The Long Game, page 30
Travis gripped Sam’s shoulder supportively, but Sam didn’t look like he needed it. “My name is Sam and I’m staying right here.”
“You will do as you’re told, girl.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Jack snapped. “He is an adult and will not be going anywhere unless he wants to.”
“Which I don’t,” Sam said firmly.
Grady’s father changed tactics. “Colton Michael, you’re no adult. You’re coming with me. Your family wants you home.”
“Not on your fucking life,” Colton said, enunciating each word.
Grady’s father’s complexion turned a color that made Grady fear he was going to have a stroke, which would be about par for the course at this point.
“How dare you speak to Uncle Harrison that way?” Colton’s brother gasped, and it was all Grady could do not to roll his eyes. “Father will have your hide.”
“Father can kiss my ass,” Colton shot back.
And Grady loved this kid, he really did, but right now he was not helping.
“By god, Colton Michael, you will learn your place,” Grady’s father roared, charging forward.
Grady’s heart stopped when Jack jumped in front of Colton, bringing Grady’s father up short. Before his father could even threaten to do something catastrophically stupid, Daphne stepped between them.
Jack backed off, pushing Colton into the gathering of their friends and family and giving Daphne room.
“Gentlemen,” Daphne said crisply, “you cannot enter a private residence, uninvited, and then harass my client, abuse Sam, and threaten Colton.”
Grady’s father gave Daphne an insulting once-over, then asked Grady, “Who is she?”
Grady smiled. “My lawyer. I suggest you address her directly before you really piss her off.”
Grady’s father scoffed and didn’t spare Daphne another glance.
Daphne’s eyes narrowed. Grady had warned the idiot.
A loud knock on the open door drew everyone’s attention and Grady wondered who else might possibly join this circus.
“’Scuse us.” A man Grady had never seen before in his life came into the apartment carrying the front of the queen-size mattress they’d left propped in the hallway. The back half was hefted by another unfamiliar face. They forced their way past the assholes and leaned the mattress against a wall.
Who the hell were these guys?
Then two more people stepped into the apartment and Grady’s mouth dropped open.
Because while he was happy and incredibly relieved to see Hannah, she was standing next to…
Was that René Gauthier?
To say Grady was shocked to see one of the most notorious criminals in Canada standing in his goddamn doorway would have been the understatement of the century.
* * *
Just when Jack thought the day couldn’t get any more surreal, René entered the chaos with a teenager on his arm.
Jack couldn’t help it. He smiled. He hadn’t seen René in years. He was older, but still terribly handsome, and he still smiled at Jack like he was something special.
All Jack had needed to do was ask for his help, and René had delivered.
How could he not smile?
A loud gasp issued from the man who looked disconcertingly like Grady. “Hannah!”
That explained who the young woman was. Rather than show any relief at seeing the members of her family arrayed before her, she cowered by René, who patted her hand in a fatherly fashion.
When Brock David, who clearly didn’t know how to read a room, made a grab for Hannah, he was intercepted by one of the men who’d carried in the mattress.
René had brought muscle.
Hannah made a break for it, skirting behind her protection until she could run for Colton and Sam. She flung herself into their arms.
“Get back here, girl! Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through? You will learn your place!” the man Jack guessed was Hannah’s father yelled.
Jack had to fight not to curl his lip. “Do they ever use women’s names? Or do they just call them ‘girl’ all the time?” he asked Grady.
Grady sighed. “Pretty much. Girl. Wife. Sister. Ma’am.”
“Except my dead name. Turns out they like using that one just fine,” Sam muttered darkly while patting Hannah’s back.
Jack grimaced. “Ew.”
“Seriously,” Grady agreed.
“Who are you to judge us?” Grady’s father snapped.
“Your son,” Grady snapped back.
The angry old man scoffed. “Never that. No son of mine associates with the likes of him.” He gestured at René, who looked more amused than insulted. “You’re René Gauthier, aren’t you?”
“I am,” he agreed mildly.
Grady’s father eyed Grady. “What will your command think of this?”
The threat wasn’t subtle, and Jack was worried. Having René in the home of a member of the RCMP probably wasn’t ideal.
Grady arched an eyebrow at Jack. “When you said you had a friend with connections…”
Jack shrugged. “I did mention we exchange Christmas cards.”
Grady snorted. “I thought you were kidding, and I certainly didn’t realize it was…” He gestured at René, then shook his head and laughed. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. What matters is Hannah is safe.”
Jack glanced over his shoulder to find Hannah, tears streaming down her face, whispering furiously to Daphne. Colton held her hand while Sam rubbed her back, which made Jack’s chest feel full to bursting with tenderness and pride. They were such good people and he loved them to fucking pieces.
God, when had he become so…gooey?
“See something you like?” Hannah’s father asked in a cruel and lecherous voice.
The only sounds in the room were Barnaby gagging and the minor skirmish of Callum holding Rupert to his side, lifting his feet off the ground to keep him from coming over and…god only knew what he’d do.
Jack looked the man up and down. “You, sir, are fucking disgusting.”
The older man’s color went deep red, cheeks mottled, his anger—his violence—clear to see. Jack almost wished he’d go for it. No one in this room was going to let him touch the kids, or hurt Jack, but Jack wouldn’t mind getting a few shots in while he tried.
Daphne stepped in front of the wretched man. “Are you Donovan Jacob Michaels, father to Hannah Michaels?”
“Yeah, she’s mine.”
Jack’s throat burned with bile.
“She has stated she does not wish to return home with you. She claims you’ve attempted to force her into a marriage, at age sixteen, that she does not want, and that she’s been punished for refusing to agree.”
“She’s pregnant!”
Hannah curled in on herself, her arms crossed over her abdomen. Colton and Sam still held her between them, fierce protectors. Jack adored them.
“Quite,” Daphne agreed. “She has also assured me she will run away again if forced to return home with you. She believes the punishment for her actions this week may include physical abuse.”
“She’s earned it,” he ground out grimly.
Jack blinked. Was that…meant to be a defense?
“So you admit you intend to physically harm the minor child, Hannah Michaels,” Daphne stated.
Donovan’s eyes darted around the room. “Uh…”
“Sir, I have”—Daphne made a show of scanning the apartment and counting—“Eleven? Eleven adult witnesses to you indicating you mean to cause the pregnant minor child Hannah Michaels physical harm. Do you deny this?”
Grady’s father glared balefully at his brother-in-law. Jack bit back a smile of pure vindictive glee. He hoped Donovan would be the one on the receiving end of some corporal punishment after this.
“Mr. Michaels, I can’t, in good conscience, send that child home with you until this is investigated further, and I, and the courts, have assurances that the child will not be harmed or coerced into marriage.”
“They can’t just keep her,” he said, gesturing at Jack and Grady.
“She can be taken into the provincial care system and assigned to foster parents.”
Rupert stood straighter and Callum smiled, slow and wide. “We’re registered foster parents.”
“Great,” Daphne said like she hadn’t been perfectly aware of this. “Why don’t you call your Child Welfare contact and see if they can join us?”
“They let you have kids?” Grady’s father asked, his voice dripping with disdain.
Grady looked at his father like he was an idiot. “Do you live under a rock? They’re like the most famous foster parents in the country.”
Christian giggled and Callum, still grinning, pulled him in with an arm around his shoulders.
“I don’t want any trouble with those welfare people,” Donovan complained. “She’s my kid.”
“And that does give you rights,” Daphne conceded. Donavan’s confidence rebounded at this. “So, if you want to avoid involving the authorities, I can suggest that you sign an agreement assigning custodial rights to Sergeant Grady McDonnough until a more permanent arrangement can be put into place.”
Donovan blinked.
Jack almost laughed at how neatly Daphne had backed Donovan into a corner. Whatever Grady was paying her, she was worth every dime.
René, who had been watching the scene like a particularly good performance at the opera, leaned closer to Jack and observed, “It’s a shame she’s not a criminal defense attorney.”
Daphne met René’s gaze. “I’ll take that as a compliment coming from you, Monsieur Gauthier.”
René nodded regally and Jack had to suppress a fond smile.
Grady’s father threw up his hands. “Have you people all lost your goddamn minds? That man is a criminal. He’s been wanted in connection with dozens, possibly hundreds of crimes.” He glared at Grady. “You ought to be arresting him, not cozying up. And this one.” He flicked a dismissive hand at Jack. “Do you think the courts are going to give you custody when you’re…what? Shacking up with a man who is friends with criminals?”
“Jack is none of your concern.”
“He will be yours when we use your unnatural relationship with him to get Hannah and Colton back.”
Jack glared. “You’re not going to use me as leverage to hurt these children. I’ll leave before I give you that satisfaction.”
Grady, Colton, and Sam all started to object, loudly.
René stepped forward to face Grady’s family, not hiding his disgust, and touched Jack’s shoulder. “Easy, mon loup. I have this.” He commanded attention with his confident air, complemented with distinguished silver hair and a perfectly tailored suit that probably cost more than Jack’s entire wardrobe. “Gentlemen, you may wish to check your facts. I notified the investigators in Toronto yesterday that Hannah was with me and that I would be delivering her to Sergeant McDonnough here.” He gestured to Grady. “They agreed not to make this public knowledge, as in the course of my search for her, I uncovered disturbing information about some…shall we say business enterprises that engage in the sort of trafficking I don’t like to see in my cities or province.”
If anyone thought it was strange René had just laid claim to all of Quebec, they didn’t mention it.
“In any case, we’ve come to an agreement whereby I have shared my findings with the RCMP and will continue to do so. You will also find any criminal convictions are more than a decade in the past. I don’t live here in Moncton but in Montreal, primarily, and this is the first time I’ve seen Jack in person in years. While he and I do, indeed, exchange holiday cards, our association has never been with relation to any criminal activity or enterprise.”
Grady’s father glared at René. “You’re wanted for questioning in a number of cases!”
“I believe you will find, as of this morning, that is no longer the case. Those questions have been answered, and no charges are pending.”
All five of the RCMP members appeared nonplussed. Only Grady smiled, though.
Jack grinned at René.
Daphne pressed this advantage and stepped forward to hand Hannah’s father and Colton’s brother her card, suggesting they come see her Monday morning in her office so they could see about resolving “any outstanding questions and paperwork around the transfer of custody of the minor children into the care of their new guardian.” She took down the numbers they offered as she escorted them out the door, then ended with, “In the meantime, you agree and understand that Hannah will remain here with her cousins, correct?”
And to Jack’s absolute astonishment, a befuddled Donovan agreed.
Then the Assholes of Alberta were gone with little more than a growl and a whimper, leaving everyone else standing, dumbstruck, in the midst of packing crates and partially assembled furniture.
“What just happened?” Grady asked.
René eyed Daphne speculatively as she came back into the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind her before leaning against it. “Your attorney just danced circles around everyone. Are you sure, madam, that you might not consider coming to work for me?”
Daphne smiled at the compliment. “Do you get involved in many custody disputes?”
“Hmmm…I have to admit this is the first.”
“Then we were never meant to be,” Daphne said with a wink that made René grin before turning to Jack.
Jack took René’s hands and kissed him on both cheeks. “Merci, mon ami.”
“Toujours,” René promised, and Jack believed he meant it. René would always be there if Jack needed him.
René gave Grady a considering look. “Now, young man, why don’t you walk me out to my car?”
Oh shit. Grady forestalled Jack’s objections to whatever the hell René was planning with a kiss on the cheek.
“It’s fine,” Grady said. “But I want a word with you as soon as I get back.”
The promise in Grady’s eyes made Jack’s pulse speed up. Because, oh yeah, they’d just declared their love and maybe that was something they should talk about.
Grady kissed him again, this time lingering, his lips by Jack’s ear when he murmured, “I do love you, Jack Chevalier. More than I can ever say.”
Jack smiled helplessly and watched his boyfriend walk out the door with the man Jack had slept with on the regular while in prison.
No, his life wasn’t weird. Not at all.
25
Grady followed René down the front steps to the sidewalk, aware of the two men lurking behind them just far enough to give them some privacy.
“You don’t have to leave,” Grady said, thinking of Jack’s happy smile when he’d first seen René.
“I do,” René returned, “and you know that. Perhaps someday in the not-too-distant future I’ll come for a proper visit, but only with your blessing. I give you my word.”
“You don’t need my permission to be friends with Jack.”
“I don’t. But all I’ve ever wanted is for Jack to be happy, so I’m not going to do anything that puts you at risk at work. The people in charge know I’m here, but I promised to keep it brief, and I will hold to that.”
Grady nodded. “Thank you, then. For bringing Hannah. And…” He wasn’t sure how to phrase the next bit.
“For staying away?” René guessed.
“Not exactly,” Grady hedged.
René surprised him by putting a hand on Grady’s shoulder. Grady really liked René, which was a strange thing to think about a man he’d just met and previously only seen in newspapers and bulletins at the office.
“I won’t lie to you, Grady McDonnough. I’ve long been prepared to come here and make all manner of dire threats if Jack ever tied himself to someone who didn’t treat him as he deserved.”
“And now?” Grady asked.
“And now I believe he’s found a good man, and I’m glad.”
Grady smirked, dubious. “I’m a cop.”
René chuckled. “That you are. But you’re a fair one. Uncorrupted and kind. I looked into you quite thoroughly years ago when you and Jack first began spending a lot of time together, and I’ve kept an eye on you since.”
Grady arched an eyebrow because that wasn’t creepy or anything.
René shrugged. “You needn’t worry. As I said, all I want is for Jack to be happy. That’s why I keep my distance. It was important to Jack that he never again fall under suspicion, and any association with me would have meant just that. If I weren’t so selfish, I wouldn’t have any contact with him at all, but I find I need to know he’s okay. So much so, it seems I’ve sold my soul to your colleagues. Though I’m happy to see the demise of any human trafficking.” René shuddered. “Dreadful business.”
Grady considered the infamous criminal. He seemed genuine, as did his concern for Jack. He was known for trafficking art, antiquities, booze, cigarettes, and pharmaceuticals, but never people or street drugs. Was the distinction enough?
It seemed it was.
René had somehow gone from infamous criminal to probably will end up coming to Thanksgiving in the span of a few minutes. “If helping bring down human traffickers is how you plan to spend your retirement, I think Jack would like to see you for more than a few minutes sometime.”
“Very subtle. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“But if you get brought up on more charges, all bets are off and I’ll arrest you as soon as I see you.”
“Of course,” René agreed. “I understand.”
Grady eyed him, taking a moment to consider carefully what he was about to do. In the end, though, he needed Jack safe and he believed René when he said he wanted that, too. “Before you go, you might be interested to know John Babcock has been hanging around, bothering Jack.”
René’s eyes narrowed. “Has he now?”
“He says he’s been cut out everywhere and seems to think Jack can influence the person responsible. It’s been…distressing to Jack to be confronted by him again.”
René’s dark scowl did not bode well for John Babcock. “Thank you for telling me.”
Grady’s conscience pinched at him.
