Risky Vengeance

by Rhonda Brewer

  “She wanted to know how Abbie was doing,” Chris told him.

  Someone contacted his mother and told her about Abbie’s situation, obviously. He decided to call her after everything was over or drop by and take her to supper. Maybe take Abbie with him and allow his mother to get to know the woman he loved.

  “I’ll call her later,” Trunk said as he took his phone from Chris.

  “So why is everyone just standing here?” Chris glanced around the area.

  “Waiting on a warrant so they can check out the house. We don’t know if anyone is inside,” Trunk explained.

  “Can’t you just go knock on the door?” Chris had a point.

  “Chad knows all of us. He’s not going to open the door if we go knock,” James told Chris.

  “He doesn’t know me.” Chris peeked around the tree to get a look at the house.

  “What can you do?” Trunk asked.

  “I can knock, and you can find out if he’s there. I can say my truck broke down or something. Ask to use a phone.” Chris shrugged.

  “At least we’d find out if he's there or not,” Cory interjected.

  James stared at Chris for a moment then tapped something into his phone. A few seconds later, his phone buzzed, and James nodded.

  “Okay, but don’t go inside and put your phone in your shirt pocket. We’ll do a video chat so we can see what you see.” James explained.

  “So, I tell this guy my car broke down, and I need to use his phone, but my phone is in my pocket. That’s not suspicious at all.” Chris snorted.

  “Ask for a screwdriver,” Rick suggested.

  “That’ll work.” Chris nodded.

  Trunk Facetimed Chris’ phone, and they muted the audio. Chris positioned the phone in his pocket, then checked the sound and picture before Chris headed up the driveway. Trunk hoped they hadn’t sent his brother into a hornet’s nest.

  Chris knocked then stepped back and turned, giving them a better view of the area. A few minutes passed, but nobody answered the door. Chris knocked again, but there was still no movement. Chris strolled around the cottage and leaned close to a window.

  “Don’t look like anyone is home,” Chris whispered.

  As he was headed back down the driveway, someone shouted from behind. Chris turned and walked toward the man, giving Trunk and James a clear view of a guy. It wasn’t Chad, but Trunk had a feeling it was Gary Sweeney.

  “What do you want?” the crusty older man shouted.

  “I was wondering if you had a screwdriver I could borrow. My truck broke down, and I need to pop the belt back on the pulley.” Chris walked toward the man.

  Trunk was impressed his brother would come up with an issue with his truck so quickly. He didn’t know his brother knew anything about vehicle repair. Trunk certainly didn’t. It was why he always brought his vehicles to Jess’ husband.

  Darren was quiet while they watched the screen. The minute the man’s face came into focus, Darren’s whole body stiffened, confirming Abbie’s father knew the older man.

  “Gary fucking Sweeney,” Darren growled the name.

  “I might have one in the garage. Come with me.” The man limped off ahead of Chris.

  “Don’t go in the garage,” Trunk mumbled.

  “Could you bring it out? I’m enjoying this great view. You’ve got a wonderful place here.” Chris stepped back from the house.

  “Yeah,” the man said as he limped out of sight.

  “Garage behind the house,” Chris whispered.

  A few minutes later, the man returned with a couple of screwdrivers. He practically slapped them into Chris’ hand, and without a word, he turned back to the house.

  “I’ll bring them back,” Chris shouted after the man.

  “Don’t bother. I’ve got too many as it is,” the man snapped and disappeared into the house.

  “At least we know someone is home,” Rick interjected.

  “Yeah, but not the person we wanted to talk to.” James sighed.

  Chris jogged down to the end of the driveway and made his way toward James, Trunk, Rick, Darren, and Cory. He waved the screwdrivers as he sauntered toward them.

  “That guy got a major attitude, but at least you know someone is there.” Chris shrugged. “And I got myself some screwdrivers.”

  While they discussed what to do after Aaron arrived with the warrant, a car raced out of the driveway screeching tires as it turned onto the main road. Trunk didn’t see the driver, but Cory and Rick jumped in a vehicle and drove off after the car. As they left, another cruiser arrived, and Aaron hopped out, waving a piece of paper over his head.

  “Here’s the warrant. I’m assuming the asshole who almost drove me off the road was someone running.” Aaron handed James a folded piece of paper.

  “Yeah,” Trunk told him.

  “Let’s see if anyone is in the house.” James headed up the driveway to the cottage.

  “Darren, you stay here with Chris. He’s going to know you,” Trunk told Abbie’s father.

  “I’ll wait in my car.” Darren turned and stomped off to his vehicle.

  “Is he okay?” Aaron asked as they watched Darren walk away.

  “Just something from the past coming back to haunt him.” Trunk sighed.

  “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on him,” Chris assured them.

  Trunk nodded as he and Aaron headed up the driveway behind James. He knew if Darren decided to go after the man in the house, Chris would be able to stop him or at least give Trunk plenty of warning.

  James knocked on the front door as four police cruisers pulled up. Three officers began to look around the property while the rest stood behind James, waiting for someone to open the door.

  Trunk didn’t expect anyone to answer, especially since someone drove off like a bat out of hell. He had a feeling it wasn’t the older man and hoped Rick and Cory were able to catch up with the car.

  “I told you I didn’t want the screw…” The older man stopped when he realized Chris wasn’t at the door. “What the hell do you want?”

  “Sir, I’m Inspector O’Connor, and I have a warrant to search the premises for a man we suspect as being involved in an attempted murder.” James held up the warrant.

  “Just me here.” The man tried to close the door, but James stopped him.

  “Sir, this isn’t negotiable. You need to step outside and allow the officers to enter,” James ordered the man.

  “This is my house. You’ve got no right to come on my private property.” The man shook his fist at James.

  “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step outside, or I’ll be forced to arrest you,” James responded.

  “You can’t arrest me.” The man swung his fist and James grabbed it before it connected.

  Five minutes later, the old man was in the back of a police cruiser, shouting obscenities from the backseat. The officer posted next to the vehicle rolled his eyes at the constant screaming.

  “Did James get his name?” Trunk asked the officer.

  “He gave James a name, but I don’t think it’s his actual name.” The officer chuckled.

  “What did he say his name is?” Trunk asked.

  “He said his first name was, Kiss, and his last name was, my left nut.” The officer smirked.

  “Nice. Maybe I can get a name out of him,” Trunk suggested.

  “You can try.” The officer opened the front door to the cruiser.

  Trunk eased into the front seat and turned around. The older man glared at him with hostility. He didn’t look like someone who could practically rape a woman, but of course, he was much older, and from the looks of him, he’d ended up with permanent damage after the beating.

  “My name is Ben Murphy, but my friends call me Trunk,” Trunk told the man.

  “Good for you,” he snapped.

  “What do your friends call you?” Trunk asked.

  “I don’t have friends. Friends are nothing but backstabbing bastards,” the man spat.


  “Is your name Gary?” Trunk asked.

  The man’s eyes widened, but he quickly composed himself and glared. He wasn’t going to tell Trunk anything, but it was obvious he was surprised Trunk knew his name.

  “Look, the faster you cooperate with the police, the faster you’ll get back to your house. We’re looking for a man who’s been using the name, Chad Grady. Do you know who or where he is?” Trunk asked.

  The man stared at Trunk for a moment than a smirk formed on his face. He looked mean, and it reminded Trunk of the same sneer his stepfather would get after he’d beat Trunk’s mother.

  “I don’t know any Chad,” the man shouted.

  Trunk wasn’t getting any information, but he was about to bring up Darren’s name when he noticed James walk out of the house with some photo frames in his hands. James stalked toward the cruiser and yanked open the back door. The action startled Gary, and he flinched away from James.

  “Who’s this man?” James asked as he pointed to a photo.

  Gary didn’t acknowledge James, and it started to piss off Trunk. The asshole stared ahead of him with a sly grin and ignored the questions James threw at him.

  “Well, since we found your wallet, we know who you are, Gary Sweeney, and we’re arresting you for obstruction of justice.” James raised his voice.

  “Fuck you,” Gary bellowed.

  Trunk got out of the vehicle and made his way toward Aaron. He’d seen the picture James showed Gary and recognized the man they knew as Chad, but he didn’t know anyone else in the photo.

  “He’s refusing to answer James' questions,” Trunk told Aaron.

  “We know who he is, and that fucking dick Abbie was dating is on the pictures all over the mantel.” Aaron pointed inside the house.

  “Do you think it was him who drove off?” Trunk asked.

  “Rick and Cory lost him, but they got the license plate.” Aaron held up his phone.

  “They lost him?” Trunk gasped in surprise.

  “Yeah, Rick is furious. They had to hold back because the asshole flew through a residential area,” Aaron explained. “I should have cut off the fucker when he flew by me.”

  There was nothing Trunk could do, and he was desperate to get back to Abbie. She and her mother had plenty of time to talk, and Abbie had a lot to process. According to Claire, the story Abbie heard of how her parents got together was not true. Claire and Darren didn’t want Abbie to know what happened.

  On his way back to Chris’ vehicle, he asked James if he could take a picture of the photos. He wanted to show Abbie and her mother and let them know they made a connection between Gary and Chad.

  Trunk managed to convince Darren to leave with him, but only after James ensured them he’d issued a warrant for the man they knew as Chad. His real name was Jerome Sweeney, and he’d never been in any kind of trouble before. Trunk decided to send the photo of Jerome to Cole. When he arrived at the hospital, he sent a quick text to the COO.

  Trunk: Cole, we’ve acquired a picture of the man we knew as Chad. I’ve attached a photo. I’d like to know if you know either of the men in the picture.

  Trunk didn’t expect to get an answer so quickly and was surprised when his phone rang as he stepped inside the hospital lobby. Trunk tapped the screen and motioned for Darren and Chris to go on ahead of him.

  “Hello,” Trunk answered.

  “Trunk, this is Cole Donovan.” Cole sounded panicked.

  “Hey, Cole. Thanks for getting back to me so fast. Did you recognize either of the men in the picture?” Trunk asked.

  “Unfortunately, I did. I know both men.” Cole’s voice cracked.

  “How do you know them?” Trunk asked.

  “Jerome is my nephew.” Cole’s voice was barely above a whisper.

  Trunk froze. It was possible Cole was in danger too.

  Chapter 24

  As her father explained what the police had found at the cottage, Abbie listened intently. The name Jerome sounded completely foreign to her especially since she thought she knew him so well. It was hard to believe he could fool her so easily.

  Her father was convinced it was Jerome who escaped in the car, but it wasn’t confirmed. Her mom looked scared and her eyes were filled with tears. Abbie could see her mother didn’t want to hear any more.

  “Dad, why don’t we talk about something else?” Abbie flicked her eyes in her mother’s direction.

  Her father immediately walked around Abbie’s bed and pulled his wife into his arms. He would do anything to protect his family, and Abbie knew the last thing he wanted was to upset anyone.

  “I’m fine,” her mother said.

  “I know, but I needed a hug,” he said with a wink.

  Abbie glanced toward the entrance of her room. Her father said Trunk got a call as they walked into the hospital, and Chris left to see Fatima. Apparently, she’d been concerned about Abbie.

  Abbie rested her folded hands in her lap. She was edgy and sitting in the hospital for a second time didn’t make it any better. She hoped the doctor would keep his word and release her the next morning. Abbie wanted to be home and she wanted to see Trunk.

  “You okay, Monkey?” Her father’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.

  “Yeah, I can’t believe this is all a huge revenge plot to get back at you, Dad.” Abbie couldn’t get her head around it.

  “People can do weird things in the name of revenge,” her mother said in a soft shaky voice.

  Before Abbie could respond, Trunk stalked into her room. When he locked eyes with her, he forced a smile and sat next to her on the bed. She was glad to see him, but she needed to know what the phone call was about.

  “What’s wrong?” Abbie asked.

  “Why would you think something is wrong?” Truck chuckled.

  “Because the pulse in your neck is pounding a mile a minute.” Abbie pointed to his neck.

  “Would you rather I didn’t have a pulse?” Trunk smirked.

  “Stop. Who called you?” Abbie insisted.

  She didn’t know what was happening, but Trunk’s grasp on her hand tightened as he glanced at both her parents. He swallowed hard and then cleared his throat before he spoke.

  “I sent the picture to Cole,” Trunk explained.

  “Donovan?” Abbie asked.

  “Yeah, I wanted to know if he knew Chad. I mean Jerome,” Trunk explained.

  “That name doesn’t suit him,” Abbie replied.

  “Asshole is a better name for him,” her father snapped.

  “Did Cole know him?” Abbie asked.

  “Yes. Jerome is Cole’s nephew,” Trunk told her.

  For a moment, Abbie stared at Trunk as if he was crazy. How was it possible for Jerome to be related to both Cole and the man who attacked her mother?

  “Is Cole related to Gary?” Her father’s rage was obvious.

  “Gary was married to Cole’s sister, but they divorced, and when Jerome was twelve, Cole’s sister died in a car accident. Gary ended up with custody of him. Cole seemed troubled by the whole situation,” Trunk continued. “He said the family begged Gary to let Jerome stay with them, but Gary refused, and Cole’s family didn’t want to put the kid through a custody battle.”

  “So, they let him go with a fucking asshole who tried to rape my wife,” her dad snapped.

  “Wait, Gary married Cole’s sister?” her mother asked with wide eyes.

  “Yes,” Trunk nodded.

  “Darren, we knew her.” Her mother looked up at her father.

  “We did?” Her father didn’t seem to remember.

  “Violet Donovan,” her mother said.

  Abbie’s father stared off in space as if he was trying to remember the name. It took a few minutes, but his eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath.

  “She was in the special education classes. Lydia and I used to tutor a lot of the students in that class,” Abbie’s mother said.

  “She was developmentally delayed?” Abbie asked.

  “No
t really. Violet had a learning disability, but back then, people with any kind of disability were put in the same class. If you didn’t learn the way everyone else did, you got stuck in that class. Violet was sweet, but she was easily manipulated. Lydia was friendly to her. Now I’m beginning to wonder if there was a reason for that,” her mother said.

  Abbie met Trunk’s eyes. She still didn’t know what it had to do with her. Why would Jerome try to kill her twice? At least everyone seemed to think it was him. Could he be that evil?

  Sure, he was a bit of a chauvinist, but she’d never seen him angry or violent. He could be annoying, and if she was honest with herself, he was too boring for her. To believe he could do such horrendous things was hard to get her head around.

  “My God, Gary is five years older than Violet.” Her mother gasped.

  “He obviously liked young girls,” her father said.

  “Cole said his sister married Gary. Do you think she could be convinced to marry someone who assaulted her?” Trunk asked.

  “Maybe we should talk to Cole and find out how Violet ended up married to someone like Gary,” Abbie suggested.

  “I’ll call him and get James to set up a time for an interview.” Trunk pulled out his phone and made the call.

  By the time her parents left to go home, it was after nine. Abbie tossed and turned in the hospital bed for what seemed like hours. She felt fine and wanted to go home to sleep in a comfortable bed wrapped in the arms of the man she loved.

  Cole planned to meet Trunk and James at the police station in Hopedale after lunch the next day, and Abbie couldn’t be there for the interview. It pissed her off, but James had to pull some strings to allow Trunk to be there.

  She turned her head to look at Trunk. He sat in the chair, watching the late-night news, and seemed content in the small chair. When she squirmed around again, he turned to look at her.

  “Do you have ants in your pants?” Trunk chuckled as he squeezed her hand.

  “No, this bed is like sleeping on a bag of rocks, and it’s way too small,” Abbie complained.

  “Looks plenty big to me. I bet I could even snuggle in there with you.” Trunk stood up and kicked off his boots.

  “If this is too small for me, you’re certainly not going to fit in here with me.” Abbie laughed as he squeezed in next to her.