Page 43 of Blood and Bone
“But it was a few years before Jack was charged with grand larceny,” the chief said.
“That’s because after I suspected Jack couldn’t get work because of something Colt was doing, I told my brother that I’d figure it out and make sure that he was the one who got arrested,” she said. “He left us alone for a long time after that.Maybe it took him that long to figure out a way to have Jack charged with a serious crime. He did everything in his power to keep him unemployed. He wanted me to leave him and come back to him. I think he thought by keeping Jack and me destitute, we’d give up and split. But we already had two more kids, and I adored Jack. I still do. That man raised Morgan like she was his own.” She shook her head and blew her nose some more. “I honestly think Colt thought we were a couple or something when all I ever wanted to do was to scratch his eyes out every time I saw him.”
“Why didn’t you protest when we found you at the grocery store?” asked Eoghan.
She heaved out a resigned breath. “I just knew there was no fighting it. Colt’s word against ours was going to hold more sway. I was so tired of fighting to survive. I just…just gave in.” Her eyes brimmed again and she swiped at them with the back of her hand.
“Does he know Morgan is his child?” Eoghan asked cautiously.
She lifted her head and stared at him with watery eyes. “I never told him. I don’t want him to know but if it comes out, I guess I’ll have to live with that. He doesn’t know that Jack and I weren’t a couple that way when Morgan was conceived and I’m not going to tell him voluntarily. He’d make more trouble for me.”
“We’re going to see to it that it never happens, Ms. Wilkins,” Joe said.
Ari felt terrible for the couple and when he glanced over at Eoghan he could tell that his lover was just as upset about the situation. He might even be more so because of the way he’d misjudged Jack when he and Gladys had arrested him all those years ago. He really hoped justice would be done once Colt was charged with sexual abuse on his minor sister andother criminal charges with regard to Jack’s incarceration. It was possible to charge him with tampering with internal tribal police documents and records, possible computer hacking. And possibly coercing or hiring Julie Rains to do that in her capacity as a trusted tribal police department employee or whatever else Two Trees could think of to charge him with. Hopefully, Jack’s conviction would be overturned and the rest of the couple’s life would be a happy one.
“Where is Colt anyway?” Riversong asked after drying her eyes.
“He’s locked up and now that I’ve got the whole story, we need to take this to the tribal council,” Joe said. “They might want some testimony from you, though.”
“That’s fine,” she said. “I’m embarrassed that the whole world knows about this and I’m pretty sure that the whole rez will know soon enough. But if I can live my life with my Jack and we can finally be at peace, I’m going to do that.” She stood up and smiled at them. “And one more thing.” She held up her left hand, wiggling her ring finger with a big grin on her face. “You called me Ms. Wilkins but I’m now Mrs. Vandross. Jack and I were married the last time I visited him in jail.”
They all smiled. “Congratulations,” Joe said.
“Just get my Jack out of jail so we can have a proper service in church rather than a prison chapel.”
“We’re on it.”
She nodded. “I have all of you to thank for everything you did but now, I need to feed my kids some lunch and then go see my boss about getting my old job back. I left him in the lurch when I took off, so I hope he’ll be willing to take me back. He might have already filled the job.”
“If he needs to talk to me, you have him call,” Joe said, squeezing her shoulder gently. “I think your family has paid enough for what your brother did to you.”
She nodded, thanked them all again and walked out into the bullpen with her head held high.
“She’s a brave woman,” Eoghan said.
“She sure is,” Joe said. He glanced at the clock on the wall before looking over at them. “We should go meet with the council. Knowing them, they’re already waiting.”
“Okay, lead on, Chief.”
They followed them out of the station to another building which shared a common wall right next door. The etching on the glass door read Tribal Council Chamber and Municipal Hall. Inside, was a large common room where several upholstered couches and chairs were arranged in a half-moon around a wood burning fireplace on the far wall. The most prominent piece of furniture in the room was a six-foot diameter table made out of a huge tree trunk. The thick slab was coated with polyurethane to preserve the beauty of the multiple rings making up the heavy piece. Its beauty was breathtaking.
Five men were seated around it and they all looked up, sending the new arrivals imperious glances and doing their best to look intimidating. The oldest one at the table looked Ari and Eoghan up and down as they arrived, instantly transferring his gaze to the chief. Ari noticed how none of them rose to introduce themselves or greet them politely. So, this was how it was going to be.Huh.
“Are these the men you made us cancel our meeting to see, Two Trees?”
“Yes, Mr. Blackwood,” Joe said. “These are the I.S.R. marshals I told you about over the phone.”
“Thank you for accommodating us,” Eoghan said stepping forward. “Deputy Marshal Eoghan Sapphire and—”
“Names are unnecessary,” he said, ignoring the hand Eoghan was holding out as he rudely cut him off. “The chief gave me the highlights. So, the I.S.R. is insisting on our help.”
“We’re here to plead our case, sir, yes,” Eoghan said.
Ari watched as Alo and Joe dragged folding chairs over so they could sit down. They planted them off to the side, not bothering to try to pull them up to the table, clearly accustomed to the way the council of five older men treated their guests. Even though the fireplace was going full blast, keeping the room warm, the temperature of their reception from the men made it clear that the last thing they wanted to do was invite them to sit.
“You mean you’re here to plead the case for a vampire who claims to be a king who was overthrown by another vampire,” he clipped.
“Heisa king,” Ari said. “We verified that and if you’ll let us tell you why we’re here to ask you for help for his clan—”