Chapter 26 #2
Jack shifted his weight, his jaw tightening further. “I told him straight up that if he didn’t want to be a suspect in something, maybe he should’ve thought about that before sniffing around like a damn buzzard, begging for money. Told him it’s his own damn fault he’s in this position.”
Tyler dipped his chin in agreement, pride stirring in his chest for the man standing before him. Jack McClay was no fool, and he sure as hell wasn’t backing down from the truth.
Just then, Cory stepped into the room, clipboard in hand.
“Jack,” he said, “we’re going to install cameras at the front and back of the house.
These are a step up from the standard doorbell cameras most people use.
The video range is wider, and the image quality will give us a crystal-clear shot of anyone who even thinks about setting foot near the house. ”
“And the shop?” Jack asked, his voice reluctant.
“You’ve already got a decent system inside the garage and on the side lot,” Cory explained. “We’ll upgrade that. New cameras on all four sides of the building, plus we’re swapping out the old lot camera for a better one. It’ll give you full perimeter coverage in high definition.”
Tyler watched Jack carefully as he listened, noticing the change creeping over the older man’s face. He’d looked stronger these last few days, but now… he seemed more tired. His shoulders sagged a little more, the lines around his eyes deeper.
Tyler knew Jack’s discomfort wasn’t just about the security.
It was about pride. About feeling like a burden.
But what Jack needed to understand—what Tyler hoped he’d show him through actions, not words—was that he and Justice weren’t a burden to anyone.
They were family. And the family took care of their own.
After wrapping up the installation at the McClays’ house, Tyler and the others headed into town.
Tyler would wait to have his house secured, wanting to make sure their business was first. Jack followed them, insisting he wanted to see Justice and be there when the insurance company came out to process the claim for the new front windows.
Tyler had already called Justice to let her know they were on the way and explained why. Even through the phone, he’d heard the strain in her voice. But Justice was smart enough not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“If LSIMT is willing to help deter or catch anyone stupid enough to try this again, whether at the shop or at our home, I’m all in,” she’d said firmly.
When they pulled into the shop parking lot, Justice was already there, standing in the sun with her arms crossed over her chest. As soon as they climbed out, her smile shot first to Tyler, warming him right down to his bones, before she moved quickly toward her dad.
Jack had barely gotten both feet on the ground when she wrapped her arms around him.
“How’re you doing, Dad?” she asked, her voice low and concerned as she looked up into his face.
“I’m doing fine,” Jack said, patting her back with one of his big hands. “We’ve got good people taking care of us. And while I hate like hell that we need it, keeping you safe is the most important thing to me.”
“The fire marshal for the county did an inspection, and the insurance company sent someone out. And with everyone pitching in, we’ve gotten a lot accomplished.” Justice tightened her arms around him for a second longer, then let go and turned to Tyler.
Their eyes met, and without needing to speak, he lifted his arms slightly in a silent invitation.
She didn’t hesitate. Justice moved forward, and Tyler wrapped her up, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She clung to him tightly, and he felt the tension vibrating through her.
“We’ve got this, sweetheart,” he murmured against her hair. He felt her nod against his chest. “Come on,” he said, squeezing her once more before letting go. “Let’s go inside and talk.”
Since the garage was closed to customers today, they gathered in the reception area. In the time Tyler had been gone, it had been mopped, dried, and the fans were still running to dissipate the smoke smell.
There was plenty of room to spread out. Cory and Todd took the lead, laying out everything they’d already installed at the McClays’ home and explaining the additional layers of security planned for the shop.
Justice stood close, nodding thoughtfully, her arms crossed, but her posture relaxed. She asked questions about the video range, about motion sensors, and about backup power supplies. Tyler wasn’t surprised since it seemed Justice never did anything halfway.
Jack excused himself to the office to confirm the appointment times for the insurance adjuster and the window installers. Cory and Todd headed back out to the trucks to start setting up the new cameras.
That left Tyler and Justice alone. He turned to her immediately, placing his hands lightly on her shoulders and leaning in so their faces were close, their words just between them.
“How are you really doing?” he asked, his voice low and serious. “And don’t give me a bullshit answer, Justice. I want the truth.”
She let out a soft chuckle, and her hands slid to his waist, holding him as though she needed the contact as much as he did.
“All in all,” she said, “I’m okay. I mean, if I look at the big picture?
The vandals only broke the glass, and the sprinkler system quickly doused the flames, even before the fire department arrived.
My staff helped as we mopped the floors this morning, and we’ll need to replace the counter and chairs in here.
But they didn’t touch the customer vehicles, thank God. That would’ve been a nightmare.”
She looked up at him then, her eyes bright but clear. “And I’m honestly glad LSIMT is helping. I can’t even pretend to be offended that anyone thinks we can’t handle it alone. I’ll take every bit of help we can get.”
Tyler grinned, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead.
“Good,” he said. “That’s exactly how you need to look at this.”
Justice’s gaze shifted to the side, lingering on the boarded-up window. She sighed, frustration threading through the sound.
“Although I have to say,” she muttered, “every time I look over at that plywood, which I’m grateful for, truly. But every time I see it, I get mad all over again. I haven’t heard anything from the detective today. Or from Uncle Jordy.” Her mouth twisted. “Which honestly surprises me.”
Tyler grimaced without meaning to, and she caught it immediately.
Her head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing. “What do you know?”
He lifted his hands slightly in surrender. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I haven’t heard anything from the detectives.” He hesitated a moment, then added, “But… your dad said Jordy called him today. Gave him an earful about being questioned by the police.”
Justice’s entire face hardened with narrowed eyes, tight lips, and anger radiating off her like heat waves. “You have got to be fucking kidding me!” she ground out. “That asshole called Dad? After everything Dad’s been through?”
“Justice, honey, think about it,” Tyler said, keeping his voice low and steady. “If Jordy did do this, being questioned puts him on the defensive. He’s trying to deflect. And if he didn’t do it… he’s still pissed and embarrassed, and he’s lashing out the only way he knows how.”
She pounded her fist against her chest, a sharp, furious thump. “Then he needs to take it out on me! Not Dad. Especially not Dad, who’s still recovering from heart surgery!”
Without thinking, Tyler wrapped his hand around her fist and gently pulled it away from her chest, pressing it against his own.
“I agree,” he said quietly. “He needs to leave Jack alone. But he also needs to stay away from you. And that’s a message I fully intend to deliver.”
Her chin jerked back, eyebrows snapping together in suspicion. “You’re going to give him a message?”
“Yes,” Tyler said firmly. “And I’ll be alone when I do it.”
“Oh no, you won’t—” she started, fire flashing in her eyes.
“It needs to come from me, Justice,” he interrupted gently.
“Why?”
“Because he needs to see and needs to know that he’s no longer just dealing with his brother and his niece.
He’s dealing with me too. And I’m not saying that to be all alpha macho or to push you aside.
But I’m not just your neighbor anymore. Not just a family friend.
And I want it crystal clear to him that if he talks to you or to Jack, he’s talking to me, too.
And he’s not gonna like what comes back at him. ”
Justice stared at him for a long, heavy moment, her expression unreadable. He braced himself for an argument.
Instead, her lips curved slowly into a smile. “Is it bad,” she murmured, her voice dropping into a husky, teasing tone, “that that was a really sexy thing to hear? And I kinda want to jump you right now?”
A surprised laugh burst out of Tyler. Throwing his head back, he pulled her forward, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
They stood there, locked together in the middle of the empty reception area, the smell of smoke and dampness lingering around them, the broken window still covered in plywood, and none of it mattered.
“Not bad at all, babe,” he said against her hair. “And if we weren’t standing right here…” He leaned back just enough to catch her gaze, his grin wicked. “If we were alone, I’d let you jump me.”