For a moment, Zeke must have forgotten who he was talking to. It was cute, he thought, I would listen to orders. But deep down, he had to know better than anyone that it wasn't going to happen. No way was I going to let them go across that street and walk into who knows what. Ted was evil and scary. The uncertainty of what could happen to them was far more terrifying than facing my attacker directly. Despite my fear of Ted, I would not let him hurt the people I love. Nor would I let him see how he had affected me, the fear he had evoked. No way would I let him have that power over me. Ted and Sheriff Dawson thrived on intimidating others; it gave them a dangerous sense of superiority. I understood that if they believed they had succeeded in breaking me, their actions would only escalate, leading to much worse consequences. To me, those who preyed on weakness were nothing but cowards, lacking real courage.
Standing there, not able to tell Zeke no, was frustrating. He didn't wait for me to answer anyway. He turned back toward the other two men and began talking low enough that I couldn't hear them. Noticing my death glare at Zeke, my stepmother, Sharon, laid her hand on my arm and tried to steer me into the house. Her actions were driven more by fear than anything else. She preferred not to stay outside, afraid of witnessing any potential confrontation. Smiling at her, I signaled for her to go ahead into the house. She appeared hesitant, probably weighing which option was worse: staying outside with us or facing more of what happened the other night inside. She seemed scared of both choices but ultimately went into the house to make coffee. The house was a far safer place than being near the creep, which is what I had nicknamed Ted. After making sure she was secure in the house.
Walking a short distance behind the three men in my life who have become an essential part of it, I watch as the sheriff and Ted continue a tense conversation as we approach them cautiously. They were unaware of the eyes on them from across the street, steadily approaching. The sheriff's face was distorted into anger, and he was wildly gesturing with his hands. Ted just stood on the porch and stared at him, unmoving, and, every once in a while, he pointed a finger at the sheriff. I'm sure his words were not kind either. Now what could they be arguing about? We were still too far away. It was frustrating because we were too far away to hear what they were saying or read their lips. But we were close enough to read their body language, and it was hostile.
As we got closer, I was shocked to see that Ted's face was swollen from where Donovan had hit him repeatedly when he pulled him off of me. His left eye was swollen with bruises lining his jaw. He had a busted lip with dried blood where it had been split. His face was almost unrecognizable from the altercation, but I was impressed by my uncle's handiwork; the sleazeball deserved everything he did to him. My only regret is that it wasn't me who beat him up. Zeke looked over to Andy, then Donovan.
"What do you think they are arguing about?" He asked. Andy shrugged his shoulders. He was intrigued like the rest of us. Mainly because his father was involved, all three men were tense as they watched the scene before them, and oblivious to my presence right behind them.
"Probably because Roxanne has gotten too close to the truth, I'm putting a stop to this," Uncle Donovan announced, leaving no room for the other two men to argue. "Next time, he might actually hurt her, and I can't lose her after I just found her." He started walking faster, leaving my driveway and crossing the road into Ted's driveway. As soon as his feet hit Ted's driveway, both men on the porch turned toward the sound of several feet crunching on the ground near them. Ted's face instantly drained white; he must have been unsure what the men were going to do. He started to retreat but stopped. Instead, he squared his shoulders and walked back towards the growing crowd of people. He hid his fear quite effectively and quickly. No one noticed but me.
He saw me trailing behind them, and his creepy smile spread across his face. Looking at my neck, he was enjoying the hand marks he left there, savoring how close he had come to taking my life. I just wanted to punch his smug face, but I wasn't willing to get close enough to do it. I hesitated as they got closer to the porch. Maybe I should turn around and help Sharon. But instead, I steadied my nerves and kept my pace. He wanted me intimidated and scared; it was as if he took pleasure in it. That made my skin crawl more than anything else.
The sheriff didn't notice my presence because he was focused only on Andy. It irked me how scared I was of both men. Andy noticed Ted looking past them at something, then turned to see what it was. He saw me standing behind them and whispered to Zeke and Donovan that I had followed them. Zeke slowly turned around and approached me. He was not happy I was this close to Ted. His protectiveness seeped out of him as he looked at me.
"Rocky, why did you follow us?" he asked softly. "I told you to go inside because I didn't want you to see him." He knew I couldn't respond, but he still asked. Instead of arguing for me to cross the street again, he took my hand and pulled me behind him to hide me from the two monsters on the porch. "Keep close to me and stay behind me," he stated firmly. Andy and Donovan flanked Zeke, protecting me on both sides. They formed a shield that neither the sheriff nor Ted could break through. Ted looked frustrated that he couldn't see me behind Zeke. He kept peeking around Zeke's tall figure, trying to catch another glimpse, but Donovan and Andy moved closer to block his view. This only infuriated him more.
"Get off my property, but you can leave her behind," Ted smirked, with laughter lacing his voice. He was irked at first when he realized he couldn't admire his handiwork anymore because of the human wall of muscle protecting me from his eyes.
"What did you just say? Why should we? You trespassed on ours and hurt someone we care about? You keep your filthy gaze and hands off her," Donovan said angrily. That was the first time I had ever seen my uncle this upset. He usually seemed like the nerdy, reserved type, but over time, he had broken through my initial image of him. At first, I thought he was a bit of a scaredy-cat because he wouldn't come to the house after I found him, but he had shown me he just needed time to reconcile with his past, especially the parts he didn't know and blamed himself for. His love for his family was evident through his protectiveness and love for me.
It was amusing how Ted's initial fear quickly vanished when he saw me, replaced by his usual cocky attitude. Instead of hiding in his house, he chose to taunt my uncle, likely out of curiosity. It probably annoyed him to learn Donovan was still alive; the sheriff couldn't keep his eyes off my uncle. Both men wanted answers. They believed the entire family had been killed, thinking no one could have survived, but obviously, they were wrong. My uncle and I proved that he and my mother had survived. What we didn't reveal was that my other uncle and aunt might also be alive. We wanted to protect them from possible targeting or harm.
"How did you make it through that night?" Ted inquired, staring intently at my uncle. "I saw them drag your body to the woods." The sheriff continuously stared at Donovan from head to toe, as if he might vaporize if he blinked. It seemed he hadn't believed Ted that my uncle was still alive until he saw him for himself.
"Surprise, sorry to disappoint you," Donovan replied sarcastically. "I'm just here to tell you to stay away from my niece. If you go near her again, you won't like the consequences." My head snapped quickly to my uncle. It surprised me how menacing his words sounded. Zeke squeezed my hand to reassure me that everything was fine. He hadn't let it go once and kept me pulled up against his back. My fingers of my right hand dug into the back of his shirt, while he held my left hand. I was worried about where this confrontation was leading. Before anyone else could speak, the sheriff confronted my father.
"Andy, why are you involved with this family? Just because she might be your daughter. You're risking your life," the sheriff looked worried. His words showed both caring and frustration. It was clear he disapproved of the bond forming between Andy and me.
"Might be my daughter, old man. I have already proven with DNA that she is my daughter," Andy spoke with irritation in his voice. "Thanks to Ted and the other assholes you're involved with, both Roxanne and her mother were taken from me. I will not let anyone do that again."
"What are you talking about? No one took her mother from you. She was never yours. She probably faked the DNA test results. You're just too gullible to see the truth. She's just like her manipulative mother. Had she not disappeared, your whole life would have been ruined," the sheriff yelled. Andy and Donovan both let their anger get the better of them at his words and stepped menacingly towards the sheriff.
"Watch your mouth," was all Donovan said. He was trying to rein in his anger before he gave the sheriff a reason to arrest him.
"I will help them find out who is involved that night and why. Don't get in our way, old man, and if you're involved. All I can say is god help you," Andy warned. The sheriff looked like he had more to say, but decided to keep his mouth shut for now. Ted's fear seemed to seep back in for him, and he was slowly backing up towards his door to abandon the sheriff.
"You'd better make sure your creepy little buddy stays on his side of the road," Donovan growled out. I tugged on Zeke's shirt, trying to get his attention. When he looked down, I motioned for us to go home. He smiled down at me, trying to keep me from being scared or stressed out. He nodded at me, telling me he would take me.
"I'm taking Rocky back home," he said, turning to face me. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "I'll carry you. Tuck your face into my chest so they won't see you." I followed his instructions. Zeke slipped an arm under my knees and used his other arm to support my back as he lifted me in a bridal carry. I pressed my face into his chest, breathing in his scent, which made me feel safe.
As we walked back, I was in awe. He carried me as if I weighed no more than a feather. He wasn't out of breath or struggling. He laughed when he caught my expression as he set my feet back on the ground at our front door. Leaning down, he gave me a quick kiss and opened the door for me. We didn't even get a chance to walk in before we heard loud banging and Sharon scream. She came running out the door, almost running into us. She was terrified and pointed into the house.