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Authors: Stephani Hecht
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the same way?”
Gregg gave a little snort. “No, he completely ignores Tiffy. I don’t think he’s said a word to her since our mom took off.”
John frowned. “Why’s that?”
“Tiffy looks exactly like my mother. I think that she brings up too many painful memories for him.”
Damn, this asshole just kept getting worse and worse. It was a wonder that Gregg was such a great guy. Most people growing up in that kind of environment would turn out bitter and jaded. But not Gregg. He was as sweet and easygoing as ever.
“Does that mean that you’re the one who’s been taking care of her?” John asked.
“Yes, I make sure she has clothes, school supplies, lunch money, and dinner at night. Otherwise, she’d go without.”
John shook his head in disgust. How could a father do that to his own daughter and one who was still so young? Gregg had been right, there were a lot of monsters out there. Gregg was living with one.
“Why don’t you go to Daniel or Mitchell and tell them what’s going on?” John pressed.
Gregg turned to him, his eyes wide with fear. “I could never go to them. You have to promise that you won’t say anything, either.”
Now John was really confused. If Gregg’s father was such an asshole, why was he going to such great extremes to protect him?
“Why not?” John asked.
“Because they’ll banish him from the cast.”
“So? It sounds like that will be a good thing for you and Tiffy. You guys will be way better off without him.”
Gregg shook his head. “That’s just it. They won’t let me keep Tiffy with me. Cast law says that minor children always go with their parents. So if my dad is exiled, then I’ll lose Tiffy, and she’ll have nobody to look after her.”
John let out a deep breath. Talk about a sucky situation. He was bound and determined to make sure that Gregg was free from his father, but how was he supposed to do that and protect Tiffy at the same time? John realized his life had just gotten a lot more complicated.
Chapter Eight
It was a week after the fight at the slave compound that Gregg woke early and made his way down to the training center. He expected it to be empty and thought it would be a good time to work on some of his shooting.
He’d slept like crap the night before. Not only had he gotten into another shouting match with his father, but for the third night in a row, Tiffy hadn’t eaten. Not only that, but she had started to speak less and less with each passing day. Gregg knew it was because things in the household were beginning to affect her. He just didn’t know how to fix them.
Why couldn’t real life be like books or movies where the problems so easily solved? Where everything could be tied up in a nice, tidy bow? Where the good guys could always beat the bad?
But this wasn’t fiction, this was real life, and Gregg had to deal with it. He needed to find a fix fast, too, before Tiffy withdrew even more into her shell. His biggest fear was that she would withdraw so far that there would be no getting her back. He missed the old Tiffy, the one who laughed all the time, the one who was always talking and would never shut up. He didn’t want his father to make that girl fade away into nothingness.
As Gregg walked into the training center, he was shocked and somewhat dismayed to see that he wasn’t the only one in there. That was until he got a closer look at the other occupant. Then he nearly swallowed his tongue because the sight was so stunning. In fact, it made Gregg go from gloomy to horny in less than five seconds.
It was John. Or rather a shirtless John and he was working out at a punching bag. He must have been going at the thing for a while, too, because a nice sheen of sweat made his taut muscles glisten under the dim lights of the gym.
All Gregg could do was stand there, stunned by the visual in front of him, and drooling as he watched John move. Really, his body was the most amazing thing in creation. He moved with
Gregg gave a little snort. “No, he completely ignores Tiffy. I don’t think he’s said a word to her since our mom took off.”
John frowned. “Why’s that?”
“Tiffy looks exactly like my mother. I think that she brings up too many painful memories for him.”
Damn, this asshole just kept getting worse and worse. It was a wonder that Gregg was such a great guy. Most people growing up in that kind of environment would turn out bitter and jaded. But not Gregg. He was as sweet and easygoing as ever.
“Does that mean that you’re the one who’s been taking care of her?” John asked.
“Yes, I make sure she has clothes, school supplies, lunch money, and dinner at night. Otherwise, she’d go without.”
John shook his head in disgust. How could a father do that to his own daughter and one who was still so young? Gregg had been right, there were a lot of monsters out there. Gregg was living with one.
“Why don’t you go to Daniel or Mitchell and tell them what’s going on?” John pressed.
Gregg turned to him, his eyes wide with fear. “I could never go to them. You have to promise that you won’t say anything, either.”
Now John was really confused. If Gregg’s father was such an asshole, why was he going to such great extremes to protect him?
“Why not?” John asked.
“Because they’ll banish him from the cast.”
“So? It sounds like that will be a good thing for you and Tiffy. You guys will be way better off without him.”
Gregg shook his head. “That’s just it. They won’t let me keep Tiffy with me. Cast law says that minor children always go with their parents. So if my dad is exiled, then I’ll lose Tiffy, and she’ll have nobody to look after her.”
John let out a deep breath. Talk about a sucky situation. He was bound and determined to make sure that Gregg was free from his father, but how was he supposed to do that and protect Tiffy at the same time? John realized his life had just gotten a lot more complicated.
Chapter Eight
It was a week after the fight at the slave compound that Gregg woke early and made his way down to the training center. He expected it to be empty and thought it would be a good time to work on some of his shooting.
He’d slept like crap the night before. Not only had he gotten into another shouting match with his father, but for the third night in a row, Tiffy hadn’t eaten. Not only that, but she had started to speak less and less with each passing day. Gregg knew it was because things in the household were beginning to affect her. He just didn’t know how to fix them.
Why couldn’t real life be like books or movies where the problems so easily solved? Where everything could be tied up in a nice, tidy bow? Where the good guys could always beat the bad?
But this wasn’t fiction, this was real life, and Gregg had to deal with it. He needed to find a fix fast, too, before Tiffy withdrew even more into her shell. His biggest fear was that she would withdraw so far that there would be no getting her back. He missed the old Tiffy, the one who laughed all the time, the one who was always talking and would never shut up. He didn’t want his father to make that girl fade away into nothingness.
As Gregg walked into the training center, he was shocked and somewhat dismayed to see that he wasn’t the only one in there. That was until he got a closer look at the other occupant. Then he nearly swallowed his tongue because the sight was so stunning. In fact, it made Gregg go from gloomy to horny in less than five seconds.
It was John. Or rather a shirtless John and he was working out at a punching bag. He must have been going at the thing for a while, too, because a nice sheen of sweat made his taut muscles glisten under the dim lights of the gym.
All Gregg could do was stand there, stunned by the visual in front of him, and drooling as he watched John move. Really, his body was the most amazing thing in creation. He moved with
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