Just My Luck, page 23
He was.
I could feel it.
Jared’s chin jutted into the air. “You lay one finger on me and I’ll personally send you straight back to prison. You’ll never see the light of day again if I have anything to do with it.”
My molars ground together. “Outside.”
I turned, walking through Duke, Lee, and Royal to stand on the entryway outside of the hotel. Jared followed with the three of them in tow.
Before he could open his mouth, I jabbed a finger into Jared’s chest. “You listen to me, you motherfucker. I know what you did. I’ll prove it if it’s the last fucking thing I do. In the meantime, you leave town. If you don’t, I will find out about it. You don’t talk to her. You don’t look at her. You don’t breathe the same air as her. Stay the fuck away from my wife.”
A slick smile spread over his face. “It doesn’t matter if I leave or not. You really think a judge isn’t going to have reservations about her moving the kids in with a convicted murderer?”
A ripple of shame hummed through my blood as it ran cold. I couldn’t change what happened on that dark, lonely stretch of highway. Now it was haunting me and threatened to take away the very thing that had brought me back to life.
My fist clenched and my arm reared back.
Before my punch could land, Lee’s fist landed with a crack against Jared’s jaw.
“Oh, fuck!” Lee shook his hand and laughed.
Fucking laughed.
Jared howled as he crumpled to the ground in pain.
I stared at Lee Sullivan in shock as he bounced on his heels and looked down at Jared. “You almost got your own son killed, you selfish prick.” He shook his hand again and looked at Duke. “Fuck, that hurt!”
Royal gripped Lee’s shoulder and guided him toward my truck. “Come on. Let’s get some ice.”
Duke spat on the ground next to Jared, glaring down at him. “You picked the wrong family to fuck with. You’re common enemy number one now.”
Surprised appreciation barely registered as Duke gestured with a nod for us to get going. We left Jared struggling to get to his knees as we climbed into my truck. From behind me, Lee squeezed my shoulder.
“Sorry I stole your thunder, but I’ve been wanting to do that since the fire, and I figured it probably isn’t a good idea for you to assault anyone.”
“Thank you.” I looked around the truck. “Seriously. I appreciate you being here.”
Duke nodded. “Don’t mention it. Now let’s get back before we have to explain to the cops what we’re all doing here.”
Without another word, I pulled out of the parking space and headed away from the hotel. My brain ran through what happened over and over again. Still, not all the pieces fit.
I was nearly silent when we dropped Duke and Lee back off at Sullivan Farms. As Duke opened his door, I leaned over. “Tell my sister I’m sorry to have dragged you into this.”
He glanced at his house with a soft smile. “I have a feeling I might get a pass on this one.” He tapped the side of the truck and closed the door.
Back on the road toward town, Royal broke the tense silence. “I think he got the message, don’t you?”
My jaw tightened. “I sure hope so.” Frustration bubbled inside me. I should have fucking hit him. “He knew about the accident and my time in prison. Dad did his best to kill the story in the local papers, but it was all still public record. It’s what he’s using against Sloane.”
Royal shrugged. “I guess it wouldn’t be unusual for him to dig it up, then.” I could feel my brother’s assessing eyes on me as I drove. “What else has got you doing mental gymnastics?” His finger looped in circles next to his ear. “I know it’s more than just a shitty ex digging up dirt.”
I sighed, not sure where to even begin to explain the odd, unsettling feeling I had. “I need to make a few calls and see if he has contacts on the inside. Someone feeding information or maybe even someone who was willing to do his bidding. If I can prove he was behind the fire, he’ll leave her alone for good.”
My hand scraped over my jaw. “Did you see what he was wearing? A man wearing boat loafers and no socks doesn’t burn down houses and risk the lives of their own children. They use their money and power to do it for them.”
It was scary how easily I could have been talking about my own father instead of Sloane’s ex-husband.
Royal frowned. “Prison calls are recorded. Any contact with the inside doesn’t look good for you. Didn’t your parole officer recommend you cut all ties?”
Frustrated, my hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I can’t just sit around and do nothing.” I glanced at my brother. “I know a guy on the outside I can talk to. It’s worth the risk.”
The rest of the trip back to Royal’s tattoo parlor was spent in strained silence. It would be only a matter of time before the news of what happened spread like wildfire through our small town. It wasn’t every day the Sullivans and Kings rallied together and got into a fight with someone else.
When Royal exited the truck, I sat in painful, tortured silence. I weighed my options. Finally, I unlocked my phone and typed in a number from memory.
I need information.
Unknown number
’Bout time.
Now?
I sat back against the seat. My head throbbed. I pressed my thumbs into my eye sockets and willed the pressure to release. When my phone buzzed, I glanced at the message and sighed. The meetup was happening.
I sent Oliver the location, then flipped my phone onto the passenger seat and left Outtatowner fading in my rearview mirror. On the outskirts of our quiet little town, I pulled to a stop near a hidden clearing nestled within the dense thicket. Impatiently, I waited for my unexpected reunion with the past I thought I’d left behind.
The setting sun slanted golden light over the tall grass. The air hummed with the soft whispers of the wind. I had chosen this secluded spot to escape prying eyes and communicate without judgment. The scent of pine mingled with the earthy fragrance of damp soil.
The crunch of gravel under tires announced the arrival of my former cellmate, a man I once shared a confined space with, but never truly knew. Dressed in unassuming gray slacks and a white button-down shirt, Oliver appeared more suited for a corporate boardroom than the depths of a prison cell. His slender frame moved with an agile grace, the setting sun revealing sharp features. A cascade of dark hair fell over his forehead, framing a pair of intense blue eyes that betrayed the man beneath the polished facade. It was no wonder that at one time, he was practically the mayor of the Muskegon Correctional Facility.
Despite the time spent apart, his handshake carried the same controlled strength, a silent testament to the resilience we both clung to in our separate worlds.
He leaned against my truck. “What do you need?”
I leaned next to him, looking out onto the open field, and exhaled. “There’s this woman . . .”
Oliver’s barking laugh cracked through the air. “It’s always a woman, my friend.”
I shrugged him off. “We’ve got some issues with her ex.”
“Need him to disappear?” The seriousness in his tone was chilling. I looked at Oliver as he grinned.
I shook my head. “Jesus. No. I need information. A while back the house she was living in burned down. An investigation ruled it arson. Trouble is, this guy—her ex-husband—isn’t really the hands-on type. I have a theory that he hired someone—someone willing to take the fall if the price was right.”
Oliver dragged a hand across his clean-shaven jaw. “I got you. That would be a lot of money. A payday like that is hard to keep quiet.”
I nodded. “Exactly what I was thinking.”
Oliver kicked off my truck and faced me. “Well, you’re in luck. I can ask some questions personally. I’m headed back.”
I frowned at him. “Again?”
He rolled his eyes as if going back to prison was simply interrupting his weekend plans. “I got pinched for intentionally damaging by knowing transmission. Apparently putting a tiny little bug on a public official’s personal computer to prove he’s into kiddie porn is frowned upon.”
His exaggerated eye roll and air quotes were almost comical if it weren’t for the fact he wasn’t taking his upcoming sentencing seriously.
He leveled me with his steely stare. “I tried to stay straight, but those bills don’t pay themselves, you know what I mean?”
I held out my hand. “Call me when you know anything. And when you get out, I’ll have a job at the brewery waiting for you.” I pointed at him. “I expect to hear from you.”
He nodded rhythmically, and his lips pressed together in a small smile. “You will. You will.”
I pulled him in for a quick hug. “Be safe and be smart.”
Oliver sauntered back to his car like he didn’t have a care in the world. I only hoped his contacts on the inside proved insightful. If we could prove Jared was behind the fire, we just might have a fighting chance, but if Sloane lost her kids . . . fuck.
We would lose everything.
THIRTY-THREE
SLOANE
I paced back and forth across the hardwood floors and drilled holes into the front door with my stare.
Where is he?
I glanced at the envelope on the kitchen island and worry gnawed at my insides. When Abel stomped out of the brewery and tore out of the parking lot, I knew in my bones that something bad was going to happen. Somehow I managed to dry my tears and compose myself enough to call a server and beg for her to cover my shift.
A car pulled down the driveway, and a tiny knot of tension unfurled in my stomach when I saw Granddad’s car pulling up to the house. Ben and Tillie climbed out of the car, and I opened my arms. They hugged me and I squeezed them so tightly they both groaned and wiggled away. When I released them, they ran past me and into the house.
My grandfather walked up to the front door and looked at me with soft eyes. “What’s on your mind, Sloaney? Your face looks like a punching bag.”
A watery laugh escaped me as I swiped under my swollen eyes. “Thanks.”
His hand found my shoulder and squeezed.
I tipped my head toward the sky and groaned. “Ugh, I don’t want to get into it again because I’ll start crying. Jared is coming after the kids.”
He shook his head, a fierce line forming between his white eyebrows. “That won’t happen.”
I nodded, trying to make myself believe it. “I know. I know . . . but then Abel found out and left the brewery in a rampage. I’m worried about him.”
“He’s a good man with a smart head on his shoulders. He wouldn’t do anything to mess up what he’s got here.” My granddad’s reassuring words settled over me.
My voice was tiny when I looked at him. “I hope you’re right.”
Granddad patted my arm. “I’m always right. Now I’m off to see if Bug wants to join me for a movie.”
My eyes went wide. “Another date?”
His hand smoothed down his shirt. “I’m too old to date. I just enjoy her company, that’s all.”
As he turned, I smiled at his back. He deserved this happiness. I watched him walk to his car and turn down the road that led away from the house. I worried my lip as the sun sank lower and lower behind the trees.
“Mom, can we play in the back?” Ben shouted from inside the house.
I nodded and lifted my hand, unable to clear the emotion that expanded in my throat.
I sat on the front stoop, willing his truck to turn down the driveway. I checked—and rechecked—my phone.
Fresh tears prickled behind my eyelids as I watched the sun sink lower and waited.
Finally, his truck came into view, and I stood. My heart squeezed, relieved that he was safe and home.
Abel climbed out of his truck and paused.
He took one look at my red-rimmed eyes and splotchy face before his long strides ate up the distance between us. With his hands on the sides of my face, threading through my hair, his mouth crashed to mine. I opened for him, my gasp swallowed by his demanding kiss.
This.
This is everything.
In the distance, muted shrieks from the kids playing in the backyard rang through the air, dragging us back to reality.
His voice cracked through the haze. “I love you.”
I gulped. The riot of emotions I’d experienced in the last few hours was utterly draining. “I know. I love you too.”
His dark eyes were intense as he smoothed the hair from my face.
“Where did you go?” I asked.
He stepped back so I could look at him. His eyes shifted to the side, and my stomach tilted with a nauseating flop. “Jared never left the area. I’d been keeping tabs on him, so today I sought him out and made sure he knew who he was dealing with. His days of scaring you just because he thinks he can are over.”
My eyes went wide as my thoughts jumbled together. “Did you . . . hurt him?”
His jaw tensed. “I wanted to fucking kill him. I almost lost my cool and pummeled him without thinking twice, but thankfully I had some help.”
My brows pinched together. “Your brother?”
Abel nodded. “Royal was there, but it was actually Lee Sullivan who beat the shit out of him with one punch.”
Surprise pulled a laugh from me. “Lee?”
Abel wound an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. “That guy’s got a surprisingly effective right hook.”
Abel turned and led me into the house.
Our home.
“Right now I just want a normal night with the kids.” He looked down at me, affection and reassurance shining in his eyes. “We can talk about our next steps later. Can we do that?”
“Yeah.” I squeezed his middle and leaned into his comforting warmth. “We can do that.”
Two weeks went by without a word from Jared or his lawyers. I contacted a family law attorney and laid everything out in the open. She assured me that she would fight tooth and nail for us. Given Jared’s past history with aggressive behavior and my previous order of protection, she was confident I wouldn’t lose the kids—it was my only thread of hope.
I leaned into that nugget of relief as we all tried to squeeze out the last drops of fun as summer started to wane. I also realized that Abel’s comment about having a normal night turned out to be painfully accurate.
After that night, something had shifted—he was quieter and more intense than before. Something was weighing on him, but he wasn’t letting me past his walls to figure out exactly what it was.
On the back patio, Abel was grilling hamburgers while Ben and Tillie played a rowdy game of tag. When I looked out the back window, I watched as smoke billowed out from the grill.
I popped my head out the door. “Hey! I think your burgers are burning.”
Abel jolted and looked at the grill. “Shit.” He fumbled to move the patties away from the flames and salvage our dinner.
Lately, despite the lawyer’s reassurances, I would often find Abel staring into space. A pinch poked behind my ribs.
I walked outside and set the platter of burger toppings on the table. My hand found his back. “Lost in thought?”
He frowned at the blackened food. “Something like that.”
I watched him and worried. Whenever I had asked him about what was weighing so heavily on his mind, he simply smiled softly and said that it was nothing. His stress baking told me otherwise—we’d had more cookies, pies, and brownies in the last two weeks than we could eat.
“The salad is ready and lemonade is freshly poured.” I infused my voice with brightness to try to lighten the mood.
He only nodded and scrubbed a hand against his face.
“Chickens!” I called to the kids. “Dinner’s ready. Time to wash up.”
Ben chased his sister, making her giggle, and they made their way into the house.
“These burgers are shit,” Abel complained as he scowled at the overdone patties.
“Are you kidding?” I slapped a black patty on a bun with a smile. “I love that perfectly charred crust.”
He shot me a flat look, and when I gave a cheesy smile, he cracked.
Reaching his hand behind my neck, he pulled his mouth to mine. “I don’t deserve you, woman.”
I winked at him. “Well, that’s true. I am pretty awesome.”
He laughed and shook his head as the kids bounded down the steps and clambered to the table. I leaned over to make their plates as they got settled.
“Abel, what’s the best part of your day?” Ben asked between pants.
He smiled at my little boy. “Well . . . probably watching you two—”
A pounding knock sounded at the front door. Abel and I exchanged a glance as he stood.
“Are you expecting anyone?” he asked.
Silently, I shook my head. I glanced at the kids and smiled. “We’ll be right back. You can keep eating.”
I followed behind Abel as he walked through the house. When he opened the front door, fear gripped my chest. Two police officers stood at the front door with serious expressions. Abel angled his body to block the kids and me from view.
“Mr. King? We need you to come with us,” one officer said.
“Dusty.” Abel tapped his own chest. “You know me. What’s this about?”
The man’s serious expression didn’t waver. “We’d really like to have this conversation at the station.”
I shouldered past Abel. “What conversation?”
The blond officer spared me only a glance before looking down at his notebook. “Mr. King, we have some questions in regards to your altercation with Jared Hansen at the Grand Harbor Hotel.”
Abel’s arms crossed. “What about it? The guy can’t take a beating like a man?”
The second officer’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re openly admitting to a battery?”
“Abel.” I straightened and placed a hand on his arm. “Stop talking.” I lifted my chin toward the officers. “He’s not admitting anything, and he is not going anywhere with you.”
