Chapter 69

Adam recognized Eric Travers leaning against the truck. There were three other people with him that Adam didn't recognize but Adam could guess who at least one of them was.

"You're blocking my parking space," Adam said as he pulled beside them. "Move that piece of shit to visitor parking or I'll have it towed away."

Eric's face turned to the voice quickly. He figured Adam would be back mucking up horseshit for the week. He expected to find Mary or Rachelle or, even better, Shelly, at the apartment. But they had knocked for 15 minutes and no one had appeared.

"We're here to get my daughter's things," a man said from the other side of the truck.

"I don't give a rat's ass why you're here, move the fucking truck out of my parking space," Adam hissed. "None of you live here. Your daughter doesn't live here. The sign says 'Resident Parking Only.' I am a resident. So move this fucking rust bucket somewhere else or by God I'll stuff your asses in the trailer and move it myself."

Adam saw two teenage boys smirk. Neither Eric nor Shelly's father moved until Adam pushed the SUV into park and got out. He had dressed for the weather. It was warm and he wore only a pair of shorts, tennis shoes and a T-shirt. Both boys' eyes widened considerably when Adam got out, walked to Eric and lifted him bodily to the hood of the truck.

"You think I'm playing?" he asked menacingly. "I will fold all your asses into tiny little squares and put you in the glove compartment if this truck isn't somewhere else in 10 seconds."

"We'll move the truck," Eric stammered. "But we're still here to get Shelly."

"The fuck you say," Adam said. "Well, if that's what you think you're going to do, have at it. I would guess she is on the beach with some of her friends by this time of the morning. Good luck tracking her down to get her to come back with you."

Adam let go of Eric and the young man scrambled into the truck to move it. The man and the two boys looked somewhat stunned at the turn of events, the boys in particular.

Randy and Andy Smith knew their dad had no balls. He had always been a pussy. He had even stopped hitting them once they showed him they were willing to hit back. But Eric Travers was no pussy. Everyone in Mount Dupont stepped aside when Eric and his group walked through town. It didn't matter how big you were or how tough you were, you still gave way to Eric.

Now the man who had shown absolutely no fear of their hero had cast his snarling gaze on them and their father.

"She's not here," he said simply. "She does not live here. To the best of my knowledge, there is not a single item of hers inside this apartment. Even if you weren't wasting your time by thinking she would leave with you, you're wasting mine by showing up where she does not live."

"But you know where she does live," Ed Smith said. Adam nodded blandly.

"And that is her decision to make if she wants you to know," Adam replied. "The last impression I got from her – when she told Eric that he could kiss her ass – led me to believe that she did not want that information imparted."

"My daughter needs to come home," Ed said, in a voice that sounded suspiciously like a whine. He turned to Eric, who had walked back up the hill from the visitors spot, for support. Eric was pissed off that Adam had embarrassed him in front of Shelly's brothers. There was no doubt it would be all over Mount Dupont before sunset.

"Give me her number," Eric said. "I'll call her and tell her what's what."

"Fuck you, douchebag," Adam said. "If she wanted you to have her phone number, she would have given it to you last week when you showed up."

"This is my daughter!" Ed said.

"Really?" Adam asked. "Are you sure of that? Because I would be willing to bet she has washed her hands of that whole fucked up shithole you call a town and everyone in it – including you four. But I'll call her and see if she wants you to have her number and her address."

Adam pulled out his phone and Eric stepped closer to see the number. Adam lowered the phone and glared.

"I will break your fucking jaw if don't step the fuck away from me," he said. His tone was soft but it held pure anger. Eric noticed Adam's eyelid start to twitch and stepped back quickly. The boys' faces dropped in shock again.

Shelly answered, giggling, on the first ring.

"You can't even let us have a day can you?" she laughed. "You already pine for my body. Don't worry, Lover. We haven't found anyone to take your place – not that we aren't looking."

"Uh-huh," Adam said. "Look, I've got four assholes from your hometown here to collect your belongings. What do you want me to tell them?"

"Let me guess," Shelly said. "My darling father has arrived. Who's with him? Eric, I'm sure. Who else?"

"I would assume the two twits trying their best to look like tough guys are your brothers," Adam answered. "But maybe not. I'm probably shaking too hard in fear at their menacing glares to give you an accurate description but I'll try. Five-five, 110 pounds, look like a couple of turds."

Shelly's laughter could be heard by everyone.

"Yep, that's Randy and Andy, the Imbecile Twins," Shelly said.

"Well, they're here with a U-Haul and said you need to go back with them," Adam interrupted. "I know you don't plan on being back here anytime soon. I would be more than happy to handle this any way you like."

"Let me talk to my Dad," Shelly said.

"Do you want him to have your phone number?" Adam wondered.

"Hell no," Shelly replied. "Oh, yeah. Put your phone on speaker."

"You're kidding, right?" Adam wondered aloud. The guys' faces around him returned to their trademark smirks, sure that she had told him she wanted to leave with them. "I don't know how to put this thing on speaker. You forget, I'm just some Missouri farm hand with more muscles than brains. At least there is one muscle you seem to like best."

"Two," Shelly answered sultrily. "Your tongue is really good, too. There should be a menu on the screen right now. It has Mute, Speaker and Pause. Hit the number marked Speaker."

Adam looked down and wondered how Shelly knew so much about his phone. He shrugged it off and hit the number. The sounds of music and laughter came out loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Good job, Lover," Shelly said. "See, you're more than just a nice, hard cock. Not that I would mind if you weren't. OK, listen up guys. I'm not going back to Mount Dupont with you. Not now and not ever. You wasted your trip and you bothered my boyfriend for no apparent reason. So you might as well head back the way you came."

"If you stay, I'm done with you!" Ed Smith said. "I no longer have a daughter."

"Sure you do," Adam said. "You'll still have your oldest daughter. If you forget, log onto your favorite porn site and remind yourself."

"Oh, he disowned her as soon as he found out," Shelly said. "By the way, boys, if you ever miss Marcie, hit Wicked Wives and click on Yvette. You'll see my rebellion isn't the first this family has seen."

"Damn it, Shelly," Ed said. "You stop that right now."

"Stop what?" Shelly asked innocently. "Telling the truth? That would put me too close to being like you. Randy, Andy, both of your sisters work in the porn industry. Now you have something to brag about to your friends."

"You what?" Ed said.

"Oh, Eric didn't tell you?" Shelly said, again in her sweetest tone. "Adam got me a job working with him. He is a porn star. I bring home more in two hours than you make in a week. Feels good, too, particularly after dealing with Micro-dick Travers for so long.

"I bet he didn't even tell you why I dumped him, did he?" Shelly continued."Well, first off, because Adam has a huge cock. He is three times longer than Eric's little needle. The second reason was because Eric had decided to fuck anything with legs. It might be OK for his Dad to do that in Little Podunk but up here you might wind up with a little more than you bargained for – little things like AIDS, hepatitis, herpes. Then there was the fact he thinks he owns me. He doesn't own me and neither do you, Daddy Dearest. I'm 20 years old next month and I'll do what I want; when I want; and I'll do it with whomever I want to do it with. So, no, I will not be returning to Mount Dupont. However, there are some things of mine at the house that belong solely to me and are considered gifts or self-purchased. I would like those things back. If you have sold or destroyed them, an attorney will contact you about damages."

"Everything that's yours is in the trailer," Ed hitched. "I will not have a whore in my family!"

Adam was across the parking lot before the last syllable was out of Ed's mouth. He slammed Ed against the SUV – despite the fact he still held the phone in one hand – and put his face as close to the man's as possible.

"Apologize. Now!" Adam said, his eyes narrowed to slits and the veins in his neck bulging menacingly. "Or I will hurt you."

"It doesn't matter, Lover," Shelly said.

"It matters to me and he'll do it if wants to be able to eat solid food again," Adam said. There was an edge to his voice that Eric had heard before but still stopped him from doing anything to assist Ed.

"I'm sorry," Ed said. Adam let him go and Ed stepped away from the vehicle. Adam pushed him back roughly and the man's head hit the doorframe with a loud thump.

"I don't want to hear another peep from you," Adam said angrily. "And Travers, that goes for you, too."

The older men nodded their heads.

"You two fucktards, if you're done trying to scare me with your manly ways, make yourself useful," Adam commanded the boys. "Go down the trailer and bring your sister's things up. If there anything broken or damaged, Shelly won't need an attorney because I will take the payment out of your asses. Not get moving."

The boys didn't bother looking at Eric or their father for guidance. They got going. Adam moved around and opened the back of the SUV to give them a spot to put things. The boys came back with a few boxes and some clothes on a hanger. Adam noticed they were careful as could be with the items.

"Shelly, I see three boxes of what looks like nick-knacks and books and maybe a half dozen pieces of clothing," Adam said into the phone. "Is there anything in particular you want me to look for?"

"Is the jewelry box my grandma gave me in there?" she asked.

Adam glared Ed Smith.

"Which box?" he asked.

"It was Shirley's mother's," he said. "We kept it."

"She gave it to me," Shelly replied, real anger in her voice.

"If I have to come down there to get it, you will be sorry," Adam said. "Now, why don't you call your little wifey and tell her to box it up nice and tight and put it in the mail. Because you don't have enough people in that little town to stop me if I come to get it. And Travers, yours will be the first ass I kick."

"She won't do it," Ed said.

"She will- if you make her understand the safety of you four depends on it," Adam replied. "And it does."

"Is that it, boys?" Adam asked. The boys nodded, their eyes filled with fear. Eric hadn't said a word since Adam told him not to. He had blanched noticeably when the bigger man said he would kick his ass.

"Seems sort of sparse for 18 years of life," Adam said. "What else do you want me to make sure is there, Angel?"

"If I get the jewelry box back, that will be enough," Shelly said. "Mom hated the fact her mother liked me more than she did her. I figured she would try to keep it."

Ed was trying his damnedest to convince his wife to ship the box via Parcel Express immediately. He appeared to be making little headway. Adam grabbed the phone out of the man's hand and hit the button for speaker again. He was amazed that it was the same spot on different phones.