Chapter 36
Tyler parked his vehicle along the quiet roadside, concealed by a dense cluster of trees, and swiftly grabbed his long-range rifle. He caught sight of Justice racing through the tall grass, nearing her house with John in pursuit.
Heart pounding, he moved silently to a vantage point, assessing the situation through the scope.
But the angle was off, and John wasn’t in a clear enough position for a safe shot.
Fearing what her cousin might do when reaching her house, he switched out his rifle for his handgun with practiced efficiency.
Slipping around the house, he came upon the tense standoff unfolding.
Quiet determination fueled his approach as he tried to still the racing of his heart.
Emerging from the edge of the house, Tyler kept his gun steady as he walked purposely toward John and Justice, his expression grim, eyes narrowed with deadly precision. The only reason he hadn’t fired was that John’s gun was still dangling down in his hand.
John spun toward him, eyes widening in confusion and shock. “Who the hell are you?” he demanded, voice tight with panic.
“Tyler Marconi,” Tyler replied coolly, voice carrying a lethal calm.
“You were just on my property threatening the woman I love.” He stepped closer, each movement deliberate and filled with quiet menace.
“I was an Army Ranger… a sniper… a marksman. Trust me, I’ll have a bullet through your heart before your finger can even twitch toward that trigger. ”
John’s face drained of color, his eyes glazing with stunned disbelief. His grip loosened, and the gun fell from his trembling hand onto the grass. Jack lunged forward, quickly scooping up the weapon, his own gun never wavering from John.
From behind them, Todd and Cory approached rapidly, their expressions taut with urgency. Tyler gave them a brief nod of acknowledgment as flashing police lights illuminated the scene, casting stark shadows over the meadow. Officers moved swiftly to cuff and take John into custody.
Tyler closed the distance quickly, his heart hammering as Justice turned and launched herself into his arms. He caught her tightly, the warmth and relief of her embrace overwhelming him. He buried his face in her hair, holding her fiercely, silently vowing never to let her go.
Tyler held Justice close, murmuring quiet reassurances, as the tension slowly ebbed away with the passing of the immediate danger.
“Justice!” John called out as the deputy was ready to place him in the back of the cruiser.
Tyler didn’t want to let her loose, but she wiggled, and he set her feet on the ground. She turned and looked at her cousin.
John swallowed deeply and cast his gaze over the area before resting his eyes on her. “I’m… I’m sorry…”
Justice’s head jerked up and down as she sucked in a ragged breath. Tyler kept his arms around her, and as the deputy vehicle pulled out of her driveway, she turned, pressing her cheek over his heartbeat.
Tyler woke slowly, the warm weight of Justice curled securely in his arms, giving him a peace he hadn’t felt since hearing of John’s threats.
Soft rays of sunlight filtered through the blinds, bathing the room in gentle hues of yellow.
He drew in a deep, calming breath, savoring the scent of her hair, the rhythm of her breathing, and the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his own.
They’d spent the night at her house, a decision driven by Jack’s understandable need to keep his daughter close, coupled with Justice’s unwavering concern for her father’s health after the terrifying events of the previous evening.
Tyler hadn’t cared where they stayed as long as he was holding Justice safe and secure, reassuring himself that she was unharmed.
Justice stirred softly, a small sigh escaping her lips as she opened her eyes, blinking sleepily up at him. Her gaze was filled with quiet wonder, and Tyler felt his chest tighten at the sheer depth of love he saw reflected there.
“Good morning,” she whispered, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips.
“Morning,” he murmured, brushing a gentle kiss against her forehead.
She nestled closer, tracing idle patterns along his chest. “Last night, you walked up to us like some kind of dark avenging angel.”
Tyler exhaled a slow breath, recalling the chilling moment when he’d seen her in danger. “Never scare me like that again, Justice.”
“Me?” she protested softly, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. Her voice trembled slightly, betraying the fear still lingering beneath the surface. “I was terrified the whole time.”
He cupped her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “All I know is that I can’t lose you. Ever.”
She leaned into his touch, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, her voice barely audible. “You won’t.”
Breakfast was a quiet yet comforting affair, marked by the reassuring presence of Jack, who appeared both relieved and still slightly shaken by the events.
Midway through the meal, a gentle knock sounded at the door, and Gwen stepped inside hesitantly, her eyes wide with genuine concern.
She had watched the proceedings from the kitchen window after Jack had ordered her to stay inside, but left soon after the deputies had taken John away.
“Oh my goodness, I was so worried,” Gwen said softly, taking in the peaceful scene before her with visible relief. Her gaze softened warmly when it settled on Jack. “Hope I’m not intruding,” she murmured, her voice filled with tentative warmth.
Jack quickly stood, his expression easing into one of clear appreciation and genuine pleasure at seeing her.
“Never an intrusion, Gwen,” he assured her, stepping over to guide her toward the table with a welcoming hand at her back.
“In fact, after everything last night, I think I owe you more than just thanks. I owe you a nice dinner out sometime soon.”
A delicate blush spread over Gwen’s cheeks, and she smiled shyly, looking up at Jack with quiet delight. “I’d like that very much,” she replied softly.
Justice watched the exchange closely, her eyes sparkling with amusement and approval. Catching her father’s gaze, she gave him a playful wink and a bright smile, clearly delighted by his newfound affection and happiness.
Tyler’s phone vibrated, and he glanced at the ID before saying, “It’s Cory.” He stood and walked out onto the back deck. “Hey, man.”
“Everyone okay this morning?”
“Yeah. Took a while for us to settle last night, but we’re all good. Justice is keeping a close eye on her dad, but I swear, his holding a weapon on someone threatening his daughter, even if it was on his nephew, seemed to bring a spark back to Jack’s eyes.”
Cory chuckled. “Good, good. The reason I’m calling is to let you know that we turned over our investigation evidence to the detective.
Obviously, he’ll have to go through the proper channels to use any of it, but since John admitted his part, I don’t think they’ll have too much trouble.
According to him, Jordy and Debbie were involved as well. ”
Understanding dawned. “And that’s why you’re telling me so that I can decide what and when to let Jack know his brother was part of their scheme.”
“Exactly,” Cory said with a sigh. “Seems that as soon as Anthony started finding the place he wanted to build, the rumors around town were that the McClays and your grandfather weren’t going to sell, and that made the townspeople happy.
But it also let Jordy and his wife know that if Jack did sell, he’d get a windfall of money, and they wanted to share in that. ”
“And it didn’t matter that it was always Jack’s and never belonged to their father’s inheritance.”
“Yep. According to what John said, he had invested his part of the inheritance and was doing well. Then his parents started in on him to help them out. He gave a little at a time over the years, and then they wanted more. At the same time, his company in Chicago downsized when it was bought out, and he lost his job about three months ago.”
“Dammit! Why didn’t we find that out when we looked into him?”
“We were looking at his bank statements. He was still getting a severance package, but it would have stopped in the next month.”
Tyler dropped his chin to his chest.
“When Jordy and Debbie told him the name of the developer, they got in touch with each other. John said he couldn’t remember who contacted who first. But Anthony paid him upfront with more to come as soon as Jack and you signed the sale papers.
He got desperate. Jordy and Debbie weren’t able to convince Jack to sell.
He had to step in, or he’d lose his money and not be able to help his parents.
From what he said last night, he didn’t care about helping them, but he had no choice… they were his parents.”
“What a fucking mess,” Tyler said, shaking his head. “I was so pissed I wanted to drop him in his tracks.”
“What stopped you?”
“The look on his face. He was no killer. The gun was dangling in his hand, pointing at the ground. He didn’t even have his finger on the trigger. Hell, I’m not sure he knew where the trigger was.”
“Well, that’s all I have. You can decide when you want to let Jack and Justice know.”
“Can’t thank you enough, Cory. For the job reference, thank you all for the help. A month ago, I had no idea what I’d be doing other than I thought I’d be helping out Gramps, but damn… I’m just where I want to be.”
“We’re lucky to have you as a Keeper. See you tomorrow.”
Disconnecting, he turned to look through the sliding glass door. Jack was smiling broadly with Gwen blushing at his side. Justice was laughing at something her dad said. Then she turned and looked at him, her lips still turned upward, letting her beauty shine.
Walking inside, he decided to enjoy his breakfast. He’d talk to Jack later. Right now, it was time for family. He’d come to Montana to say goodbye to the last of his family, never knowing that he would soon find another to fill his heart.
After breakfast, Tyler and Justice walked through the meadow to his house to check on the animals.
Afterward, they moved onto the porch, cups of steaming coffee in hand, the air crisp yet comforting.
They settled into chairs side by side, quietly absorbing the peaceful morning as the sun rose over the distant mountains, painting the sky with vibrant shades of pink and gold.
Justice turned toward him, her eyes searching his face, a gentle vulnerability in her gaze. “Are you staying, Tyler? Here, I mean?”
Tyler reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers tightly, anchoring her to him. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, Justice. This is exactly where I belong.”
A deep, contented sigh escaped her lips as she leaned into his side, resting her head against his shoulder. Tyler wrapped his arms securely around her, pulling her even closer, feeling as if every piece of his life had finally clicked perfectly into place.
He found himself remembering a quirky yet wise woman named Blessing he’d once met at the Atlanta International USO, and recalled her quoting Leo Buscaglia. “A healing touch that has the power to turn life around.” Only now did Tyler fully understand the profound truth behind those words.
He tightened his embrace slightly, soaking in the warmth of Justice’s presence, watching the dawn break fully, and knew, without any doubt, he had finally found his way home. And it started with a hug.