Waves of Reckoning (The Montclair Brothers) (4 page)

“He’s going to blow,” warned Jacob. “Even Robert didn’t make him this angry.”

“Yeah, I know,” agreed Vincent. “No matter what it takes, we’re going to have to help him get a grip on the situation. Remember, he has years of pent up resentment, and when it fully unleashes, he’s going to be like a bomb.”

“You guys get some sleep,” offered Sean. “I’ll stay out here so I can keep an eye on the bedroom. One of you two can swap places with me in a few hours. That bedroom window is stuck shut, so there’s no way he can get out of it without making lots of racket.”

Vincent nodded and walked to the other spare room. As he passed Tyler’s door, he could hear his muffled voice. Hopefully he was talking to Renee and she’d calm him down a little. He left his door cracked so he could hear any commotion. It shouldn’t be too hard because sleep wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler lay in the bed fully clothed. He’d like to take off to Castle Lake right now, but that’d be out of the question until Robert’s fate was decided by the jury.
Hopefully they hate him as much as everyone else does.
He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He felt compelled to confront the man who’d disgraced his family and abandoned his children. Robert was a tyrant, but Tyler would much rather be harmed physically than go through the anguish that was filling him right now.

He felt like the ground beneath him had crumbled and he was falling. Normally he would find comfort in his brothers’ presence, but looking at their faces just reminded him of everything they’d gone through. Having to tell his younger siblings about the death of his parents was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Jacob and Sean had looked up at him like they were lost. Immediately afterwards they’d been separated. Vincent thought he was being sent away as a punishment. Tyler could recall that scene like it was yesterday.

His phone vibrated in his pocket.
Renee
. Tyler felt his chest get tight.

“Tyler, are you okay?” she asked in a soft voice. He could tell she’d been crying. Guilt was overtaking him.

He had to pause for a minute to compose himself. “I’m so sorry, Renee. I don’t know what happened to me…”

“I’m here for you, okay? You’re going through a lot right now, so I just wanted to tell you that we love you.”

Tyler thought about his baby and Brian. He had a beautiful family, which also included his brothers, and that was something his father couldn’t take from him. “I love you guys too, but I’m not feeling very talkative right now. I just need some quiet time to think. My head feels like I have a million thoughts racing through it. Just know that my crazy behavior doesn’t have anything to do with you or Brian.”

“I know it doesn’t, Baby. You don’t need to worry about us. We’ll stick by you for the duration, and I’m so sorry you have to deal with this. I can only imagine how much your heart is aching right now.” Tyler heard her softly blowing her nose.

“Renee, I don’t want you to be upset over this. I promise not to do anything crazy. When I go to see my father, my brothers will be with me. Nothing bad is going to happen.” Tyler had no idea if he could keep that promise.

“Just remember that you’re going to have a beautiful son or daughter. There’s nothing important enough to risk you getting to watch our baby and Brian grow up. When you go see the bastard, hold us in your heart. Hold onto your family, Tyler. Get some sleep and I’ll see you at the courthouse tomorrow, okay? We love you.”

“I love you guys too. I’ll see you in the morning.” Tyler hung up the phone and stared at the wall. On it was a picture of him and his brothers on the day they’d been reunited. He let his head sink into the pillow; his mind was racing with images of him grabbing his father by the throat.

Chapter 4

V
incent startled awake
at five the next morning. Sean must have stayed awake all night. Still fully clothed, he got up and walked into the kitchen to put some coffee on. There sat Jacob reading the newspaper.

“Did you get any sleep?” asked Vincent as he pulled the coffee out of the cupboard.

“Just a couple of hours, but that’s okay. Sean needed the rest.” Jacob eyed the coffee and smiled. “Man, I could use some of that right now. Maybe the full pot.”

“Do you know if Tyler slept?” Vincent put the grounds and water into the coffee maker and then sat in a chair at the table.

“According to Sean, the guy tossed and turned all night. I’ve heard the same thing since I came out here. I don’t think he slept.” Jacob shook his head and then folded the paper back up.

“That’s not good. Tyler already isn’t thinking clearly.” Vincent sighed as he got up and took two mugs out of the cabinet. “He’s in bad shape, and a lack of sleep is going to make everything worse.”

A few minutes later, Vincent poured the coffee and handed a full mug to Sean. He watched his brother take a sip.

“Wow, Vinnie. Don’t ever become a barista. This tastes like shit.” Sean put the mug down.

“No it doesn’t.” Vincent took a small drink. “Okay, yes it does. I’m going to get in the shower. Damn, this is gross.” Vincent laughed and headed to the bathroom.

The hot shower felt good. He hadn’t realized how tight the muscles in his shoulders and neck had become until they started to loosen up under the hot water. He wasn’t looking forward to sitting through the closing arguments in Robert’s trial today. Vincent hoped the creep would act out, and be kept away from the courtroom. Just the sight of the guy made him want to knock his teeth down his throat. If he got this angry, he could only imagine how it must feel to Jacob, Renee, and Brian, his shooting victims, not to mention the families of the people Robert had killed. After his shower, and shave, he wrapped a towel around his waist and went back into the kitchen. Sean had gotten up and was talking with Jacob.

“Good morning, Vin,” smiled Sean. “This coffee tastes like shit.”

“So I’ve heard,” he laughed. “Sean, I need something clean to wear. I’m going to raid your closet.” Vincent walked into Sean’s bedroom. He was thankful that he and his brothers wore the same size. Tyler was the tallest, but the variation in height was barely noticeable. He chose a dark gray pinstriped suit and a black and gray tie, put his black loafers back on, and took a seat in the kitchen.

“You better not be wearing my boxers…” warned Sean.

“I love you, my brother, but I wouldn’t go there.” Vincent winked and looked over at Jacob. “Are you feeling good about today?”

“Yeah, he’ll get convicted, but the relief of putting Robert behind us will be the best part. Oh, and I made a new pot of coffee. Want some?” Jacob laughed and went over to the cabinet.

“Tyler hasn’t poked his head out of the bedroom yet. Do you think I should get him up?” asked Jacob.

Vincent was about to reply when Tyler walked out to the hall and went inside the bathroom. He listened as the shower turned on.

“Normally he’d come out here and make some kind of wise-ass remark about a lumpy bed or something,” began Sean. “He’s worrying me.”

“Yeah, me too,” agreed Vincent. “We’ll have to stick beside him like glue and make sure he doesn’t try to slip out of the courtroom.” He could just picture them having to chase Tyler down during closing arguments. Vincent couldn’t help but anticipate a tackle in front of reporters.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler put his rumpled suit back on. He could care less what he looked like. The shower made him more alert. He hadn’t slept at all, and his head was pounding. Tyler looked in the mirror at his whiskered face, but he found no reason to shave. It was just one more thing that would zap his energy when he needed every drop he could muster. He planned to flee to Castle Lake the minute the attorneys were done running their mouths today, and once there, he’d get a motel room and wait for the verdict to be announced on the news. Then he’d hit the beach, searching every square inch of woods near it, until he found the son of a bitch. This way, no one could stop him.

Renee had offered to bring him clean clothes, but Tyler didn’t think he could face her. In order to confront Sebastian, he couldn’t be filled with guilt. There was no way he could get any closure until he made his father face him. If a fist or two happened to fly, it’d be like hitting a random person. Tyler felt no family connection to the man. He’d be attacking a stranger.

Walking into the kitchen, he sat in a chair but stayed silent. Sean brought him a mug of coffee, which he sipped, but he couldn’t clear his mind enough to start a conversation.

“Let’s go grab some breakfast,” suggested Vincent. “We can’t sit there without food in our stomachs.”

Tyler didn’t agree or disagree. He just followed everyone out to Sean’s SUV and took his place in the backseat between Vincent and Jacob.

At the diner, his brothers placed their orders, and Sean ordered eggs and bacon for Tyler. When the food arrived, all he could do was to push the eggs around the plate with a fork.

“Ty, you have to eat something.” Sean reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

Tyler looked up at him and stared. He lifted a slice of toast, took a small bite, and then forced himself to swallow it. It felt like he was trying to force a boulder down his throat. He put the toast back down on the plate.

“Well, we need to get going,” said Jacob after several more minutes of watching Tyler poke at his food.

The brothers stood up, but didn’t move from the table until Tyler was on his feet. He knew he’d be watched carefully. The Montclairs’ protective nature wasn’t to be underestimated. They’d learned early on that they didn’t have anyone but each other. Emma and Renee would even throw themselves in front of him, so he’d have to escape through them as well. Looking at Renee and Brian’s faces would be a challenge for him, but he couldn’t expect himself to ever feel whole again without doing what he needed to do.

Sitting through the closing arguments was killing Tyler. All it did was remind him of such a painful fact; while his brother lay dying, his father hadn’t even bothered to show his face. This filled him with an even greater desire to get up north. Looking at Robert with that stupid look on his face, fueled him even more. Tyler could feel his brothers’ eyes on him frequently, but expecting him to play nice with someone who remained a toxic poison to the family, wasn’t realistic. He’d make sure Sebastian stayed far away from their lives. Some people had to give up their children as a selfless act of love, but what his father had done was unconscionable.
Who in the hell did he think he was
?
Did he expect his sons to welcome him back with open arms
? Tyler wanted to yell out his thoughts, but doing so in a courtroom would be a bad idea.

Furrow’s explanation of the evidence took all morning. When he was done, they broke for lunch. Renee tried to get him to eat at the restaurant, but his stomach still felt like it was tied in knots. He managed a smile at Brian, but the expression on the kid’s face let Tyler know that he wasn’t falling for the act. Emma gave him a few glares, as if to say “Don’t you
dare
run!” But he knew he’d have to have faith that they’d forgive him. He wasn’t the bad person in this.

When they arrived back in court, Robert turned around and looked at Renee. Tyler’s first instinct was to get up and snap the monster’s neck, but Sean read his mind. He felt his brother’s hand on his forearm, letting him know that his urge wasn’t going to be played out. When he looked at Renee, he was relieved to see that she didn’t falter. She returned his laser-eyed stare with a smile, pissing Robert off enough to be nudged by the bailiff again.

Knowles spoke a lot longer than Furrow had. The jurors’ faces remained serious and were impossible to read. His arguments were insane. Even hinting that the creep was innocent should be a mortal sin. Tyler’s mind quickly went back to his father as soon as the word ‘creep’ entered his mind. He spaced out after that. The next thing he knew, the judge was giving the jury instructions before they were allowed to begin deliberating. He could only hope they wouldn’t take days to render a verdict.

“Let’s get out of here guys,” directed Vincent as he made his way to the aisle. Tyler saw his youngest brother exchange glances with Sean and Jacob. He was going to have to move as fast as possible. His only hope was to find someplace to hide.

Sean and Vincent were in front of him and Jacob stayed close on his heels. As they approached the crowd in the lobby, Tyler took the opportunity and bolted, dodging around people to get to the side entrance.

“Tyler!” he heard Vincent yell behind him, but he pushed himself to run even faster. As he rounded the corner, he saw the huge Southfield Library, and ran inside through the front doors. The woman at the desk looked at him with shock on her face, but he didn’t care. Tyler hit the stairs and ran to the third floor as fast as he could. He knew his brothers would be on his back in no time.
Please be open
, thought Tyler as he spotted a janitor’s closet. He hurried into the small, dark room, and locked the door behind him. He fought to control his breathing after his long sprint.

“Spread out!” instructed Vincent in a loud whisper. Tyler knew they were right outside the door. Suddenly the knob began to shake as one of his brothers tried to open the door. “I’m going downstairs to get these doors opened. You guys check the second floor!”

Tyler waited a few minutes before quietly leaving the closet and taking the fire escape down to the first floor. He spotted Sean talking to the woman at the counter, then watched as she removed keys from the drawer and followed Sean up the steps in the lobby. Moving quickly between the rows of book shelves, Tyler made it outside. He spotted a cab a block away, and sprinted towards it. A large man was sitting behind the wheel, chewing on a slice of pizza.

“Here,” began Tyler as he retrieved his wallet from his back pocket. He took out two twenty dollar bills and held them out to the man. “This is a tip if you get me out of this neighborhood as fast as you can.” He didn’t even wait for the guy to agree. Tyler jumped in the backseat and ducked down. “Go!”

“Jeez, what’d you do? Steal something?” the cab driver chuckled.

Tyler wasn’t in the mood. “Hit the freeway.” He couldn’t see his surroundings with his head lying close to the seat, but hopefully this guy would drive faster once they were out of the city. “If another cab or vehicle starts following you, lose them.”

“Listen, dude. If you did something illegal, I’m not going to be your getaway car, got it?” threatened the driver.

“I’m part of the court case for Robert Preston. The press has been following me like a fly on shit.” In a way it was true. As soon as the verdict was read, the press would indeed become their nightmare again.

“Oh man, that guy’s nuts. I’ll get you out of here, don’t you worry.” Tyler was thrown back slightly when the taxi drove onto the ramp for the freeway. “It’s safe to look up now. I don’t think anyone is tailing us. Where are we heading?”

“Drop me off at Metro Airport,” directed Tyler as he sat up and looked around at the cars by him. He felt relieved when he didn’t see any familiar vehicles or other cabs.

He reached into his pocket for his phone and looked up flights from Metro to Sawyer International Airport in Marquette. He got out his credit card but stopped himself.
Damn
! Surely Vincent would ask Frank to track him. He caught the cab driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“If I give you cash, will you buy me a plane ticket?”

“I think that’s a little shady. I’m not sure I feel comfortable doing that.” The driver looked at him suspiciously.

Tyler took out three more twenty dollar bills and handed them to the guy. “This is for your troubles.”

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t take too long…” he replied as he took the bills from Tyler.

“The flight leaves at 5:20 this afternoon. We don’t have much time.” The next flight wasn’t until 9:15 pm and Tyler definitely didn’t want to be in town for that long.

“We’ll be there in about ten minutes. Which airline?”

“Delta. Just buy a one-way ticket for Tyler Montclair.” Tyler could deal with making his way back on his own. If the cab driver didn’t hurry, at least one of his brothers would figure out he was going to fly. He quickly turned his phone off and removed the battery.

“I’ve got a credit card, so just remove the cash from the ATM inside the airport and hand it to me before I charge the ticket. I’m not rich, ya know?” The cab driver pulled off onto the airport exit.

“I’ll give you the money, just hurry!” Tyler was getting irritated. Whenever the cab driver started talking, he dropped his speed.

The driver parked the taxi, announced the fare, and then took his time walking to the counter for Delta. Tyler wanted to shove the round man. “We really need to go faster than this…”

The driver picked up his pace, but not by much. An ATM machine was located on the side wall of the lobby. Tyler already knew the price of the ticket. As the driver stood in line, he withdrew six hundred and eighty dollars, which would cover both the cost of the ticket and the cab fare.

The driver finally handed him the ticket, took his cash and headed for the doors.