Locked once more(Book 2)

Chapter 16

Did Dani just defend me? Against Walter? That wasn't like her. I mean sure she liked me and we were close, at one time another, but her stepping up to defend me after Wes had broken up with her, was strange. To be fair, I loved her brother too. So maybe she was trying to be helpful, or friendly. Wes notices the sudden change in the atmosphere. Before anyone could say anything, Dinner was served. It looked delicious. And we were pretty sure we weren't going to be poisoned. At least not yet.

What was for dinner? Roasted chicken, veggies, and fried rice. It came just in time. I was getting awkward in here. And I was not looking forward to hearing what Walter was going to say. But it didn't mean he wasn't right. The truth hurts sometimes. And in this case, the truth did hurt. It wasn't like he was completely out of line. As Derek's stepdad, he had a right to say something. And even I knew that. Taking a bite of his dinner, he stops and wipes his mouth.

"You may be right Dani, but he is our charge, our responsibility and if she comes back in, Tyler and I will have to lock her up, for his safety, and hers."

"Now wait a minute, locking Addie up seems like a rushed idea, she isn't a fighter, but when she gets worked up and her adrenaline kicks in, she just reacts, there's no reason.."

"Riley, he's right," I say. She snaps her head to me, Wes lets go, looking at me in a manner of disbelief. Tracy opened her mouth to say something but didn't. Dwayne wanted to say something, but what could he say?

"Now wait just a damn minute, Addison is the heart of this family, if she gets upset, there's a damn good reason, I would have killed the son of a bitch if I were her, she didn't, and since Wes was there, it didn't go that far," Noah speaks. Wes shoots his attention to Noah, proud that he said anything. Maybe he knew Noah hardly used curse words. He was proud of him.

"Maybe, let's say he deserved it, Addison doesn't deserve to have his blood on her hands, she's too innocent, one look at a dead man, whom she has killed, she'd shut down, what good does that do anyone," Walter argues. Dani clears her throat.

"Yeah, Walter, what good what it do knowing the man who shot my best friend Wolf and almost killed Wes, who was in the wrong place, is dead, what good would it do?" She asked sitting up and looking over at her mom. Walter clears his throat..again.

"Dani, now isn't the time to argue if he's better off alive or not, I'm trying to save your best friend over there, from making a huge mistake that she would have to live with, forever," He says. Dani called me her best friend! After I took Wes from her Wes smiled knowing she was okay with me, and hit me. But then his face falls after he remembers this conversation was happening at Dinner. Walter gazes at each of us until Matthew finally stands up.

"Screw this shit, Uncle Wall-e, I have something to say," He says. "If Addison chooses to beat the shit out of someone, that is her choice, maybe you don't realize it, but that bastard down there was Derek's ticket out."

No one said a word. What more was there to say? Walter had been silent for a while. And maybe it came as a shock that Matthew opened his mouth. He hardly said a word. But once he sat back down, after Walter gave in, and we finished our food, no one moved. And Tracy decided it best if no one left until this was settled. Telling us this was not the way to go about discussing with the family.

"Excuse me, no disrespect but this conversations is over," Dani says, getting up. Tracy sighs.

"Sit down Dani, this needs to be said for all of you," She says. Dani sits back down, waiting for the last shoe to drop, but it didn't. In fact Tracy was controversial about the fact.

"Walter, you should have kept your opinion to yourself, Addison, I get that you were upset, and you wanted to make that Bastard pay, but you should control yourself, and Dani and Matthew, though I understand the frustration, this was a conversation that should have been between Walter and Addison alone, Everyone get this through your heads, My son left, and if he comes back, this isn't the way he wants everyone to be, suck it up, get over it, and move on."
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I thought about her words for a while. After dinner, I had been in Derek's office, with Wesley. He was going over some paperwork Derek had left. Apparently hiring men to protect people, was a bunch of reports and background checks. Which was fine for a minute. But I soon grew bored. And thinking about dinner, that shit stuck with me. What she said was right on the nose. But it was reaching eleven thirty. And everyone would be in the bed by now, maybe. I excused myself, letting him know Dwayne would escort me back to the room later I needed to go take a walk. He told me to be careful.