Page 120 of The Clover Chapel (Jamison Valley 2)
It wasn’t until I saw her settled, safely sleeping in a hospital bed, that my panic had started to subside and the questions had rushed in.
“All right,” I said to Jess. “What happened? With details this time.”
He nodded, taking a long breath before recapping the events of the morning. “Rowen brought home a cold from school and gave it to Ben. Georgia and I were up all night with him and, at about three thirty, we ran out of Tylenol for his fever. So I left the farmhouse to hit the store. I was just getting ready to pull off the highway and head home when my radio went off. Dispatch got a call from Emmeline’s alarm company again. Since I was only a mile away, I decided to check it out.”
The bottom fell out of my stomach. Nothing but pure luck had put Jess on the road at just the right time to save my wife.
“Pulled up to the house and saw a van barreling down the drive. Managed to swing my truck in just in time to cut them off. The two guys both jumped right out of the van. The driver bolted immediately. The other guy pulled a gun and took a couple shots at my truck. I took cover, then fired back but with it being so dark, I lost him the second he hit the trees.”
“Any idea who they were?” Dad asked.
Jess shook his head. “Didn’t get a good look at their faces but I’m hoping her exterior cameras got ’em. Both were decked out in black. The driver looked to be wearing a vest with a patch, kind of like the one you got on.” Jess’s accusation was clear. He knew this mess was somehow linked to Dad.
“Hey, it wasn’t us,” Dash said. “She’s family.”
“I’ll let her security footage confirm that,” Jess said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Then what happened?” I asked.
“Then I pulled Emmeline out of the back of that van. She was out cold. One of those fuckers took a pretty hard swing at her face. I put her in my truck, then hauled ass here. She’s been awake on and off, but just for minutes at a time. But she’s been asking for you.”
And I hadn’t been here. I hadn’t kept my vow to keep her safe.
By all rights, those men should have been able to take her. Emmy’s rescue this morning was nothing short of a miracle. I should have been here.
Fuck!
How could I have been so stupid? I hadn’t considered that it was my connections that had been the cause of Emmy’s troubles. We’d been so focused on her life that I hadn’t once thought maybe it was my father’s enemies that had targeted my wife.
Fucking stupid.
The minute she had set foot in Prescott, she had been in danger. I’d been so focused on getting her to love me again that I hadn’t made sure she’d be safe first.
“I gotta get to the station,” Jess said, pulling me from my thoughts. “I want to see that camera footage and I need to check in with my deputies. They’ve been combing the area, and with any luck, one or both of those fuckers is now in a cell. I’m hoping we find some evidence in the van we impounded.”
“Thanks, Brick. I don’t—”
“Don’t worry about it. Just take care of Emmeline,” he said, clapping me on the shoulder and turning to leave.
“Do you know who it was?” I asked Dad and Dash once Jess was out of earshot.
“Had to be the Arrowhead Warriors,” Dad said.
“We’ll take care of it, Nick,” Dash said. “They’ll pay.” Dad and Dash shared a look. The chances of the cops finding Emmy’s attackers before the Gypsies did were slim to none.
“I’ve got to get back to Emmy. Bye.” My tone was clear. They weren’t welcome to stay.
Both nodded and turned to leave. They knew as well as I did that nothing would have happened to my wife had they not dragged their shit into my life.
“Dad?” I called and he turned. “She’s my everything.”
He nodded and looked to his feet. Message received. Given the choice, I would always pick Emmy. Even if that meant I severed all ties with him and Dash.
“I’m sorry, Son,” he said. “For everything. Your mom. Emmeline. I’ll make it right.”
I nodded and pushed inside Emmy’s room. Only time would tell if Dad would make good on his promise. But I couldn’t worry about that right now.
I needed to focus on my wife.
