Chapter Fourteen #3
“You want facts, I’ll give you facts. A teenager decided to go camping by himself for a week.
Not the smartest move, but at least he wasn’t joyriding or out getting drunk.
It’s not like he stole anything or was running wild.
He even left a note behind so I wouldn’t worry.
” She cast her son a dark look. “Although, he knew damn well I’d worry.
” Hands on her hips, green eyes snapping, Vinnie was magnificent.
“Sit down, Deputy.”
She shook her head. “I’ll stand. Bottom line, you know me and you know Adam. This is nothing more than a teenager acting out and we both know it.”
The sheriff picked up a pen and played it between his fingers. “You’ve put me in a hell of a spot.”
“How? Adam isn’t the first kid to run away from home and won’t be the last. He didn’t even really run away, just unwisely decided to go on a solo camping trip.”
“But he didn’t talk to you before he left. You didn’t know what was going on with your own kid.”
Not liking the tone of the conversation, Cyrus pushed away from the wall and went to stand behind them, creating a united front.
“Do you know what your kids are up to all the time, Sheriff?” Zach had been busy hacking into social media accounts for all the players and their families.
The sheriff’s son had an underage drinking charge quietly disappear and several shoplifting charges had been withdrawn.
If they wanted to get personal, Cyrus would oblige them.
The sheriff glared at him. “My family isn’t the one in question.” Then he verbally attacked Vinnie. “Thought you didn’t know who Adam’s father was, Deputy. That’s the story you stuck to all these years. Were you lying or were you purposely keeping the boy away from his daddy?”
Her jaw hardened and her chin went up in challenge. “I wasn’t lying. I realized who Cyrus was when I went to hire him.” If he’d thought to shame her, he’d failed spectacularly. There wasn’t even a hint of embarrassment, nor should there be. His woman was pure steel.
“You should have contacted this department as soon as you found Adam. After all the resources this town spent searching, all the extra hours not only the department but the townspeople put in, they deserved to know he was safe.”
“I apologize for that oversight,” she said stiffly, “but my first concern was my son’s health and welfare. It’s only been a day, and the official search has been called off. We’re here now.”
The sheriff turned to Adam. “Are you safe with your mother?”
“Yes!” Adam blurted, looking horrified by the question. Vinnie wisely held her tongue, letting him speak for himself. “This is my fault. I wanted to get away. I didn’t think it would be that big a deal.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“None of this is your fault. You’re just testing your boundaries, doing what kids do.” Cyrus squeezed Adam’s shoulder, flanking him on the opposite side, letting the boy know he wasn’t alone.
“Child Services should be informed.”
Sheriff Kingman did his best to project concern, but Cyrus was a master at reading people, and there was an almost malicious glee in the man’s eyes.
“I’m sixteen,” Adam insisted. “I’m not a kid.
You try to send me away from my mom, and I’ll go to court and get emancipated.
Then I can go wherever I want.” A stubborn expression crossed his face.
“I’ll also talk to every media outlet that’ll listen.
I’ve never been in any trouble, always made good grades. ”
Cyrus’s chest swelled. Damn, the kid had backbone and smarts. There was a lot of his mama in him—a lot of Sin, too.
“We can keep this an internal matter.” Vinnie faced down her boss. “Or I can hire a lawyer.”
“Lawyers cost money,” the sheriff pointed out.
“Adam is my son. I don’t care if I bankrupt myself if that’s what it takes to keep him.
You willing to take that risk?” The threat to sue the department went unspoken but it was there.
“Or we can file the paperwork on this—and I’ll want a notarized copy.
I’ll hand in my resignation and leave without making a fuss for wrongful dismissal. ”
“I haven’t mentioned firing you.”
“No, you haven’t, but after this, I can’t trust you or Wilkes or any of his buddies to have my back when I need it.
I have no idea why you all dislike me so much and have made my life miserable these past two decades.
Some of you don’t like a woman on the force, but there have been other female deputies over the years so it can’t only be that.
Wilkes is pissed because I won’t sleep with him.
He and a few others seem to think because I had a child and wasn’t married, I had loose morals and have taken it personally when I’ve turned them away.
I’ve given my best to this department. I wish I could say the same in return. ”
Cyrus ached for her. As much as she loved this town, it hadn’t been easy to stay and build a life, but she’d done it.
There had to be some decent folks here, otherwise she wouldn’t have stayed, but sometimes the good couldn’t balance the rest of the crap.
She loved her job, even if some of the people she’d worked with hadn’t made it easy.
That she had to give it up didn’t sit well with him, but it wasn’t his decision to make. All he could do was support her.
Sheriff Kingman stood. “If that’s how you feel, I’ll accept your resignation.” Bastard was turning this back on her, pretending this wasn’t on him. As the boss his attitude set the tone. His officers took their cue from him.
“You’ll have it as soon as I have the final report in my hands.”
“How are you going to support yourself and your son? Your leaving the department is going to raise a lot of questions about your character.”
Cyrus wanted to wipe that smug expression off the man’s face, but Vinnie did it for him.
“That’s not your concern. We’ll be leaving town as soon as I make arrangements.
You’ll all have to find someone else to gossip about.
” After dropping that bombshell, she patted Adam’s arm. “Come on. We’re done here.”
“I’ll be a minute.” He wanted a private word with the sheriff.
Vinnie frowned but nodded. “We’ll wait outside.”
As soon as they were gone, Cyrus put his hands on the desk, leaned forward, and glared at the sheriff, who froze in his chair like prey when faced with a dangerous predator.
He’d held his wolf in check, but now let some of the wild power escape, making the air around them practically crackle with menace.
“You’ve given Vinnie no choice but to leave her job.
” And the town. He hadn’t seen that one coming, had figured he’d have to fight her tooth and nail on that one, but the sheriff had pushed her too far.
“Take your victory and file this case away. You try and slander Vinnie’s name here or anywhere else, I’ll hear about it, and I won’t be happy”
“Are you threatening me?”
“No, I’m giving you a piece of advice and a friendly warning. He leaned closer, inhaling the sour smell of sweat and fear. “Whether you take it or not is up to you.”