Page 75 of Love Me Back
“Pops, there is no trapdoor,” Carson said.
“Sure is. Under the stall.”
“Which stall, Pops?” I asked.
“The one that demon horse is in.” Pops never looked up from his plate as he shared a secret we had all somehow missed.
“How the hell have we missed a trapdoor? And where the hell does it go?”
Pops finally looked up when everyone fell quiet. “To the tunnels.”
“Uncle Mando, it’s time,” Jessie said.
“Time for what?” I asked.
Garcia sat back in his seat and looked at Grayson. “Yessicacalled me after your accident. For some reason, she thought maybe I was involved.” He glared at Jessie, and I cleared my throat, giving him an icy stare of my own. “I assured her I had nothing to do with it, but I would look into it, and I am afraid what I’ve found is not good.”
Garcia looked at my grandfather before continuing, “Mr. Johnson, I’m afraid your daughter’s death was not an accident.”
“WHAT?” Carson shouted.
The rest of us sat in our seats, too stunned to say a word.We looked between ourselves and then looked at Pops. “The man responsible for the death of your daughter and her husband is the same man responsible for Grayson’s accident and the disappearance of the horse.”
Garcia studied my grandfather, waiting for a reaction.
“Pops? Do you know who it is?” I asked. I watched the blood drain from Pops’ face and his shoulders slump.
“Pops?” Carson placed a hand on grandfather’s shoulder. Pops shook his head, sorrow etched on his face as he looked at Garcia and asked, “It’s David, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Mr. Johnson. I am sorry.”
“Who the fuck is David?” Tyson asked.
Emerson and Addie had been quiet. Jessie held my hand, rubbing my arm. “You knew?”
“Uncle Mando told me on Friday. I asked him to wait. With King’s men here yesterday, I was sure nothing would happen. I’m sorry, Grayson.” I leaned over and kissed her. I didn’t like that she hadn’t come to me right away, but I couldn’t fault her for doing exactly what I would have done.
“David is my son,” Pops confessed. “He left home when he was twenty-two, before any of you were born. Every few years he would reach out for money, and every few years, your grandmother would give in and send him some.”
“How did we not know we had an uncle?” Addie asked.
“Because I didn’t allow your grandmother nor your mother to speak about him. I officially disowned him after he burned down the barn.”
My head snapped up. “The barn? The fire where we lost half our horses and almost lost you and Mom and Carson?”
Pops nodded. “He came around looking for money. And I told him no. Your grandmother was gone, and I guess he thought I would give in the way she did.”
“That fire was fifteen years ago,” Hudson exclaimed.
“He never came back after that, so I assumed he’d died.” I watched a tear slip from my grandfather’s eye. Never in my thirty-five years had I ever seen my grandfather cry. Not at mygrandmother’s funeral. Not even at my parents’ funeral.
“Don’t you cry for that son of a bitch,” I growled, slamming my hand on the table. I wanted to stand up and storm out, but I was stuck in this damn chair. “You didn’t cry for your wife; you didn’t cry for your daughter. They were innocent. You don’t get to cry for him!”
“Grayson,” Jessie whispered.
“Fuck this.” I rolled away from the table and out of the room. I went to my office and slammed the door behind me.
Opening the bottom drawer of my desk, I pulled out the bottle of whiskey I kept there. I didn’t drink it often. But this was my father’s favorite. I kept it hidden here until I needed to feel him.
