The Terms of Release (22 page)

Teddy turned on him. “You sorry son of a bitch. You had to come back here, you murdering asshole.”

“You leave her alone. You’ll never get Redding land. Ever. I didn’t kill Angel. He was fucking another guy, getting high. The meth lab blew.”

Teddy’s hands clenched, and he took a step toward Sage, face mottled with ugly rage. “You don’t say that. You don’t talk about my boy.”

“Talk about him? I fucking spent eight years in the pen because he took my fucking keys!” He stumbled forward. “I was leaving his cheating ass, coming home! He was a fucking whore!”

A loud roar filled his ears, Angel’s daddy rushing him, fists swinging.

Oh, he didn’t think so. He backed up a half step, stumbling, crying out as he put weight on his knee.

“Son!” Momma rushed forward, reaching for him, and that sorry son of a bitch popped her, right in the face. His momma. His
momma
, goddamn it.

Sage lost it, hitting the old man with ten years of fucking rage, of shame, of knowing that Adam was fucking gone, Daddy was dying, and the house was trashed. He didn’t even know if his dog was still alive.

He kept on hitting until his knuckles were bleeding and his knee was screaming.

Security grabbed him, dragged him back, and Ted was on the floor, calling for someone to get 911.

“Sage. Sage. You leave my boy alone.” Momma was fighting to get to him.

“You stay with Daddy. I got this.” He looked around and met Rosie’s eyes. “You don’t let anything happen to that land.”

“That’s Redding land.” Her hand was on her swelling belly. “It ain’t going nowhere.”

Sage smiled, even as the cops showed up. “That’s my girl.” She was so much braver now.

“They’re going to take you in, man.” Rick’s voice was soft. “What do you want?”

“You call Bulldog. Tell him what happened. Tell him Momma needs him.”

“I can do that. Keep yourself in one piece until I get you help.” Rick was a good guy. Solid.

“I got this.” No matter what. Rosie had the land. The bikers would have Momma and Daddy’s back.

Him? Hell, he’d been on his own a long, long time.

W
IN
DIDN
’
T
really know what time it was. He wasn’t sure he knew what day it was. If this was what happened when a twister touched down and bounced a few places, he didn’t want to see what happened when one took out whole towns.

Of course, the nagging worry for Sage and the rest of the Reddings was right there, poking at his brain.

Nobody’d called, but to be honest, with all the shit hitting the radio, Win wasn’t surprised.

He needed a drink of water, a few minutes to call Sage, and possibly some headache pills. He got in his truck and headed back toward town and a gas station for a drink, when his phone rang, Sam Redding’s name showing up.

“Hello?” His heart thudded against his ribs.

“Adam? This is Ellen.” Sage’s momma sounded totally blown. “I need you to listen to me and say yes, ma’am to every single word I say to you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The words fell out without him even trying.

“Sam is dying, and they took my boy to jail without even letting him have surgery on his knee. I swear by all I hold holy, if he doesn’t get to tell his daddy good-bye, I will never forgive you. Ever. You go get my son and bring him to this hospital, and you do it right now.”

“They took Sage to jail?” He hopped in his truck and headed to the sheriff’s office. They wouldn’t have had time to take Sage to county lockup yet. He’d be in holding at the office.

“Your asshole uncle came to threaten us, hit me, and Sage beat his ass down. I need him, Adam. We’re losing Sam.” There was pure panic there, devastation.

“You tell Sam to hang on. I’m going to get Sage. He’ll be there, no matter what happens.”

“Good boy.” The line went dead.

Jail. Jesus. What the fuck was Ted thinking, going to the fucking hospital? Knee surgery? Fuck. Win called Bulldog as he burned up the road, not sure who else to trust.

“Win? I’m at the hospital. Rick called. You need to go get Sage,” Bulldog said without even a greeting.

“I’m heading there now. Y’all keep everyone but me and Sage away from Ellen and Sam.”

“Rick and I have it. I sent the boys to the ranch to start cleaning.”

“Can you make sure Penny is okay? Sage’s dog?”

“I’m on it. Hurry, man. Shit’s looking serious in there.”

“Got it.” Win put on his siren and stepped on it. Gravel flew as he fishtailed into the parking lot.

He stormed into the office. “Where the hell is Sage Redding?”

Grace looked up at him. “Hank’s got him in the back. It’s not pretty.”

“His father is dying, Grace. I’m taking him back to the hospital. Log it for me.” He would try to do this as much by the book as he could.

“You got it.” God love that woman. She was solid as a rock.

He headed back and heard Hank say, “You want a bottle of water, man? You look rough.”

“Fuck you. I want a goddamn lawyer.”

He’d never—not once—heard that harshness in Sage’s voice.

“I’m taking him back to the hospital, Hank.” Win didn’t let himself really look at Sage. Not when all he could see was bruises.

“Back to the hospital? I don’t…. You sure, Win? There was a bad fight. Your uncle’s still in there getting checked out.”

“His daddy is in a bad way, Hank. I won’t let him miss his chance to say his piece.” Win held out his hand for the keys, then unlocked Sage’s cell.

Sage limped out, face gray as a squirrel’s butt.

Win wanted to touch him, wanted to hold on tight, but he knew he couldn’t. “You need to lean?”

“I cain’t make it all the way to the truck. It’s broke.” Sage met his eyes. “Daddy still with us?”

He ducked under Sage’s arm and put his shoulder right there for Sage, holding him up. “Right now, yeah. Your momma sounds scared, baby.” He wasn’t gonna lie.

“Okay. This gonna get you fired?”

“Possibly.” Win grinned a little, despite the situation. “I don’t care.”

“Oh.”

Sage was covered in blood, in tears and scratches, and Win wanted to scream.

He needed to suck it up, though. This wasn’t about him. He got Sage in the truck and hit the siren again, booking it to the hospital.

Sage never said a word to him, just sat there, eyes closed, still as death. Win wanted to ask what had happened, what Sage needed, but he choked it back. Time for that later.

He pulled into the emergency lane, and Sage opened the door, legs buckling as they hit the ground.

“Shit!” Win circled the truck and picked Sage right up, his pocket cowboy not weighing enough to even slow him down.

“Sam Redding?”

The tiny slip of a nurse buzzed him in and pointed, and Win ran.

Rosie was in the hallway, sitting and sobbing, face in her hands. “He’s….”

“No.” Sage shook his head. “No. I have to say good-bye. God can’t have this too.”

Ellen came out, white as a ghost. “Sage. Hurry. He’s waiting for you, I know he is.”

Win rushed Sage in, Ellen behind him. Sam Redding was still, as close to dead as anyone he’d ever seen who was still breathing.

“Daddy.” Sage sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed his father’s hand with fingers that were more meat than skin. “I’m here. I got this. I’ll take care of things. You’re okay now. I got this, I swear in Jesus’s name.”

Sam didn’t say a word, didn’t open his eyes, but the man took a single, deep breath and then was gone.

Win held his breath, feeling like an intruder.

Ellen stood there, tears streaking her face. “I… I don’t know what to do now.”

“Adam will help. He’ll know.” Sage put Sam’s hand on the blue blanket, stood up, and then collapsed.

“Doctor!” Win knew what to do. It was like battlefield triage. Get help for the ones still alive. Sage needed care. Then he could help Ellen do what needed done.

“Sage! Adam, oh Jesus, help.” Ellen was fixin’ to lose her shit, and no one on earth would blame the woman.

“Get a doctor in here, damn it.” He knew when it registered that Sam had died out there at the nurse’s station, they turned off the alarms and let the family have time. He needed to make a fuss. “We have a collapsed family member in here!”

“What the hell is he doing here?” A doctor came in, frowning. “Why isn’t he in surgery?”

“They took him to jail, Doc.” Win clenched his hands to keep from hitting something. “He needs care. I’ll deal with any issues.”

“He needs surgery. Get me a gurney and some orderlies! Get these people out of here!”

Win took Ellen’s arm. “Did you need to sit with Sam, Ellen?” Some people needed long good-byes, and he didn’t want to step on toes.

“I….” She looked at her husband for a long, long minute. “I slept with him for thirty-two years. I reckon it’s all done now. Someone needs to call his brother.”

“I called Uncle Seth, Momma. He’ll be here with Mona and the boys in a couple hours.” Rosie came in, face all red. “There’s a lady here that can help us. Where’s Bubba?”

“He’s going into surgery.” Win put an arm around both women, his heart sore for them. “Let’s go sit somewhere.”

“Is he going to go back to jail, Adam?” Ellen looked at him, her pretty eyes lifeless. “The man hit me first.”

She turned her cheek, and he saw the black bruise on her jaw.

Hope bloomed in his chest. “Are you willing to play hardball with that, Ellen? I think we can work a deal if you are.”

“I just lost my husband and my house. I am not losing my son. You haven’t seen hardball yet, boy.”

Atta girl. Win nodded. “Good deal. I’ll talk to Jim about just who gets to press charges. You’ll have to give your statement to Hank or Jamie, and they’ll have to take pictures of your face.

“Okay. Just make it happen.” She swallowed hard and closed her eyes. “I don’t know what to do next.”

“I do.” Win had dealt with this mess on the job, more often than he wanted to admit. They didn’t talk on it much, but he knew what to do.

“Good.”

He got his phone out and started making a list of things he needed to do for Ellen and for Sage. The counselor from the hospital would come soon to let Ellen know what her choices were for funeral homes, in case they hadn’t planned that in advance. Some folks did.

“Win? Win, they told me you removed someone from the office?” Jim came down the hall, all bluster.

Leaving Ellen to Rosie, he pulled Jim aside, not brooking an argument. “I did. We don’t deny anyone medical treatment, and you know it.”

“Medical treatment? What the hell?”

“Teddy tried to attack Sage Redding, Jim. His daddy is dead from the storm, and Sage needs surgery on his knee. They hauled him in, but he’s got every right to press charges against Ted.”

“You sure Sage didn’t hit him first?”

“Ted hit Mrs. Redding, Jim. In the face. There are a dozen witnesses.” Win hadn’t had a lot of time, but he’d seen people nodding when he talked to Ellen.

“Jesus Christ.” Jim winced and shook his head. “Stupid asshole. He knows better.”

“He should.” God, it was good to see a glimmer of Jim’s reasonable side. “He’s losing it. Screaming at Ellen about that land while her husband was in there dying.”

“She pressing charges?”

“Not as long as we leave Sage alone.”

“Done.”

He felt his eyebrow arch. “You sure about that?”

“Am I still sheriff here?”

“I sure hope so.” Something eased a little in his chest. Jim was still a lawman, thank God.

“You deal with that wreck out at the county line?”

“I did. I got that trailer court well on the way too. Hank is out now, since he doesn’t have anyone in lockup, and I’m on call.” He was going to stay and help the Redding women.

“Okay. You stay here, make sure no one comes and harasses Mrs. Redding about anything. I won’t have it. The woman lost her husband.” The turnaround didn’t surprise him. Jim didn’t hold with hitting women or messing with folks when they’d lost their breadwinner.

“Thanks, Jim.” He held out his hand and shook with Jim, feeling like part of the world had righted himself.

Ellen sat there, staring down the hall, Rosie orbiting her like a pregnant satellite.

Win went to them, sat, and put his arm around Ellen. “They’re going to ask a bunch of stuff. Do you need some coffee or a sandwich?”

“No. No, I don’t need anything. I have to go clean up the mess at the house.”

“Bulldog and Wilma have people out there now. They’ll do what they can until you can come. Sage needs you.”

“I shouldn’t have ever asked him to come back to this place. I was selfish. God is punishing me.”

“Oh, Momma, stop it.” Rosie snapped the words out.

Win understood how she felt. He really did. Rosie was right, though. Ellen needed to keep it together. “Rosie, can you get some coffee and some chocolate? Helps with the shock.”

“Chocolate. Right. Sure. You want coffee too?”

“I’d love some.” He took her hand and squeezed it.

“It’s going to be okay, right?”

“It is.” He knew it would be hard, but they’d get through it.

“Okay. I believe you.” Rosie was fixin’ to break down, he could see it.

“Chocolate. Get some for you too.”

“Yeah. I’m on it.”

“When can we see Sage? Is he in surgery already?”

There was no way they had him prepped already. Win stalled. “I’ll check as soon as Rosie gets back, okay?”

Ellen nodded, and then the hospital people started coming with papers and questions, and suddenly Win was up to his elbows in it. It took almost an hour, two cups of coffee for him, and three candy bars for Ellen to get through it.

When they got done, though, the doctor was there with news about Sage.

“Mrs. Redding, the previous damage to his knees was extensive. I went in and cleaned that up on the right, but we had to replace the knee on the left.”

Her lower lip quivered, and Win could tell she was about to lose it. “Well, as long as you fixed him. We’ll figure it.”

“He’ll feel considerably better than before, I imagine. He had to be in real pain. After he heals, he’s going to feel like he’s ten years younger.”