Chapter Twenty #2
It was the same scar he had seen before they had left for the party. Angry, shining, and most likely undeniably painful when it had first happened.
A scar from the accident.
It sobered Price a bit, though he made sure to keep a small smile on.
Maybe it wasn’t enough.
JJ went from bantering and dove right into the complicated world outside of the bathroom walls around them.
“You never asked who my source was,” she said. “I feel wrong somehow not telling you, now with everything we’ve been through.”
“You don’t have to,” he pointed out.
She didn’t hesitate.
“It’s Riker. My godfather. I can’t remember if I told you or not, but when I went off to college, he married a really nice woman who ended up needing to take care of her parents.
So they moved out of state and they’re still out there being all cute and happy.
” She sighed. It moved some of the bubbles nearest her mouth.
“It’s why I never told Riker about Mr. Cole coming to see me.
Why I never told him about Mom surviving and having my brother.
Why I never told him the real reason I left the city for a small town I’d only visited once or twice.
He just—he just has a lot of guilt for what happened, a lot of regrets.
I know, because we both tried to work on our feelings about everything through the years.
He eventually said he found peace, but I know it eats him up that we never got the justice my parents deserved. ”
She started to swirl some of the bubbles around. Her eyes stayed on them as she continued.
“I didn’t want to tell him what I’d been up to until I had it all sorted.
I wanted to keep him in his peace as much as possible.
But, if anyone could identify someone from the group, or know a different source that could, it’s him.
And since they might try and use Winnie against you, I didn’t want to just wait and hope.
So, yesterday I sent him pictures and described the men.
Said they were working for Lawson Cole and asked if he could help. ”
“What did he say?”
She kept swirling.
“He had a lot of questions, but I told him I didn’t have the time.
That I was okay, and I’d explain everything once he got back to me.
I told him I needed it fast. Then he said fine, he loved me and to stay safe.
” She sighed again. “A part of me wanted to keep him out of this forever because I know once he finds out about Mom still being alive…he’s going to run himself into the ground with guilt, even though I don’t think anyone would blame him for what happened. ”
“Just remind him that he saved a hurt, terrified kid and bluffed a powerful man into giving that girl a safe life to live. He did good.”
JJ nodded.
“He did. But the second he finds out about my brother, he won’t just keep living the life he has now. He’ll rush back here and join the fight. He’ll leave his happy, safe life and, well, that hurts my heart if I’m being honest.”
Price reached his hand out and took JJ’s in his. He let it sink a little in the warm water. Her dark eyes found his and sunk there too.
“You don’t need to worry about everything and everyone all at once,” he said. “You also can’t control or predict how people will feel. Let’s work with what we have, let’s deal with the now, and I promise you what comes next, I’ll help you with. Okay?”
With his other hand, he tapped the bottom of her chin and smiled.
“Soak in the tub, not in what-ifs.”
It took a few moments, but JJ cracked a smile.
“That was incredibly cheesy, Deputy Collins.”
He shrugged.
“Doesn’t mean it wasn’t true.”
She admitted he was right, and their conversation went to the bathroom around them, then the house renovations as a whole. It was normal and comfortable. JJ also held his hand the entire time.
It wasn’t until she was finished, dried and dressed that Price made his way down to the kitchen to start breakfast. Winnie was just waking up and JJ stopped in her room to chat. He smiled as he descended the stairs to the sound of them talking in the background.
That smile was still playing at his lips when an alert on his phone and a text came in at the same time.
It was the sheriff. He was outside and wanted to talk.
Price didn’t waste time. He threw on his boots and was at the sheriff’s truck in a flash.
Liam looked like he hadn’t slept much. He had a sandwich bag in his hand and threw it to Price when he was close enough.
“I went to Josiah’s to have another look around to see if there was anything we might have missed. I found that in his room. I saw its partner yesterday or else I wouldn’t have thought anything about it.”
Price knew instantly what the small item inside the bag was.
An earring.
A blue one. Identical to the one JJ had on the day before. Price had meant to ask her where the missing one had gone but so much had already been happening.
Including Price’s decision to keep JJ’s search through Josiah Teller’s house a secret.
He opened his mouth now to say something, but the sheriff cut him off.
“I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about the man who JJ fought in the woods.” He let out a long, dragging breath. That tired came out strong with it. “He succumbed to his injuries late last night.”
Price felt cold.
“He died,” he said bluntly.
The sheriff nodded.
“That in itself would be a lot, especially for JJ, even though it was self-defense, but something else happened.”
Price’s already-bad feeling only deepened.
Hearing the words only added anger into it.
“Your neighbors called in about half an hour ago. Someone tore up your house, Price. And they left a message behind.”
Price was seeing red, but he managed to read the note from the picture Liam held up for him.
He read it aloud, fire and ice in his veins.
“‘A life for a life. Your daughter’s next.’”