Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
FORD
Griffen turned into the parking lot and slid into an empty space.
Throwing the SUV in park, he turned and looked at me, his green eyes so like mine, searing straight through me.
“I don’t know if we can go back, but this is a start.
All we can do is figure it out from here.
So, what’s our plan when we go in there? ”
The pressure around my heart eased, and I took a breath. He was right. All we could do was figure it out from here.
“I have a couple of things in mind,” I said and filled him in.
The process of getting in to see Cole was both amusing and a little stomach-turning.
The warden kissed Griffen’s ass like he was my father times two, cutting me out of the conversation, giving me the back of his shoulder, and refusing to meet my eyes.
Fine with me. He didn’t know what to make of a Sawyer who was also a former inmate.
I found that instead of envy at the warden treating Griffen like the king of the universe, I felt only a faint disgust and sympathy for Griffen, who handled it well, making use of it when he needed to expedite the process of getting to Cole.
As someone who knew him, I could see his discomfort with the ass-kissing.
It was all part of being the head of the Sawyer family.
I tried not to flinch as the first set of doors opened in front of us, the long concrete walls narrowing in on me.
My fingers curled into fists, my heart thumping in my chest until I was a little dizzy with it.
Griffen shot me a concerned look and I forced a smile—more for our audience than for him—then unclenched my fingers, drawing in a slow, deep breath.
I wasn’t here to stay. I just had to get this over with.
Cole waited for us in the room where Griffen had so often come to visit me, sitting at the metal table, hands and feet cuffed, in that familiar orange jumpsuit.
Other than the surroundings and what he was wearing, he looked exactly as he had the last time I saw him—as if prison hadn’t touched him at all.
Only Cole Haywood could manage to look like a model wearing a prison jumpsuit.
“Look, it’s the Sawyer brothers come to visit an old friend,” he said. “Nice to see you both.”
Griffen sat without a word.
“Your assassin got arrested,” I said, taking a seat beside my brother, propping an ankle on one knee, and leaning back in the metal chair, trying for casual and unconcerned.
“I heard you were attacked,” Cole said. “Something about a crazed local at the brewery?” He shook his head. “Troubling what the world’s come to, isn’t it?”
“That’s one way to put it,” I said. “I’m assuming there’ll be more.”
Cole raised an eyebrow, amusement glittering in his blue eyes. “You know what they say about assumptions. But in this case,” he shrugged a shoulder, “it seems within the realm of possibilities. You made a lot of enemies over the years. Any one of them could want payback.”
“The only one who sent a killer after him is you,” Griffen reminded him.
Cole had admitted it when he was arrested, to both Quinn and West, but clearly his lawyer brain had clicked into gear sometime between now and then.
“It’s funny,” he said, looking up at the ceiling before his eyes dropped to meet mine.
“You’d think arresting that unfortunate gentleman at the brewery would have solved your problem.
But from where I’m sitting, it’s likely that only cleared the way.
Even as we speak, there could be more winging their way to Sawyers Bend.
” He lifted a hand, cuffs rattling, miming a bird in flight, “And you’re out there, trying to pick up the reins of your life.
Hard to do when you’re always looking over your shoulder. ”
He was right. I was out there trying to pick up the reins of my life, and it was fucking hard to do when I was constantly looking over my shoulder. But he’d confirmed one of the things I’d wanted to know.
This was not over.
It was safe to say whoever was coming next would be better than the guy West had arrested. Not great news, but not a surprise. Which left me with the only other thing I needed from Cole Haywood: any information he could give me about my father’s death.
“What do you know about Prentice’s murder?” I asked.
“What makes you think I know anything?” Cole countered.
“You and my father, along with Edgar, were all tied up together. I know the three of you were keeping things from me.”
Cole shook his head. “Of course we were. You’d gone all Boy Scout, focused on building the business and carving off pieces for your brothers and sisters.
I don’t know who killed Prentice. You’d have better luck badgering Edgar—or Harvey, maybe—though he’s got a little too much Boy Scout in him, like you. He missed out on a lot.”
“Harvey claims lawyer/client privilege, and Edgar isn’t talking,” I said. I knew Griffen and Hope had confronted her uncle. When Edgar clammed up, it was like hitting a brick wall, and any mention of his business with my father was off-limits.
“Well then,” Cole said, “you’re shit out of luck. The only thing I can tell you—and I will, just because it isn’t helpful—is that your father wasn’t killed over business.”
“But you know why he was killed?” Griffen asked.
Cole drew in a short breath and let it out, and I got the sense he wasn’t messing with us.
He was telling the truth. He was far more obnoxious when he was lying.
“Fair question, because I don’t. So, it could have been business.
But as Ford said, I was tied up in a lot with Prentice and Edgar.
And nothing we had going would have resulted in his death.
In fact, his dying when he did cost us a lot of money.
Very inconvenient. And it didn’t profit anyone.
His death was, all around, a pain in the ass.
So, while I guess it’s possible that business was involved in his murder, as far as I can tell, it’s extremely unlikely that was the motive.
Which leads me to think it had to be personal. ”
“Which brings me,” I said, “right back to you.”
He sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, flicking his head to toss back his dark hair.
“I can see why you’d say that. And to be fair, if I’d shot your father, the last thing I’d do is admit it right here.
But I can truthfully tell you I didn’t kill Prentice, and I don’t know who did.
I only know that they were there not long before I showed up.
But I never saw anyone.” He raised an eyebrow. “If I can offer some advice…”
“Sure, lay it on me.” I stood, bracing for his parting shot before we got out of there.
“I’d watch your back, Ford.” His gaze slid to Griffen.
“Your brother may think you’ve paid for your crimes, and the state might agree.
But that doesn’t mean there’s balance in your universe.
You’ll never be free of the past. And anyone around you will be in danger.
That includes your pretty little wife and that baby.
Those kids running tame in your house. All of you.
You keep him close, and you risk what you love. ”
Griffen stood and shoved his hands in his pockets, his face stone-cold as Cole got to his feet, chains rattling. “He’s not alone anymore,” Griffen said, turning and dismissing Cole. He looked to me. “Are you done?”
“I’m done,” I agreed.
Griffen signaled to the prison guard, and we left.
Cole’s eyes burned holes into my back as I walked out of the room, my gut twisted tight, not ready to relax until the outer doors shut behind me. I didn’t draw a full breath until I was back in the SUV, sitting beside Griffen. We pulled through the gates and out onto the road.
Griffen’s voice vibrated with fury when he spoke. “Don’t even think about taking off after that bullshit he laid out.”
I let out a slow breath. “I think we need to have a meeting with Hawk and Sinclair Security, because I’m not going to run.” I turned to look at Griffen, glad to see his jaw relax at my words. “I’m not walking out on my family,” I said. “Not unless all of you agree you’re safer without me.”
“Not going to happen,” Griffen said.
“Then I’m not going anywhere. But we need a plan.”
Griffen nodded. “Already working on it.”
I hoped whatever his plan was, it was good. It would have to be. Because Cole Haywood had made it very clear he was not finished with me—not even close.