The road to nowhere

Chapter fourteen

As I do he grips his coffee mug again and stares at it, his jaw clenched. He stiffens and relaxes his jaw, goes to speak, rethinks and starts. "I missed you both. I couldn't find the courage to reach out to you because I was scared of rejection from your side. I managed to convince myself that maybe you guys are better off without me. That perhaps, your safety was endangered when you're around me, seeing I'm a police officer." He sighs swallowing what looks like a tonne of bricks, carrying another ton tonne on his back. "I thought wrong. With Thomas around I should've known you weren't safe either way. I got threats from him and his brother, he wants to kill you Annabelle-"

He gets cut out by a series of bangs that are coming from the front door. He seems to loosen up and slowly open the door.

A gasp.

Followed by laughter that seems to be Ace's. As I turn into the doorway, I see Ace in my father's embrace laughing away. He seems more excited to see him than I am. When he sees me, he turns to me scooping me into a bear hug.

"This might as well be the best time for you to show up at Anna's doorstep, Benjamin!" He exclaims. My dad chuckles, "What did I say about calling me Benjamin, Aaron?" he asks putting his hand on Ace's neck shaking him lightly.

"Fine, Ben." Aaron says smiling. In the corner of my eye, I see Izzy laughing at them whilst Cole is filled with confusion. I go up to him and give him a light kiss on the lips. "That's my dad, Benjamin."

He seems to remain confused as his expression doesn't change much. I smile lightly taking his hand in mine and walking him over to the dining table. I sit him down across from my father and smile at both of them.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Cole Jay Marshall." Cole shoots me a look of warning as he shakes my dad's hand. "He prefers, Colby."

"That's right." Colby says smiling.

My dad nods a few times and then asks, "Can I call you Jay?"

Cole freezes for a second, seemingly taken aback by his question. Snapping back to reality he smiles a genuine smile ad nods a few times. "Of course, Mr. Grey."

Dad lets out a low chuckle "Please... Call me Ben."

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Everyone is sitting on my huge couch thinking of what to do. My father suggested that they arrest him but that is no use since his father would bail him out right away.

Rich bastard.

"How about I go meet him?" With this question, everyone's heads snap my way.

"There is no chance in Hell." Ace says shaking his head. "I refuse to let you walk into a trap again."

I smirk. "Who said I was going to be alone?"

He gives me a blank stare questioning my sanity. "What?"

"We will just make it seem like I'm alone."

"Ann, that is a little mad-." Colby begins.

"Okay, so what. You all hide around so that if something happens you can interfere at any moment. Dad, you can have a few units on stand by but explain that you won't arrest him but give him an offer to register him either as a sex offender or charge him for domestic abuse which will go into his file. Sounds okay?"

Everyone is staring at me amazed, my dad's mouth is slightly open in awe. "Uh... I- yeah, that could work but that means they could choose to seal the files. Along with that, they can pay his bail."

"Even if that happens, people are still going to know beforehand from his arrests to court dates. It won't be an issue." I say confidently.

"But once you seal them, access to those is very much illegal unless you really are desperate." says dad indicating that I should know this.

"I know dad, but who says his parents are even going to seal his life? They are already fed up with the shit he has caused, don't you think they'd want the public to know as a punishment? Along with that, they are letting him deal with his own life now. It's his life now." I say remembering his parents. They are the sweetest people I have ever met and bot lawyers which gives them a lot of opportunity with money but I highly doubt they want to deal with him any further.

He thinks for a second or two, taking his time to look at each one of us in the eyes. It's almost as if he is asking us with his eyes if we are sure about this. I know one thing.

I am more than ready to give Thomas what he deserves.