Page 14 of Amy's Santa

Chapter Four

Heart

On the surface there’s not much to dislike about the man sitting in front of me. He’s not one of us, he’s a civilian through and through which makes me naturally suspicious. On the plus side, he’s polite, well mannered, and overtly no threat and apparently a successful man in his field. There’s a steel to him though, no doubt about that.

If he’s the reason my daughter is unhappy, however pleasant he seems, I’ll be carrying out my threat, and he won’t be leaving the compound alive, or at least, unscathed.

The words he’d said filter through my brain.He stays with her because she has nightmares?

“What nightmares? What’s caused them? Has something happened to Amy?” I rattle off the questions I want answered.

“How did you get involved with her?” Drummer asks. He focuses his steel-grey eyes on Xander, and I watch the man squirm. I know exactly how it feels to be subjected to that death stare. “Why are you the one she turned to for help? Okay, so you’re a doctor and she’s a nurse, but we know you don’t even work at the same hospital. Did your paths cross because you’re in the same profession?” We know that because of the research Wizard had done.

When Xander takes a moment to respond, I wonder whether he’s keeping quiet out of loyalty to her.

“No, we didn’t meet through our work,” Xander gives an eventual and brief reply which explains nothing at all. His fingers rub his brow. “Look, Heart. You heard what was said outside.Ithink you should know, but Amy is worried it will change what you think of her.”

“Nothing will affect my love for my daughter, Xander.” I rest my elbows on my knees, clasp my hands, and look at him intently. “What I can’t deal with is being left in the dark. Any problem she’s got is mine.”

Xander nods. It seems he needs a minute, we give it to him.

“She’s got PTSD,” he says after that moment.

“Sort of gathered that from the panic attack we saw and the nightmares you say she has,” Drummer tells him. “What we don’t know is why, and what the fuck caused it.”

“Or why she didn’t come to me,” I put in.

Xander glances at Drummer, then at me. “You asked how we met. It’s something a daughter wouldn’t want her father to know.”

“Why the fuck not?” asks Drum.

“How the hell did you cross paths?” I demand.

Xander purses his lips, then admits, “We met because we have a common pursuit. We both attend the same BDSM club.”

Oh my fucking God no!I lurch forward getting into Xander’s face. “What the fuck are you talking about? What the hell was my daughter doing at a club like that? Someone took fucking advantage of her?Youhurt her?”

“Whoa, man.” Xander holds up his hands as though fending me off. I notice the already dark skin of his face deepening more. “I’m starting to see why Amy didn’t want to tell you.” He shakes his head as though regretting he’d opened his mouth. I almost wish he hadn’t, I doubt I’ll ever rid myself of the unpleasant images he’s placed into my mind.

“Quiet, Heart. Amy’s an adult, she can do what she wants.” Drummer’s snapped words attract my eyes. He’s trying to send me a message. But it’s not his little girl we’re talking about. He doesn’t know what it’s like to have a daughter.

As I turn back to Xander, I feel my face burning. “Which club? What happened? Was it the first time she visited?”

Xander’s eyes have narrowed. “Shit.” He draws his hands down his face and looks unwilling to say more.

Abruptly I stand. “I’m going to speak to her. Find out what the fuck she was thinking of going to a place like that. Who fucking took her there in the first place? Was it you that suggested she go?” I’ll strangle him with my bare hands if it was.

Suddenly Xander’s on his feet as well. “You want to hurt your own daughter, Heart? Make her feel worse than she already does? You know fuck all about her life, and it would appear,” he sends me a sneer, “fuck all about her and her needs.”

“I know everything there is to know about my daughter. Starting with, she’d never go to a place like that. Not of her own volition.” My hands start to rise, I’m aiming for his throat.

“Heart!” Drummer snaps in his old presidential tone. “Sit back down,” he thunders. “Something’s happened to Amy, and we need to hear what it was. You go off, rant and rage at her like you’re doing now, how the fuck is that going to help?”

“But Prez… Drummer,” I correct quickly, realising old habits die hard. “A pervert must have fuckin’ hurt her, if it wasn’t Xander himself.” I glare at the man in front of me.

“Sit down now!” my ex-prez roars. “Both of you.” He waits until we’ve got our asses back on the seats, then directs his stare at Xander. “Answer the question. How come Amy was in a fuckin’ kink club?”

He’s faced with two angry bikers staring at him, but he’s got himself under control as he says calmly, “I’d left my phone in the clubhouse last night, so I walked back to get it. You know what I walked into? A live porn show. Women dressed, or should I say, undressed, with only one thing on their agenda.”

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