Page 27 of Amy's Santa

I give her a long look, then ask her, “Why didn’t you come to us?”

She counters with her own question. “How did you react when Xander told you what I do in my spare time?”

I stare down at the bench, suddenly realising the fact that it looks like it needs fresh varnish is more urgent than answering the question she’s posed.

“I suspect,” she says, her lips curving, “if he wasn’t as big, fit, and strong as he is, he might not be standing now.”

She’d be right. A quirk of my lips admits it.

I inhale deeply, then dive in. “He did say you were brought up in an environment where you saw people around you sexually active all the time. That that had an effect on you.”

“He’s right. It showed me sex was perfectly natural, normal and something to be enjoyed. It might have been different had I been raised in another club where women hadn’t been treated so well.” Her eyes crease. “I’m not saying that pushed me into exploring BDSM, but maybe it didn’t make me fear it. It was part of growing up, discovering new things and experimenting. I went to the first club for a giggle with a girlfriend. Found I liked it and went back.”

“I don’t mind that you have sex—”

“Dad!” she rolls her eyes. “I’m twenty-seven and hate to tell you but it’s been a long time since I was a virgin.”

I shake my head and make a mock show of covering my ears. “I’m not even going to go there, Amy. What I was going to say, there’s a lot of shit that goes on in those places. Just look how you got hurt.” Christ, I can’t even bear to think about it.

She reaches out and covers my hand with hers. “Dad, what happened to me was not normal. There are safety procedures, though this time they didn’t work. It wasn’t the club’s fault, Flint was just one bad apple.”

“Xander says you’re still having problems with him.” I stare into her eyes, making her look away.

In a small voice that shows me how scared Flint’s making her she replies, “Yes.”

“We’ll make him leave you alone.”

“I don’t want you to hurt him.” Her response comes fast and she sounds adamant.

“Sweetheart, we’ll just talk to him. Let him know what he can expect if he doesn’t leave you alone.” We won’t. She doesn’t need to know, but we’ll do one fuck of a lot more than that.

But even my innocent comment worries her. “Please, Dad, don’t make things worse.”

“Amy, I’m not going to do anything to hurt you or put you in danger.”

She stares back at me with her intelligent eyes. “I know you wouldn’t knowingly, but I’ve got Xander now. He’ll keep me safe.”

He will as far as he can, but Flint needs to be taken care of. I drop that topic and raise the subject of the man she’s with in its place.

“Is he good to you?” When she nods, I purse my lips. I always had hopes she’d end up with one of the members of the Satan’s Devils MC. I’d even harboured the idea she and Wizard would get together, even though I’d played my part in forcing them apart when it wasn’t their time. There’s a ten year age difference which once seemed too high to climb, but nine years on, well, now I wouldn’t mind. Is there still an affection between them? I’d seen his gaze go to her more than once as she grew from a child into a beautiful woman. Just yesterday, his hard prez’s eyes had softened when they’d settled on her.

Christ, all those years back when she’d persuaded me to let her go to college in Phoenix, I’d half expected her to come back at any time. Anticipating at the least, she’d find a job in Tucson after she’d gotten her degree. But she hadn’t, her visits were sparse even at first. It seemed she’d left us all behind. My last tangible link to Crystal taken away.

She shivers slightly, making me feel an ass for bringing her out here. “Get back inside and warm up.”

“What you grinning for?” Her eyes narrow.

“What Beef would say if he were here.” I wave up at the sun which is shining down. Though without the blazing heat of the summer months, while cold to us, isn’t anywhere near what my brothers in Colorado go through each winter. For us to experience any of the white shit we have to make the trip up to the top of Mount Lemmon.

“He’d say we were a bunch of softies.” Attuned to my wavelength, she laughs, then stands. “I could do with something to warm me up. You coming in, too?”

“Nah. I’ll stay out here a moment.” I’ve spied someone who looks like they’re coming over for a chat.

“Drew!” Amy says delightedly as she sees him hovering by the back door.

“Amy,” he starts, warningly.

She shrugs unrepentant. “Wizard,” she corrects. “Or should I bow down, kiss your feet and call you Prez now?”

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