First Surrender (Chance Encounters #3)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jackson

T he first week that my house guests were here went too smoothly. When everything went off the rails during week two, I was only slightly surprised.

I had been under the impression that Natalie and I had come to some sort of understanding. We hadn’t fought, we were communicating effectively, and I was starting to pick up on more details about her than I had ever known or suspected.

Aside from being an amazing cook, she is ethically ambiguous in her music tastes and cuisine choices. Whatever region the dish she is making comes from is the music that she’ll play over the Bluetooth speaker.

I caught her smiling more times in the first week than I had the entire time I’d known her. Then week two hit and it all shifted. She wouldn’t look me in the eye, she hardly spoke two words to me at a time and spent most of her time in her bedroom. She’d only stay in the common areas if Dec was around or needed her for something.

She still packed my lunch, but when I’d come home to eat, she’d disappear to her room. Dinner would be served quickly and she’d start washing dishes before me and Dec were finished.

I guess I shouldn’t be offended, but after thinking we were past the mortal enemy stage, I feel like I have whiplash. Why can’t we be civil?

I get that she doesn’t like me but if she hates me that much, why did she agree to move in here? Or to cook me meals? She could have told me to fuck off.

Except that she wouldn’t. Not when Dec is at stake.

Once again, when it comes to her I’m an idiot. She was never growing fond of being around me, she was only securing her place here so that I’d help Dec. I get it and won’t fault her for it, even when it stings a little.

When my cell phone rings in the middle of the afternoon, I ignore it. I want to keep digging into all these cases until I find the connection that I haven’t discovered.

Thomas Jameson, the 5k bomber, is the next person I’m studying up on. Born in Rollins County to a Vanessa Jameson. Maiden name, Porter. That’s odd. The Vanessa Porter I know is close in age to Thomas Jameson.

It only takes a little deep diving to find the blaring connection. Vanessa Porter is named after her aunt, Thomas Jameson’s mother. They’re cousins.

I jump up from behind my desk and stride to my investigation board.

Anthony and Benjamin Porter are Vanessa’s brothers.

Sheriff Donahue was her husband.

Thomas Jameson is her cousin.

Which means… Kyle Jameson is related to her also. The kid that I shot and killed when he was holding Jesse Callahan hostage six months ago.

Holy shit.

This could be it but how is Vanessa involved in this? She looks like a typical housewife from the south. She has no criminal record. There is no way she would knowingly be involved in all of these criminal acts.

Right?

I’ve been blowing off her phone calls for months, blowing her off in person, and the connection was right there all along. The only one that doesn’t draw directly back to her is Declan Randolph. He’s from the area and went to school here, but that could be a coincidence.

I plop back down in my chair and stare at the ceiling. Until I know I can connect Vanessa to Declan, I need to keep this close to my chest.

“Sheriff,” Roberta grabs my attention from my door. “You have a personal call.”

“About my mom?” I ask, instantly standing.

“No, it’s about a student at Lawson Elementary. She wouldn’t give me details.”

I’m grabbing the receiver and picking up the line before Roberta can finish her sentence.

“Sheriff Malec.”

“Hi, Sheriff, uh Sir. I’m the principal at Lawson Elementary and we’re having an issue with Declan. My name is Dec!” I hear the shout from the background.

“What? What is it? Have you called his sister?”

“Yes, a few times. It seems her phone is off. Decl- Dec asked me to call you.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Mere minutes later, I’m striding right into the Principal’s office. I’ve been here a few times and know my way around quite well. I’ve made it a point that all of my deputies are familiar with the layouts of all the schools.

“Sheriff, they’re right through here.” The secretary ushers me through a door and I stop dead in my tracks. Dec is sitting in a chair with tears streaming down his face but that’s not what makes my cool snap.

A chunk of his shaggy blonde hair is missing. Cut clean off the side.

“What the hell is going on?” My voice is loud, and more authoritative than I usually use. I’m not usually fueled by emotion and ready to throttle someone. Dec starts to cry harder as I kneel in front of him.

“What happened, buddy?” I ask him softly as he falls into me, leaning his head on my shoulder. I rub his back until he settles enough to sit up and wipe his eyes.

I turn to the woman sitting behind her desk with her hands crossed, watching a little boy weep. “What happened?”

She looks relatively put off balance by my presence, but her hesitation only makes my defenses strengthen.

“There was an issue in gym class. Dec talked back to the gym teacher and he reprimanded him.” She stops talking as if that’s all there is to it. As if this little boy hasn’t had his hair forcibly cut.

“And?”

“Mr. Wheeler took him to the locker room and attempted to give him a haircut as punishment.”

“Where is he? Get him down here. NOW!” I yell, thunderously and she balks.

“He’s already left for the day. He’ll be on administrative leave until further notice.”

“I want him fired.”

“Sheriff, I-”

“If I see him around children at this school ever again, I will get you fired, too. Dec. Let’s go.” I can’t think straight, my gut is begging me to get him out of here and in a safer place. Away from this uncaring woman.

Once we’re in my SUV, and far away from the school, I pull over on a random shoulder and turn the car off. “Will you tell me exactly what happened? Please, buddy.”

“Mr. Wheeler was being mean to me in gym class. He kept yelling at me to get my hair out of my eyes. We were playing wiffle ball and my hair would cover my eye when I tried to bat.” He sniffles and I give him a second, rubbing his back until he can continue.

“He said I looked like a girl. That I needed it cut. But, I don’t want to cut my hair. I haven’t cut it since- Since Mommy died. She always cut my hair.” He cries, a full belly heaving cry, and my heart breaks into a million pieces for this little boy.

I jump out on my side and round the hood, throwing open his door and pulling him into my arms. “I am so sorry, buddy. So sorry.” I squeeze his small body, rocking him back and forth until his tears soften.

“He tried to cut more off but Charlie ran and got another teacher. He got this part though.” His fingers brush the side of his nearly scalped head and his little chest heaves like he might start crying again.

“Hey, it’s alright. I know it’s scary, but how about I take you somewhere I like to go so we can fix it? We’ll take pictures that way you can remember it longer. Would it be okay if we fixed it?”

He nods sadly and I pull him in for another hug. “You did a good thing by telling them to call me, Dec. You did good. Anytime you need me, I’ll be here.”

* * *

“What the hell did you do?!” Natalie screams at me as soon as we step through the front door. All I can manage to do is take a deep breath before I lose my damn mind.

“Sissy, no don’t-” Dec tries to intervene.

“Dec. Go to your room. Now.” She can hardly look at him with his new hairdo.

“Natal-”

“Now, Dec.”

He hangs his newly trimmed and faded head but complies. While she’s waiting for his door to click shut down the hall, I step outside. I need the open air to stop me from flying off the handle when she lays into me.

As suspected, she stomps out after me, shoving me roughly when she reaches me. “What the hell did you do? Why did you cut his hair?” Her voice cracks as she yells.

“Go ahead. Get it all out of your system. Yell at me, hit me, scream at me, I don’t care. There’s nothing you can do to me that will make me feel worse than what happened today.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know, let’s start with why you were unreachable today. Hot date? Booty call? What?”

“You’re insane. You’re literally insane.”

“Dec’s school called me, they couldn’t get a hold of you.”

“What? Why?”

“How about you tell me where you were today first?”

“I had an appointment. The lady doctor, you asswipe.”

That cools some of my anger but it doesn’t put it out completely. “Dec’s gym teacher cut a chunk of his hair off. As a punishment.”

“WHAT!” Her volume pierces my eardrums and all but rattles the windows of the house.

“He was upset. I took him to my barber to get it fixed, okay?”

“No, not okay! I’m going to kill him. How dare he!” She scrambles to open the front door, grabbing her purse from the hooks on the wall before storming back out.

“Stop, you are not leaving.” I block her path before she can make it past me.

“Jackson, move out of my way!”

“No. Dec needs you. I have everything else handled.”

“Bullshit. I need to talk to the principal, the fucker should be arrested.”

“Dammit, Natalie! I said that I have it handled!” I shout.

She steps back at my tone as if I slapped her but I continue. I’m too riled up and tired of being seen as her enemy. As if I’m nothing but a nuisance to her.

“You know that I would never stand by and let someone hurt that innocent little boy. Go inside and be with him! Now!” I bark at her.

She looks at me like I’m the biggest villain in her story but I don’t care. I’m done proving myself.

She turns slowly and marches inside without looking back. I sit on the concrete steps as it gets dark and attempt to calm my rage before I do something stupid.

Even as I get in my SUV and leave, I know it didn’t work.