Chapter 13 Reese
Of all the asshole things Jarrett can do, he chooses to sneak out and not tell anyone, then fucking disappears.
Mama’s fingers bunch in my shirt when I arrive at their house.
Her tears are going to leave stains on the material, and Yates, he looks even worse.
His face is worn, eyes heavy and rimmed in red.
The police found Jarrett’s phone near the highway leading out of town, droplets of blood on and around it. Of course Mama went to the worst case scenario. This shouldn’t be one of her worries, but after everything that happened with Levi last year I don’t blame her.
“My baby,” she says, leaning into Yates as Deputy Brent relays the news to us.
“Is there anyone ya’ll can think of that would want to cause your son harm?” He asks, taking his hat off with a practiced swiftness.
I scoff, I’m not sure I could name anyone who wouldn’t want to hurt him. He’s a weasel, an ungrateful little asshole, and he’s already upset damn near everyone in this town one way or another. That’s why Yates wanted me to take him.
“You got somethin’ to say, Walker?” He asks, chest puffing out, sitting up straighter.
“You know as well as I do that Jarrett doesn’t have the best reputation around here, Deputy.”
Brent nods, but doesn’t take his eyes off me when he addresses my Mama again.
“We’re searching, Mrs. Walker. Don’t worry, we’ll find your son,” he promises and even I know that’s not something he should say. Brent always did have a tendency to embellish the truth, even when he was younger. Apparently some people never change. How he became a deputy, I’ll never understand.
Standing, I clear my throat and nod toward the kitchen and he follows. He shouldn’t give her false hope, though I have a feeling Jarrett’s gonna show up somewhere unscathed, with a jerk-off smile plastered on his face.
“You can’t make those promises, Brent,” I warn, “especially not to my mother.”
“I can do whatever I think is right, Walker. I was here when she lost Levi,” he jabs, as if he thinks that’s going to deter me from warning him to watch his words.
“I guarantee you Jarrett’s off doin’ stupid shit with his dumbass friends, but even though that’s what I think, I’m not givin’ her false hope only to devastate her if he’s dead. Have you thought about that, Deputy? What happens when you don’t find him, huh?”
His face hardens and turns red, placing his hat back on his head. “Big man, Reese Walker. I’ve seen you in the diner this week sniffing around Lucy, and now wanna come here, after nearly a decade, and show up now for your mother?”
“Again with this shit,” I mutter, leaning down into his space I growl, “you have no idea what I’ve done for my mother, or this family, and you can leave Lucy the hell out of it. Don’t make any more promises to my mother, or I’ll make sure that badge is the first thing you lose.”
Without another word, he walks out taking the extra officer with him.
Mama’s soft tears are the only thing I can hear in the otherwise silent house. My pocket vibrates and I check to make sure it’s not Mason or Lin. I haven’t been this absent from the ranch in a while.
Mason’s face disappears when I miss the call, and my notifications begin to ping.
Lin: Boss Man, there’s a kid here…
Mason: What the FUCK Champ?
Mason: Call me
Mason: 911
Lin: I think Mason’s gonna blow a gasket, Boss. Better call him ASAP
Dialing his number, he picks up midway through the first ring. “Where the fuck have you been?”
“Jarrett’s gone missin’, the police are involved. It’s a–”
“He ain’t missin’, Champ,” Mason’s voice snarls. “He’s here, and he needs medical attention.”
“What?” I ask, tempering myself not to yell. I’m angry as hell, just not with Mason.
“He’s refusing to talk to anyone but you,” he says, “stirred up the whole ranch when he got here.”
“How the hell did he get there?” I ask, more to myself than Mason.
“Walked, I’d guess.”
He what? It’s a twenty minute drive from Goldspur Ridge to my ranch and he walked?
“Thank you, Mason, keep him there. I’ll call Doc to head over and I’ll be there soon.”
Hanging up the phone before he can object, I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I need to tell my parents, then I need to get on the road to my ranch and find out what the hell happened.
“Mama,” I call, heading back into the living room where Yates has his arms wrapped around her. “Jarrett’s at my ranch.”
She looks up, along with Yates as they process what I said.
“But,” Mama starts and hiccups.
“How’d he get there?” Yates asks, and I wish I had an answer for him. Until I get back, I’m not telling them anything.
“I don’t know,” I lie, “but I’ll be sure to make him aware of how his actions impact others.”
“Reese,” Mama says softly, “please give him a chance.”
After a beat, I nod letting out a breath and grabbing my hat from beside the door. “I’ll call you when I’m back at the ranch. For now, get some rest, and call off the search, alright?”
Yates nods without a word. I know he’ll take care of Mama.
The whole drive back I’m cursing Jarrett for forcing me back to the ranch before I was ready to go. I think I made a good impression with Lucy this morning. I enjoyed the time we spent together, hell, I think she did too. Now who knows when I’ll be able to come back.
One thing’s for certain, I’m not about to give up on Goldie.
The ranch is exactly as I left it, the older riders that train here are milling about because they’re all nosey little shits.
Rolling my window down, I holler, “I hope for your sake the chores get done before chow’s served, y’all know the rules!”
Mason runs up to my truck before I have the chance to put it in park. He’s waving his hands around and talking a mile a minute. Rolling my window up, I cut him off, but it doesn’t deter him. He continues as I put the gear shift in park and step out.
Lin’s leaned up against one of the posts of my house, arms crossed, boots too. She’s got a smile on her face that tells me she’s amused by Mason’s reaction. Her sleeves are rolled up her forearms, and she’s got blood dried on her skin.
“How bad was he hurt?” I ask, a flare of sympathy threatens to derail the anger I have in my chest.
Mason scoffs and shakes his head.
“He’s pretty banged up, Boss Man. Seems scared too.” Lin says, uncrossing her feet and stepping down the two steps to meet the dirt. “You wouldn’t know it with the mouth on that one though.”
I nod, feeling the anger fester in my body. “What has he said?”
Lin smirks as Mason launches into all the things Jarrett’s said since he arrived. I only catch bits and pieces, he’s talking too fast, his words all jumble together.
“Mason,” I grab his shoulders, willing him to stop so he can at least breathe. “Where’d y’all put him?”
He throws his head backward and I groan. “You put him in my house?”
“Where else were we gonna put him? He’s already caused a ruckus!”
Walking up the steps, a pit of dread opens in my stomach. I don’t know what to expect, and it looks like Doc just rolled in which means, unless Mason or Lin cleaned him up, he’s bleeding all over my fucking house.
“Oh hell,” I mutter, seeing the blood droplets on my wooden floors when I step inside. Cap’s head pops up from the couch and I hear a moan. Taking a settling breath, I round the couch to find Jarrett laid on it with his face smashed in. “Jesus Christ, Jare.”
It’s all my mind can think, his left eye’s swollen shut, he’s got a gash in his cheek that’s slowly leaking blood all over my towels.
His teeth are stained with blood, his arm’s wrapped protectively around his midsection, which means he’s probably got a few broken ribs.
Whoever or whomever got their hands on him didn’t hold back.
“What’d you get yourself into, Jarrett?” I bark, leaving no room for niceties. He lost that by not calling Mama, and then showing up here and causing a scene.
He coughs and winces, pressing on his side as he tries to lift up. Cap’s half on Jarrett’s legs, but he doesn’t stir when Jarrett jostles him.
“Just lay still dammit, Doc’s on his way in right now,” I don’t touch him, that’s not something we do. “You can talk while he patches you up. I’m gonna grab some more towels so you don’t keep ruining my couch.”
Heading for my hall closet, I pull the first aid kit I’ve had here since forever and pull out some of the things the Doc will need—and more towels. Doc walks in, takes a look at Jarrett and grumbles something under his breath.
When I hand him the things I retrieved he snorts in thanks, and accepts the items. Grabbing a wash cloth from the bathroom I run it under cold water and return to find Doc bent over Jarrett, glasses perched on his nose, looking him over.
“Gonna need stitches,” he says, talking to no one in particular. “And a good rinse with some alcohol.”
Gripping Jarrett’s chin in his hand, he twists him back and forth examining his teeth. “No teeth missin’.”
“That’s a good sign,” Mason chirps from the doorway where he and Lin have stepped inside and closed the door.
Doc accepts the washcloth and sets about wiping Jarrett’s face to see what he can and can’t do.
Lucky for Jarrett, it takes Doc no time to stitch him up and butterfly his lip.
As for the eye and the ribs, they’ll have to heal on their own time.
Doc gives me a rundown of what I should expect tonight in regards to pain levels, and whatnot, and then leaves with a grumble and a wad of cash.
I sit down on the coffee table opposite the couch and stare down at my baby brother, who I barely know.
“Now, I’ll ask again.” I level Jarrett with a stern look before continuing, “What the hell happened?”