Page 7 of Sorrow

“So you can get them now, right?” I ask quickly. “Legally, I mean. They assaulted a police officer.” Suddenly, it occurs to me that he’s probably covered in evidence. I’m no expert, but all those documentaries Hayes judges me for watching have taught me a few things. “Wait here.”

Rushing into the bathroom, I dig through the two junk drawers until I find what I’m looking for. Tweezers, q-tips, band-aids, and what’s left of our antibiotic ointment.

My next trip is to the kitchen, where I grab the sandwich baggies out of the drawer.

Arms full, I return to the living room to find them both staring at me like I’m nuts. “What?” I ask. “We need the evidence he’s got all over him if he wants to put them away, right?”

“Chain of custody, Sammy. It doesn’t work like that. There are protocols in place.”

“Not one thing you collect will hold up in court, Samuel. None of it.”

Hayes frowns at me like I’m stupid, but I won’t let him get to me.

“So why isn’t he at the fucking hospital then?” I ask. “Or at the station where the right people can take these samples? You brought him here which isn’t any better, at least I’m trying.”

“I took him where he asked me to take him,” he argues. “He didn’t want to go to the hospital.”

“I’m fine!” Boo yells, but he isn’t fooling anyone, even those two words are laced with pain.

But yeah, me not doing things exactly by the book is the problem.

“So what’s your plan, then? You have a chance to put them away and you’re blowing it.”

“Just shut the fuck up, okay? Hayes, get her out of here.”

“You heard him.” Hayes tosses me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing and carries me to my bedroom. “For once, don’t be so hard headed. Let me fucking deal with him.”

He drops me onto the bed ungracefully, nearly knocking the wind out of me. “Fucking hell, Hayes. What do you think I’m gonna do? I just wanted to help.”

“Yeah? You want to help? Don’t move.”

He slams my door behind him, and for the first time in my entire life, I listen.

I don’t know what Boo thinks he’s doing, but with The Sons involved, I can’t imagine it’s anything good.

Far be it from me to make it worse.

––––––––

It takes almost two hours for Hayes to come back. His expression isn’t any less grouchy than it was the last time I saw him, but now there’s a level of exhaustion and some bruising under his left eye I didn’t notice before. “You can come out now.”

“What happened to you?” I ask, standing quickly. “Did they come here?”

“No.” He looks away. “I saw one of them before they ran off earlier.”

That means not only did my brother stay here to clean off all of the evidence, he also has an eye witness he doesn’t have any intention of using.

What the fuck is going on?

“Hayes, I know you hate me, and I get it. Okay? I do. But tell me why the hell he’s been gunning for these guys for months and now he’s letting them go.”

There’s a split second where I actually think he considers opening up to me, butthat insane thought is gone in a flash. “It isn’t my truth to tell. Go ask him.”

He nods toward the living room before leading the way out there, then takes a seat on the recliner as I stare down at my patched up brother. I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to ask him anything since he’s clearly been asleep for a while.

“Okay. What exactly happened to your eye then?” I ask again.

Sighing, Hayes slouches down in his seat like he doesn’t plan on going anywhere else tonight. “I just told you. I saw one of the guys standing over Boo when he was knocked out. Did you think I just let them walk away without breaking their nose?”

---