It was like she was in a horror show. Savvy was sickened to see the one person from her past whom she never, ever wanted to see again — her father, who was currently being restrained by two of the crewmen as they tried to escort him off the docks. He must have followed someone through the gate and bypassed the usual security.
How in the world had he traced her?
Something in her compelled her to come up closer during all the drama. “What are you doing here?” she had to ask.
She was within five feet of him when she smelled the cheap whiskey wafting off of him in waves. He didn’t care if he risked his life and the lives of others by driving drunk. She’d forgotten how much she hated this man. Or maybe she hadn’t.
“I came to see my daughter,” he spluttered and slurred. “Are you going to tell these men to unhand me?”
“I just don’t understand how you found me,” she said slowly.
“You left your emergency contact information with the people taking care of your mother. And I’m your papa. I shouldn’t have to try to track you down.”
“Don’t call yourself that. You’re no father. In what universe do you think you’ve deserved the right to call yourself a father?”
The men holding her father didn’t release their hold on him. She was more than grateful to them for that, though she was mortified that her co-workers were witnessing such an embarrassing moment in her life.
“I’m responsible for you being alive,” he shouted at her. “You owe me, girlie. Both you and that worthless sister of yours. You just took off and left me all on my own after everything I did for you. Well, I need some help, and you’re damn well going to give it to me.”
She gazed into his bloodshot eyes. Was it no wonder she was a mess? With her mother in a mental facility and her father a raging alcoholic, she was surprised she’d made it this far in life. No. She wouldn’t think that way. She was better than that, and she’d already proved it.
“Alexa and I are alive in spite of you. You abused us both, and you know it. You seemed to think that it was okay to talk with your fists. Our mother didn’t stop you, and you literally drove the woman crazy. I stayed too long because I had to protect Alexa, but we’re both grown up now, and we won’t ever let you touch us again.”
His eyes filled with rage and suddenly he broke free and made a charge for her. But though fears from a life full of them were almost choking her, Savvy refused to run from this man anymore. She raised her arm to block him, but he was able to slam his fist against her jaw. Stars exploded behind her eyes.#p#分页标题#e#
She stumbled backward and braced for the next impact, but as her vision cleared, she found her father flat on his back, knocked out cold. Ashton was standing there looking more frightening than she thought possible.
But the expression in his eyes changed in an instant. “Savvy, are you okay?” he asked as he stepped toward her.
She heard him speaking but she couldn’t fully comprehend what was going on around her. Her head seemed to be buzzing still. Dang, the bastard who called himself her father had really landed a good hit to the side of her head.
“Savvy, can you speak?” Ashton asked her.
This finally motivated her into action. She stumbled away from him.
“I’m fine. I apologize for the embarrassment. I’ll, um, take care of it,” she said. But she hadn’t the least idea how she was going to manage that.
“Nothing needs to be taken care of, Savvy. I want to know if you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” she said harshly as she backed away yet another step. She couldn’t handle having him touch her. She knew that any contact of that kind would make her fall apart.
Sirens sounded in the distance, and she looked up the docks toward the road. The gates had been opened, and two police cars screeched to a stop inside. The men in blue jumped out and came racing down.
Savvy stood by silently as co-workers who’d witnessed the assault explained everything. And then the cops were asking her questions. Did she know who this was? Did she know where he lived? Why would he want to hurt her?
She couldn’t even recognize her voice as she answered those questions. Her father regained consciousness as they were handcuffing him, and he struggled with them as they dragged him away. When they reached the top of the docks, he managed to head-butt one of the cops, causing the man to lose his footing and hit the ground.
The cop’s partner drew out his Taser, and her father fell down writhing in pain. The man who had raised her — if what he’d done could be called that — was most likely going to prison for quite some time.