Unveil (10 page)

“Sure.” I smiled as Tanner sat down beside me.

“I guess we have our answer,” Janna whispered a little too loudly.

Haley giggled. I shot them both a fierce look.

Tanner pulled his lunch out of his backpack and spilled its contents on the table. Just as he took a sip from his bottled water, Scarlet ambled past, shooting daggers at me with her eyes. That gothic girl trailed her and her dark gaze seared into mine. Tanner just ignored them both and unwrapped his sandwich.

Janna watched the whole exchange and raised her brows. “So, you and Scarlet are on the outs again, huh?”

“We were never on again,” Tanner clarified.

“That’s not what she was saying.” Janna pursed her shimmering lips.

“I’m not surprised. She definitely wanted to get back together.” Tanner gave me a pointed look. “But I didn’t want
her
.”

Warmth spread across my cheeks. I averted my gaze, hoping that no one noticed how red my face was.

“Good to see you, man,” Rick said.

“You too.” Tanner grinned.

I buried my face in my lunch bag. The rest of the period I focused on finishing my food. When the bell rang, I hurried from the cafeteria. Tanner fell in step beside me.

I knew what he was doing. The same thing as the day before when he’d shown up at my front door and insisted on hanging out.

“You can’t watch over me all the time, you know.”

“Who says?”

A student shoved past me to get out the door. I almost tumbled over, but Tanner grabbed my arm and held me steady. My pulse quickened and I shook him off.

“So, you’re going to be my full-time bodyguard, is that it?”

“Someone needs to keep you safe, Kenzie.”

I bit my lip and stared at the toe of my boots as we walked into the main hallway. The smell of linoleum and sweaty tennis shoes assaulted my senses. Loud chatter echoed off the walls.

“Have you told your mom yet?” He kept his voice low.

I shook my head.

“You need to.”

“I don’t want to worry her. It was probably nothing. I think I just over-reacted.”

Tanner stopped walking, latched on to my arm. I forced myself to face him. “Kenzie, it was not nothing and you know it.”

I pressed my lips together, unwilling to admit that he was right.

The minute the bell rang signaling the end of the school day, I raced to the parking lot. I didn’t want to chance being out there alone. Knowing how quickly the lot emptied out, I knew I had a pretty small window. Not that I thought my dad would chance showing up at the school again, but I didn’t want to risk it.

Tanner was already at my car by the time I got there. He leaned against it, reminding me of the time he told me the secret of his breakup with Scarlet. And he looked just as hot as he had that day. It made me weak in the knees.

“You’re really taking this bodyguard thing seriously,” I teased him.

“One of us needs to.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out.

Spill. I want to know all about you and Tanner. What happened???

I giggled. I’d been fully expecting Haley to bombard me with questions after Tanner had sat with us at lunch. I was surprised it had taken this long.

I’m with him right now. Call you later.
I shot back a text quickly and then lifted my gaze to Tanner.

“Who is that?” he asked.

“Haley.”

Relief flashed across his features and I realized that he must have thought it was Isaac.

“She’s really the only person who texts me. I don’t hear from Isaac anymore.”

He shrugged. “His loss.”

I nodded, although it wasn’t true. I felt the loss of Isaac everyday like a gaping hole in my heart.

“So, does this mean you’re following me home?” I asked.

He nodded. “You better believe it.”

When I pulled out of the parking lot, I looked in my rearview mirror to make sure he was behind me. Not that I wanted to admit it, but I was actually glad to have him protecting me.

When we turned onto my street I saw a police car parked in my driveway and my chest tightened. Mom’s car was next to it and I prayed something bad hadn’t happened to her.

A million awful scenarios played through my mind. By the time I started walking toward the house I felt nauseas.

“What’s going on?” Tanner caught up to me.

“I have no idea.”

“Kenzie, this is Detective Sharp.” Mom pointed to the tall man standing in the middle of our family room.

He didn’t look at all like the detectives on TV. In fact, he appeared so ordinary he could be my neighbor or the dad of one of my friends. But despite what he looked like, he was a detective and that made me nervous. I leaned into Tanner, grateful he was there. Detective Sharp shot out one of his hands and I reluctantly shook it.

Mom cleared her throat. “Um…he’s here to ask you some questions about your father.”

My stomach twisted into knots. Somehow I had already known that.

“Ms. Smith, have you seen your dad lately?”

I stared at him, unable to formulate words. It was like my mouth was glued shut. Tanner nudged me. Mom raised her brows, willing me to speak.

“Kenzie, your dad is involved in some pretty serious stuff,” Mom coaxed. “If you’ve seen him, you need to tell Detective Sharp.”

Her words aroused me from my stupor. I remembered the house in the middle of nowhere, the strange men. “What stuff is he involved in?”

“I can’t go into a lot of detail with you,” the detective said, “but I can tell you that he’s gotten mixed up with a really dangerous group of people. A group that we’ve been investigating for awhile. If you help us find him we may be able to bring down the entire operation.”

The floor seemed to fly out from under me. I felt off-balance. My knees buckled. The room spun. Tanner’s grip on me tightened. The detective’s explanation didn’t shock me. I already knew my dad was involved with bad people. Even if I’d wanted to believe differently, I knew he hadn’t driven out to that house to give me a present. In fact, I think I was the present.

It was just that until Detective Sharp showed up, I could fool myself. Now the truth stared me in the face and there was nowhere else to look.

“Kenzie?” Mom moved toward me, concern on her face. “Are you okay?”

That’s when I noticed I was crying. Not just little sobs or a few tears. No, I was really crying. Like hyperventilating cries and soap opera tears. My shoulders shook and the wailing continued. I couldn’t stop it no matter how appalled I was by it. In an effort to ease my embarrassment, I buried my face in Tanner’s chest. He held me close, shielding my face. Once I could compose myself, I faced Mom and the detective. I wiped my cheeks furiously with the back of my hand as if that could erase the traces of my outburst. Then I told them everything.

After the detective left, Haley called. At first I wasn’t going to answer. I wasn’t sure I could handle telling the story all over again. But then I realized I would probably feel better after telling my best friend. I remembered how terrible it felt to keep things from her when Wesley was tormenting me. Things were always easier to handle when I had Haley with me.

“Hey, Haley.” I slipped into my bedroom, the phone to my ear. For a minute I almost closed the door, but thought better of it. I wasn’t quite ready to be alone. The dark night sky taunted me, so I closed the blinds.

“Are you okay? You sound all stuffy?”

“It’s been kind of a rough night.”

“Spill.”

It caused me to smile. I pictured all the times Haley had said those words to me over the years. Sinking down onto my bed, I told her the whole story.

“Oh my gosh, Kenzie. That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” I choked out a laugh.

“What do you think your dad’s involved in?”

I shrugged and then realized she couldn’t see me. “No idea. Something bad is all I know.”

“I watched this show the other night on TV about child trafficking.”

“You mean like when kids are sold into slavery? Doesn’t that only happen in other countries?”

“No. It just happened here in the US. It was on the news and everything. I think it happens more often than you think.”

“But that’s like with strangers and stuff. We’re talking about my dad.”

“Well, he may be your dad but he’s a stranger. I mean, how much do you really know about the guy?”

As much as I hated to admit it, she did have a point. My stomach constricted. “You don’t think that’s what he was going to do with me, do you?”

“Nah, I’m sure it wasn’t. I don’t know, though, Kenzie. Are the police keeping you safe?”

I shivered. After throwing a blanket over my shoulders, I pulled my legs to my chest and hugged them to me. Mom moved around in the family room and I found comfort in knowing she was close by.

“Yeah, they said they would.” I didn’t tell her how scared I still felt, though.

“It’s a good thing Tanner showed up when he did. He’s your regular knight in shining armor, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess he is.”

When I hung up with her, I mulled over what she said. The idea that maybe she’d guessed what my dad was involved with sickened me.

Later that night I laid down in my bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. It felt good to finally rest my weary body. The emotional roller coaster I’d ridden that day had left me worn out and exhausted. My room was dark, except for the beam that shone in from the streetlight. I wiggled my toes and stretched my legs. The comforter felt good and warm against them.

As difficult as it had been, I was glad I had told Mom and Detective Sharp about everything. To my surprise, Mom didn’t even get mad. She was so relieved I was alive that she fawned all over me. The last thing I wanted was for my dad to get in trouble but the detective assured me that I was helping people; maybe even saving lives by telling what I knew.

Shuddering, I sunk lower into my bed. What was my dad involved in that was so bad that lives were at stake? Honestly, I wasn’t sure I even wanted to know. I just hoped the police found him soon. The thought of him running around out there made me fearful. What if he came after me again? What if Tanner wasn’t there to save me this time?

The injustice of it all angered me. Why should I be frightened of my own dad? Why couldn’t I have a dad who loved me?

It had been the one thing I’d wanted more than anything. I had prayed for it my entire life. The fantasy of it had filled my dreams both during the day and at night.

Why wasn’t I worthy of it coming true?

Bitter tears coursed down my cheeks, upsetting me further. I was so tired of crying. I was so tired of being sad.

I balled my hands into fists and hit my covers to keep myself from crying out. I was so mad at God for not giving me what I wanted. My thoughts drifted to Haley, Tanner, Isaac, Janna and Rich. What made them so special that they could have a dad who loved them?

What made me so awful that my dad only wanted to use me? Was I so unlovable?

A touch on my arm startled me. I flinched and scoured my room. No one was there.

Kenzie, you are my beloved child.

I froze. That’s when I saw the light in the dark room. It was fuzzy around the edges and it spread until it illuminated me. The touch on my arm grew more firm. Peace descended on me. Warmth spread through me.

Strong arms embraced me, cocooning me in safety and love. I melted into them, allowing myself to believe. I leaned into the light and rested in it. With a smile on my lips and a joyful tear in my eye, I gave myself over completely.

That’s when I heard it. The words I’d longed for my entire life.

Kenzie, you are my daughter, and I love you.

Hours later, I awoke with the sensation of being watched. Opening my eyes, I blinked away the sleepiness and attempted to adjust to the darkness. A figure loomed over me. I screamed.

“It’s okay. It’s just me.”

I clamped my mouth shut and sat upright. “Mom?” Fear gripped me. Was she sleepwalking again? I didn’t think I could handle that on top of everything else. Right now I needed Mom to be stable. There had to be one parent I could count on.

She reached out, placed a gentle hand on my arm. I didn’t pull away. “Mom? Are you asleep?”

“No, honey. I’m wide awake.”

She sounded normal, not trance-like. I relaxed. Lowering herself, she sat on the edge of my bed. I felt the mattress slope with her weight.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“When you were a baby, I used to watch you sleep.”

I could barely make out Mom’s face in the darkness. Light from the window sliced across her cheek, casting a yellow glow on her skin.

“I was always so fearful of something bad happening to you, Kenzie. You were my precious baby and it was my job to protect you.” Her hand found mine and she squeezed hard. “Oh, Kenzie, what happened today scared me so much.” A sob burst out.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m fine.”

“I know, Kenzie, but I didn’t protect you. It was my job to and I failed.”

“Mom, this was not your fault.”

“I’ve spent your entire life trying to keep that man away.”

I sat up and leaned my head against Mom’s shoulder. Tears pricked my eyes. It was true. She had. For so many years I thought it was out of her own selfish need. Now I saw how hard she’d fought to protect me; how much she really loved me.

“You’ve done your best, Mom. I don’t blame you.”

She kissed my forehead. “I love you, Kenzie.”

I buried my face in her chest. Her arms came around me and held me close. For the second time that night, I allowed myself to be held. I allowed myself to be loved.

“What do you want to do for your eighteenth birthday?” Mom asked. It was Saturday morning and I lounged on the couch, zoning out on boring television, while Mom got ready for work.

“I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it.” It hadn’t exactly been my number one priority.

“Well, you better think about. It’s only a couple of weeks away.” She sat down on the loveseat and slipped on a pair of high heels. I never understood how she stood on those all day while doing people’s hair.