Chapter Eight #4
Ray pulled back, and Henry looked up at him. The man looked disgusted. “Your mother would call me to tell me to bring Keith a surprise because the three of you were being mean to him.” He had to clear his throat. “Are you telling me that I spent half my life punishing innocent children?”
Jackson looked away from the pair, hearing the sound of laughter and then the door opening. He was on his feet instantly. Moments later Charlotte and Keith were standing at the archway.
“Henry, I knew you’d change your mind about your brother,” she said cheerfully. “I’m so glad you boys can be friends again.” Keith said nothing.
Jackson fixed the man with a hard stare. “If you ever put your hands on him again, I swear to fuck it will be the last thing you do.” It took everything he had not to do to Keith what he’d done to Henry. Keith smirked and Jackson took a step toward him.
Only Henry grabbing his wrist stopped him. “No.” He shook his head. ‘It’s not worth it.”
“Keith, would you like to tell me why your brother has red marks all over his neck, a busted lip, and what’s going to be a serious black eye?”
“Come now.” The way Charlotte spoke, as if she was talking to small children, grated his nerves. “The boys were just roughhousing.” She waved her hand as if she knew all about it and it wasn’t important. “If Henry was upset, why would he give him a job?”
“I didn’t.” Henry looked at his mother. Jackson put his hand on the man’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze to let him know he wasn’t alone.
He saw Ray take one of Henry’s hands. “He came into my office demanding I give him a salary so he could tell Dad he has a job.” Henry cleared his throat.
Jackson squeezed again. “He caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage during his tantrum. ”
“You should have just given him a job. He is your brother.” Keith put his arm around her and smiled at them in a way that said he thought he had won. “As for the money, it’s not like you need it. You can just consider it an early birthday gift.”
“Is this really how you’re going to handle this?”
“This isn’t a big deal.” She shrugged. “Brothers fight. Boys will be boys after all.” She smiled brightly. “Who wants cake?”
“I had really hoped that Henry was exaggerating.” There were tears in Ray’s eyes, and he hung his head. “Keith beat up and vandalized the office of our youngest son.” His voice was calm but stern.
“Ray, this is not a big deal.” With that, she went into the kitchen with Keith following her.
Ray turned to Henry and Jackson with a dumbfounded look. A look that said, Did that really just happen? Then he rushed out to catch up. Jackson and Henry followed. “Charlotte, this is definitely a big deal.”
“It’s not,” she insisted, taking a cake from the fridge.
“Charlotte.” Ray sounded outraged.
She turned around, shaking her head as if he were trying her patience. “Fine. Keith, apologize to your brother, and then you can have cake.”
Keith rolled his eyes then slapped on the fakest smile Jackson had ever seen. “Sorry, Henry.”
“There.” She handed him a large slice. “He apologized, just like he always does.”
“Is this the same way you reacted to him pushing Henry down the stairs, or burning Lincoln, or trying to drown Jasper?”
“Those were all accidents.” She sounded exasperated.
“How can you call those accidents? How could you let him do that? And those poor boys had no one to turn to because you made it seem like I approved of this. You made me punish innocent children, while the aggressor was getting rewarded.” Ray was breathing hard, and his voice was rising with each sentence.
“That was because they wouldn’t accept Keith’s apology. Once he apologized, it should have all been forgiven and forgotten.”
“Why?” Ray asked. “Why the hell would you do that?”
“You know we almost lost Keith. He was given back to us, and he should be treated like the special angel that he is.”
Jackson noticed that Keith had been incredibly quiet.
He hadn’t said anything since his fake apology.
But his eyes held merriment, seemingly enjoying the fact that his parents were fighting over him.
Then a smirk appeared. “Maybe you and I should go talk outside while your parents figure this out.” Jackson was doing his best to keep his temper in check, but Keith enjoying this was grating his nerves.
“I don’t want to talk to you.” Keith sounded like a whiny brat.
“I don’t give two shits about what you want. You are going to learn how to take responsibility for your actions,” Jackson told him harshly.
“I don’t have to listen to your bullshit.” Keith sneered at Jackson. “You’re just as dramatic as the pathetic crybaby slut you’re fucking. And just so you know, I’ll do whatever I want, whenever I want.”