Shattered Justice (44 page)

They stopped in their tracks, guns trained on Marlin.

He stood sideways, looking from the two who’d just arrived to Dan. The knife at Jayce’s throat never wavered. Marlin fixed his gaze on Dan. “You think you’ve won?” He ground the words out. “Well, you’re wrong. Just like you were wrong before. Remember? You said one screw up and I was yours? Well, guess what, Sheriff Taylor? Jayce is mine.”

Marlin turned the pistol, pressing it into Jayce’s temple, smiling when Jayce groaned. “Just like Aaron. And Shannon.”

Since the day he found his children dead, Dan had wondered what he’d do if he ever came face-to-face with the one who killed them. Now he knew.

He wanted Marlin dead. Not arrested. Not in jail.

Dead.

His finger tightened on the trigger. One movement. Just a slight squeeze, and it would be over.

“Don’t!”

The slurred cry caught at him, and his eyes flickered from Marlin to Jayce. The boy’s face was a mass of bruises and cuts, and he could only open one eye. But that was enough. What Dan saw shining in Jayce’s eye gripped him, shook him like a Doberman with a rag doll.

Faith.

He saw the light of faith in Jayce’s eye. The same light he’d seen every time he looked into his son’s or daughter’s eyes.

His finger easing on the trigger, Dan focused on Marlin again. The glance at Jayce only took a moment, but it was a moment too long. Dan found himself looking down Marlin’s gun barrel.

“I might go down—” there was pure hatred in Marlin’s words—“but I’m taking you with me.” He smiled. “So I win after all.”

As if in slow motion, Dan watched Marlin’s finger squeeze the trigger, tensed for the bullet to strike, but two things happened simultaneously.

Jayce gave an agonized cry and threw himself back into Marlin, just as a black blur flew through the air and latched on to Marlin’s arm.

Kodi!

As the gun spiraled into the air, Marlin, Jayce, and Kodi all tumbled to the ground. Dan and the other deputies rushed them. Within moments, they had Marlin pinned, his hands cuffed behind his back. Annie was there, too, taking her dog by the collar. “Kodi! Release!”

The dog let Marlin’s arm go and dropped into a sit next to Annie.

“I thought I told you to stay outside!”

Annie gave him a demur smile. “You did.”

“Well, the next time I give you an order like that …”

Her brows arched. “Yes?”

Dan grinned. “Do me a favor and ignore me again.”

She started to laugh, but sudden concern creased her forehead. “Dan, he’s hurt!”

He turned to see Jayce lying on the cement floor, not moving. A pool of red was coloring the floor beneath him. Images of Sarah lying there, struggling for air, flashed through his mind. For a moment all he felt was blind panic. He’d lost Sarah. Then Aaron and Shannon.

And now he was losing Jayce.

No
.

The word whispered within him, bringing with it a cool wave of calm.

Don’t be afraid
.

Peace settled over him, bringing with it the undeniable sense of God’s presence. His mercy.

Don’t be afraid
.

As the words echoed again, Dan realized he wasn’t. Not any longer. Instead, what he felt was trust. God had Dan in His hands. And Jayce. And there was no better place for either of them.

He dropped beside the boy, taking hold of him and easing him over.

Marlin’s knife was buried in Jayce’s right shoulder. Dan fought to keep the panic from his voice as he hollered at the other deputies. “Get the EMTs in here!”

Annie knelt beside them, pressing her bandanna to the wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood.

“I’m sorry … I’m so sorry …”

Between Jayce’s swollen lips and his sobbing, Dan almost couldn’t understand the words. “Sorry?” He forced himself to smile. “Why? Because you just saved my life?”

“It’s my fault.”

“What is?”

Jayce’s ruin face spasmed. “Shannon. Aaron. It’s my fault they’re dead.”

Dan and Annie exchanged a shocked look.

“No.” Dan put his hand on the boy’s forehead. “No, it’s not. Marlin killed them. Not you.”

“You don’t understand.” With a groan, Jayce bent his knee
so he could reach down into his sock. He pulled something out and handed it to Dan.

It was a digital microrecorder.

“It’s voice activated.”

Dan looked down at Jayce, troubled at the flat, desolate tone in the boy’s voice.

“It’s all there. Marlin’s confession. How he killed Brumby. Aaron.” His voice cracked. “Shannon. And why.” Tears flowed from his eye. “Listen to it, Dan. Then you’ll see. You’ll understand.”

With that, he turned his face away. Dan slid the recorder into his pocket, then wrapped Jayce in his arms.

“Jayce, look at me.” At Dan’s firm tone, the boy turned his head, peered out his one good eye. Dan leaned his face close to Jayce’s. “Listen to me, son. And I mean listen. I don’t care what’s on this tape. It doesn’t matter. None of it. It wasn’t your fault.” Emotion clogged Dan’s throat, but he forced the words out. “And even if it were, I forgive you.”

Jayce’s lip trembled. “But Shannon—”

“Shannon loved you.” He gripped Jayce’s hand. “How can I do any less?”

Jayce stared, his swollen mouth falling open. “Are you saying … do you mean, you love me?”

“Got it in one. I love you. And I want you to stay with me. For good.”

“Okay, Deputy, let us in there.”

Dan looked up at the EMTs. For a moment, he resisted, loathe to let Jayce go. But Annie put her hand on his arm.

“Let them do their jobs, Danny.”

He moved away.

“Dan?”

He glanced over the nearest EMT’s shoulder. Jayce’s face was so pale. “Yeah, son?”

“You’re not … just saying … what you did because … because I’m dying, are you?”

Dan tried to laugh, but it came out on a choked sob. “No.

And you’re not going to die. You hear me?”

Jayce’s lips pulled into a swollen smile. “Yes, sir.”

Annie took Dan’s arm and led him away. He followed, tears rolling down his face.
Please, Father, for once in his life, please make Jayce do as he’s told
.

“Dan!”

At the sound of that voice, Dan jumped up from the waiting room chair and turned. Shelby ran toward him, and he didn’t even hesitate.

He opened his arms and drew her into his embrace.

She held him tight, her face buried in his chest. He smoothed her soft hair, savoring her nearness. She tipped her head back to look up at him.

“Is there any word on Jayce?”

“They’re moving him to a room. The knife wound was deep, but they were more worried about possible internal injuries from the beating. So they’re keeping him here a few days, to watch him.”

She touched his face. “He’ll be okay, Dan.”

He captured his hand in hers, turned his face to press a soft kiss in her palm. “Guess what?”

Her hand trembled in his. “What?”

“I know that.” He smiled. “I really do.” He drew her to the chairs, and they sat. “It was amazing, Shelby. When I saw Jayce was hurt, I kind of panicked. But only for a second. Then this … wave of calm settled over me. And I just knew. Whatever happened, it was in God’s hands. His control.” He looked down at their joined hands. “And everything would be right. Regardless. It would be right, because of Him.”

She leaned her head against his arm. “I love you, Dan.”

It seemed the most natural thing in the world for her to say those words. And for him to cup her face and lower his lips to
hers. The waiting room around them, the hospital, it all faded away. There was nothing but the two of them. Dan let that kiss tell her everything that was in his heart:
I love you … I promise we’ll have a good life together … I’ll cherish you, and every day God lets us be togeth—

“Uh. ’Scuse me, Deputy?”

Dan and Shelby pulled apart, turning to stare in a daze at the nurse standing in front of them. Dan blinked. Tried to form coherent words. Then tried again. “Y-yeah?”

The nurse’s grin brought a sheepish smile to Dan’s face, but he didn’t let Shelby go. And she didn’t seem to mind one bit.

“The boy you came in with, he’s settled in his room now. I thought you might like to see him before you headed home.”

“I’d like that a lot.” Dan stood, then held his hand out to Shelby. “Shall we?”

She slipped her small, strong hand into his. “Absolutely.”

JAYCE WAS COMING HOME
.

Dan couldn’t wait. In fact, he arrived at the hospital at least two hours early. He sat in Jayce’s room, watching as the nurses fussed over the boy, treating him like a young prince. For his part, Jayce took the coddling with surprising good humor.

After yet another young nurse came in to rearrange his pillows, Dan shook his head. “Enjoy it while it lasts, kid. You’re not getting this kind of treatment at home.”

It was so good to see the healthy color back in Jayce’s face. Even his cocky grin was a welcome sight. “Hey, haven’t you heard? I’m a hero.” He lifted a hand and ticked items off on his fingers. “I saved a deputy’s life, got rid of a drug dealer,
and
got the evidence that convicted a killer.”

Dan lifted his hand, ticking off his own list. “And got yourself beaten to a pulp, me almost shot, and yourself stabbed …”

Jayce leaned back against his strategically placed pillows. “Man! You just don’t give a guy a break, do you?”

“Why should he, when he doesn’t give a girl a break, either?”

They both turned to the doorway, but all they saw was a huge bouquet of helium balloons and a pair of legs below them.

“Well …” Jayce chortled. “It
sounds
like Shelby.”

Dan craned his neck. “And the legs are shapely enough to be Shelby’s.”

“Ha ha.” She came in and tied the balloons to the foot of Jayce’s bed. “A regular pair of comedians. That’s you two.” She leaned over Jayce and planted a kiss on his forehead, then went to give Dan a kiss. He closed his eyes, savoring her nearness.

When the kiss ended, he gave her a slow smile. “Hi.”

She touched his face. “Hi back.”

“All right, enough of the mushy stuff.”

Jayce’s goofy grin told Dan he wasn’t the least bit serious. Just yesterday Dan told Jayce he had a surprise for him.

“Please tell me it’s not more balloons.” Jayce grimaced. “There’s hardly room in here for me with all these balloons.”

“It’s not balloons.”

“Okay. Good.”

“It’s actually a ring.” Dan watched Jayce’s face. “A gold one.”

The blank stare Dan got told him he’d have to be less subtle.

“A
wedding
ring.”

Jayce almost jumped out of the bed. “You
did
it! You asked Shelby to marry you!”

Dan laughed. “That I did.”

“And she said yes?”

Dan delivered a playful punch to Jayce’s arm. “She said yes. And, by the way, so did your grandmother.”

Jayce’s mouth dropped open. “You proposed to my
gramma
? Isn’t that illegal? Or immoral? Or im
some
thing?
”

“Ha ha. She said yes to letting us adopt you, goofball.”

“Ooohh.” Jayce nodded, his lips doing their best not to grin. “Got it.”

“So you’ll have a mom one of these days, as well as a dad. You have a problem with that, son?”

“Me? A problem? Not in a million years.” The kid’s grin almost took up his whole face.

Now Jayce studied the two of them. “So Shelby, if we’re such a crazy pair of goons, you sure you want to sign on to this outfit?”

“Oh—” she looked down at Dan, a small smile playing at her lips—“I think I can keep you guys in line.”

Dan arched one brow. “Is that so?” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap. He nuzzled her neck. “Don’t count on it, woman.”

Shelby’s laughter surrounded him, and Dan soaked it in. Her laughter was the most beautiful music in the world.

She slid off his lap, then tapped him on the shoulder. “Did you give it to him?”

“Oh.” Dan reached into his pocket and stood. “I forgot.”

“What?” Jayce’s eyes lit up. “Presents? For the hero?”

“Hero?”

Dan shook his head at Shelby. “Don’t encourage him.”

At his words, the three of them stopped, then Shelby and Jayce said together, “Guys like that don’t know when to quit.”

“All right,” Dan said as their laughter died down. “Very funny.” He turned to Jayce. “Hold your hand out, comedian.”

Much to Dan’s surprise, Jayce did so without question. That simple act of trust warmed his heart more than he could say. He reached out, holding his hand over Jayce’s, then dropped the gift into the boy’s palm.

Jayce looked down, then up at Dan and Shelby, his eyes glistening. “My Aslan pendant.”