“HE’S REALLY MAKING Derek work for

“HE’S REALLY MAKING Derek work for it,” Parker noted, wiping the light sheen of sweat off his shaved head with a hand towel.
I turned to watch, seeing my father wrestling with the instructor who was twice his size, and my dad wasn’t a small guy. Standing over six feet tall and weighing in at two hundred pounds of solid, rippling muscle, Victor Reyes was a formidable opponent. Plus, he’d told me he was going to check out Krav Maga himself after I’d shared my interest in it, and it seemed he had—he had some of the moves down pat. “Thanks for letting him jump in.”
Parker looked at me, his dark eyes steady and calm in that way he had. He’d been teaching me more than just how to defend myself. He had also taught me to focus on the steps to be taken, not the fear.
“Usually I’d say class isn’t the place to bring your anger,” he said, “but Derek needed the challenge.”
Although he didn’t ask it, I could feel the unspoken question in the air. I decided it was best to answer it, since Parker was doing me a favor by letting my dad monopolize his co-instructor. “He just found out that someone hurt me a long time ago. Now it’s too late to do anything about it and he’s having a hard time with that.”
He reached down and grabbed the bottle of water sitting just off the side of the training mat. After a minute, he said, “I have a daughter. I can imagine how that feels.”
When he looked at me before taking a drink, I saw the understanding in his thickly lashed dark eyes and I was reassured that I’d brought my dad to the right place.
Parker was easygoing and had a great smile, and was genuine in a way that I’d rarely come across. But he had an air about him that warned people to tread carefully. One knew right away that it would be stupid to try to pull anything over on him. His street smarts were as obvious as his tribal tattoos.
“So you bring him here,” he said, “let him work it out and let him see you taking care of your own protection. Good idea.”
“I don’t know what else to do,” I confessed. Parker’s studio was located in a revitalizing area of Brooklyn. It was a converted warehouse, and the exposed brick and giant sliding loading-bay doors added to the atmosphere of tough chic. It was a place where I felt confident and take-charge.
“I’ve got some ideas.” He grinned and jerked his chin toward the mat. “Let’s show him what you can do.”
I dropped my towel over my water bottle and nodded. “Let’s.”
I didn’t see any of the uniformed parking attendants as we pulled into the underground garage of my apartment building. Since I wanted to do the honors myself anyway, that worked for me. I slid the DB9 into an empty slot and cut the engine. “Fabulous. Right by the elevator.”
“So I see,” my dad said. “Is this your car?”
I’d been waiting for that question. “No. A neighbor’s.”
“Friendly neighbor,” he said dryly.
“A cup of sugar. An Aston Martin. It’s all the same, right?” I glanced at him with a smile.
He looked so tired and worn, and not from the workout. The weariness came from the inside, and it was killing me.
Turning the car off, I released my seat belt and turned to look at him. “Dad. I … It’s shredding me to see you torn up over this. I can’t stand it.”
Heaving out his breath, he said, “I just need some time.”
“I never wanted you to find out.” I reached out and gripped his hand. “But I’ll be glad you did, if we can put Nathan behind us for good.”
“I read the reports—”
“God. Daddy …” I swallowed back a rush of bile. “I don’t want that stuff in your head.”
“I knew there was something wrong.” He stared at me with such sorrow and pain in his eyes it hurt to look into them. “The way Cary went to sit beside you when Detective Graves said Nathan Barker’s name … I knew you weren’t telling me something. I kept hoping you would.”
“I’ve tried very hard to put Nathan in my past. You were one of the few things in my life he hadn’t infected. I wanted to keep it that way.”
His grip on my hand tightened. “Tell me the truth. Are you okay?”
“Dad. I’m the same daughter you came to see a couple weeks ago. The same daughter who hung out with you in San Diego. I’m okay.”
“You were pregnant—” His voice broke and a tear slid down his cheek.
I brushed it away, ignoring my own. “And I will be again someday. Maybe more than once. Maybe you’ll be crawling with grandkids.”
“Come here.”
Leaning across the console, he hugged me. We sat in the car for a long time, crying. Getting it out.
Was Gideon watching the security feeds, sending me silent support? It gave me comfort to think he might be.
DINNER out that night wasn’t quite as boisterous a meal as usual for Cary, my dad, and me, but it wasn’t as grim as I’d feared it might be. The food was great, the wine better, and Cary was snarking out.
“She was worse than Tatiana,” he said, talking about the model he’d shared the shoot with that day. “She kept going on about her ‘good side,’ which I personally thought was her ass as it walked out the door.”
“You’ve done shoots with Tatiana?” I asked, then explained to my dad, “She’s a girl Cary’s seeing.”
“Oh, yeah.” Cary licked red wine off his lower lip. “We work together a lot, actually. I’m the Tatiana Tamer. She starts one of her fits and I calm her down.”
“How do— Never mind,” I said quickly. “I don’t want to know how.”
“You already know.” He winked.
I looked at my dad and rolled my eyes.
“How about you, Victor?” Cary asked around a bite of sautéed mushroom. “You seeing anyone?”
My dad shrugged. “Nothing serious.”
That was by his choice. I’d seen how women acted around him—they fell all over themselves trying to get his attention. My dad was hot, with an amazing body, gorgeous face, and Latin sensuality. He had his pick of women and I knew he wasn’t a saint, but he never seemed to meet anyone who really got to him. I’d recently realized that was because my mother had gotten there first.
“You think you’ll ever have more kids?” Cary asked him, surprising me with the question.
I’d long ago become resigned to being an only child.
My dad shook his head. “Not that I’m opposed to the idea, but Eva is more than I ever thought I’d have in my life.” He looked at me with so much love it made my throat tight. “And she’s perfect. Everything I could ever hope for. I’m not sure there’s room in my heart for anyone else.”
“Aw, Daddy.” I leaned my head into his shoulder, so glad he was with me, even if it was for the worst possible reason.
When we got back to the apartment, we decided to watch a movie before calling it a night. I went to my room to change and was stoked to find a gorgeous bouquet of white roses on my dresser. The card, written in Gideon’s distinctive bold penmanship, made me almost giddy.
I’M THINKING OF YOU, AS ALWAYS.
AND I’M HERE.
YOURS, G.
I sat on the bed, hugging the card, certain he was thinking of me that very moment. It was also starting to sink in that he’d been thinking of me every moment of the weeks we’d been apart, too.
That night, I fell asleep on the couch after watching Dredd. I woke briefly to the feeling of being lifted and carried to my room, smiling sleepily as my dad tucked me into bed like a child and kissed my forehead.
“Love you, Daddy,” I murmured.
“Love you, too, sweetheart.”

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

"Ia adalah benar-benar membuat Derek bekerja untuk itu," Parker mencatat, menyeka kemilau cahaya keringat dari kepala dicukur dengan handuk tangan.Aku berbalik untuk menonton, melihat ayah saya bergulat dengan instruktur yang dua kali ukuran tubuhnya, dan ayahku bukan seorang pria kecil. Berdiri lebih dari enam kaki tinggi dan berat di di dua ratus pound dari padat, ini beriak otot, Victor Reyes adalah lawan yang tangguh. Plus, dia telah mengatakan kepada saya ia akan memeriksa Krav Maga dirinya sendiri setelah aku bersama minat saya di dalamnya, dan tampaknya ia-ia memiliki beberapa bergerak tepuk bawah. "Terima kasih untuk membiarkan dia melompat."Parker memandangku, mantap matanya yang gelap dan tenang dengan cara itu ia. Dia telah mengajar saya lebih dari sekedar cara untuk membela diri. Dia juga telah mengajarkan saya untuk fokus pada langkah-langkah yang akan diambil, bukan ketakutan."Biasanya saya akan mengatakan kelas bukan tempat untuk membawa kemarahan Anda," katanya, "tapi Derek diperlukan tantangan."Meskipun dia tidak meminta itu, aku bisa merasakan pertanyaan terucapkan di udara. Aku memutuskan itu adalah terbaik untuk menjawabnya, karena Parker sedang melakukan saya nikmat dengan membiarkan ayahku memonopoli bersama instruktur. "Ia hanya menemukan bahwa seseorang menyakitiku lama. Sekarang sudah terlambat untuk melakukan sesuatu tentang hal itu dan dia memiliki waktu yang sulit dengan itu."Dia mengulurkan tangan dan meraih sebotol air duduk hanya dari sisi tikar pelatihan. Setelah sebentar, ia berkata, "Aku punya seorang putri. Aku bisa membayangkan bagaimana rasanya."Ketika ia menatapku sebelum mengambil minuman, aku melihat pemahaman dalam tebal menyerang mata gelap dan aku yakin bahwa aku telah membawa ayah saya ke tempat yang tepat.Parker adalah santai dan memiliki senyum yang besar, dan asli dengan cara yang aku jarang akan datang di. Tapi dia udara tentang dia memperingatkan orang-orang untuk melangkah hati-hati. Salah satu langsung tahu bahwa itu akan menjadi bodoh untuk mencoba untuk menarik apa pun kepadanya. Kecerdasan jalan yang jelas-jelas nya tato suku."Begitu Anda membawanya di sini," katanya, "hendaklah bekerja itu keluar dan membiarkan dia melihat Anda mengurus perlindungan Anda sendiri. Ide yang bagus.""Saya tidak tahu harus berbuat apa lagi," Aku mengakui. Parker's studio terletak di area revitalisasi Brooklyn. Itu adalah sebuah gudang yang dikonversi, dan bata ekspos dan raksasa pemuatan-bay pintu geser ditambahkan ke suasana yang chic sulit. Itu adalah tempat di mana aku merasa percaya diri dan take-charge."Aku punya beberapa ide." Dia tersenyum dan tersentak dagu ke arah tikar. "Mari kita menunjukkan kepadanya apa yang dapat Anda lakukan."Aku turun handuk saya selama saya botol air dan mengangguk. "Mari kita."Aku tidak melihat salah satu petugas berseragam parkir saat kami masuk ke garasi bawah tanah gedung apartemen saya. Karena saya ingin melakukan hal yang menghormati diri tetap, yang bekerja untuk saya. Saya meluncur DB9 ke dalam slot yang kosong dan memotong mesin. "Luar biasa. Benar oleh lift.""Jadi saya melihat," kata ayah saya. "Ini mobil Anda?"I’d been waiting for that question. “No. A neighbor’s.”“Friendly neighbor,” he said dryly.“A cup of sugar. An Aston Martin. It’s all the same, right?” I glanced at him with a smile.He looked so tired and worn, and not from the workout. The weariness came from the inside, and it was killing me.Turning the car off, I released my seat belt and turned to look at him. “Dad. I … It’s shredding me to see you torn up over this. I can’t stand it.”Heaving out his breath, he said, “I just need some time.”“I never wanted you to find out.” I reached out and gripped his hand. “But I’ll be glad you did, if we can put Nathan behind us for good.”“I read the reports—”“God. Daddy …” I swallowed back a rush of bile. “I don’t want that stuff in your head.”“I knew there was something wrong.” He stared at me with such sorrow and pain in his eyes it hurt to look into them. “The way Cary went to sit beside you when Detective Graves said Nathan Barker’s name … I knew you weren’t telling me something. I kept hoping you would.”“I’ve tried very hard to put Nathan in my past. You were one of the few things in my life he hadn’t infected. I wanted to keep it that way.”His grip on my hand tightened. “Tell me the truth. Are you okay?”“Dad. I’m the same daughter you came to see a couple weeks ago. The same daughter who hung out with you in San Diego. I’m okay.”“You were pregnant—” His voice broke and a tear slid down his cheek.I brushed it away, ignoring my own. “And I will be again someday. Maybe more than once. Maybe you’ll be crawling with grandkids.”“Come here.”Leaning across the console, he hugged me. We sat in the car for a long time, crying. Getting it out.Was Gideon watching the security feeds, sending me silent support? It gave me comfort to think he might be.DINNER out that night wasn’t quite as boisterous a meal as usual for Cary, my dad, and me, but it wasn’t as grim as I’d feared it might be. The food was great, the wine better, and Cary was snarking out.“She was worse than Tatiana,” he said, talking about the model he’d shared the shoot with that day. “She kept going on about her ‘good side,’ which I personally thought was her ass as it walked out the door.”“You’ve done shoots with Tatiana?” I asked, then explained to my dad, “She’s a girl Cary’s seeing.”“Oh, yeah.” Cary licked red wine off his lower lip. “We work together a lot, actually. I’m the Tatiana Tamer. She starts one of her fits and I calm her down.”“How do— Never mind,” I said quickly. “I don’t want to know how.”“You already know.” He winked.I looked at my dad and rolled my eyes.“How about you, Victor?” Cary asked around a bite of sautéed mushroom. “You seeing anyone?”My dad shrugged. “Nothing serious.”That was by his choice. I’d seen how women acted around him—they fell all over themselves trying to get his attention. My dad was hot, with an amazing body, gorgeous face, and Latin sensuality. He had his pick of women and I knew he wasn’t a saint, but he never seemed to meet anyone who really got to him. I’d recently realized that was because my mother had gotten there first.“You think you’ll ever have more kids?” Cary asked him, surprising me with the question.I’d long ago become resigned to being an only child.My dad shook his head. “Not that I’m opposed to the idea, but Eva is more than I ever thought I’d have in my life.” He looked at me with so much love it made my throat tight. “And she’s perfect. Everything I could ever hope for. I’m not sure there’s room in my heart for anyone else.”“Aw, Daddy.” I leaned my head into his shoulder, so glad he was with me, even if it was for the worst possible reason.When we got back to the apartment, we decided to watch a movie before calling it a night. I went to my room to change and was stoked to find a gorgeous bouquet of white roses on my dresser. The card, written in Gideon’s distinctive bold penmanship, made me almost giddy.I’M THINKING OF YOU, AS ALWAYS.AND I’M HERE.YOURS, G.I sat on the bed, hugging the card, certain he was thinking of me that very moment. It was also starting to sink in that he’d been thinking of me every moment of the weeks we’d been apart, too.That night, I fell asleep on the couch after watching Dredd. I woke briefly to the feeling of being lifted and carried to my room, smiling sleepily as my dad tucked me into bed like a child and kissed my forehead.
“Love you, Daddy,” I murmured.
“Love you, too, sweetheart.”