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“I didn’t know that at the time.”
“You didn’t ask. And you went to the hospital and got Walt to say what you wanted him to say, didn’t you? It seems awfully convenient that the surveillance cameras weren’t working that day.” I made no effort to hide my disgust.
“I can’t believe this,” my mother whispered, and I looked up to see tears running down her face, as well.
“This is appalling, Jack. Even for you.” Gramps was on his feet now, and the vein on the side of his neck bulged. There’dnever been a whole lot of love between him and my father, but they’d tolerated one another.
“You had just been reelected governor. Are you telling me you would have been okay with having your grandson’s name splattered all over the news? Please. I did what I had to do. I didn’t know the other boys weren’t involved. I just asked Walt to leave Slade and Ronny’s name out of it. Hell, Ronny didn’t live here, so that was easy enough. And Slade wasn’t himself that day. It was a mistake, and I did what I needed to do to make it disappear.”
“You sent two innocent kids away, Dad. They spent months in that hellhole. You put them and their families through hell!” I shouted.
“They would have been there twice as long if I hadn’t gotten involved. So be careful who you’re accusing of being the bad guy. Slade derailed after everything happened. Maybe it was the guilt—hell, I don’t know. But he came to me and told me the other two boys hadn’t been with him and Ronny, and the guilt was eating him alive. I hired someone to get their time shortened. Did he mention that? That he stayed for three months instead of six? And the other kid got his time shortened from a year down to eight months.”
“Oh my God. Do you hear yourself? You didn’t do them any favors. You put them in there. They didn’t commit the crime. You used your money and power to put two innocent people away for something they didn’t do. And you want fucking credit for getting them out early?”
“Don’t you use that language in this house.” My father stormed toward me, face bright red.
Zero guilt in his eyes.
“Her language is the least of my concerns right now,” my mother said, as she moved to stand beside me. “I am disgusted that you would do this, Jack. And you need to apologize to themat the very least and spend the rest of your days trying to make it up to them.”
Dad looked completely stunned by what she’d said. “I got them out early. Everyone has moved on. I protectedour son. Are you telling me you wouldn’t have wanted me to protect Slade? Come on, Rose. You were not handling the things that were going on. He was partying and out of control, and you were a mess. I carried this secret with me so that you wouldn’t have to.”
“Don’t you dare try to act like you did this for me. Yes, I would always want you to protect our children, but not at the expense of innocent kids. We could have hired the best attorney—that’s how you protect your child. You don’t lie and cheat to keep him out of trouble. What sort of example does that set for anyone?”
“So, you would have been fine with him being sent to that hellhole for a year? Because that’s what would have happened, Rose. He had drugs in his system. He would have gotten his ass served to him for what he did.”
“And maybe he wouldn’t have been drunk and high on that boat when he nearly killed his friends and himself in that accident. Maybe if he’d been held accountable, none of that would have happened,” Gramps said, his voice remaining completely calm because he never lost his temper.
Romeo was right. Slade had been using drugs much earlier than I’d realized. It had nothing to do with the accident and him getting hooked on opioids.
“You two didn’t mind covering up that particular incident, did you?” my father hissed.
“There was no cover-up, Jack.” Gramps went on, “Everyone knew he was drunk and high on that boat. We hired an attorney, and he found a loophole that allowed Slade to go to rehab instead of prison. We acknowledged that he had a problem, and we sure as shit didn’t frame innocent children for what Sladehad done. There’s a big difference, and if you don’t see that, then you’re dumber than I thought you were.”
“Yet you still support him, don’t you?” My father glared at my grandfather.
“And I will continue to provide help to my grandson. I have the resources to get him the best help, and I will do it until the day I die. But I will not lie for him or let him off the hook for his actions. What you did is very different. Shame on you.” Gramps pointed his finger in my father’s face.
“I tried to make things right by getting them out early. I thought they were involved,” Dad repeated, like that made things all better.
“You need to apologize to them, Dad. They were terrified and young and stuck in an awful place because of what you did.”
“Because of what Slade did. I didn’t rob that store. I didn’t push Walt into a goddamn display shelf and nearly kill the man!” he yelled, as he paced around the room in little circles. “And I carried it all on my shoulders to keep you from being heartbroken,” he said, turning to face my mother. “You would have been a mess if he’d been sent away.”
“I’m sure Romeo’s and River’s mothers were a mess,” my mom whispered. “I never asked you to lie to me, Jack. What else have you kept from me?”
The devastation on my mother’s face nearly brought me to my knees. I hated that I’d come over here and turned their world upside down. But it needed to happen.
“I think it’s time we stop with the secrets. I need to ask you something else, Dad.”
“You don’t think you’ve done enough for today, Demi?” He glared at me, and for the first time in my life, I did not see love in my father’s eyes when he looked at me. I saw pure disdain.
My chest squeezed. Even with all I’d just found out about him, I still loved him. He was my dad. He’d always been someone that I’d looked up to.
Gramps quickly came to my defense. “Don’t you put this on her. She did the right thing by telling us. It’s what you should have done years ago when it happened. I’m just grateful your moral compass didn’t rub off on my granddaughter. She’s always been wiser than you, though, hasn’t she?”
“You’re loving this, aren’t you? You’ve just been waiting for me to mess up all these years.” My dad and my grandfather were standing close now, and I wondered if this was going to turn physical.
