Chapter Two
The taxi pulled up outside a beautiful memory. His home. His family. His lifeline.
For close to five agonising years, he had dreamed of this moment. Dreams filled with love, dreams filled with regret, dreams filled with remorse. He didn't know what to expect now. His imaginings had twisted his perception to a point now that he struggled to discern truth for fantasy when it came to coming home.
All he could think about was his little girl. His little possum. Ellie.
Jarrod paid the driver and slung his bag over his shoulder. What would she think of him? Would she blame him for the suicide of her mother? Would she think him a monster for killing the men in the ambush? Would she be there at all?
He swung open the picket gate and started down the path. The boys had done a great job keeping up the garden. Broke and Did's must have hated every minute of it; the tough bikkies pulling out weeds, pruning, mowing. He chuckled at the thought of it. Maybe they had initiates do it but in the end, regardless, it was looking better than he had ever seen it. There was even a pruned hedge!
The front door was freshly painted, flower pots flanked the entrance and a love seat resting comfortably on the porch to the side. This place was too pretty for him to live in. He never thought his Brothers would be so domestic. He wanted it ideal for his little girl but he didn't think he'd be out on parole this soon. Oh well, he'd suck it up for her if he had to.
Jarrod stood on the porch, staring at the door, building up the resolve to knock. Would she even be home? It was after school and on their visits, the boys had told him that she attended St Virginia's every day so she should be home, shouldn't she?
"Can I help you?"
It was a girl's voice. A woman's voice. It was filled with curiousity and concern but somehow, he knew that voice. Jarrod turned and stared, his face a mask of uncertainty and fear. He was never scared, not of a fight nor of dying. Before prison, he had needed to be the Butcher, a most terrifying enforcer of the most feared bikie gang in the country. He had had multiple attempts on his life in prison, some of which he still bore scars from. He survived through generating fear and through brutality. He never let down his guard. He couldn't afford to, but at that moment he felt his well-worn armour melt away and he was more frightened of rejection than he had ever been before.
There she stood. Her similarities to her mother were frightening. The same breathtaking figure, the same ruby red lips, the same blue eyes, the same toned legs, the same allure. He had to remind himself that this was his little girl he was looking at, not her mother - the seductress that had once been his world. She was so grown up, even her glasses now made her look less like the cute little fly she had once been, and more like an alluring librarian. But it was her all right. He could never mistake the slight tilt of her head and adorable little furrow of her brow she even now displayed while looking questioning up at him.
"It's me Possum."
"Daddy?!" her face switched from concern to shock to jubilation in a heartbeat.
"Daddy? Is it really you?!"
She dropped her bag and raced to him, leaping into his bear-hug. Amazingly, after so long, his little girl was finally safely in his arms. Arms and legs wrapped around him in the most marvellous embrace he could ever remember. He held her close for what seemed a blissful eternity until she slowly melted down his body to stand once again.
"I missed you so much, Daddy!" Ellie sobbed, wrapping her arms around his hips and burying her head in his chest. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming home? I would have made you a special dinner, and got you a present. I would have even organised a party!!"
"I didn't want anyone else to know Possum. I just wanted some time alone with you. Time to rest. I'm so tired Ellie. All I want to do is sit on the couch, have a beer and just - be"
Ellie nodded her head and took his hand to lead him to the door. She took out her key and opened the door and guided him through. Her hand felt so small in his. Her skin was so soft. He hadn't felt such gentleness for so long that he almost cried but instead caught himself and laughed. Imagine if his cellmates saw him do that or his gang members. The Butcher of Boronia bawling.
The house was sweet like her. She had good taste. The furniture, rugs and decor colours matched. There were a few discarded pieces of clothing left here and there and he saw that the kitchen had unwashed dishes out but Ellie was obviously managing the house well. Hell, it even smelled of perfume. That was something he certainly wasn't used to. Her mum, Mandy, had tried to maintain a tidy house too but didn't care for such things at the time.
"I'll get you a beer." Ellie said, "You sit down. Do you want something to eat? There is some leftover Thai?"
"Why have you got beer in the fridge young lady?" Jarrod asked jokingly.
"There for Did's and Broke when they check in on me every now and then," Ellie answered smoothly. "So, do you want the Thai?" Ellie leant forward into the fridge, to reach for the beer and leftovers, affording Jarrod a prolonged look at her long bare legs and the hint of the curve of her ass cheeks peeking out of under her tiny plaid school skirt. He shook his head. He had been in prison too long!
The sight was almost too hard to resist. He tried to turn away but his gaze immediately was drawn back like the pull of a magnet. If that had been any other girl he would have launched himself off the couch, lifted up that skirt and rammed himself into that teen pussy over and over again by now!
He shook his head in an attempt to clear out the thought. This was Ellie he was talking about, not some whore from Masks. Yes, she wasn't really his daughter and yes there wasn't a huge gap between them in age, but he had always been her protector and the man she looked up to.
Ellie had started calling him Daddy not long after he had moved in with her mother some nine years ago when Ellie was barely 14. Initially, he wasn't comfortable with being seen that way especially as he was still only a teenager himself at the time but Ellie was so beautiful, so loving, the impenetrable wall he had built up for so long couldn't help but crack for this little angel. They had lived two happy years together as a family before things went to shit. Before Boronia.
"So yes or no?" Ellie turned and Jarrod quickly averted his eyes. "Yes, thanks. Toilet in the same place?" he asked, needing a distraction.
"Um, yes" she answered thoughtfully. Shit! She saw me! Probably thinks I'm a pervert now too!
