Adam (The Protectors #5)(38)

“I look like a drowned rat,” Angelina laughed, but it was a nervous laugh as she looked at her house.

“You look beautiful.” He touched her cheek, running his thumb against her soft skin. He was reluctant to leave her and didn’t like the fact that neither her mother nor father came for her. “I think it’s time I meet your parents.”

Angelina didn’t say anything, but turned again to look at her house. “Listen, Adam, it’s not you, but I don’t know if that’s a good idea. I don’t know how they are going to react.”

“I hope to hell they react happy that you are okay.” Adam frowned, not liking her nervousness. She should be excited to be home, not acting like she’d rather be anywhere but here.

She didn’t answer as he followed her to the porch. Opening the screen door, she stepped inside with Adam following close behind, his eyes taking in everything and his protectiveness coming to the forefront.

“Where in the hell have you been and who the f*ck are you?” A tall man, who Adam figured was her father, jumped off the couch. He was wearing no shirt, a pair of ripped sweatpants and he was a head shorter than Adam, but he was stocky.

“I’ve been… ah—” Angelina began, but was interrupted.

“Who the f*ck is he?” He pointed at Adam, a deep scowl on his face.

“This is Adam,” Angelina replied, letting go of Adam’s hand, but Adam snapped it back up, holding it tightly.

“Angelina, where have you been?” Her mother came into the room looking nervously toward her husband, yet relieved at the same time to see Angelina.

“Have you seen the grass?” Her father kept going, ignoring his wife.

Adam suddenly remembered when he had come to her house and fixed the lawn mower. He had to keep repeating ‘this is her father, this is her father, keep your cool, don’t knock the hell out of him’ over and over again in his head.

“Your work called and you’ve been let go. I’ve had to miss work to take care of your responsibilities,” he continued his barrage of bitching.

“I’m sorry, but I was—” Angelina tried to explain, but he interrupted her again.

“Do you know without your damn check, they turned off the phone and turned off the electric?” His voice became louder as he edged closer to Angelina. “I had to take one of those damn payday loans out to get the electric turned back on again, which you will pay me back for as soon as you go kiss some ass and get your job back.”

Adam was ready to step forward, but Angelina took a step forward before he could, anger straightening her spine. “You know what, Dan.” She put her hands on her hips, making his head snap back in shock. “That’s right. Dan. You are my stepfather and I’ve been made to call you dad since you came into this house; well no more. I’m nineteen-years-old going on twenty, and I’m not kissing anyone’s ass.”

“Angelina!” her mother whispered loudly, but her eyes were on her husband.

“I’m sorry, Mom, but I’m done being treated like a slave around here. Cut your own damn grass, you lazy ass.” Angelina nodded, but she was about to squeeze Adam’s fingers off. “I was kidnapped, but does anyone here care about that?”

“Bullshit!” Dan snorted finally finding his voice.

She ignored him and looked at her mom. “Didn’t you even notice I was gone, that I didn’t come home?” When her mom looked away, Angelina just shook her head. “You didn’t even call the police, did you?”

“We didn’t have a damn phone,” her stepfather shouted, throwing his hands in the air. “How the f*ck are we supposed to call someone when the phone was turned off?” He cocked his eyebrows as if waiting for an answer.

Adam actually felt Angelina’s hurt; her head dropped as her shoulders slumped in defeat. Ah, hell no! He was beyond pissed; he actually saw red. “Pack a bag, Angel,” Adam told her, but his eyes glared at Dan in total disgust.

“I don’t have anywhere to go,” she whispered just loud enough for him to hear before raising her eyes to look at him.

“Yeah, you do,” Adam assured her, a softness in his voice. “With me.”

Biting her lip, Angelina finally nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

“Go.” He winked down at her. “I’ll wait right here.”

Angelina walked past her mom without a glance; Adam knew her heart was broken. Hell, his heart was breaking for her.

“Who do you think you are?” Dan waited until Angelina walked out of the room.

“Obviously, the only one in this room who cares for Angelina,” Adam snarled, more pissed than he’d ever been in his life. Holding back at that very moment was the hardest thing he had ever done.

Dan stalked up to him, but stopped. “You’re a goddamn half-breed,” he spat staring at Adam like he was some kind of science experiment. “Get the f*ck out of my house.”

“Dan, please.” Angelina’s mother stood, wringing her hands.

“Shut up, Maggie,” Dan hissed, throwing his hand toward the direction Angelina went. “I’ve put up with her long enough and now she brings a dirty half-breed in this house. I should have married her off to my damn brother when he wanted her, but now no decent man’s going to want her after f*cking this half-breed.”