Page 70 of Vengeance

“Why didn’t he take you with?” Ty asks, reality hitting him.

The asshole probably didn’t want to murder Tara in front of his son. Tara told him how Matty stood up for her and defied Billy at the mall, and that tells Ty that Billy likely believes Matty wouldn’t keep what he decides to do to her a secret. Billy doesn’t seem like the type to hurt his son, especially after how he reacted to Ty talking about Matty at The Pub, but he’d have to if Matty witnessed something. He left him because he doesn’t want to hurt him.

“Because I think he plans to kill her,” Matty says, and he breaks down in sobs. “He knows I wouldn’t let him get away with it. You have to save her, Ty. She’s the only person who cares about me. Please, don’t let him kill her.”

“You did the right thing,” Lex says and pulls him into a hug. “We’re going to find Tara, okay? We’re going to find her, and we’re going to make sure you’re safe, too.”

Shep grabs Ty as his legs give out, and he slowly finds himself sliding to the ground instead of the heavy thud he should. There’s no guarantee Tara’s even alive right now. The asshole could have lost his cool and shot her between the eyes. He’s not a forward thinker.

“Trackers,” Lex says and turns to Brock.

Brock nods and grabs his laptop from the bar. “On it.”

“Are those the black boxes from under the car?” Matty asks.

Closing her eyes, Lex hangs her head. “Did you see those boxes, Matty?”

“Dad took them off and threw them into the back of a pickup truck that drove by.”

“Oh my God,” Ty says and starts to hyperventilate. “Oh my God.”

Jennings looks around, and no one quite knows what to do. Neither does Ty. Everything they’ve focused on lately surrounds the Slashers. He knows next to nothing about Billy.

“Maybe there’s something in his past cases,” Lily says, jumping into action. “Brock, can I use your laptop?”

Brock hands it to her as Grayson runs outside. When he comes back, he carries a bag, and he pulls out a laptop of his own. He sits next to Lily and looks at Brock. “Connect me to the internet.”

Brock moves and types a few keystrokes as Ty’s vision fades to black. “You’re connected.”

“Ty, I’m so sorry,” Matty says as the sobs continue. “I’m sorry. I promised to keep her safe and not let Dad hurt her, and I didn’t. I broke my promise.”

He knows he should tell the boy it’s not his fault, but he can’t. No words come to him, and he just feels like dead weight. He knows it’s not the kid’s fault, but he can’t say anything to console him.

“Matty, look at me,” Lex says. “It’s not your fault. You are just a boy, and it’s not your job to protect Tara or anyone else, okay? Your dad is much bigger than you are, and you can only do so much. You did everything you could, and you did so good coming here to tell us what happened.”

“But I promised her, Lex,” he sobs. “I didn’t keep my promise. Tara’s going to hate me!”

“No, she won’t. I know Tara, and I know that the only thing making her feel any better right now is the fact she knows you’re safe. She’s at peace knowing you’re not hurt. You mean the world to her.”

Matty hugs her tightly. “I love her. She’s the only mom I ever had. My dad is a bad man, and I hope he dies. That might make me a bad person, but I don’t care. I hate him. I hate him!”

Ty watches Lex hug Matty as he cries into her neck, and he realizes he’s not the only one hurting. Matty loved Tara longer than Ty has, and he’s missing the only actual parent he’s ever had. The only one who ever loved him, and Ty sees why Tara needed to take him in. It’s all so clear now, and they both might lose everything thanks to his father.

“Matty, come here,” Ty says, finally finding words.

Doing as he’s told, Matty walks over, his shoulders hunched and fear on his face. Instead of hitting him like Matty expects, Ty wraps him in a big bear hug. “I’m going to do whatever I can to get her back home to us, okay?”

“I know you don’t want me,” he says. “I heard the fight you and Tara had. I want her to be happy, and if I have to go back to Aunt Lenetta’s, I will. As long as she’s safe, I only have seven more years.”

Lex raises her eyebrows. “You fought with Tara about Matty?”

“It’s not what you think. And it’s not that I don’t want you, Matty. It was just the way it all happened. It doesn’t matter. When we get Tara back, I’ll buy us a house to all live in. You’ll have your own room and a big yard.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure because I’ll adopt you before you ever end up at that witch’s house again,” Lex says and looks at Colt. “Trust me, she deserved that hit with the butt of her own gun.”

Colt shrugs. “Works for me. He seems like a well-behaved kid.”

---