Dirty Visual

A loud growl was heard from behind and then a screech came next. The hand in his hair slacked; Zack used that second to twist in the person’s grip, he moved so quickly that his elbow hit the knife and it was knocked out of the person’s hand. He took a second to look; Wesley had his teeth sunk into the intruders shoulder. Zack used the next moments to grab the gun from under the bed.

Zack scrambled away but the intruder had picked up to the knife and lunged, slicking his side open. Zack kicked at the person, hitting them in the chest, they flew back against the wall. Zack shot. He missed but he aimed and shot again just as they re-lunged, this time he had better aim, directed strait at the intruder. The bullet hit. “Put the gun down!” Zack jumped when he heard a third voice, his gazes snapped to the bedroom entry.

A man in a police uniform had a gun held on him; the woman beside him had her aim on the intruder. Zack sighed and held up his free hand as he slid the gun onto the bed. “This person broke into my house. My kids are in the closet.”

“Drop the knife.” The woman spoke to the masked person. The knife was held out to the woman, handle out, as the intruder slightly knee crawled towards the male cop who was helping Zack. They held it out to the cop but as he went to take it in a split second the intruder lunged at Zack. Two loud bangs were heard. The body fell limp landing on Zack who was still only barely leaning up on his elbows. He thought the intruder was dead but they weren’t, not yet.

“I hope your boyfriend never remembers you. Maybe you’ll straiten out then.” An ambulance had been called; a medic was tending to Zack’s side. He had a slight gash but nothing that couldn’t be stitched up. The body was taken away and Zack once again had to give his statement. Jared and Bentley were right next to him as he did so. Jared cooed at the baby while Mattie and Matt listened to what happened. The masked person had been cared off in a body bag, headed right for the morgue.

Matt and Mattie invited them to stay the night at their place for a few days once the cops had left. There wasn’t anything to really investigate except, why the police man who was supposed to be on watch wasn’t in his car. Zack agreed. He didn’t want to be alone in that house anymore.

Zack knew the next of kin would be notified and he didn’t really care at that point in time. Everything was going down the drain so why not have one more problem added on top of it. His life had become utter hell in the last month anyway. Fuck it.

-

Two days later Zack came home from the store. An unfamiliar car was parked in the driveway. He made his way up the cobblestone walk way and into the house he was immediately greeted by the kids. Kage part crawled part walked to him, Bentley just slobbered all over himself when Mattie brought him forward and Jared hugged him tight. Upon looking around Zack’s eye caught with another person in the room. He nodded his head towards that person. “Dad.”

“Son,” Donald greeted back, he nodded towards the back porch. “We need to chat.”

“Yeah I guess we do.” Zack made eye contact with Mattie, he asked a silent question. Mattie nodded so Zack handed Bentley to him and followed his dad outside.

“I see that you have made quite a life for yourself Zachary.” Donald sat down in one of the patio chairs, Zack chose to lean against the wooded railing. “You have two amazing kids, a house, and a partner.”

“The kids yes, a house yes. Not so much the boyfriend right now.” Zack mumbled not looking at his dad. “You know what happened?”

“Mattie called me and told me what happened, just after the cops contacted me Zack.” So he did know about the death. “He told me everything that’s happened since you moved out here and what you’ve told him.” Donald stood from his chair, Zack immediately flinched thinking his father was going to strike him. “I know it was tough growing up with your mother and I. I regret a lot of things I’ve said to you and your brother. I also feel guilty for how your mother treated you all those years. And for what she did, if I had known Zack I would have called the cops. When you were growing up she used me as a threat to you boys so you would do what she told you, but I never had it in my heart to harm you boys. I never spanked you or raised my voice except when she told me to.”

“Then why did you treat us like that dad?” Zack’s eyes had clouded over. Great, he just had to break down in front of his dad. He would call him a pussy. “If you didn’t want to then why did you?

“I did what she said for so many years Zack. I love your mother and I never realized just how monopolizing she was until you kids both moved away. By then it was too late. I couldn’t take back what was said or done. I’m here to say I’m sorry Zack. I want to get to know you again. And your kids if you will let me?” Donald stepped in front of his son holding his hand out. Zack sniffled and nodded shaking his dad’s hand.

“Yeah, of course.” Zack wasn’t expecting to be pulled into his father’s chest so when he was he stumbled but returned the gesture. He also didn’t expect to hear a sniffle from his dad either. When Zack pulled away he had tears streaking down his face. “I guess we have to plan mom’s funeral now huh?”

“Everything has been preplanned Zack.” The man looked at his father with a questioning gaze. “Your mother and I wrote in our wills, everything we wanted done for our disposal; we have arranged things with the funeral parlor near our home and anything else that needs taken care of will be done by our lawyer. Your mother left a will and had a life insurance plan. The money was supposed to go to me but I’m splitting it between you two boys.”

“Why?” Honestly why would his father do that for them?

“Like I said; I never agreed with how your mother treated you boys. And now that she’s gone, and I have all the money I need already, so why not piss her off by giving it to you boys?” Donald joked with his son causing Zack to chuckle sadly. “Look on the bright side kid. When Brian gets better; And I know he will you can take him on a vacation.”

“I hope he gets better.” Zack whispered.

“He will. Now let’s go in and let me get acquainted with my grandkids.”

Notes