He could see it in her face, in his father’s heavyset expression. They hadn’t expected him, and they weren’t comfortable with him being there alone with Kelly. And that just pissed him off. Whatever the hell was going on, one thing should have been set in cement in their heads, and that was the fact that he would die before he hurt Kelly.
“I’d never bar you from your own home, Douglas.”
He winced. Maria was the only person who called him Douglas, and the snap in her voice when she said it now was as sharp as a knife. No one called him Douglas, ever. But hell, she had taught him in school and breaking her of the habit wasn’t easy.
He crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at her intently as she stepped onto the porch.
“I’m going to check on Kelly.” She moved for the door.
“Not yet.” He didn’t move; he didn’t intend for his voice to lower warningly, or his body to tense as he watched a main source of information attempt to escape. But he wanted answers, and she wasn’t running off until he had them.
“Go on, Maria.” Ray stepped up behind her, his large hands settling on her shoulders as he gave them a comforting squeeze. “I’ll talk to Rowdy. We’ll be in soon.”
She glanced up at Rowdy, worry and regret shimmering in her eyes before she turned to her husband, kissing his cheek gently before moving into the house.
Rowdy’s attention fixed on his father, watching as he swiped his fingers through his hair before burying his hands in his jeans pockets.
“Was she raped?” Rowdy lifted the bottle of water to his lips, taking a long sip as he watched Ray’s eyes darken with pain.
Ray breathed out roughly, his shoulders shifting as he lowered his head.
“Attacked,” he finally muttered. “She wasn’t raped. But she was cut up pretty bad, traumatized.” He lifted his head and Rowdy wondered if his father could see the pure murder burning inside him now.
“Who did it?” He kept his voice even, cool nonetheless.
Ray shook his head slowly, his expression heavy.
“She didn’t see his face; there were no leads on who he was or why he attacked her.”
The water bottle crumpled in Rowdy’s hand, water sloshing over his fingers before he realized what he had done. Forcing himself to release the plastic, he set it on the railing and focused on his father.
“Where did it happen?”
“She moved out right after your last visit,” Ray sighed roughly. “Nice little apartment in town, next to one of her friends. Few weeks later she started getting crank calls. Caller ID couldn’t trace them. We put new locks on her doors and windows, but you know how she was.” Ray shook his head wearily. “Liked sleeping with her window cracked. She thought she was safe. Thought she would hear it if someone snagged the fire escape ladder. But she didn’t. Her neighbor’s boyfriend heard her screams and knocked the door down, but he’d already hurt her. The attacker got out the window before the boy could catch him.”
Short and to the point. And he was hiding something, Rowdy could feel it. He stared back at his father, silent, probing, knowing he would tell him eventually. Rowdy wouldn’t give him a choice.
Ray glanced back at him, then away. His teeth clenched, rage glittered in his eyes.
“It wasn’t a normal attack,” he finally muttered.
Rowdy felt a chill race up his spine.
“What do you mean by that?” He had to force the words past his throat.
Ray coughed nervously. “He meant to rape her anally. He almost managed it.”
“Motherfucker! God. Damn!” Rowdy flung himself across the porch, his hands running over his head before he gripped the back of his neck in fury. “Son of a bitch!” His abdomen tightened as he fought to hold back a howl of pure rage before jerking back to stare at his father. “Why the f**k didn’t you tell me?”
“Hell Rowdy, what could you do?” Ray snapped, anger suffusing his face. “She begged us not to tell you. You were clear across the world with no hope of coming home anytime soon. There was nothing you could have done.”
“Like hell,” he snarled. “They would have let me come home or dealt with the consequences. That’s no excuse.”
“Exactly.” His father’s face flushed with anger. “You would have gone AWOL to come home, and caused even more of a mess for that kid. Do you think we didn’t know what the hell was going on before you left the first time? You couldn’t keep your eyes off her and she was just a f**king kid. Four years later you were back for three months and it was worse. She didn’t need that. The attack was too brutal and she was too damned vulnerable. I opted to wait till you returned, and I stand by that decision.”
“Damn.” Rowdy pushed his fingers through his hair before rubbing at the back of his neck with an edge of violence. “Son of a bitch, Dad. Who would do that to her?”
Ray shook his head. “There was a rash of rapes last summer. Several girls in surrounding counties were attacked, all anally. No one caught the bastard and the sheriff has no leads. She’s finally coming out of it, Rowdy, getting a grip on herself. But it was bad for a while. Bad enough that we wondered if she would ever leave this damned house again.”
And no one had told him.
“Look, Son,” Ray finally breathed heavily. “I know how it was with you the last time you were home. With her.” He shifted uncomfortably. “I know about the games you, Dawg, and Natches get up to. And so does Kelly. Don’t expect anything from her. You hear me?”
Rowdy stared back at his father in surprise. Damn, this was just what he needed right now.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked his father softly.
Ray shook his head. “I don’t want you to say anything, Son. I want you to let Kelly come to you. She’s been scared to death of your return, and I don’t know why myself. I know you wouldn’t hurt her, but I know for a fact she knows about some of those little affairs you and your cousins have participated in.”
And his father suspected she was scared of him now. Rowdy could see it in Ray’s eyes, feel it in the air around them.
And he was probably right. God help the bastard that touched her, because if Rowdy ever found him, he would turn him into dog meat.
“I’ll head to the boat.” Rowdy breathed in roughly. He needed time to think, time to figure this one out.