Chapter 22
Luke hadn’t seen Aaron this mad since Mom had grounded him for not doing his math homework. Which only emphasized how much of his brother’s life he’d missed.
Hands cuffed in front of him, Aaron scowled. “Are you happy now?”
Luke shook his head. “No, Aaron. I’m not happy at all.”
“What are you doing here, anyway?”
He stayed standing, not sure how close he wanted to get. “I’m here to support you.”
“Support me? By getting me arrested?” His little brother’s face turned bright red in anger.
“I tried to warn you not to continue on this path. You chose this, not me.”
“Fuck you. You’re just mad ‘cause Michael got sick.”
He slid into the hard plastic chair and leaned his elbows on his knees with a sigh. “I’m not mad, Aaron. I’m disappointed.” Luke leaned back, rubbing his hand over his face. The clock neared midnight, and he was wearing thin. “Mikey almost died. And not the first time, if the rumors are true.”
“If he didn’t buy it from me, he’d just buy it from someone else. At least I’m making money around this dead-ass town.” Aaron leaned back and tried to cross his arms, but gave up with the handcuffs on his wrists.
He pinched his nose, trying to stave off the headache he was sure was barreling right for him. “You’re right. Mikey is perfectly capable of making his own bad decisions. But selling is a far worse crime than using, Aaron.”
“I’m not the one in charge, though.”
“Yeah, and that particular buddy of yours left all of you high and dry when he ran.”
Aaron looked at the floor, his jaw clenched. This was his chance. Luke leaned in, as if he was sharing a confidence.
“Gabe is working on the D.A. as we speak, to try to get you a lighter sentence if you cooperate and give up the name of the guy that ran.”
Silence reigned. Luke could almost see the wheels in Aaron’s head turning. “Don’t I get a lawyer?”
“You do,” Luke nodded. “And I’ll see to it you have one. I’m not here in an official capacity, Aaron. I’m not here to interrogate you. If this had been my case, they would have removed me because of the conflict of interest.”
More scowling.
“I thought my being here would make getting arrested easier on you.”
“Except I’m only getting arrested because you turned me in!”
“It was coming one way or another, Aaron. The sheriff knew about your little ring for a while now. It was only a matter of time.” Luke sighed and got to his feet. “I’m going now. It’s pretty clear my being here isn’t as helpful as I thought it would be.”
Luke exited the interrogation room, slamming the door and leaning against it.
He wasn’t actually leaving yet. First, he wanted to see if he could find an attorney to represent Aaron.
He could let Aaron use whatever overworked suit the state would appoint him, but he did feel responsible on some level.
So, he’d find a better attorney and pay the retainer himself.
With any luck, Aaron would accept whatever plea the D.A.
had for him in exchange for information on Joey MacNeil, the Chief’s nephew.
Emailing local lawyers in the wee hours of Easter morning wasn’t his idea of a good time, but luckily one name looked familiar. Gwen had been his history study buddy and his prom date back in the day, so he emailed her hoping that connection hadn’t soured.
That done, he said his goodbyes to Gabe, and headed back to the Haven. Maggie was sitting up in bed, her laptop open and a video playing when he returned.
“You’re back.”
Luke shut the door and locked it, then went over to kiss her. “You didn’t have to wait up for me.”
Maggie shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep. How did it go?”
“We got most of them. Aaron’s in custody.” He didn’t realize he was crying until she closed her laptop and wiped the tears from his face.
“What do you need?”
His hands roamed her sides. “Just a shower. And you.”
She smiled and set her laptop on the desk. “I’ll get the water started.”
Luke stripped off his clothes and left them in a pile on the floor as the shower turned on. When he entered the bathroom, Maggie was bent over testing the water with her hand, her heart-shaped ass barely covered by her thin nightshirt.
First, he wanted to scrub the worst night of his life from his skin.
Maggie met him in bed, naked. He crawled in beside her, and she turned into his embrace. Soft kisses and touches turned to gentle love-making in the sliver of moonlight that made it through her curtains. And as they fell asleep together in the early morning, he knew his heart was no longer his own.
From a hunting blind in the woods, Sean Callahan lowered his binoculars. He’d known where his wife was for weeks, sending messages meant to entice her back at first, and then when that didn’t work, he’d demanded it.
Margaret had erased her browsing history, but it hadn’t taken a strong hacker to locate where she’d been going online, or to track her messaging history.
Locating her friend Jessica had led him to a car that was registered under her mother.
But her mother was in a nursing facility and hadn’t driven it in months.
After that, it was a simple matter of accessing the highway traffic cameras his brothers in blue used for speeding tickets to follow the license plate.
Sean knew she didn’t have any ties to Pennsylvania.
She’d clearly just been trying to lose him so he couldn’t contest this farce of a divorce.
He’d taken a leave of absence, telling his chief he wanted to reconcile with Margaret.
How dare she take out a protective order against him?
Everyone in the precinct knew his wife was fucking scared of him. Well, now she had good reason to be.
He’d always been so careful when he had to discipline her. But his divorce lawyer talked to hers, and apparently there were pictures. She’d documented his discipline, and her stupid lawyer was calling it abuse.
Sean spat into the woods. And now, to make matters worse, she’d got herself a little boyfriend.
The cook from that diner she was working at.
That’s why he’d made sure to send his response to her divorce petition there.
Now the boyfriend knew who she belonged to.
But apparently, that didn’t matter. ‘Cause he’d just seen him enter the bed-and-breakfast where she was staying.
Fucking lowlife sleeping with his cheating wife. He’d teach them. Both of them.
Just because she wouldn’t come home with Sean, didn’t mean anyone else could have her.
Sean lowered himself to the ground and cleaned up his campsite. That hunting cabin in the woods he’d passed was outside of the town limits and wouldn’t show up without exact coordinates.
Perfect for exacting his revenge.
Luke had explained that Easter was low key with his family. Mom made ham, of course, and made up a basket for him. There hadn’t been time or money for much when he was small, which Deb and her late husband, Marcus, didn’t have to worry about when Aaron came along.
Maggie hadn’t seen Luke quite so nervous as he was this morning. Dark circles under his eyes showed how little sleep he’d gotten.
He pulled up to Deb’s house, and then they sat in the driveway.
“Luke?” She stroked his arm. “Would it be easier if I went back to the Haven?”
“No,” he grasped her hand, and brought it to his lips. “Please stay. I need you.”
“Okay.” She squeezed his hand, then lifted her purse to her shoulder. He took off his seatbelt and came around. She did love how he opened her doors for her all the time. It made her feel special, cared for.
They walked up the porch steps and Luke opened the door. “Mom? It’s Luke. I brought Maggie with me.”
“Oh, good.” Deb wheeled into the living room. “The ham needs to go into the crock pot, if you two wouldn’t mind helping me.”
“Of course not.” Maggie stepped forward. “I’m happy to help.”
“Come on back, you two.”
“How are you feeling, Deb?”
“I’m doing okay. Just annoyed at the lack of mobility. I can’t wait to get back to work.”
Maggie followed Deb’s directions, placing the ham into the crock pot and then adding the brown sugar mixture on top.
“That should finish in about four hours. You three can hunt for your baskets.”
Maggie and Luke spoke at the same time.
“Three?”
“Um, Mom. About that—”
Maggie looked back at Luke, then at Deb.
“Yes, I made you up a basket, dear. If there’s anything in there you don’t like, let me know and I’ll swap it out with something else.” She patted Maggie on the arm.
Maggie bit her lip to keep herself from crying. She hadn’t had an Easter basket without being guilted about her weight since she was a child. Would Deb adopt her after Luke returned to work? She could only hope. But his news was more important.
“Mom, we need to talk.”
“Okay. Let’s go to the living room.” Deb shooed them out of the kitchen. Maggie sat next to Luke to offer him what support she could.
Deb sat in the recliner and put the foot rest up. “What’s going on, Luke?”
“I’m … I’m so sorry. I tried to get him to quit and he wouldn’t. I didn’t feel like I had a choice.”
“Who? Quit what?” The clock chimed, and she shook her head. “I need to wake Aaron up. That boy sleeps too much.” Deb started to get up from the chair.
“He’s not upstairs.”
Luke’s mom settled back in the recliner, her attention solely on her eldest. Her voice went deathly quiet. “How do you know that?”
“He’s in county lockup. The sheriff performed a raid on a drug smuggling ring and Aaron was arrested.”
Deb’s shocked gasp would haunt Maggie. Her boss’s eyes watered and her hands covered her face.
Her boyfriend’s — should she call him that? — voice trembled. Maggie reached for his hand, and he gripped hers until his knuckles turned white. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m so sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? You weren’t dealing drugs.” Deb rubbed a hand over her face, shaking her head. “I wondered, but I hoped… H-How did you find out?”
“He wouldn’t tell me how he made that money either. So, one night, I followed him. And I found the drugs in the crate on his bike.” Luke could barely look at his mom. He kept dropping his gaze to the floor. Maggie’s mouth dropped open. She’d had no idea he was carrying this so long.
“I—” He gestured at Maggie. “Tell her. About that day.”
“With the ambulance?”
He nodded. Maggie swallowed, and looked over at Deb. “A young man overdosed in the diner when we were both working. Luke found him and had me call the ambulance.”
“Mikey. It was Mikey, Mom. And I already knew Aaron was dealing.” He gripped the back of his neck. “I caught Aaron sneaking back into the house. I confronted him. Told him what happened. He didn’t care.”
“He didn’t care?” Her voice warbled. “They were best friends when they were little!”
“I know. I know. But it’s all about the money with him, now.”
Maggie’s heart broke for this family, especially when she felt so close to Luke and Deb. On a day that heralded new life, to learn her youngest had thrown his away? Maggie would be devastated.
“I couldn’t let him continue, Mom. I had to do something.”
Deb closed her eyes, her face a mask of pain. “I understand. He’s been telling me he’s a man because he’s eighteen now. He has to face the consequences.”
“I’m hoping…” Luke patted Maggie’s arm and squeezed it, for reassurance, she guessed.
“I talked to Gabe. He’s a deputy now. If the D.A.
is willing, if Aaron gives them the name of the ringleader, he may get a lighter sentence.
The ringleader got away, and Gabe suspects it’s the Chief of Police’s nephew, which is why the Hawthorn Hills PD wouldn’t help me. ”
Deb massaged her temples. “What are we going to do about an attorney?”
“Leave it to me.” He held up a hand when she tried to protest. “I turned him in. I’ll take care of the attorney fees.”
She snorted. “You’re a better person than me, son. I’m so… so pissed at him that I would probably let him deal with the shitty public defender.”
“No, I don’t want that for him. We talked after the arrest, and while he’s mad at me, I think he understood what I was telling him about making a deal.”
“Let’s hope so. God gave him a brain. It’s his job to use it.” Deb sighed. “On that note, I’m going to get the baskets out of hiding. Because after all that, you need chocolate and you don’t deserve to hunt them down.”
She wheeled away, leaving a devastated Luke on the couch next to Maggie.
“I ruined Easter,” he murmured, probably not meaning for her to overhear.
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t know they were going to raid last night. How could you? This is not your fault. It’s Aaron’s. He made those choices.”
“Listen to your girlfriend.” Deb reentered the room and dropped two wicker baskets on the coffee table. “Or at least, that’s what the rumor mill is calling her.” She winked at Maggie.
Maggie looked over at Luke, who wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. “We haven’t discussed it yet.”
“What’s to discuss?”
Maggie grimaced. “My husband.”
Apparently, Easter was the new holiday for airing dirty laundry. She explained to Deb that her husband hadn’t taken the divorce well, and that’s why she’d fled Oklahoma.
“He’s sent a couple things to the diner, so he knows I’m working there.”
“Are you safe at the Haven?”
“This is why I’ve been staying with her so much.” Luke’s arm tightened around her.
“Of course. Let me know if you need anything, Maggie.” Deb stared off into space as she broke open a chocolate rabbit.