“That’s an excellent idea, my dear. But don’t say anyone’s name where this guy can hear you. He might well try and use that against us at some point.” She told him she’d be careful, and he heard her pick up the phone in his office. “You can leave here, but it’s doubtful to me that you’ll get far.”
“I’m telling you right now, if I don’t get to talk to my brother, I’m going to be causing you and that kid of yours all kinds of—” Sean didn’t move when the cruiser pulled into his drive. It did startle Charles, but he seemed to think it was funny rather than scary. “She must have some kind of pull to have them here this fast. And would you look at that, there’s my brother too. Jefferson, I was just hunting for you. Have you been arrested or something?”
“No. I’m the police chief here. Come away from the house, Charles, and I’ll not have to shoot you. If this man is going to press charges, then I’ll just get to take you in.” Sean said he’d threatened his daughter as well as him. “Well now, that’s a whole lot of different story. Billy, go on up there and cuff Charles for me. I’ll keep an eye on him, so he doesn’t try and pull some of his shit on you.”
Becky came to stand by him, but not so she could be seen from the outside. She watched the man being arrested through the curtained window by the door. Then she reached out and took Sean’s hand. He held her tightly and then asked her if she was all right. Nodding, she told him what she’d been doing.
“I know that man.” He asked her from where. “I think he’s been to the house before. I don’t know when or why, but Jon might know. But he used to come by, and he and my mom would go into her bedroom. Then she’d come out stoned. I think that’s where I saw him before.”
Reaching for Rachel, he asked her to bring Jon to him at the door. She came out of the room with the young man and stood next to Becky, out of sight, as Jon looked out the front window into the yard where Charles was being arrested.
“Yes, sir, I know him. He’s one of my mother’s druggy friends. I’ve not seen him in a while, about a month or so, but that’s one of the men. Mom called him a drifter. Said he drifted from state to state to get into trouble.” Sean asked him if it had been a house his mother lived in or their aunt’s. “My aunt’s. Mom told us that Aunt Rachel knew about him coming by. I never thought to ask her about it. By the time he was gone, I didn’t really think of him again. But that’s one of them. Whenever any of her friends came around, we made sure to stay hidden even if she called one of us to come to her.”
“How many other men came by the house, Jon? I’m not mad at you but at Sandy. I’m really sorry she did that.” Jon said they were well hidden—no one would have found them no matter what—but that eight of them had come by. “Thanks, son. I hate that you weren’t even safe in my home, but I’m so happy that you were smart enough to find a place to hide.”
Rachel was hurt. Not by the kids, but that she’d not been able to keep men like the one in the yard away from the children. Rather than finding out shit that went down in bits and pieces, he decided that the four of them needed to sit down together and figure this out. It might even be helpful in the long run if they did know. At least enough that they’d be on the lookout for others that might be coming around. He was just glad he’d been able to stop Charles from coming into his home. There was no telling what he might have done if he’d been able to cross the threshold.
Sean looked at Connor. “Are you armed?” He said he could be if Sean thought it was necessary. “I do. I want everyone that works here armed from now on if they can be. I want my family safe from intruders. All right?”
“Very good, sir. There is a large number of outside staff that should also be armed. I’m also a member of the local pack, and I’ll ask if more of them can be roaming around until this is settled.” Sean thanked him. “No need for that, sir. I’ve come to love your family, as well. And my missus, she thinks having the two younger ones here will help her as well. Our youngest just left home a few weeks ago.”
After the police left, he took his new family to the living room. He thought it was time, perhaps well past time, that they all got on the same page concerning Sandy Farley.
Chapter 2
Sandy stretched out on her bed. She’s overslept this morning, so was ready anytime they got off their asses to bring her lunch. The coffee she’d been able to have someone bring her wasn’t the best, but it hit the spot. Thinking about the upcoming trial, she wondered how quickly she could get out and back to what she loved doing. They frowned on her having drugs while in her cell. Sandy was a little bummed out about the news she’d gotten last night. It seemed that her dear sister-in-law wasn’t playing the way she usually did when it came to her.
“Your sister has hired an attorney to represent her in this case we’re making against her.” Sandy wasn’t sure why that should matter, but apparently her attorney—his name wasn’t right there for her to think of again—thought it was a big deal. “From the things they’ve brought to my attention, I don’t think this is going to be as easy as you and I talked about. Ms. Daniels also has an attorney team on her side that I would just as soon not have to go up against. Crosby/Crosby has a solid reputation of never losing a case. Their background work on a case is legendary. Are you sure everything you’ve told me is the absolute truth? I don’t want to go in there with lies that they’re going to be able to cut through in the first five minutes.”
Then she noticed his name badge. Willie Marks? What a stupid name, she thought.
“I don’t know what it would be that they have on me. I’m not a perfect mother, but I have been there for my kids.” Willie showed her some of the highlights, he called them, that had been brought to his attention from the prosecuting attorneys. One of them was that she’d left her kids in the hospital after they were born. “That was a mistake. Who wouldn’t be overwhelmed when they found out they had twins instead of just one baby to take care of? I got them back, didn’t I? I made up for it by being the best mother I could be.”
“Did you?” She asked him what that was supposed to mean. “According to Crosby/Crosby, you were arrested for murdering your husband. That if not for your sister-in-law coming to speak on your behalf, you would have ended up on the wrong end of a prison cell.”
“Yes, she did come to my aid then. I think only to snatch my kids. However, I don’t know where they got that I killed him. It was an accidental shooting. The gun went off, and he was killed by it.” He asked her who was holding the gun. While she wanted to tell him Jonathan had been, she knew that would get her caught in yet another lie. So she changed the subject. “You said this was going to be soon. Do you think she’ll bring my babies to see me when she gets into town? I do miss them.”
If pressed, she couldn’t tell anyone their birthdate. Nor could she, Sandy thought, tell them anything personal about them. She knew they were twins but was so doped up when they were born that Sandy didn’t know who the older was. Not even the color of their hair or their eyes came to mind. It just wasn’t anything she ever thought was necessary to learn. However, she did know that Rachel would not only remember those things but even what she had gotten them for Christmas last year. All Sandy had gotten was a robe and a pair of slippers.
“I’m worried that Rachel is going to turn them against me. Have them tell lies, so they don’t have to come home with me.” He asked her what she could say that would make her own children not want to live with her. “I don’t know. But she’s done it before. Like she did tell them I was a doper. That’s not true.”
“Mrs. Farley, you were stoned when you were brought here this time. Also, I’ve been meaning to ask you, why did you revert back to your maiden name after your husband was killed?” She asked him if it was important. “It could be. You were married to their father, then you changed your name as soon as you were in prison the second time. There will be questions about that, I’m sure.”
“Oh. I guess I just tho
ught, at the time, that my kids would be better off not knowing about me. I have since changed my mind, of course, but it’s really expensive to have your name changed back.” She didn’t know if it was or not, but it sounded good. Also, she’d been married to Jonathon, but she never took his name on anything. Now that was going to bite her in the ass. “Also, since at that time they were with Rachel, I thought it might work out better for them. At least that’s what Rachel told me when she told me about forging my name to the paperwork.”
“You said you’d not known about that until I brought it up.” She did? Sandy had to think. “Mrs. Farley, you must keep telling me the truth. I can’t have you telling me one thing, then a few days later tell me something else. It’s difficult enough trying to keep you from going to prison.”
“They’ll put me in prison? I thought you were working on this, so I’d not have to go.” He said he was working on a lot of things, one of them getting her children back from Rachel. But she had admitted to shoplifting, and that was it. “So why do I need to get the kids back if I can’t use them?”
“What did you just say?”
Sandy started sobbing instead of answering him. She had to remain calm, or she was going to blow this before she was able to get Rachel here to get her out of this cell. She did like staying in jail, but that was only on a short time thing. Prison was too long term for her.
“It’s all right, Mrs. Farley. I know you’re stressed out.”
The two of them worked on her plea, as well as what she was going to say to the judge. Asking if her kids would be there, Willie told her he didn’t know. This wasn’t about the children, as they were minors. That would be up to the judge.
As soon as she saw her lunch tray coming toward her, Sandy washed up her hands. They’d not leave it for her if they didn’t see her washing up. It was the stupidest rule she’d ever been made to follow. Who cared if her hands were dirty or not? She was the one that was going to be eating with them. As soon as she was able to pick up her tray, she noticed how light it felt to her. Pulling off the cover, she was disappointed to find she had another sandwich.
Sandy asked her what was up with not having extras when the woman handing out trays went back by her. Yesterday she’d had soup and a sandwich, as well as two drinks and three desserts. The woman told her that was her meal.
“I don’t understand.” The guard stopped pushing the cart that still had trays on it and looked at her. “Is there someone in charge that I can talk to? This isn’t nearly enough to keep me going until dinner. I missed my breakfast too.”
“Did you really have some perverts rape your daughter for drugs?” The question startled her so much that she nodded before she could think to deny it. “Yeah, we all thought that would be something you’d do. We have access to all your files here. Did you know that? And to the stuff that is sent here for your attorney to pick up when he sees you. You can bet that before he left here today, we handed that right over to him. Not only did it give the information about how you’d not taken her to the hospital, but that your son had to take her. And there was a signed avadavat from the doctor telling that he’d treated her for rape. She was only ten years old, you monster. You’re just lucky we’re feeding you at all.”
Staggering away from the bars, she sat down on her cot. Fixing up her food so that she could eat it, Sandy tried to think how the hell she was going to explain that away. While she devoured her food, she had one or two ideas that would work, but only if she could see what else was said about her in the files. Christ, she thought, her own kids were getting her into trouble.
She’d take care of them, she thought, especially Jon, when she got out of here. He was a fucking bugger, always watching her when she had men over. Making him promise that he’d not tell Rachel had taken her beating him before he agreed, but he’d not opened his mouth. She’d bet that right now, he was singing out everything she’d ever done while Rachel was working. Fucker.
After eating her lunch, which wasn’t nearly enough, Sandy worked out in her head how she was going to explain the rape. It was not like Becky was hurt all that badly by the men. Christ, the way she hollered she made it sound like they were killing her. Neither of them had all that big of dicks. Becky was just lucky that her good buddy Charles hadn’t been the one she owed money to. Now that man had a dick that made a woman wet just thinking about it.
“It was to help her mom, right?” That shouldn’t be a reason she’d be in trouble. Of course, no one thought along the same lines she did. Prudes, she thought. Every fucking one of them.
By the time lights were turned off in the hallway, she thought she had it worked out. It was wrong, she knew, but Sandy was going to tell them that Rachel had been gone, and the landlord had wanted an advance on the rent. Not sure how that would work, she still thought it would. Since she didn’t have the extra money, she’d sold off Becky. Yes, she loved that idea.
It had occurred to her that someone might ask the landlord, but she didn’t think they’d care enough to do that. She was on easy street for that anyway. Who the hell even knew who the landlord was? Not her. She’d bet Rachel didn’t either.
Her sister-in-law was going to have to forgive her for a lot of shit when this was over. But Rachel would really want her to be with her children. That’s why she had her living with them in the first place. She’d love it and hate it too, but it would be better for them. Sandy would have her kids, and they’d be helping their mother get some shit together. Not her life, but everything she wanted.
Closing her eyes, she thought of getting out of there. With her record, she’d have to be very careful not to get caught again. She might be able to pull the wool over the eyes of a lot of people, but not if she kept getting caught.
Perhaps she needed to just move to another state, a place where she’d be happy and could start over. Someplace warm that had a beach. Sandy thought about taking her kids with her—they’d be good for a buck or two. But really, they were a lot of trouble. Like from the day they were born, they had caused her nothing but grief—her sister-in-law too. How she wished she’d been out of jail when she realized she was pregnant.
It was too late for even a late term abortion by then. Even after she was let out, she was hog-tied to a woman that made sure she wasn’t harming the kids. Then, when she’d found out about having two of them rather than just one, she freaked the fuck out and left the hospital. That was the dumbest thing she could have done. It was too late after that to see if she could have sold them off.
Sandy didn’t think of things like that until it was too late. That had been the story of her entire life. Even marrying Jonathon had been a mistake. He was stupider than she’d imagined, and he didn’t have shit to his name. It had been Rachel that had all the money, as well as the house he’d stayed in. Fucker had lied to her. But she sure fixed him, Sandy thought with a smile.
~*~
Dinner was much better than he thought it would be. Sean wasn’t sure if it had anything to do with having his own family there or not, but it did help. The game on television was turned up loud, and the shouts around the room were even louder. Becky was right in the thick of things with his brothers and himself. Emerald was scary when her team didn’t do as well as she wanted them to do.
They all laughed when Chase spoke to his wife. “Honey, I know you want to go there and tell them how you want them to play, but please don’t. They’re only college kids.” Everyone laughed with him. “Promise me you’ll keep your opinions here and not direct them to the coach.”
“They need to win faster.” She glared at Chase, and he couldn’t help it; he laughed. “I could send you there to show them how’s it done. Would that make you laugh it up, jerkoff?”
“Honey, it’s been way too long since I’ve played football. Even the helmets are different from when I played.” Sean told her she could take her frustrations out on the punching bag that had been hung outside
just for her. When her face pinked up, he knew she’d already broken it. “You did it, didn’t you? You busted your bag.”
“It was a particularly terrible day, and I didn’t hold back.” She smiled at him. “Chase has one filled with concrete now. It works much better for me.”
Only Emerald would think that taking your frustrations out on a concrete filled punching bag would be better for her.
Before the game hit halftime, they were all called to dinner. He was thrilled about it. The scents coming from the kitchen and dining room were making him feel hungrier than he thought he really was. Jon came to have him help him with his plate, and Becky went to her aunt. He felt bad when Jon told him he didn’t know what most of the food on the table was.
“All right. Why don’t you take a little bit of whatever you think looks good and then do a taste test?” He asked if anyone would be mad if he didn’t like something. “Nope. Not even when it’s not Thanksgiving. But you can’t just form an opinion on how it looks. There are things that might not be pretty to eat but taste amazing.”
Jon nodded and did just what Sean said, taking little bits of food. Sean told the young man what it was he was eating. Helping him to the table, Sean made sure he had what he wanted to drink. The kids, both Jon and Becky, seemed to love milk.
Leaving Jon to his meal, he filled up two glasses of tea for him and Rachel. He noticed that Becky was having a hard time picking what she wanted, so Sean suggested doing what he’d told her brother. Rachel seemed as excited about that as the kids did. He, however, knew just what he wanted, and put a slice of bread in the middle of his plate and piled mashed potatoes, gravy, as well as turkey into a mountain of food. He’d go back for veggies at round two.
“That looks amazing. Is it good?” Sean cut her a bite and fed it to Rachel. “Oh, Sean. That is wonderful. I’m going to get that the next time. The macaroni and cheese is my favorite so far.”
Sean: The Sons of Crosby: Vampire Paranormal Romance Page 3