Chapter 30
30
DEAN
I walked back to my place, unlocking the door and stepping inside. “Seth!” I called out.
I didn’t expect him to be here, but just in case. I walked upstairs to my bathroom, stripping off my shirt as I went. The heat of the morning was already creeping in. The thought of a cold shower sounded like the only thing that could wake me up properly. I turned the faucet, letting the water run for a moment before stepping in. The cool spray hit my skin. I closed my eyes, letting it wash over me.
Last night played in my mind like a movie I couldn’t pause. Portia. It wasn’t something I was used to. Most people saw me as the guy that had a sketchy past and a shitload of money. But with her, it felt different. She didn’t just see the surface. She saw me. And that was dangerous.
I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to clear my head. The side of me that was used to watching my own back and making sure no one got close enough to put a knife in my back was screaming at me to take a big step back. But the part of me that I was really listening to was the one telling me I could trust her. She proved it last night. When the cops were here, she immediately stuck by me. She didn’t even question me. I could have had Seth in the house, but she didn’t seem to care. She trusted me.
That was a novel feeling. She wasn’t someone who talked a bunch, saying words just to say them. She seemed totally cool with just chilling with me.
Hell, the woman had me drinking tea. I wasn’t sure I had ever drunk hot tea. It wasn’t bad. And I didn’t know if it was her or the tea, but I did feel relaxed by the time we climbed into her bed for the second time. It felt so good to just lean on someone.
It wasn’t something I did often. But with Portia, it felt right. Like maybe, just maybe I could be that guy that had a girlfriend. The crazy thing was I wanted that. I wanted the girlfriend thing but only with Portia. She was the only person I could ever see myself being committed to. I could picture us sharing breakfast together after a sleepover. Dinners. Hiking. Hell, maybe I could even get her to go for a ride with me.
But before I could do any of that, I needed to take care of the Seth situation. I didn’t want that looming over my head. I didn’t want to be in bed with Portia and have the cops beat down my door because they thought Seth was in my house.
That meant I had to find him, which was going to prove far more difficult than starting a relationship with Portia. I got out of the shower and dressed. I ate some leftover pizza and walked out of the house.
I revved the engine of my bike and headed into town. Today was about Seth.
Again.
Always.
I checked the usual spots first—the dingy bar by the river where he liked to shoot pool, the rundown arcade where he and his buddies wasted quarters on games from the nineties. Nothing. I stopped by a couple more bars, places he’d been eighty-sixed from, but just in case he sweet-talked someone into letting him in.
Then I hit the old park. It used to be nice when we were kids. Fresh-cut grass, playground equipment that wasn’t rusted to hell. Now? Weeds choked the field, and the swings hung broken, chains twisted like snakes. It had become the hangout for assholes like Seth that were always up to no good. Maybe they were trying to relive their childhoods.
I rounded the corner and there they were. Seth and his crew, sprawled in a loose circle like a pack of lazy dogs. I cut the engine and pulled off my helmet. I watched them passing a joint between them. The smell hit me before I even got close—sweet, skunky, thick in the air.
One of Seth’s friends looked up and grinned when he saw me. Although I wasn’t entirely sure he was seeing me. Matt’s eyes were barely open. The part I could see was red. I felt nothing but disgust for them.
“Dean Jackson. Shit, man, you here to party?” He held out the joint.
I didn’t take it. Just stared until his grin faltered. “Offer it again, and I’ll put it out. In your eye.”
The guy paled and pulled his hand back fast. “Shit, dude, all you gotta say is no thanks.”
Seth snorted, tilting his head up to look at me. “Wow. Big brother’s here to ruin the fun. What a shock.”
“On your feet,” I said. “Let’s go.”
Seth took a long drag, exhaling smoke through his nose. “Where? Thought you were done with me. Miss me already?”
“To turn yourself in.”
Silence. The guys around him were suddenly uneasy. One of them flicked the joint away like it burned him.
Seth’s smile dropped. “What?”
“Cops are looking for you,” I said. “They’re hassling me about it now.”
“Why are they looking for me?”
“That bullshit you guys pulled at the dock,” I said. “The incident with the fireworks. You almost killed that kid. You destroyed a boat. You could have set the whole town on fire.”
“Man, it was a joke.” Seth’s voice carried that same careless edge it always did, like the world was one big game and he was just playing his part. But there was something off this time—a flicker of doubt or maybe even fear in his bloodshot eyes. He scratched the back of his neck, avoiding my gaze. “It wasn’t that serious. No one got hurt.”
“Not this time,” I shot back, stepping closer. The other guys shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting between me and Seth. “But next time? You might not be so lucky. That kid could’ve been burned. He could have drowned. He’s definitely traumatized for life. You think the cops are just going to let that slide? You put people in danger and destroyed property. Do you think someone else should have to pay to replace that boat?”
Seth stood up, brushing dirt off his jeans. He was only a couple inches shorter than me, but he still looked small somehow, like he’d never outgrown that scared kid who used to hide behind me when our dad came home drunk. “I didn’t mean for it to go that far,” he muttered, finally meeting my eyes.
“You never do,” I said. “But it doesn’t matter what you meant, Seth. It’s what you did. And now you have to face it.”
“This is stupid,” he muttered.
“You’ll do better turning yourself in than making them hunt you down. Trust me. Cops hate it when you make them do their jobs.”
“ Trust you? ” Seth swayed a little, telling me that it wasn’t just weed. I could smell the liquor on his breath. “Why the fuck would I trust you when you’re here to hand me over? Whose side are you on?”
I should’ve expected that. Should’ve known he’d make this harder than it needed to be. He knew how to make me feel bad. How to play on my emotions. I had always taken care of him.
“The side that doesn’t want you to make this worse,” I snapped.
“Worse?” Seth barked a laugh. “Man, it was a prank . A fucking boat stunt. No one got hurt.”
“It wasn’t a prank, Seth. It was a serious crime. You’ve pushed the cops too far. They’re not playing. There’s nothing I can do to protect you from yourself.”
Seth’s jaw tightened. He glanced at his friends, like he expected backup. He didn’t get it.
One by one, they stood, brushing dirt off their jeans. “Uh, yeah, man, we gotta bounce,” Matt muttered.
Seth’s head whipped around. “What? You’re leaving ?”
“This is family business,” another said.
“There are warrants,” I said. “Not just for Seth. He wasn’t the only asshole playing with fire that night. I know at least one of you was there.”
They scattered like cockroaches exposed to daylight. They ran, leaving Seth standing there, fists clenched, chest heaving. For a second, he looked like he might swing at me. Then his face crumpled.
“Dean,” he choked out, voice cracking. “You can’t let them take me. I can’t—I can’t go to prison .”
His eyes were wet. Fuck .
I dragged a hand over my face. “I’m scared too, Seth.”
The admission tasted like ash. Neither of us admitted we were afraid of anything—ever. It came from a childhood knowing we had to be tough.
Seth blinked, stunned.
“I don’t want to see you locked up,” I said. “But if you run? It’ll only get worse. Own up. Do the right thing for once.” I stepped closer. “I’ll be with you the whole time. I’ll get you the best lawyer money can buy. But you’ve got to take the first step. If they have to track you down, it’s going to be ugly. What if they would have found you right now instead of me? You’d be looking at more charges.”
Seth stared at me, his face pale and genuine worry in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed like he was trying to find the words to argue, but nothing came out. For once, he looked young—too young for the mess he’d gotten himself into. I hated it. Hated that I couldn’t just fix this for him like I used to when we were kids. Hell, six months ago I was fixing shit.
“Dean, you don’t get it. I can’t go to prison. I’ll—I’m not cut out for it, man. Do you know what that’s like? No, you don’t. You’ve never even been to jail. It was a stupid joke. I won’t do it again.”
“Tell it to the judge,” I snapped, my patience fraying. “You think I want this for you? But you made the choice, Seth. You lit the damn fireworks. You blew up that boat. You could’ve killed someone. It was such a stupid move. You’re not fifteen. You’re an adult and adults face real consequences.”
“It wasn’t supposed to go like that!” he shouted, slamming his fist on the picnic table. “It was supposed to be funny! A joke!”
“Funny?” I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a growl. “Funny is slipping whoopee cushions under someone’s seat or putting a fake spider in their drink. Funny isn’t nearly burning some kid alive.”
He flinched, but I didn’t stop. “You keep acting like the world owes you something, Seth. Like you can do whatever you want and there won’t be consequences. But guess what? Life doesn’t work like that.”
“So what are you saying?” he said.
“I’m saying that you’re facing charges whether you turn yourself in now or they catch up with you eventually. Turning yourself in will go a long way to proving to a judge you’re taking this seriously. Run, and he’s going to throw the book at you. I said I would get you an attorney. The best we can find. But you have to deal with this. Running isn’t an option.”
Seth swallowed hard. “You swear you won’t leave me?”
“I swear.”
The wind kicked up, rustling the weeds between us. Seth wiped his nose with the back of his hand, staring at the ground. Then, slowly, he nodded.
Or did he?
I held my breath.
And waited.