His father was currently stumbling through it, tearing it up, coming around from the back, banging on the windows as he went, screaming his mother’s name on the way to the front door.
They’d arrived before the cops, and he knew his old man well enough to know if he didn’t do something to stop him, he’d smash a window or kick the door clean off its hinges.
He turned to Rusty. “Stay here.”
She stared at him, eyes wide—shock, horror, pity, all there on her beautiful expressive face. “Do you want me to call the police again?”
He shook his head. “They’ll be here soon.”
Climbing out of the car, he approached the man who had made his life a living hell for as far back as he could remember. “What’re you doing here, old man?”
His father swung around, face red with anger and whiskey. As soon as he saw Reid, a sneer twisted his lips. “Nobody asked you to stick your fucking nose into this, boy. She’s my wife, and you have no right keeping her from me.”
Reid stared him down. “She’s not your wife anymore, remember? You need to leave, now.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do, you little piece of shit. I’ll see my wife whenever the fuck I like.” Then he stumbled up the steps and proceeded to bang the hell out of the front door. “Let me in, Carol. Bitch, you’ll be fucking sorry if you don’t.”
The curtain slid open, and her ashen face peered out, even with the lights out, he could see the tears streaking down her cheeks, the way she shook. He’d seen his mother cry more than he’d ever seen her smile, had heard more of her sobs than he had her laughter, and it was all because of this asshole.
Striding forward, he gripped his father’s shirt and yanked him away from the door. The bastard spun and clocked the side of his jaw. For a drunk he was quick, always had been. He went for a second shot, but Reid ducked out of the way. The momentum had his father stumbling to the side, and Reid managed to twist his arm up his back, kick his legs out from under him, and shove him to the ground.
“I’ll fucking kill you, Carol,” his father screamed. “I’ll make you bleed, bitch.”
Reid slammed his fist into his prone father’s kidney to shut him up. He deserved it, that and a whole lot more. “Shut the hell up.”
His mother had made friends in this neighborhood. This would humiliate her, take her back to a time when she’d had no one, had been too afraid to make friends. Her life had revolved around this bastard, avoiding his fists, hiding the truth from everyone around them.
His father grunted and sucked in a sharp breath. “Y-you always were a mama’s boy, weren’t you, you fucking waste of space.”
Reid ignored the insults, had heard them all before, had heard them since before he was old enough to understand what they meant.
“Son,” his father rasped. “Come on, let me up, son.”
He knew what came next. The pleading, the bargaining. “Just keep your mouth shut till the cops get here.”
“I just need some cash, and then I’ll go away. I won’t come back, you hear me? I’m just down on my luck is all. I just need a little to tide me over. Come on, boy. Help your old man out?”
“I’m gonna tell you the same thing I tell you every time you come groveling. I will never give you a damn cent. Ever. I owe you nothing.”
As always, this sent the bastard off all over again. Reid pinned him down, while he continued to yell insults and threats.
“The police are here.”
He twisted his head at the sound of Rusty’s voice. He hadn’t even seen her get out of the car. “I told you to stay put.”
She flinched at the rough edge to his voice, the way he snapped at her, but his control was shot. He’d dealt with this asshole one too many times, and the last thing he wanted or needed was an audience. An audience with big green eyes filled with goddamn pity.
Two officers came over and cuffed his father, dragging him toward a patrol car. Reid followed to give them his statement, while the second officer went and spoke to his mother. When they finally finished and he’d watched them drive away, he went looking for Rusty.
She was gone.
What the hell did you expect?
He knew bringing her here, witnessing this nightmare, was a bad idea. She’d seen a side of him he’d never wanted her to see, and he’d scared her away.
He’d been an idiot to believe, if only for a minute, that he could have her, because he’d known right from the beginning, he couldn’t. These last couple of days, he’d been kidding himself to think otherwise. Not with the dark shit that twisted inside him. He’d let it surface tonight, had taken his frustration and anger out on her, when she was only trying to help. He shoved a hand in his hair. Jesus, he’d screwed everything up.
Striding across the lawn to his mother’s house, he used his key to get in. He could hear the television going in the living room out back and headed down the short hall. When he rounded the door he came to a dead stop, heart kicking into overdrive at what he saw.
Rusty sat on the couch beside his distraught mother, arm wrapped around her thin shoulders, holding one of her hands and doing her best to comfort a woman she had never met in her life, a complete stranger.
“Would you like a hot drink, Carol? Tea, coffee, maybe a hot chocolate?”
“No, I’m fine, dear.” His mom patted Rusty’s hand.
“You have nothing to worry about now. Reid will make sure of it.”
The surety in Rusty’s voice made his chest ache. “You’re here?” The words formed on their own, escaped before he could stop them.
Her chin lifted, and those exquisite eyes landed on him, unwavering. “Of course. Where else would I be?”
As far away from me as you can get. That’s where she should be.
But she was still here. She hadn’t left. He didn’t know what to say. How to feel about it with so many emotions battling for dominance right then.
His mother came off the couch, came straight to him. He wrapped her in his arms, and she broke down all over again. He held her while she cried, her slight frame shaking under his hands. “It’s okay, Ma. He’s gone. I’ll look at finding you a new place, okay? Somewhere with better security.”
She shook her head. “I’m not letting you do that. Besides, I like it here. I have friends here, my garden. I-I don’t want to move.”
“It’s all right. We’ll sort something out.”
Rusty stood and left the room, giving his mother her privacy while she pulled it together. Again showing him that sweet side of her nature, the side she kept hidden from nearly everyone else. Everyone except those she cared about, those she trusted.
She trusts you.
She didn’t run.
Jesus, he couldn’t think about that now. The way he felt right then, about her—he could easily say something he could never take back. Something that would only make it harder to walk away.
When she returned, she had coffee for all of them. They drank their drinks, mostly in silence, and he kept an eye on his mother the whole time. She’d calmed down, but he wasn’t leaving her, not after that. Seeing the old man always affected her deeply. All the self-confidence she’d worked hard to gain would evaporate. The sparkle in her eyes that took too many years to return would dim.
“Will you be okay for a bit? I’ll take Rusty home, then come back. I’ll stay here tonight.”
His mother shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I called a friend, and she’s coming to keep me company. You go on. I’ll be fine.”
“Ma…”
“I’m fine.” She looked over at Rusty. “It was lovely to meet you, dear. I’m just sorry about the reason behind it. You and Reid will have to come for dinner sometime soon.”