“The other three boys are in the principal’s office with their parents,” Dusty went on to explain.
Mike jerked up his chin and she fell into step beside him as he approached the glass door to the administrative offices.
He opened it, held it for her and ordered on a murmur, “Go in. Sit with Rees.” He felt her eyes on him but his gaze went to Fin. “Fin. Out here.”
Finley was already looking at him and he nodded. Mike put a hand to the small of Dusty’s back and gave her a gentle shove in. He still felt her eyes but she moved to Clarisse as Fin moved to Mike.
The kid cleared the door, Mike let it close then he walked several feet away, Fin following him. When they turned to face each other, Mike opened his mouth to speak but Fin got there before him.
“I know it, I get it, sir. It was not cool. But it was the second time he tried to touch her, they were talkin’ trash, she was tremblin’ and scared and I didn’t know what else to do. I just meant to get him off her and make a point then they jumped me. One of them clipped me in the face and I just…just…” he looked to his feet, “lost it and fucked up.”
Mike stared at him. He did this for a while and he did it for a while in order to ease his fury.
Then, low, his voice a rumble, he stated, “No one.” Hearing his tone, Fin’s eyes came direct to his and Mike went on, “No one, no fucking one, touches my daughter unless she wants them to.”
Mike watched Fin’s eyes become alert and start blazing with the fire Mike figured was in his own.
“I’m sorry,” Mike whispered. “I’m sorry your father’s gone.” That fire started blazing bright in Fin’s gaze but Mike just kept talking. “I knew him but I can have no clue in this instance what he would say to you. What kind of man he’d try to guide you to be. The only thing I can tell you is the kind of man I am. And if anyone tried to touch someone I care about when they didn’t want it, I would do what I had to do to stop it. If they talked smack, wouldn’t shut up and I couldn’t get that person I cared about away, I would put a stop to that too. So as far as I’m concerned, Fin, you did not fuck up. Those boys didn’t touch my daughter. So the way I see it, as her man, you did your job.”
Mike watched that fire in Fin’s eyes burn as the boy swallowed then swallowed again. Shit was working in his head and not all of it was good and a lot of that was really fucking bad. But Fin held it together and nodded.
“Thanks, Mr. Haines,” he muttered.
“Dusty and I’ll talk to the principal,” Mike told him.
Fin jerked his chin up.
“I might not be able to get you out of suspension but Reesee sure as hell won’t be suspended,” Mike continued.
Fin’s eyes flared, his lips twitched and he jerked his chin up again.
“Your grandmother came and got Kirb. This is done, you take Rees home,” Mike ordered.
Another kind of light flared in Fin’s eyes then there was a different kind of lip twitch and Fin nodded.
Mike kept going. “You wanna do it, No’s always moanin’ that he’s Rees’s chauffer and Reesee is always studyin’ with you so, you want it, from here on out, you’re her ride home.”
“I want it,” Finley whispered instantly.
Mike knew he did.
Shit.
Fuck.
Shit.
He stared at the boy who was mostly a man standing in front of him.
Some fuckwad bully tried to touch his daughter and this boy who was mostly a man stopped it.
“You got it,” Mike said. “Now let’s go in there and talk to the principal.”
Fin nodded again and made as if to move to the doors but Mike stopped him by curling a hand on his shoulder.
Fin’s eyes came to Mike’s.
“Don’t know where your father would want to guide his son,” Mike said softly. “Do know what kind of man your father was. So, fair guess, he was here right now, Fin, he’d be proud of you.”
Fin swallowed again and then clenched his teeth. His eyes got bright and Mike gave him a minute to fight it, knowing from the man he’d been witnessing Finley Holliday becoming, he’d win.
Then he won and nodded yet again.
Mike squeezed his shoulder, let him go and led the way to the office.
*
Clarisse sat in the principal’s office with her Dad, Fin and Dusty but her eyes were glued to Dusty.
This was because Dusty was angry. Not a little. A lot.
And she didn’t mind showing it.
She also didn’t mind talking about it.
Which she was doing right now.
“You’re telling me, Principal Klausen, that you rule this school like you’re the Director of Homeland Security rather than the man whose job it is to guide young adults into maturity and therefore you don’t assess outside factors when considering discipline? Is that what you’re telling me?”