriff responding. Call off any other dispatched units.”
“Ten-four,” the operator confirmed, even as the sheriff set down the speaker and hurried across the office.
As they reached the back door that opened onto the parking lot where they kept the patrol vehicles, the sheriff shot him a stern look.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Hayes unlocked his SUV.
“I’m coming.” As if to emphasize his point, he yanked the passenger door open harder than necessary.
“You’re not on duty.” The sheriff was arguing, but he was also getting in behind the wheel and starting the SUV’s engine with a roar.
“It’s Danny. I’m not staying behind.”
Hayes cut him a warning look. “You let me handle it, you hear?”
He nodded, throat getting too tight to answer. What the hell was happening at Danny’s house? Letting the sheriff handle it was probably the smart idea, because he couldn’t trust his emotions not to get out of hand.
Hayes sped through the darkened streets with the lights and sirens going and in a matter of minutes, they were jerking to a halt outside Danny’s house.
Jake barely stopped himself from rushing headlong out of the SUV and into the house. As they started up the short path, they could hear yelling, followed by the sound of something smashing. It was all Jake could do to keep himself in check. Hayes hurried up the steps and pounded on the door.
“Grant? It’s Alan, open the door.”
There was a long moment of silence, but the door remained closed. Jake aimed a frustrated frown at the sheriff, and then he shoved the door open—thankfully it was unlocked.
Danny’s mom hovered nearby, like she’d been unable to decide whether to open the door. Danny’s father stood puffing in the middle of the corridor, face bright red and blood dripping from his nose and Danny—
“Oh shit.” Jake rushed over to kneel where Danny was slumped on the floor near the wall.
“Danny?” His voice came out strangled. There were new welts on Danny’s face that hadn’t been there before, not from the accident.
“Jake?” Danny blinked groggily at him.
“I’m here. It’s okay, you’re fine.” He ran his hands over Danny’s shoulders, not sure if he was checking for other injuries or trying to comfort him.
“Grant, what happened?” Hayes asked in a tight voice.
“He had it coming. Obviously I never disciplined him the right way when he was a boy.” Grant motioned to his own damaged, bloody nose. “Anyways, he gave as good as he got.”
The older man’s retort had been uttered without a single hint of remorse, and it snapped something inside Jake. All of the fear and frustration and anger and apprehension he’d been struggling with all night congealed into one tight ball of ugly rage.
He surged to his feet and threw himself at Danny’s father with a roar. He shoved the man into the wall.
“You asshole! He didn’t have it coming. He’s your son. And you hit him when he’s already got a concussion? You could have fucking killed him!”
Hayes pulled him back and propelled him across the short distance of the hallway. “Perez! Get the hell outside. I told you I’d deal with it!”
“Oh, I’m sure you fucking will.” He went over and stooped down to loop Danny’s arm over his shoulder, helping him to his feet.
“Where are you taking him?” Danny’s mom asked in a shaky voice.
“Back to the hospital for a start. And then anywhere that’s not here.”
Danny gripped a handful of his shirt but didn’t say anything as Jake helped him outside. They went over to the SUV where it sat at the curb with the lights still flashing. Jake got him into the front passenger seat to wait for the sheriff. He stayed standing in the open car door, running another concerned gaze over him.
“Are you okay?”
Danny heaved a sigh and slouched in the seat. “You fully lost your shit back there.”
“Yeah, I kind of did. I’m sorry.” He reached over and took Danny’s hand.
“It was pretty awesome, actually. No one’s ever stood up to my dad like that before. I honestly don’t think he knew what hit him.” Danny’s gaze seemed a bit sharper as he looked at him in the dim light from the SUV’s internal lights. “Do I really have to go back to the hospital?”
“How many times did he hit you?” he asked instead of answering.
Danny shrugged as if it was no big deal. “I’m not sure, actually. Maybe three times. He was right, though. I went for him as well.”
Yeah, well, he doubted anyone could blame Danny for standing up for himself. The man had deserved that and more.
“I think the hospital would be a good idea,” he said instead of what he was actually thinking.
“Ugh, I’m sick of that place.” Danny grimaced as if he couldn’t think of anything worse.
“I know, sweetheart, but I need to know you’re okay.”
Danny eyed him in disbelief. “Did you really just call me sweetheart?”
He grinned, despite the terrible night they’d had. “Yeah, I did. It just came out. Was it too weird?”
Danny shook his head slowly, the shy smile that got him every time slipping across his pale features. “No, actually. I think I like it. Just, not in front of anyone else, okay?”
“I think I can manage that.” He set his palms on Danny’s thighs, then leaned forward and kissed him gently.
Danny sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head against the seat. “I just want to go to sleep and forget today ever happened.”
“Not all of it, I hope,” he replied in a quiet voice.
Danny half opened his eyes. “No, not all of it. Just the parts after we left Houston.”
He didn’t say anything in return as the front door of Danny’s house slammed and the sheriff came down the path.
Jake clenched his jaw, ready to start fighting on Danny’s behalf all over again if the sheriff didn’t handle this properly
because Danny’s dad was his friend. But the man seemed disappointed or saddened as he climbed in behind the wheel, so Jake kept his mouth shut.
“Danny, I need to know if you want to press charges,” Hayes said into the heavy silence.
“Charges?” Danny repeated.
“For assault. Against your father,” the sheriff clarified.
Jake wanted to jump in and tell him he sure as hell should. But it was Danny’s father and it had to be Danny’s choice.
“I—I don’t know.” Danny’s voice came out sounding strangled. “I hit him as well.”
“You don’t have to decide right now,” Jake put in quickly, squeezing Danny’s hand reassuringly. At least the sheriff seemed willing to do things right. “Sheriff, I think Danny probably needs to go back to the hospital.”
“I really don’t,” Danny argued stubbornly.
“Tell you what, Doc Parsons owes me a favor or two. Why don’t we get him to give you a once-over instead?” Hayes suggested. “But if he thinks you need to go to the hospital—”
“Okay.” Danny’s agreement was quick, but he was clearly relieved.
“Now we’ve got that settled, we need to sort out what to do with you.” The sheriff was staring at Danny steadily, concern clear in his features.
“What do you mean?” Danny’s fingers tightened on his, and Jake brought up his other hand to wrap around on top of it, leaving Danny’s hand clasped between both of his.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go home tonight, not until your father cools down a little.”
Danny’s expression was stricken as he looked down. “Do you think he ever will?”
The sheriff reached out and set a gentle hand on Danny’s shoulder. “Honestly, I don’t know. But Danny, I want you to know, you’re the closest thing I have to a son. You’re welcome to stay with me as long as you need.”
Danny’s head came up, surprise widening his eyes. Jake had to say, he was more than a little impressed with the man. He’d already respected Hayes for the way he ran his station, but with a few words, he’d completely won Jake over.
“But what about—” Danny motioned to him. “Jake and I, we’re— He’s my boyfriend.”
“And?” The sheriff raised one eyebrow, as if daring Danny to point out how that was possibly a problem.
Danny took a ragged breath and then brought his free hand up to cover his face. The next breath sounded suspiciously like a sob, and Jake straightened, pulling Danny against his chest. Danny wrapped his arms around his waist, sniffling into his shirt.
He caught the sheriff’s eye above Danny’s head. The man looked torn, his affection for Danny clear, with sadness in his gaze for what Danny had been through.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
The sheriff nodded and glanced away, his eyes suspiciously bright.
After a moment, Danny took a deep breath and pulled away from Jake.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
“You haven’t got anything to be sorry for.” Jake smoothed his hand through Danny’s hair and then leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. “Head home with Sheriff Hayes. I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
“You don’t want a lift, Perez?” Hayes asked as he started the SUV.
“Thanks, but it’s only a block and a half home for me. I’ll walk. Take care of him.”
The sheriff sent him a quick salute. “Will do.”
Jake stepped back and swung the door shut, then walked around to the footpath as the sheriff pulled away from the curb. He couldn’t let himself look back at Danny’s house, otherwise he’d be too tempted to go back in and give Danny’s father a piece of his mind, that’d probably be illustrated by his fists.
Instead he shoved his hands into his pockets and set off down the darkened street. At least with Danny staying at the sheriff’s house, he didn’t need to worry about him being in danger. He couldn’t have asked for better protection detail. Now he just needed to work out who the heck would want to hurt Danny and why.
Chapter Eighteen
DANNY SAT at the round table in the middle of the sheriff’s kitchen, hands wrapped around a mug of coffee, listening to the birds chattering outside in the early-morning air. After getting the local doctor over and having him declare Danny didn’t need to go back to hospital, as long as Alan woke him up every few hours to check on him, Danny had collapsed onto the bed in the spare room and gone straight to sleep.
Alan had come in twice overnight and roused him. Both times Danny had mumbled he was fine and then rolled over to go right back to sleep again. The third time, just before dawn, when the sheriff had gotten up to start getting ready to go into the station, Danny had started thinking about things and then hadn’t been able to go back to sleep. Despite feeling like his head weighed a ton, he’d dragged himself out of bed and rummaged around the kitchen to make himself a coffee. Not that he’d touched it since he’d sat down.
His life was a complete mess. He supposed technically his parents hadn’t kicked him out—he’d left with Jake and the sheriff of his own accord. However, he was worried about his mom and what this had done to her health. He wanted to go home and make sure she was okay, but his dad wouldn’t be happy to see him and he didn’t want to be under the same roof as the man, even temporarily. It meant he basically had nothing—no home, no job, not even any damned clothes until he went over there and got some stuff.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Alan walked into the kitchen and went straight over to the fridge to pull out some juice. He was dressed in his uniform and looked ready to head off for the day.
“Couldn’t sleep anymore. Just thinking about things, how I’m supposed to start figuring out this huge fucking mess.”
Alan came over and gripped his shoulder for a moment before sitting in the chair across from him. “I know it probably feels like the bottom of a well, but things will get better, I promise.”
“Will they?” The words came out sharper than he’d intended. He should be grateful. If it hadn’t been for Alan, he didn’t know what he would have done last night. Probably ended up at Jake or Gina’s house. Except he didn’t want either of them dragged into the middle of this mess, even though Jake was already half in it.
“Yes, they will.” Alan’s voice was calm and firm.
“And what if he doesn’t ever accept it? What if he doesn’t ever—what if he never accepts me?” His throat got tight and he clenched his jaw, forcing away the sting in his eyes. He didn’t want to cry again. He’d already done that enough in front of Alan and Jake last night.
“Then that’s his problem. It’s his loss. I know I’m not your father, Danny. But I’ve been here for you since you were a baby. You’re practically family to me. Nothing will change how I feel about you. Not this or anything else.”
He stared at the sheriff, emotion overwhelming him for a moment as he wished his own father could have accepted him so easily. And it was the first time Alan had ever called him Danny instead of Daniel.
“I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but how is it that you can be fine with all this? With me and Jake.” If it was that simple for Alan, why couldn’t it be that simple for his dad?
“My brother, John, he lives in Florida now. With his husband. They have their own son, a few years younger than you.”
Surprise and a weird flood of relief went through him. “Your brother is gay?”
Alan nodded with a smile. “He and his husband have been together for over thirty years. You think you’ve got it tough now, try being gay in the late ’80s and early ’90s. It was technically still illegal, and AIDS was killing so many people. When my parents found out about John, they didn’t speak to him for over ten years. It wasn’t until my father got told he was dying of prostate cancer that they finally made contact again. But even then, my dad couldn’t accept it. He died without ever really making amends with John.”
Danny sent Alan a rueful smile. “Wa
s that meant to make me feel better? Because it was kind of depressing.”
Alan gave a quick laugh and then finished his juice. “No, that was me explaining that there’s a possibility your dad will never be okay with it. I’m hoping he will be once he cools down and thinks about things. But the point is, even though it was sad for John, he still had me, and he has a family of his own now. He made a life for himself, and he’s happy. I’ve not seen many people who love each other as much as John and his husband do.”
“There, see, that story makes me feel better.” And it was the truth. Talking things out with Alan was definitely helping. Danny picked up his coffee and took a sip, even though it wasn’t hot any longer. It was warm enough, and he needed the caffeine to wake himself up properly.
“So you really meant it?” Maybe it was dumb to ask, but he needed to be sure. “I can stay here for a while until I work out what I’m going to do?”
Alan reached over and patted his hand. “As long as you need. And I’d love to sit around shooting the breeze a little longer, but right now, I need to get to the station.”
“Can I get a lift into town?” He stood as the sheriff took his empty glass to the sink.
“Not that I’m trying to parent you, but aren’t you supposed to be resting today?” Alan turned and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms.
“I will, but I need to get some stuff from my house.”
The sheriff’s brow lowered. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go there alone.”
“I won’t,” he assured Alan quickly. “I’ll take Jake.”
“Sure, that’ll make it go much more smoothly.” The sheriff made a noise that was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. “Come on, then. Let’s get moving.”
Danny grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and followed Alan out to his SUV. The sheriff lived on the opposite side of town from his parents, but not much farther out, so it only took a few minutes to get into town.
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