Butcher

Chapter 25

25

Sexton

The Blackhawks were tough. We went toe to toe, no one scoring until Coop finally got one through with seven seconds left on the clock in the third period.

When we went back into the locker room, sweat dripped down every inch of my body. I was tired, starving, and worried about Kaylee.

Before the game, Austin and I video-chatted with her. She had just woken up since we had an early game, and she looked tired. Her beautiful blue eyes, usually so bright and full of that mischievous spark that always made me smile, were full of sadness that was almost too heavy to bear through a screen.

I knew she’d been through a lot. Since the baby wasn’t planned, we hadn’t even had the chance to process the news together, and I felt like shit being on the road. She’d seemed understanding about us needing to go to Chicago, but maybe she wasn’t.

As we spoke, or rather as she and Austin spoke, I struggled to find the right words to take her pain away. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and there was a certain fragility to it that broke my heart. Every now and then, she’d glance away from the camera, as if the sight of her own image was too painful to bear. Or maybe it was the view of me and Austin together several states away.

I wished I could reach through the screen, hold her hand, tell her that everything would be okay, but the distance was both physical and emotional. I wanted to be the strong one, the one who could make everything right, and the only thing I could do was tell her we’d be home soon.

Grabbing my phone, I sat at my locker and clicked on the black screen to see if I had any missed calls or texts. There were none from Kaylee, but several missed calls from my mother and a text message:

I need help. Call me please

My stomach dropped and as I hit the button to call her, my stare met Austin’s from across the room. He raised a brow, and I mouthed, “My mom.”

The call rang once and my mother cried, “Levi! I don’t have much time. I need your help.”

My heart raced. “What’s wrong?”

“I went home?—”

“You went home?” I snapped, causing Austin to look at me again.

“Not to go back to your father, but to get some more clothes,” she explained.

“Why would you do that?”

“I needed more clothes, and I thought he’d still be in Cedar Hollow.”

“Okay, so what happened?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear clawing at me.

“He was home when I walked in,” she said, her voice trembling. “He asked where I’d been and I told him I went to your game. But he knew that was two days ago and I should have been home. So, I told him I was leaving him, and he—he hit me.”

A surge of anger ran through me, and I stood abruptly. “He hit you?”

The entire locker room fell silent, and I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I didn’t look at anyone except Austin as I listened to my mother try to justify my father’s actions.

“More like a slap,” she said.

“I don’t give a fuck,” I roared. “He shouldn’t lay a fucking finger on you.”

“Levi, please. Your language.”

“This is no time to scold me about my language, Mother. That piece of shit hit you!”

“I know,” she sobbed.

“Look, I’m going to the airport. I’m taking the next flight out.”

“You’re coming here?”

“Yes, of course.”

“But tomorrow is Christmas Eve.”

“And?” I started to untie my laces. “You’re my mother and called for help. I’m coming to help.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Get you the fuck out of there and tell that asshole to take a fucking hike.” I knew my mother was cringing at my language, but I couldn’t help it. I was so pissed off that I was nearly seeing red. “Go to a hotel and wait for me.”

“That’s the thing, Levi. Your father took my wallet and left. I have no form of identification, no credit card, no money. I don’t know what to do.”

“Then go to the police station.”

“The police station? I can’t go to the police station.”

I hung my head and stopped trying to take off my gear one-handed. “Why not?”

“Well … I … Your father knows everyone there.”

“So?”

“They might not believe me.”

That was very possible. In a small town like Harvest Ridge, everyone knew everyone and there was a chance my father—the town pastor—could do no wrong in Sheriff Johnson’s eyes.

“Where is he now?”

“He went to church to get ready for tomorrow’s service.”

“Then get all the clothes you need, pack your car, and drive to a hotel out of town. Call me when you get there, and I’ll get you a room.”

“How?”

“I’ll use my credit card over the phone and when I get there, I’ll handle it. Just tell me the name of the place and I’ll call them.”

“Are you sure it will work?”

I blew out a breath. “It’s the only option I can think of, and you’ll be far away from Dad when he gets home.”

“Okay.”

“And Mom?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“Hurry.” The thought of my father coming home again and seeing her packing clothes was turning my stomach. “Just pack one bag. I’ll buy you more clothes and anything else you need.”

“Okay. Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Drive safe.”

I disconnected the call and when I looked up, everyone was staring at me.

“Your dad hit your mom?” Austin asked.

I nodded. “She told him she was leaving him, and he didn’t take it well.”

“Fuck. Let’s get on the next flight.”

“Let’s? As in you too?”

“All of us,” Orlov chimed in. “We’re off for a few days for Christmas.”

I shook my head. “I can’t let you all get involved in my family drama.”

“We’re family,” Coop stated.

We were. Even before Austin and I told the team we were dating, I knew they’d have our backs because we were a family.

“But still.” I shook. “The nearest airport is forty minutes from my hometown. That’s a lot of rental cars and last-minute flights.”

“We have a private plane,” Nystrom stated.

I balked. “You want to take the team’s plane to Tennessee and not back to Boston?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Sure, why not?”

“I doubt those in charge would go for that,” Austin stated.

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I appreciate you all for wanting to help, but I just need to go?—”

“ We need to go.” Austin squeezed my shoulder.

“Fine, we , but I hope we can get a flight out this late.”

“Then let’s hurry the fuck up and get to O’Hare.”

As soon as mine and Austin’s flight landed in Tennessee at ten, I pulled out my phone and sent Kaylee a text through our group chat even though it was possible she was asleep:

Made it to Knoxville. Heading to the hotel now. We’ll call you in the morning

When we’d rushed out of the arena in Chicago, I’d texted her to tell her about our change of plans, but everything else had been a blur. Since Austin and I were in such a hurry, we only had the suits we were wearing and our small carry-on bags that held a change of clothes and a few personal items.

Glad you made it safe. I’ll be heading to my parents’ house early tomorrow, so I may not be able to answer

It had been over forty-eight hours since we had gone our separate ways in St. Louis, and in that time, we’d only talked once and exchanged a few brief text messages. I was a little bummed I might not get to talk to her until I got back in town.

Not wanting her to know I was disappointed that we might not get to talk, I typed out a response:

Hope you have a good time with your family tomorrow. Love you

Love you guys too

“I know I made my holiday plans a while ago, but I wonder if I should cancel my trip to Texas and go back to Boston with you tomorrow,” Austin sighed. “After everything that’s happened, it would be nice to spend some time together.”

“Except she’s going to be with her family the next two days,” I reminded him. “You should go be with yours and stick with the plan of all of us doing our own Christmas thing on the twenty-sixth.”

He nodded but didn’t look happy about it. I understood how he was feeling. For the first time since we all got together, it felt as though Kaylee wasn’t as connected to us, and it wasn’t just because of the physical distance between us. It started in the hotel before we had to say goodbye, and I hoped once we were all together again, these feelings would go away.

Once we left the airport, we found the shuttle to take us to the hotel just down the road. As we entered the lobby Austin asked, “Do you want me to check-in to our room while you go see your mom?”

“Maybe you should come with me. I’m afraid if I see a mark on her, I might lose my shit.”

He nodded. “Okay. Just try to remember she’s safe now.”

He was right, but I couldn’t help but wonder what lengths my father would go to in order to get her back. The one thing that mattered most to my father was his reputation with the church, and I couldn’t imagine he would be happy with his congregation finding out his wife left him. Maybe he should have thought of that before being a disgusting human who physically abused his wife and sexually assaulted a minor.

As my blood boiled over, bile rose in my throat as I thought about the crimes he’d committed. Regardless of the fact my mother would now be safe with me, I couldn’t let what he’d done go. Suddenly I remembered something, or rather someone who might be able to help me out.

Even though it was late, I decided it couldn’t wait. “Before we head up, I need to make a quick phone call.”

Once I finished my call, we took the elevator to the third floor and followed the signs to the room number my mom gave me. Austin had checked in for us while I made the phone call and we were staying on the fifth floor, but decided to check on my mom first.

I knocked on her door, and a few seconds later, I heard the lock disengage, and my mother pulled the door open. We stepped inside and as I wrapped her in my arms, she began to cry.

“I’m so sorry, Levi. You should be home with Kaylee right now instead of rescuing me.”

I took a step back and looked into her eyes. “I’ll always be here for you.” Thankfully, when I took in the rest of her face, I didn’t see any evidence of my father’s violence from the night before.

She looked over my shoulder, and her eyes widened. “I wasn’t expecting to see you, Butcher.” Her words sounded more surprised than upset, and I hoped it was because she’d had a couple of days to come to terms with my relationship with him.

“He was with me when you called,” I explained.

Austin lifted a shoulder. “Your son was pretty shaken up when he spoke with you on the phone, and I couldn’t leave him alone like that.”

She gave us a small smile. “Thank you.”

“And please call me Austin.”

She nodded. “Okay.”

I hugged her again. “Now that I’ve seen you’re good with my own eyes, I think we all need to get some sleep before we head out tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” she replied. “What time are we leaving?”

“I thought we would leave around noon and then go to the house.” In order to fly home with me, Mom needed her ID. While I wasn’t scared of my father, I knew it would stress out my mom if she had to see him. When I spoke with her at the airport to get her checked into the hotel, we also agreed to wait until the time we knew he’d leave for his Christmas Eve program before trying to find her ID. “It will give you a chance to grab anything else you really want to take with us.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks again. “Good. I felt horrible because I left behind your grandfather’s ashes. I was in such a hurry to get out of there in case he came back, and I didn’t realize it until I was lying in bed, thinking about everything.”

The grandfather she was talking about was actually my father’s dad. She’d always had an extremely close relationship with him because he treated her better than the father who raised her. She had been heartbroken when he passed, and as much as I was sure she didn’t want to leave his ashes behind, I didn’t want her to either. They needed to be with the two people who loved and respected him, and that wasn’t his son.

I pulled her into my arms once more. “It’s okay. We’ll take care of everything tomorrow before our flight home.”

After lunch the next day, we headed to Harvest Ridge. My mom sat in the front seat, wringing her hands as I drove her car. In an attempt to distract her, Austin and I spent most of the drive talking to her about how the hockey season was going, and how amazing Kaylee was.

As we pulled into the driveway of the house I grew up in, I realized it never truly felt like home. Despite the love and affection my mother showed me, it hadn’t been a happy house. Being with Austin and Kaylee while watching television or cooking together, felt like home. It was something I didn’t know I wanted or needed, and now that I had it, I wasn’t going to let it go.

When I parked, my mom said, “I’m going to pack some clothes and stuff before I grab the urn. You should see if there’s anything inside you want to take home as well.”

I doubted it since I’d taken everything I wanted when I first moved out, but I could humor her at least. I turned to Austin. “Want to come inside? I can show you my old bedroom?”

He grinned. “Of course.”

We followed my mom into the house, and while she headed toward the living room, we walked down the hallway and entered my father’s office to look for the wallet. When the search turned up empty, I pulled Austin into the room across the hall. There wasn’t much to see in my old bedroom, just a double bed and a few hockey posters my mom refused to take down over the years.

I quietly closed the door behind us and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you for coming with me,” I said before capturing his lips in a kiss.

What was supposed to be a sweet sign of gratitude quickly turned to more as our tongues twirled together. Walking backward, I led us to my bed. I was about to pull him down on top of me when I heard my mother cry out, “Levi! The urn ... It’s not here!”

Austin and I broke apart, and I took off toward the living room, Austin hot on my heels. I stopped in front of the fireplace and looked at the mantle where my grandfather’s urn had sat for the past six years. The spot was empty, and the family photos lined up beside it had all been destroyed.

“What the hell?” I groaned.

My mother didn’t bat an eye at my language. Instead, her face was pale as she turned to me. “Do you think he did something to it?”

I didn’t want to believe my father could be so evil, but given his recent actions, it didn’t seem out of the realm of possibilities. If he’d come home last night and seen she had left again, it seemed very likely he’d do anything he could to hurt her. She didn’t have many possessions, but he knew everything on the mantle was important to her.

“There’s only one way to find out.” I stalked off toward the front door.

“What are you going to do?” Mom asked as she walked behind me. “He’s in the middle of his church service.”

“I don’t care. I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind like I should have done a long time ago.”

“In front of everyone?” she gasped.

“Hell yeah. Everyone needs to know he’s a piece of shit.”

I could hear footsteps following me, and we all piled into the car. Austin began rubbing my neck from the backseat but didn’t say anything. I appreciated the gesture but was even happier he wasn’t trying to talk me out of confronting my father.

The ride to the church only took a couple of minutes, and I didn’t bother finding a parking spot before cutting the engine in front of the building and hopping out.

“Whatever happens in there, I’ve got your back,” Austin stated as we made our way to the entrance.

I nodded, and with a deep breath, I jerked the double doors open and stormed inside. Everyone in attendance turned to stare at me, but my eyes were focused on my father.

“Son, glad you could join us,” he said, the venom in his tone contradicting his words.

“If I have my way, I’ll never step foot in this place again, but I think it’s time for your church members to know exactly the sort of asshole they’re following.” I strode toward where he stood at the front.

Everyone gasped as my father’s face turned beet red. “How dare you use such language in a house of worship?—”

“How dare you hit your wife after she found out you cheated on her and had a baby with an eighteen-year-old girl. A girl you supported with funds from this church.”

A collective gasp rose up before people began to whisper, but I had no idea what they were saying. Instead, I watched my father push away from the pulpit and barrel down the steps toward me. I braced for whatever was about to come my way, but Austin stepped in his way before he could reach me.

“I suggest you think twice about whatever you plan to do,” he growled.

I didn’t need the protection, and I knew Austin was aware of that, but I would have likely done the same thing if our roles were reversed.

My father laughed and looked at me over Austin’s shoulder. “You couldn’t face me like a real man, so you brought your teammate as backup?”

My lips curved into a smirk. “No, I brought my boyfriend as backup.”

The room fell silent, and I could only imagine everyone was waiting to see how my father would react to the news his son was involved with another man. They didn’t have to wait long.

“Get out of my sight,” he seethed. “You’re a disgrace and are no longer welcome here.”

“Fine by me.” I shrugged, and decided it was a good time to let him know I’d made a call to Crew Stratton’s brother, who I remembered was a deputy when I was trying to think of a way for my dad to be punished the night before. “But there’s one more thing you should know before I leave. Last night, I gave the cops a heads-up that your affair started while the other woman was a minor. If there’s any justice in this world, you’ll be put behind bars. I hope you think about your actions while I live my best life with the people I love.”

People stood and began yelling out questions at my father. At the same time, I laced my fingers with Austin’s, wrapped my other arm around my mother, and walked toward the exit.

Once we were outside, I pulled Austin aside. “I’m so sorry for outing us back there without asking you first.”

“Don’t worry about it. Seeing the look on your father’s face was worth it.” He smiled.

“Yeah, but the rest of his congregation heard. It’s likely word will start to spread.”

Austin cupped my cheek. “Then we’ll deal with it together.”

Fuck, I loved him.

“Okay, let me do something real quick then we’ll get out of here.”

Austin joined my mom next to her car while I went over to my father’s vehicle and peeked in the window. I suspected he’d have the urn with him, and I was pleasantly surprised to not only see it, but Mom’s wallet lying beside it in the backseat.

I found a rock nearby and without a second thought, smashed it against the window. It shattered into several pieces and then I reached in and got my mother’s belongings.

When I returned to them, I was caught off guard when I saw Mom hugging Austin. “Everything okay?”

Mom turned around and smiled. “I was apologizing for my behavior the other day when I found out about your relationship and thanked him for being here. It’s clear you two love each other very much, and how could I not be happy about that?”

“Thanks, Mom.” I leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Mom held up a key. “But you didn’t need to break the window. I have a key to his car.”

I lifted a shoulder. “Now he needs to spend money to buy a new one.” Austin grinned but didn’t say anything and I continued. “Let’s get to the airport and forget about that fucker.”

“Wait. What are we going to do about my car?” she asked.

“The car is in his name, right?” She nodded. “Then he can pick it up at the airport or pay a fortune to get it out of the impound lot. I don’t really give a fuck what that piece of shit does.”

She chuckled. “I would tell you to watch your language, but honestly, the asshole deserves it.”

My jaw dropped open while Austin barked out a laugh. “Nice one, Mrs. Sexton.”

“Call me Linda, please. I don’t want any reminder of my marriage to that man right now.”

“You got it, Linda. Now, let’s get you home.”