Twisted Pieces (Back Down Devil MC #5)(44)

“That won’t happen,” Jace said. “Miller wouldn’t allow it and the club wouldn’t vote it. We’re in this together. Now, is that what you wanted?”

“No,” Chief Jerry said. “I have something to show you.”

The chief turned Jace around and took the cuffs off his wrists. He walked Jace to a cell.

"Oh f*ck no, Chief. You are not throwing me back in there. You've got nothing on me," Jace started to thrash to get out of the Chief's grasp.

"Will you calm the hell down and look?"

"Look at wha...," Jace froze when he recognized the little kid sitting in the cell.

His chin rested on his fists. His knuckles were covered in fresh blood. He looked like he’d been in a car accident.

“He said he wanted to talk to you,” Chief Jerry said.

“What the f*ck happened to him?”

“Ask him.”

The chief opened the cell and Jace stepped in. When the cell shut and clicked, it sent chills through Jace’s nerves. He stood in front of Jacob wondering what he was supposed to say.

Jacob looked up and his face was beat up and bloody. When he smiled, he was missing a tooth.

“What did you do?” Jace asked.

“I fought back,” Jacob whispered. “Like you said.”

“Christ, kid. You look like you’re beat up pretty bad.”

“You should see what I did to them. I lured them into the woods. And then they started to punch and kick me. It hurt so bad, you know?” Jacob’s eyes filled with tears. He blinked and tears ran down his cheeks. “My father hates me. He hates that I’m not big and athletic. Like my brother is. But my brother does drugs. Dad gets him out of trouble all the time. So I figured he would do the same for me."

“What's going on?" Jace asked.

“You were going to hurt me that day, because of something my father did. I hate him even more for that.”

This was the problem with not finishing a damn job. The dead couldn't speak. But this kid could and he was making Jace's heart ache a little.

“What did you, Jacob?” Jace asked.

“I had a knife buried in the woods,” Jacob said. “I didn’t think they were all going to beat me up. At one point I closed my eyes and just wanted to die. But then I saw my father’s face. And I snapped. I started to kick and punch. I hit a few guys. I did good without the knife. But it was five on one. I needed the knife…”

Jace crouched down to look at Jacob straight on. “Fuck, kid, what did you do?”

Jacob looked at Jace. “I cut them all. I had to defend myself. I had to stand up for myself. You told me to do that.”

“Yeah, I did,” Jace said. “Did you kill anyone?”

“No. I wanted to. But I didn’t.”

“Okay. Chief brought you here?”

“Yeah. My father is going to get me out. I’m going to tell him I’m not weak anymore. I can’t be strong and play football like my brother, but I can fight. I’ll always fight.”

Jace stood back up. He put a hand to the kid’s head and suddenly Jacob was sobbing. Jace knew the feeling.

“You’ll be okay, kid,” Jace said. “I don’t think those guys will mess with you anymore.”

“Are you going to kill my father?” Jacob asked through his sobs.

“I can’t answer that, kid. I don’t know the truths and I don’t like to lie. Just keep fighting. I’m sorry for whatever the hell you’re going to go through next.”

Jace turned and whistled. Chief Jerry appeared and looked angry when he saw Jacob crying so hard. He opened the door and Jace walked out. The door shut again and Chief Jerry spun him around.

“What the Christ did you say to that kid?”

Jace froze and looked over his shoulder. “I gave that kid a second chance, because of his f*cking father's involvement in all this. The kid was getting picked on, so I told him to fight back and, well, he did.”

“He stabbed five people,” Chief Jerry said. “You know the mess…”

“I don’t care,” Jace said. “Good for the kid. And good for the kid’s father. Someday everyone will learn not to f*ck with Back Down Devil.”

“Jesus Christ,” Chief Jerry said. “You just taught that kid… to be like you…”

“And he'll be much better off because of it,” Jace said.

He walked out of the police station without another word. Blaine and Griffin were standing there waiting for him. Jace put his arms out to show that he wasn’t wearing cuffs and that there were no bullet holes in his body.

“What the hell was that about?” Blaine asked.

Jace ignored Blaine and grabbed his cell. He called Jordyn and asked for directions.

Jace couldn't predict the future and he couldn’t live in the past. But at least he could take a breath and do something good for someone deserving.

He would tell her grandmother that he’d fallen in love with Jordyn.





eighteen.



Jordyn was nervous. She had always imagined this moment to be with a man in a suit and tie who would take her dear grandmother’s hand and ensure her that Jordyn would be cared for. That there was a great life waiting out there and he was going to provide it.