Chapter 30
30
Cortney
“He was defending me, Sheriff.” I step forward, slightly blocking Spencer’s body with my own. My attempt at shielding him only lasts a second before his arm winds around my waist, and he pulls me back against his side.
“Stay put,” Spencer orders beneath his breath.
The serious tone enforces my compliance. Something is off. Spencer doesn’t back down, and he’s never been afraid of the cops. I flit my gaze between the two men having a staring match.
“Hear you’re getting in bar fights, Stone.”
“You’d believe it without evidence, Jim.”
“This town was a lot quieter before you came back around.”
“So you’ve said.”
“Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
“What?” A wave of nausea crests in my stomach. “That’s… no… you can’t do that!”
Spencer continues to stare the sheriff down.
“Defending your girlfriend from her own bad choices isn’t a reason to get violent, Stone.”
Spencer stiffens against me. The muscles of his arm are so tight I’m afraid he might break his bones.
“You sure you want to do this?” Spencer asks, his tone deadly calm.
“Turn. Around.”
Those blue eyes I love so much hold mine as Spencer complies. He slowly spins until we’re facing one another.
“Hands behind your back,” Sheriff Perry orders.
Spencer rolls his shoulders and brushes my side as he pulls back his hands.
Not fast enough for the sheriff. The towel of ice falls to the floor as a scuffle ensues. Sheriff Perry grabs Spencer by his shoulder and slams him face-first into the bar.
A startled scream rips from my throat. “Stop!”
“I said behind your back!”
Spencer grunts, his face pinched in pain against the glossy wood. “Fuck. I was complying.”
The cuffs snap around his wrists with an audible clink of metal on metal. My heart lodges into my throat.
With my eyes on the unfolding scene, I blindly rip my phone from my purse and start texting my family group chat.
Me
Get to the rocks
Please hurry
Bring Sutton and Silas
Spencer is in trouble
My fingers tremble across the smooth screen as I frantically ask for help from the people I know I can always count on.
“This isn’t right.” I step forward, my body aching with the need to hold Spencer. I lock my knees to keep them from shaking. The sight of the silver cuffs glinting in the light nearly knocks me to the ground.
“Don’t come any closer,” the sheriff orders.
“I’m okay,” Spencer grunts as he’s cuffed and pulled upright. His eyes never leave mine. “It’ll be okay, Cortney.”
The sheriff jerks Spencer backward. “You’re looking at an assault charge.”
“Please don’t do this.”
“She sure sounds pretty when she begs, doesn’t she?”
“Shut your mouth,” Spencer snaps. His eyes flare with rage. Sheriff Perry’s antagonistic remark lands with practiced precision.
“I don’t think I will. Let’s go.” The sheriff marches Spencer out the door.
Slinging my purse strap across my torso, I rush after them.
How did this night go so wrong? One minute, we’re talking about our future together, and the next, Spencer’s being carted off to jail.
The dark street lights up in blue and red as two more cruisers join the sheriff’s car. Sutton emerges first, hand on his service weapon as he calmly surveys the scene.
“Evening, Sheriff.” His greeting is measured and a little cool. Silas walks up a moment later. The sarcastic youngest Stone is uncharacteristically controlled.
“Look at this family reunion.” The sheriff seems almost gleeful at the turn of events. “Who called you two?”
“There were multiple calls from patrons about the fight. We were nearby,” Silas answers.
“How… convenient.” Sheriff Perry glances between the two newcomers.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Sutton says as he carefully assesses the situation.
“Aggravated Assault. Nothing more than a jealousy-fueled altercation with your brother and another individual over his… girlfriend.”
If either of them are surprised to hear this revelation, they don’t show it.
“Where is the other party?” Silas asks. He adjusts the volume on the radio strapped to his chest.
“Last I saw, he was still on the floor,” Sheriff Perry answers.
“Did you call for medical?” Silas continues his questions.
“Why don’t you?” the sheriff sneers.
Sutton and Silas exchange a glance before Silas disappears inside the bar.
“What’d he assault him with?” Sutton steps closer and scans Spencer’s face. Spencer lifts his chin, refusing to succumb to shame beneath his brother’s assessment.
The sheriff shrugs. “I didn’t see what weapon he used.”
“It was his fist! He punched him, Sutton.” I plead with one of my brother’s oldest friends. “Once.”
Sutton gives me a slow sweep from head to toe as if he’s checking for injuries.
“A fist? Sounds to me like nothing more than simple assault.” Sutton puts his hands on his hips.
“The other guy is still bleeding on the floor.”
Sutton cocks his head. “Ever think maybe he’s just a wimp?”
“Defending a criminal? I thought you were a better officer than that, Stone.”
Sutton’s back grows rigid at the implication. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means do your job. Arrest your brother. Book him in.”
Sutton tries coaxing. “Come on, Perry. Do you really want to spend your Saturday night booking him in for a simple assault?”
The sheriff yanks up on Spencer’s arms, forcing him to his toes. “No, because you’re going to do it for me.”
“Sutton.” Spencer’s tone is low and commanding. “Take me down to the station. I’d like to give you my statement.”
Sutton shakes his head. “It’s not right. Why are you doing this?”
“Tell him, Jim.” Spencer’s voice grows stronger. He glances over his shoulder at the older cop.
“Tell me what?” A thread of suspicion enters Sutton’s voice.
“It was bound to happen sometime, wasn’t it?” Spencer asks. “You can’t run from the truth forever.”
What is happening? A buzz roars to life in my ears. Spencer stands taller, his chin twisting over his shoulder to stare down the sheriff.
“Tell him how you forced me to leave all those years ago.”
Spencer’s serious accusation hangs like smoke in the air. Shock bubbles up within me as a truth I never considered waits to be unveiled.
Sheriff Perry scoffs. His mouth falls open as he looks at the night sky. “I did no such thing.”
But I know by the dramatic way he contorts his face that Spencer is telling the truth without even hearing the details.
Two more vehicles rumble down the block, stealing our attention before Spencer can continue. The truck and SUV belong to Lee and Jack. My brothers emerge, Jude climbing out of Jack’s passenger side makes three. Some of my chaotic feelings start to settle.
“You need to stay back!” The sheriff calls before my brothers can get too close. Sutton inclines his head as if to agree.
“Why are you all chitchatting on the sidewalk?” Lee ignores the warning.
Sutton tucks his hands in his police vest and rocks back on his heels. “Spencer was going to tell us an interesting story about how the sheriff forced him to leave town.”
“It’s nothing but lies,” Sheriff Perry defends himself.
“Why would I lie about something like that? You’ve never liked me. The people standing on this sidewalk can attest to that,” Spencer says.
“That’s how I remember it,” Jack adds. He and Jude lean against the brick exterior, far enough away but still within hearing distance.
My mind works as bits and pieces of information are slowly revealed. This is what he meant when he said time was stolen from us. I wish I had Spencer to lean on because if what he says is true, the devastation will crush me.
“I always wondered why that was.” Sutton scrubs his hand over his chin.
“Because,” Spencer says slowly, “he blames me for his wife running away with our dad. Right, Jim?”
“What?” Sutton steps closer to his brother. “What did you just say?”
“When I was thirteen, I accidentally rode over Mrs. Perry’s prized garden on my bike. She followed me home and wanted to talk to our parents about a punishment. Apparently, those plants cost her a lot of money. I don’t fucking know. What I do know is when she met our dad, they fell in love.”
“I thought Dad fell for his teaching assistant,” Sutton interjects.
Spencer nods. “She was his teaching assistant. But she started fucking him before they worked together.” A grunt of pain follows his confirmation as Sheriff Perry yanks Spencer’s arms farther behind his back.
“Cut him loose!” Sutton barks, moving swiftly to intervene between Spencer and the sheriff.
The second the cuffs are unlocked, I dive into his arms. Spencer rubs his wrist as he continues his tale.
“Jim blamed me for their meeting, even though it seemed inevitable with her working beneath Dad. That day forward, he did his best to run me out of town or land me in jail. Neither of which worked.”
Sheriff Perry looks like a movie villain beneath the yellow streetlight. His jaw flexes, and the pure malice in his eyes send a chill down my spine. The fact he’s armed with a weapon heightens my discomfort.
“His threats escalated until graduation. A week before, he pulled me over for some bullshit reason and made me get out of the car.”
“I’m done listening to this,” the sheriff snarls.
“I’m not.” I don’t think I’ve heard Sutton sound so angry. His voice shakes with barely controlled fury. He goes on. “I’m going to stand here and listen to my brother, and if even one-half of his story is true, you better get started on an early retirement. Cash out your PTO, do whatever you need to with admin. If I get back and you’re still there, you’re not going to like what happens.”
“Are you threatening me?” Sheriff Perry sputters, backing up toward his cruiser.
“You’re damn right I am,” Sutton roars. The sheriff scrambles into his car.
Goose bumps spring to my arms, and I shiver. The summer night has a light breeze I’m unprepared for. Combined with the adrenaline coursing through me, my teeth start to chatter.
Spencer doesn’t miss it and wraps me tight in his arms. “Almost done, Kitten.”
“I hate this story, Spence. I don’t know if I can take much more.” My heart breaks for the kid he once was navigating this situation all on his own.
For the kids we were getting torn apart by an adult with a vendetta.
We watch in silence until the police cruiser disappears down the street with a squeal of tires.
The door to the bar opens. Music and voices spill into the otherwise quiet night. Silas saunters toward our group with a grin. “The guy’s fine. Waived medical and pressing charges.”
“What guy?” Lee asks, moving closer now that the sheriff is gone.
“Sebastian.” I turn to my brothers. “He tried to slip something in my drink, and Spencer caught him.”
“Did you drink any of it?” Jack straightens, his stare hardening.
“No. I took care of it,” Spencer answers. His tone implies he doesn’t think he took care of it enough.
Why isn’t he the one in cuffs?” Jude rumbles from the outskirts of our circle.
Lee cuts a sharp glance Spencer’s way and raises his eyebrows. “Did you hit him hard?”
“Nearly knocked him out from what people inside are saying,” Silas fills in, not bothering to conceal his pride.
“Good.” Lee gives a curt nod.
“We can get to that later. Right now, I want to know what else Perry did to you.” Sutton rocks back on his heels.
Spencer reaches down and grips my hand. His fingers weave through mine, holding tight like a lifeline.
“He made me get out of my car and walk into the tree line. Then he pulled out his weapon.”
A suppressed sob falls out with my exhale. I clap my hand over my mouth as tears fill my eyes. “Please tell me he didn’t.”
Spencer’s hand pulses around mine. “We all knew you wanted to go into the force, Sutton. It’d been your dream for so long, hell, half the town knew. He promised he’d make sure you did as long as I left town.”
The somber expressions of my family and friends pluck the string on my already tenuous control. Tears break free and course down my cheeks.
“Jim has an uncle out in North Dakota. He said his uncle would help me find a place to live and give me a job as long as I left immediately after graduation.” Spencer’s voice is thick with regret. “I couldn’t be the thing that stood in your way, Sutt. He was going to use me to ensure you’d fail.”
“Why’d you do that for me, Spencer?” Sutton’s voice is gruff. “I never asked you to do that for me!”
“You didn’t have to! Just like you didn’t have to step up when Dad left. And all the times you bailed me out of trouble. It felt like the least I could do to make everyone happy.”
“Yeah, everyone but yourself. You gave up your entire life.” Sutton’s eyes find mine. “You gave up your girl.”
“I thought I was doing the right thing. But it didn’t matter. He said if I didn’t go, he’d make me disappear himself.”
“No, the right thing would have been coming to me.”
“What were you going to do? You’re only a few years older than me. You’d just started your training. It was my word against his. Jim wasn’t going to stop until he ruined all of our lives. I made it so he could only ruin mine.”
I swallow hard. “And mine,” I croak.
“Kitten…” Spencer pulls me into his chest and holds me tight. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, I know. It’s okay.” I reach up and clutch his cheeks. “You did what you thought you had to do. I’m sorry I didn’t know. I was so angry with you, but I didn’t know.”
He strokes my hair back from my face, touching his lips to my forehead. “You were right to be angry with me. It was the only way I knew I could let you go. If you hated me, it meant I had no reason to return. You were safe. My brothers were safe.”
Our audience melts away as I drag his mouth to mine.
“I love you so much, Spencer Stone.”
“Fucking hell,” he murmurs between desperate kisses. “Say it again, please.”
“I love you.”
The air leaves my lungs as he yanks me flush against him.
“I love you too, Cortney. So damn much.”
A throat clearing brings us back to the sidewalk.
“As sweet as this touching reunion is, we still have to talk about Perry,” Silas says.
Spencer looks around the group. “What’s there to be done?”
Sutton rubs the back of his neck. “You can lodge a complaint. Hate to say it, but it might be a little too late for that. He’s retiring next month. And you know how small towns are, always protecting their own. I can’t say much will come of it.”
“Until then, we watch your back,” Silas adds.
“All of us.” I’m startled by Lee’s serious tone. “Thought you fucked up, Spencer. Now I know you were just looking out for your family. I’d have done the same. I’m sorry I didn’t see it before.”
Spencer runs his hand across my lower back. “Does that mean you’re okay with me dating your sister? Because I have to say, I’m in love with her, and if you don’t approve, you’re going to hurt her a lot more than you’ll hurt me.”
“If you keep her safe and happy, you’ll have no problems from me.”
I look up at the same moment Spencer dips his chin. “We’re on the same page then.”
“Where’s my apology?” I turn to Lee.
He shoves his hands in his pockets, looking contrite. “I’m sorry. You were right. I had no right to get that upset.”
I wave him off. “Apology accepted.”
“Ready to get out of here, Kitten? I believe we have a date to finish.”
“Take me home, Spence.”