Give the Devil his Due

Chapter 15

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked, still bewildered that my father was standing before me.

    He laughed loudly as he swept me up in his arms, spinning us around in circles, "My little jellybean! How have you been?"

    I hugged him back. While it was weird seeing him here, it suddenly occurred to me how much I had missed him since I moved to Florida. It had only been a short time but he wasn't at home when I was packing my things to move down here. He was in Washington D.C as he was for most of the year.

    A smile spread over my face, "I'm good, how are you?"

    My dad stopped spinning but he didn't put me down. His arms tightened around my back and I heard him let out a long sigh against my hair, "I'm fine but damn, I've missed you. How's school going?"   

    He finally set me down, but his hands remained on my shoulders as we talked, "School's fine, everything is fine. I can't believe you're here." I stepped into him again and wrapped my arms around his stomach. This time when he embraced me, the aroma of his aftershave brought about a feeling of nostalgia. It reminded me of a time when my father was always around and we'd sit on the couch for hours watching the Blackhawks play hockey.

    But as I grew up, it seemed like he was gone more and more until one day, he left for the east coast and didn't come back. This reunion was the first time I had seen him since three years ago. He calls a few times a week, sends gifts, and video chats when he can but it was never enough for me or my mom. We always wanted more time with him.

    I guess that was a small price to pay for the protection of our nation.

    My dad picked me up again, pretending to crush me in his grasp like he used to do when I was a child, "I can't believe how long it's been. Look at you, you're growing like a weed. You're almost as tall as I am." He held me a moment longer before setting me back down on my feet. He gently pinched my chin between his fingers, a fond smile spreading over his face, "You're so beautiful. You look just like your mother."

    I smiled too, "She misses you. We both do."

    He sighed and leaned forward to kiss my forehead, "I know, jellybean. I wish I could visit more often but you know how my job is. It was hard enough to get time off just to come down here."

    With that said, I pulled back and stared up at him, "Speaking of, why are you here? I mean, I'm glad to see you but I can't imagine what would be more important than your job."

    My dad tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, "You are, honey."

    I rose my eyebrows, "What?"

    His eyes drifted sideways and I saw them narrow, a look he usually only gave to people he disliked, "Actually, I'm here to speak with your boyfriend about a few things. Especially since you said he was down here killing people."

    Realization hit me like a truck and I quickly remembered that my father and I weren't alone. Lucas stood entirely still beside us and his countenance bore that 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' look. And when my father mentioned 'boyfriend' and 'murder' in the same sentence, Lucas swallowed roughly. His eyes darted to meet mine, looking for some type of salvation but I didn't know how to get him out of this one.

    I only shrugged, biting my lip apologetically.

    Lucas cleared his throat and spoke carefully, "So you're Kimber's father, it's nice to meet you."

    He stretched his arm out to shake hands with my father, a sign of good faith and a silent agreement to cooperate.

    However, my father only looked down at Lucas' hand before asking, "So you're the boy who's been murdering people around my daughter?"