Page 63 of Steel & Jenna
“Don’t you ever speak about Jenna like that again!” Jack shouted, turning to face his father. Rage heated his blood so much, he was surprised steam wasn’t coming out of his ears. “You don’t say her name!”
His dad was unfazed by Jack’s outburst, though he did appear a little dizzy from the quick motion of the truck skidding to a halt. “What the fuck do you care? You’re scamming the bitch out of her money. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t bring me into it. After everything I’ve done for you?—”
The laugh that escaped Jack was full of cynicism. “Everything you’vedonefor me? Does that include abandoning me? Do you even know when the last time we spoke was? Because I don’t.”
“I fed you! Put a roof over your head!”
“Congrats,Dad. You did your fucking job as myfather. Now you want a reward for your half-assed job?”
John Duncan’s nose flared. His face was red, though that could be due to the cold, anger, or alcohol. Possibly all three.
Unlike Lilly and Jack, who had inherited their mother’s gray eyes,his father had green eyes. His dark hair was the same shade as Jack’s. His face was weathered, making him appear far older than his thirty-three years. There was nothing…pleasantabout John Duncan. The hard lines around his mouth and eyes took away from what had once been a handsome face. His bloodshot eyes and his rotted teeth gave him a sinister look.
Jack prayed he wasn’t looking into a future image of himself. He would rather die than turn into his father.
When John Duncan reached into his pocket, Jack didn’t flinch because he assumed the man was pulling out yet another travel bottle of liquor. The switchblade took him by complete surprise and Jack was ashamed that he flinched at thesnapof his father flicking it open.
The shiny blade pointed straight at his nose. Jack leaned back, his back colliding with the door but his head going through the open window. He swallowed hard. The truck was still in Drive. Jack hadn’t put it into Park when he’d taken them to the side of the road.
Mr. Zarin had been teaching Jack how to disarm an opponent. They used a duct taped piece of wood to simulate a weapon. Mrs. Zarin had been appalled when she’d caught them pulling splinters out of Jack’s palm after their first lesson when it had just been the rough stick of wood. Hence the duct tape.
In all his lessons, though, Jack was standing and had the ability to move, to duck and weave. They’d never practiced in close quarters like the size of his truck. Additionally, if Jack took his foot off the brake right now, they would go straight into the telephone pole about ten feet in front of them.
“You listen to me, boy,” his father sneered. “I don’t give a fuck what your endgame is. You can dip your wick into any wet cunt you feel like. I couldn’t give a shit. But youwillget me what’s owed to me. Because if you don’t, I will find that little bastard you call a sister and I will finally end her miserable existence and that slut that whelped you willfinallypay.”
The rage that had seared his veins only minutes before was replaced with icy fear. It was an old fear, leftover from years ofprotecting Lilly from this man. Of doing everything in his preteen power to keep John Duncan away from Lilly.
All the lessons Mr. Zarin had been drilling into him evaporated. The knowledge that he was no longer alone in the world disappeared. All that remained was the boy who wanted to protect his baby sister.
Jack swallowed hard. “What is it you want me to do?”
John Duncan wouldn’t tellhim a destination, only gave him directions to “drive” and then “turn right”. As soon as they were heading towards the southern part of town, though, Jack had a sinking suspicion where his dad was leading him.
Cautiously, Jack informed his father, “She’s not there. She goes to school in Seattle.”
“Why the fuck do I care where she goes to school?”
Jack’s muscles were stiff as a board. He couldn’t seem to make them move right. “You’re taking me to her house, right? But she’s not there.” Thank God. “There’s no point in going to her house.”
It was the only reason he was able to get his foot to move, that knowledge that he could take his dad anywhere in town, but Jenna was safe in Seattle. Safe from his dad… Safe fromhim.
The conjectural scenario Mr. Zarin had posed to him that night a year ago came back to Jack’s mind. What was he willing to give up for Lilly’s safety? He’d answered anything, even at the cost of his own happiness. That answer still stood. But now there was a different scenario in front of him. Only this one had a lot more serious consequences than the hypothetical Mr. Zarin had given him.
Whose safety, whose life, mattered more to him: Jenna or Lilly.
How did one choose? A recently released book,Sophie’s Choice, was coming up in their English class. Jack recalled the first day of school when his teacher explained that they would be learning about the impossible decision when a mother had to choose which of her two children would die. Jack had yet to read the book—they were stillworking onBeowulf—but he’d give anything to know how the mom got out of making such a choice.
The fact that Jenna wasn’t in Port Townsend was his saving grace. He didn’t have to choose. But what happened when she came back?
“You think I want the rich bitch?” His father snorted. He still had the blade in his hand but was now sitting forward with his arms crossed over his heavy chest. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack kept seeing his dad’s tongue flick out along his bottom lip. Like he was trying to soak up every last drop of alcohol that he might not have swallowed yet. “I ain’t no pervert. Fucking a virgin cunt does nothing for me. Not since your bitch of a mother, anyway. And look where that got me. Ruined my life, she did. I was going places!” he suddenly shouted. “I was going tobesomeone. But that slut spread her legs for me and then had the nerve to get herselfknocked up. If you didn’t look so much like me I’d question who your daddy was too. Bitch was fucking the entire hockey team, I was just the unlucky bastard who won the race.”
John Duncan’s words were slurring together the more he talked. As Jack braked at a Stop sign, he took a long peek at his dad. His head was slightly lolled back but he was still alert. Even after all that alcohol, the man was still upright.
“If I taught you anything, boy, it’s to wrap up. Getting saddled with pathetic, good-for-nothing kids will ruin you!”
Jack turned his attention back to the road. He was about to step on the gas pedal again when his dad yelled, “Stop!”
Jack froze. His eyes went frantically around, looking for Lilly or Jenna. If they were around town by some fluke of fate, he had no idea what his dad would do.
