Page 74 of Finding His Redemption

But then he remembered Nessie’s face when Murdock grabbed her. That flash of raw terror. And Oliver’s eyes, wide with confusion and fear as they dragged Jax away.

No. He wasn’t dead yet. And as long as he was breathing, he had to fight.

Too bad the lawyer assigned to him was—as River would say—“as worthless as tits on a bull.”

When the guard led Jax into the interrogation room the next morning, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see a kid barely out of law school, drowning in an ill-fitting suit. The kid had a nervous pen-clicking habit that made Jax’s teeth itch.

“Mr. Thorne, you have quite the... history.”

“You read my file. Congrats.”

“I can try to get the assault charge reduced,” the lawyer—Miller, Matthews, something with an M—continued, “but with your prior conviction and the sheriff’s testimony...” He trailed off, adjusting his glasses. “And there’s the matter of the murder investigation.”

“I didn’t kill her.”

“Right, of course.” The pen clicked faster. “But Sheriff Goodwin seems convinced otherwise.”

Jax leaned forward, making the cuffs jingle against the table. The lawyer flinched.

“Listen carefully. I’ve done terrible things in my life, but I did not kill Bailee Cooper.”

The kid swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “Sheriff Goodwin is... well, he’s convinced you’re hiding something.”

“I’m not.”

“Then maybe you should tell me what happened when you assaulted Deputy Murdock. Exactly what happened, from your perspective.”

Jax sighed, leaning back against the metal chair. His shoulder ached from sleeping on the concrete slab they called a bed. “I was at the bakery. His deputy grabbed Nessie and scared her. I reacted.”

“Ms. Harmon,” the lawyer corrected, scribbling notes. “And she corroborates your version of events. Several patrons do as well. There’s even video evidence.”

“Then why am I still here?”

The lawyer—Matthews, that was it—looked up, blinking owlishly behind his glasses. “Sheriff Goodwin has... concerns... about your relationship with Ms. Harmon. Given your history with women.”

Something cold slithered down Jax’s spine. “What exactly did he say?”

Matthews cleared his throat. “He suggested that perhaps Ms. Harmon isn’t aware of the... extent... of your previous conviction, and she needs to be informed before he feels comfortable releasing you.”

So that was Goodwin’s play—turn Nessie against him. Make her afraid. Make the whole town afraid.

And it would work, because fear always worked.

Jax leaned forward again. “Get me the fuck out of here. Now.”

chapter

twenty-one

Two dayssince Jax’s arrest, and Nessie couldn’t shake the image of him being hauled away in handcuffs, that resigned look in his eyes like he’d known all along this was how it would end. She’d called the sheriff’s office twice daily, only to be told by a bored-sounding receptionist that Mr. Thorne wasn’t allowed visitors.

“Mom?” Oliver tugged at her apron, dark eyes solemn beneath his mop of hair. “Is Jax coming back soon?”

Her heart cracked a little more. “I don’t know, baby.”

Marv and Earl were pretending not to listen from their usual table, but their coffee cups hadn’t moved in five minutes.

“But he didn’t do anything bad! That policeman was being mean to you, and Jax was just?—”