The Former Lover [Sequel To Military Minds]

Chapter 18

Pictured is Matt Bomer as Glenn Hearthrome :)

Chapter 18

Rowena's eyes narrowed into slits at Glenn, her hand tightening around the pistol. Her fingers were trembling, and her breathing had accelerated upon seeing Glenn.

Rebecca rose to her feet, flinging her arms around her father. He squeezed her so tight that her chest ached, pressed firmly against his own. Her eyes stung with tears, her heart doing continuous backflips inside her chest. She was extremely grateful that Glenn was here, though she had wanted him to stay home, out of this business. He smelled of aftershave and deodorant: his typical dad scent.

Glenn wrapped his daughter up in his arms, exhaling an exhausted sigh as he rested his chin on top of her head. It had been so long since she and Glenn had actually hugged like this - like a strong, intangible bond between father and daughter. She had always been closest to him, laughing and squirming as he tickled her in the car, on their way to see a movie or catch a meal at Foodstar; telling him to stop when he poked her, while he was driving; and watching scary movies with him, in which she would curl up on his lap like a cat.

She missed those days, most of which had occurred when she was ten or eleven. Since then, their relationship had grown distant, with Glenn's time mostly consumed by his business management. When Melanie had died, she had grown more distant from her father to the point where she locked herself in her bedroom on weekends away from school, wallowing in silence over her mother's passing.

"Bec," Glenn breathed, glancing down at his daughter. "I wish you would have told me where you were going. You can't do this alone."

Rebecca buried her face into her father's chest, closing her eyes against the onset of tears. Images of Melanie sitting cold and unmoving in the armchair flashed through her mind, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I don't want to lose you too, dad," she snivelled, drawing back from him. She wiped her runny nose on her sleeve, not caring who saw her do it. "I've lost two people already, who meant the world to me. I can't handle another death, dad, I just can't."

Glenn held his daughter's face between his smooth, lean fingers, panning her face up to his. "You won't lose me honey, I promise."

Before Rebecca could interject, he cocked his Arisaka Type 44 cavalry rifle at Rowena, who stood frozen and terrified. The handgun trembled in her unsteady hand.

"Why are you so determined to kill my daughter?" Glenn spoke in the boldest tone Rebecca had heard him use.

"She killed the love of my life," Rowena murmured, her voice lacking energy. "She has to pay. Now, move the fuck out of my way old man."

Rowena fired a shot. Before Rebecca could blink, her father had swerved from the bullet's course, rolling along the dirt and jumping back swiftly to his feet.

Rowena's eyes widened. She went to run, but Glenn caught her by the sleeve of her light green uniform that had belonged to Stawell campus, throwing her against one of the trees.

"My daughter would never kill anyone," he growled through clenched teeth, grabbing her by the front of the uniform. "Unlike you. You've killed people before, I know you have. Who's to say it wasn't you that killed Megan Baldwin?"

And then it hit Rebecca in the face like a brick wall.

That night, five years ago, Sam had fired the bullet through Megan's chest. But on Rowena's orders. All of the Stawell campus soldiers had been acting under Rowena's authority, except for Megan herself.

"She did, dad," Rebecca blurted. "Not directly, but she did."

Glenn turned his gaze on her. He groaned, falling to his knees as Rowena punched him in he stomach.