Last True Hero (17 page)

My eyes narrow and my lip curls. “I'm not going to be needing that service, but thanks, buddy. Glad to know you're around.” I slap him so hard on the back he splutters on the sip he just took of his beer.

“Where's Chase?” I ask, glancing around the bar area.

Drake shrugs. “I didn't sign up to babysit him.”

I search the room, keeping one arm snug around Berkeley's waist as I do. I can't see Chase anywhere, and I'm immediately nervous. I've just let go of Berkeley, turning around to ask Drake to keep her company for a minute, when a deep voice snaps my attention right the fuck back.

“Let's go, Berkeley.”

Her head whips around, and so does mine. We're confronted with the tall, solid form of the man she calls the Admiral. He stares down at his daughter, and then glances around the club, clearly disgusted and angry.

“I've had enough of this,” he says, glaring at Berkeley. “We're going home. And then I'm locking you in your room until you can figure out how the daughter of an Admiral is expected to behave. Because this sure as hell isn't it.”

His words are sharp like nettles, and I can see the sting of them as Berkeley's head snaps back in surprise and hurt. My instinct is to grab her by the waist again, and push her behind me slightly, angling my body toward her father like a shield.

“Berkeley,” I say quietly, not taking my eyes from his. “Are you ready to go?”

When I glance back at her, her eyes are wide as they dart between her father and me. Finally, she focuses on him. “What are you doing, Daddy? I'm just out with my friends. I'm not doing anything wrong!”

He shakes his head impatiently and reaches out. He clasps her wrist in his hand so roughly I hear her gasp, and I zero in on the spot. I reach out, wrench her wrist free from his grasp, then shoving his hand back at him.

The Admiral stares at his hand, and then at mine. When he raises his eyes to meet mine, they're lit with a smoldering anger I know from experience is dangerous.

“I don't know you, son, but you seem like a smart man. Touch my daughter or me again and I'll end you. Understand?”

I understand, all right. I know men like the Admiral. Hell, I've
worked
for men like the Admiral. Men who parade around on a high from the power they've achieved, who know that anything and everything is possible for them. They move people in their lives around like pawns, in order to get what they want.

I narrow my eyes. My anger is radiating just beneath the surface of my skin, causing my blood to zing through my veins. The adrenaline is rushing so loudly in my ears I can't focus on anything else. “She doesn't want to go. I suggest you go ahead and back away from her.”

He takes a menacing step forward, and then Berkeley flings herself out from behind me and steps in front of him. “Okay, Daddy. Let's go.” She throws a warning glance back at me. “I'll call you, Dare.”

I step forward, lifting her chin to look at me. “You don't have to do this. You can stay. I'll protect you.”

She shakes her head, raising her chin a fraction of an inch. She glances back at her father, and then meets my eyes with a pleading gaze. “I'll be fine. Promise. Later, okay?”

Everything inside of me is screaming at me to keep her safe. Her father should be safety for her, but he isn't. I can feel it so deeply within me that it hurts. I don't want to let her go. I don't want to allow her to slip free of my grasp.

With everything in me,
I don't want to.

She sees the battle going on in my eyes and leans up to kiss my lips. Her lips brush against my chin, and I hear the whisper of the words against my ear as I lean into her. “Trust me.”

I nod mutely, releasing her. She turns away from me then and follows her father to the door. He turns around once, locking eyes with me. His eyes narrow in anger, and he throws one last frown in my direction before he turns and follows Berkeley out of the club.

I sag against the bar, placing my hands on my head and pulling at my hair in frustration. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, you said it,” says Drake calmly. He leans back beside me, taking a swig of his beer. “Well, that was intense. You good?”

“Drake, I'm so far from good right now. I want to go after them.”

“Not smart,” he advises. “That dude, her father, is no slouch. He's an admiral, huh? He meant business. You'll be lucky if you get to set eyes on Berkeley again, dude.”

I turn to stare at him. “And you think that's okay with me?”

He shakes his head, slowly. “No. But we'll figure something out.”

Chase appears next to me then, out of nowhere.

“Where the hell have you been?” I ask louder than I intended.

He stares at me in surprise and holds up his phone. “Outside. I was talking to Shay.” He furrows his eyebrows as a shadow crosses his expression. “I'm worried about her. I hate that she's there, alone with him.”

“Yeah, well you can join the Worried Boyfriends Club,” I snap. Then I curse. “Sorry, Chase. Berkeley just got snatched out of here by her dad, and he wasn't gentle about it. I'm worried about her, too. I don't even know how I'm still standing here right now.”

“Because you know I'll drag your ass back if you try to go after them,” offers Drake. “She said she'd call you.”

I pull my phone out of my pocket and stare at it, willing it to ring, knowing she hasn't even had time to get home yet.

“Are you ready?” I ask them both. I can't stay here anymore. Every second the music pounds into my eardrums, I grow a little more anxious and fidgety. I need to get the guys home and be ready to get to Berkeley if she needs me.

They both nod, and we exit the club after Drake picks up our beer tab. The entire drive home, I replay her exit with her father. I definitely didn't win any points with him tonight, but I wasn't trying to. I was trying to keep him from ripping her arm off in order to yank her out of the club. How'd he even find her, anyway? The thought crosses my mind that he probably has a GPS tracker on her phone, or even her car.

The man has some serious control issues.

And I can't stand the thought of Berkeley being caught up in them. The more I question what he's capable of, the more anxious I become.

I can wait only until after I drop off Chase and Drake at home. I'll give her that long. I know I won't be able to stay put if Berkeley hasn't called me by then.

I send a silent prayer up to the giant black expanse above me that she'll call me by then.

I
t's late. The Admiral is usually in bed by nine, unless he's working, so the fact that he'd shown up at Smash to collect me at least two hours after he's usually snoring the night away tells me that he's very serious about the whole “Force Berkeley to Fall in Line” plan. I'm beyond pissed.

As soon as we walk in the front door, I storm for the stairs.

“We're not finished, Berkeley,” his stern voice calls behind me.

I whirl around. “No, you know what? We are. This will never happen again. I'm a grown woman with a college degree. I don't have to stay here and tolerate this borderline psychotic behavior! I'm going to pack a bag, and I can stay with Mea until I find my own place. But I'm not doing this anymore, Daddy.”

I start up the stairs and don't stop running until I reach my room. Slamming the door behind me, I lean against it, my chest heaving. A million and one emotions are chasing one another through my head, but the one at the front of the pack right now is fury. How could he treat me like a child? What have I done over all of these years to encourage him? He thinks he owns me. He thinks that his job as a father is to
make
me into the person he wants me to become. And my mother? She just repeats whatever he says like it's the Bible.

I take a deep breath, sucking air in through my nose and blowing it out of my mouth. My hair lifts up with the exhaling breath, and when it falls back against my face I think of Dare.

Shit. He's probably one step away from getting into his truck and barreling over here like…well, like an Army Ranger, and attempting to save the day. A war with my father is exactly the last thing he needs in his life right now, or ever.

I pull my phone out of my clutch and punch in his number. I smile wryly, unable to remember the last time I actually called a guy.

“Hey.” His voice is low and relieved when he answers. It sends all kinds of tingly feelings shooting through my belly. “Are you okay? Do you want me to come get you?”

I hear his keys jingling on the other end, like he's already walking toward his truck.

“No.” I sigh. “I'm packing up, though. I can't stay here, Dare.”

“Berkeley.” His voice is calm and commanding, and I can tell his training has just kicked into high gear. “I'm already inside my truck. Let me come and get you. Please.”

I shake my head as I crouch down beside my bed to pull out my Coach suitcase. “I need my car, Dare. I'm going to go stay at Mea's. Tomorrow, I start applying for jobs with interior design firms anywhere and everywhere. It's time for me to start my life.”

“Good for you,” he says. The pride seeps out of his voice, making me smile. “Show him exactly who Berkeley is. You're so strong, baby. You can do anything you want to do.”

More than anything, at this moment, I wish his strong arms were wrapped around me so I can feel the truth in his words. I'm not nearly as sure as he is. But I can draw from the strength he gives me. The strength he's given me since the first night I spent alone with him.

“I'll text you when I get to Mea's, okay?”

“Okay. Be safe. I…I'm thinking about you.”

I smile as I press
END
, and throw the phone on the nightstand.

It takes me about half an hour to pack my suitcase full of everything I think I need from my room. Mostly clothes, shoes, and toiletries. I'm lucky my bag is humongous. When I wheel it behind me to the landing, ready to lug it down the steps behind me, I hear a snippet of voices coming from the entryway below.

Male voices.

I creep down a step, peeking through the iron railing to see if I can catch sight of the owners of the voices. I can't; they're actually farther into the hallway.

I noiselessly steal down two more steps, listening.

“You haven't fulfilled your end of the bargain, son. I have. What choice do I have now?” The Admiral's voice is unusually quiet, dangerously low.

“What am I supposed to do? Tie her up and make her love me? I can't force emotions on her she doesn't feel! I tried. She's with someone else. And even if she wasn't…I don't think I'd be the guy for her. I have to respect her decision.”

I cover my mouth with both hands when I hear Grisham's anguished reply.
Oh, hell no.

“I thought you were a stronger man than that. Women need to be convinced, pushed. I thought you had it in you to be stronger than my daughter's will. I guess I was wrong. Was I also wrong when I recommended you for the position at NBSD? All it takes is a phone call, Grisham. Your father has clout, but not nearly as much as I do. I got you that job with the promise that you'd be taking my daughter with you and starting the life with her that she needs and deserves. You've failed, it seems.”

I stand up, unable to listen to any more of the bullshit spewing out of their mouths. My legs tremble, but I grab the handle of my suitcase and pull it loudly down the steps behind me. When I reach the bottom, I race for the front door, slamming it behind me. I'm in the Escalade and pulling away before anyone follows, and I text Mea on the way to let her know I'll be crashing at her apartment.

Indefinitely.

I wake to the chiming of my phone. I groan, squeezing my eyes shut. When the chiming continues, I peek one eye open and stare around me. Where am I?

Oh, yeah. I'm sleeping on an air mattress on the floor of Mea's room in her three-bedroom apartment. Still lying on my stomach atop the mattress, I look over at her bed. Empty. I wrinkle my nose. Mea is such a morning person.

Next, I reach over and check my phone's busy screen. It's just after nine in the morning, and I have four missed calls and three texts. Scrolling through the texts first, a smile is brought to my lips.

The second text makes me laugh.

Ugh. She's probably already completed a round of morning yoga.

The third text pulls my mouth into a snarl.

Grisham.
Came to check on me?
Yeah, right, if checking on me involves plotting about me with my father. Just thinking about it sends hot flames of angry confusion skimming through me. I never had to consider Grisham's intentions. I just knew without a doubt that he was on my side. That he understood what it was like having parents like mine, because his were almost as bad.

But he'd been playing by my father's rules all along. For a coveted position in a fantastic location.

I decide to shoot Dare a text before I appease Mea's demand.

I literally roll out of the bed, very ungracefully, and crash onto the floor. I'm sure the resounding thud lets Mea know that I'm indeed awake, but I throw on a pair of cutoff sweats and a tank top anyway.

She better have coffee ready.

Before I leave her bedroom, my phone chimes and I glance at Dare's message.

When I venture into the living room, Mea is upside down. Literally. Her tiny, lithe body is flush against the wall, her pointed toes reaching for the ceiling. She smiles serenely at me, and I turn to her roommate, Greta, who's sitting at the bar with a cup of coffee and a bagel.

“Good morning, Berkeley,” says Greta.

We don't know each other very well; she and Mea met in college and moved in together in Lone Sands just after graduation. But from what I know, I like her a lot. She's also from Brunswick County, but a little farther from the beach than Lone Sands. She's sweet to Mea's sassy, and down-to-earth to Mea's flighty. She balances out my friend perfectly. Her long, dark hair almost reaches her waist, and she's much, much taller than both Mea and I. In my head, I call her Greta the Gorgeous.

Her stunning, crystal-blue eyes lock on mine as she takes in my appearance. Crap, I didn't even check myself in the mirror yet. I was too focused on achieving a caffeine high as quickly as possible.

“You look tired,” she announces, sliding a mug in my direction. “Mea said you had a rough night. I'm so sorry, Berkeley.”

I grab the mug and start pouring. “Thanks, Greta. Parents suck sometimes, you know?”

She nods sympathetically. “I know. Mine are split up, and I could write a book on all the crap they've put me and my little sisters through.”

I study her. Her face is drawn at the mention of her parents. I decide there's a darkness there worth pulling out, but today isn't the day. Maybe I'll get to know her better soon.

Mea gracefully lowers her legs from the wall and flips herself upright. Her eyes are alight and her smile is bright as she bounces over to the little kitchen. Kissing me on the cheek, she opens the fridge and grabs a tiny carton of organic soy milk. She stares disapprovingly at our mugs of coffee.

“Don't start,” I warn.

“Wasn't going to,” she snaps back. “It's your funeral.” Then her serene smile is back. “I'm glad you're here, Berk. You needed to cut the cord anyway. How's Dare?”

The question is innocent, too innocent. I narrow my eyes at her. “He's fine. Seeing him for dinner tonight. Why?”

She focuses on an invisible speck of dirt on the countertop, polishing the gleaming surface with her thumb.

“Mea? Why were you so mean to Drake last night?”

“Who's Drake?” asks Greta, her interest piqued.

“Dare's roommate,” I tell her. “Mea was a raving—”

“Easy!” Mea glares at me. “He was too pushy.”

As long as I've known Mea, she's never had a serious boyfriend. I naturally thought she and Drake would hit it off, but apparently I was so very wrong. However, her reaction to him was extreme, and I'm more than a little confused by it.

She continues under her breath. “Buying me a drink.”

“Oh, the horror,” says Greta, her face contorting in mock shock. “How dare he!”

She earns Mea's trademark eye daggers. “You weren't there. He's all huge and gorgeous, and then he smiles like he has a secret none of the rest of us know about. And I don't let guys buy me drinks. You know my rules.”

Yes, we all know the rules. Mea has a strict no-dating rule. I know she doesn't trust men because of the strained relationship she has with her father. She refuses to link the two, though. She's an expert at closing off the hurt and pain her father's absence and indifference has caused her, and the subject is always off-limits. She's totally put-together and peaceful on the outside, with her yoga and all-natural healthful diet, but I know the issues with her family have eaten up her heart until she had to build a concrete wall around it.

“I've gotta get to work in a bit, Mea, will you drive me?”

She nods.

“Thank you.” I slide off the stool and wrap my arms around her thin frame. “And thank you for leaving your door open for me last night.”

“I've always got your back,” she whispers in my ear. It's so true. She's always been my cheerleader when I didn't think I could stand up to my parents. Anytime I need Mea, she's there.

As I'm passing the closed door of the third bedroom at the front of the hall, I pause. “When's your third roommate moving in?”

Mea sighs dramatically. “She's not. Found out she didn't get the job she thought she had in the bag, so she's staying up north.” Her eyes meet mine, and she smiles so big her cheeks crease. “Berkeley!”

“What?”

“
You
can be our third roommate!”

“Oh, my God,” exclaims Greta. “That's the best idea ever! Say yes, Berkley!”

I shift, looking from the empty third bedroom to Mea, to Greta. There were so many times in the past that Mea and I talked about living together. Could this really be the time we can make it happen?

“You guys…I don't have the job I want yet, either. I don't make much at See Food. My parents will never support this. I don't give a flying freak about their opinion, but I do need to find a way to support myself. I don't know…”

But suddenly, I
do
know. I know how much I want this, and I know that's all it will take for me to make it happen. Suddenly, the idea of having my own space with two amazing girls pushes aside the hurt and anger I feel about my father and Grisham conspiring to run my life behind my back. I imagine having my own space to bring Dare to, and my face grows warm with want.

I
need
this.

“I know that look.” Mea waves a hand dismissively and goes to sit on the couch. “We'll move you in this weekend.”

The dark-haired beauty squeals.

I have an apartment of my very own. I fly down the hallway to Mea's room. I have some résumés to e-mail out before I head to See Food.