Retribution (The Protectors 3)

“Who is she?” I asked.

Denny had quieted again and he solemnly said, “Jenna DuCane.”

“Where is she, Denny?”

“Gone,” was all Denny said.

“Gone where?”

“She came to the house that day looking for a fix. I'd told her never to come there.”

“What happened to her?”

“She started yelling at me that if I didn’t start helping her support the kid, she’d tell her dad who I was. She wanted cash and drugs. Then Buck came home and she started screaming that her dad was a cop.”

I swallowed hard as I realized where Denny was headed. “She was only fourteen when she and I…she kept saying it was rape and her dad was going to put us all in jail. Buck hit her.” Denny shook his head sadly. “I begged Buck to let me talk to her. I told him I could get her to come around. But he said she was a loose end. Him too,” Denny said as he pointed to Matty.

“He put Jenna in his truck and told me to take the kid somewhere and get rid of him. But I couldn’t.”

Denny once again lowered himself to Matty’s level. “He looks like me, huh?” he asked and then he reached for the baseball cap Matty was wearing and pushed it off his head. My brother’s face went from strangely paternal to one of pure shock as he took in Matty’s bald head. His eyes jumped to me. “He’s sick?”

I nodded. “Leukemia.”

Denny’s horrified gaze settled on Matty again and this time when he lifted his hand – the one not holding the gun – to stroke Matty’s face, Matty held still. I saw an opportunity that I hadn’t expected. “Denny, just let him go. You can keep me…I’ll tell Buck that Matty is staying with friends.”

Denny glanced at me and then looked back at Matty longingly. He finally nodded his head and reached down for the baseball cap and settled it gently back on Matty’s head.

“Matty,” I said carefully. “Go take Storm and hide in the woods, okay? You stay there until you either see Hawke or police officers, do you hear me?”

“Yes, Daddy,” Matty whispered.

Relief went through me as Matty stepped away from Denny and Denny let him go. I put my hand on Matty’s shoulder as he slowly walked past me. “Run really fast, okay?”

Matty nodded. “Love you lots.”

I managed a shaky nod and said, “Forever and ever.”

I kept my eyes on him until he disappeared out the barn door and then I turned my focus on Denny.

“Tate,” Denny murmured. “I didn’t think you’d remember it.”

“Remember what?” I asked.

“That name. You were so little when Pops changed it.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “My real name actually is Tate?”

Denny nodded. “Pops always hated it so he used your middle name. He used to joke that Mom was high on something when she came up with that name.”

“You remember our mother?”

“Yeah,” Denny murmured. “She was real nice,” he said thoughtfully. “Pops used to tell me that she hadn’t wanted us anymore so she’d dumped us on him. But I never believed him.”

Overwhelmed, I whispered, “Do you know where she is…is she still alive?”

“Don’t know.”

The lack of affect in Denny’s tone was frightening, but my need for answers was too great so I barreled on and actually ended up stepping so close to Denny that I could have reached out to touch him.

“Denny, do you remember her name?”

“Layla,” Denny said. “She used to play that song all the time.”

“What about her last name? Was it Buckley?”

Denny shook his head. “Don’t think so.”

“So this is how you tie up loose ends?” I heard from behind me. I would have recognized who it was even if I hadn’t turned around. And the second I did, I regretted it because as my father stepped into the dark barn, I saw him pulling my son behind him, the puppy still clutched in his arms. Tears were streaking down Matty’s face.

“I couldn’t run fast enough, Daddy,” Matty cried.

I began striding towards Buck and Matty, not caring what the man did to me, but like Denny, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Matty and I stopped in my tracks.

“Hello, Son,” Buck sniped as he kept walking forward, forcing me back towards Denny.

“It’s okay, Matty. You did real good,” I said gently as Matty began to cry in earnest.

“Pops-” Denny began.

“Shut the fuck up,” Buck snapped and then he turned his attention on me as he walked around me until he was facing the doorway, presumably so he could see anyone coming. Even though it had been only minutes since I’d entered the barn looking for Matty, it had felt like hours. But I had no doubt that Hawke would be coming to check on us any minute now and I just needed to keep Buck and Denny talking until then.