Page 67 of Home for Justice
A low whistle came from Cory, who had wandered closer, propping one hip against a desk. “Sounds like your girl comes from good stock.”
Tyler’s lips quirked at the phrase, but his chest tightened with pride. “You’re right,” he said simply. “But I could’ve told you that without reading a report. Jack and Justice… they’re good people. Solid.”
Sadie gave a short nod, then turned back to her screen, a shadow crossing her face.
“Well… it seems the hard work gene skipped right past Jordy.” She scrolled through more information, her voice growing flat. “He went off to college but washed out after one semester. Got married to Debbie Ormond, and four months later, they had a son. Since then, it’s been one short-term jobafter another. No certifications, no business degree. He worked at the family shop for a little while, but didn’t stick with it.”
Tyler’s jaw tightened. Sadie confirmed what Justice had told him, and he felt the frustration just thinking about her aunt and uncle.
“Debbie wasn’t any better. They’d get a job, hold on to it for a few years, and then either quit or get fired. Bounce around from one thing to the next. They never built anything for themselves.”
Sadie leaned back in her chair, looking grim. “Jordy’s also got a gambling habit. Not enough to get him arrested for anything serious, but enough to bleed whatever money they made. No savings. No assets. Nothing but debt and resentment.”
Tyler let out a slow breath. It wasn’t just about a family squabble or bad blood over inheritance. Jordy and Debbie had spent their lives making bad decisions, and now they were desperate. Desperate enough to vandalize a family business. Maybe even desperate enough to set a fire.But why my house?There was no way they could have known Justice was over at his place last night.
He rubbed a hand over his jaw, staring at the monitors without really seeing them.
“I can go deeper if you want,” Sadie offered quietly. “Bank accounts, liens, court records. You just have to say the word.”
Tyler thought about how the firelight reflected in Justice’s wide eyes and the way she gritted her teeth and squared her shoulders even when fear lurked just beneath the surface. He straightened, resolve settling in his chest like steel. “Yeah,” he said, voice low and certain. “Go deeper. Let’s find out exactly what we’re up against.”
Sadie scrolled through a few more screens, bringing up court records, old business filings, and property appraisals.
“Justice told me that at some point, Jordy went to his dad and asked for his inheritance early,” Tyler said, his voice lowbut steady. “He’d been borrowing money from both his father and Jack for years. Always promising to pay it back but never following through. Eventually, they cut him off.”
He sat back in the chair, stretching his legs out in front of him, remembering the way Justice’s face had hardened when she explained it the first time. How even now, years later, the wound was still raw. “So their dad sat down, figured out the value of the business, and offered Jordy half of everything. In cash. Lump sum. With a legal agreement that he’d be done. No future claims on the business. No part of the estate when he died since he’d already received his half early.”
Across the room, Cory let out a low whistle. “That’s a hell of a lot of cash to hand over to someone with a track record like that.”
Tyler nodded grimly. “It put a strain on the business back then. I’m sure of it. But it was the only way to protect Jack and Justice for the long haul.”
Sadie clicked open a document, tapping the screen. “It’s all here in the probate records. The will made it crystal clear. Jordy accepted his share early and signed away all rights to any future inheritance. The house in town went to Justice, and an equal amount went to Jordy’s son. When their father passed, everything else transferred solely to Jack. Jack then made Justice his business partner.” She paused, glancing over her glasses. “Legally, Jordy doesn’t have a damn leg to stand on.”
Devlin, who had wandered over with a cup of coffee in hand, settled into a chair nearby. His expression was thoughtful. “Sounds like Justice’s grandfather made the hard choices to protect the people who actually kept the business alive. Wasn’t easy, but it was smart.”
Sadie gave a slight nod of agreement. “Since Justice came on board, the business has expanded. They’re thriving now. And Jordy and Debbie… well, they burned through their windfallyears ago. Now they’re looking for a handout, trying to rewrite history by conveniently forgetting they got theirs already.”
Tyler swiped a hand over his face, a familiar frustration knotting in his chest. Justice and Jack had built something real and lasting, and now they were being targeted by the people who should have had their backs.
“Jordy is desperate,” he muttered. “And desperate people do stupid shit.”
Sadie leaned back, folding her arms. “No doubt.”
Tyler shifted in his seat, the question he’d been holding back finally surfacing. “What about Anthony Milton? Any chance he’s involved directly with Jordy and Debbie?”
Sadie shook her head. “Not that I can find. I’ve gone through Jordy and Debbie’s bank accounts—what little there is, and there’s no suspicious deposits. Nothing that looks like a payoff.”
“That’s not to say it didn’t happen,” Cory added from his post at the far desk. “But if it did, it was off the books. Cash. Or shell companies.”
“The only regular payments showing up are small transfers from their son, John,” Sadie finished. “Helping them out here and there, but not enough to fund any kind of serious scheme.”
“Anthony Milton needs this condo deal,” Logan said, stepping closer, his voice carrying a new edge of seriousness. “Had a conversation with a friend on the county supervisory committee. Word is, Milton’s hurting financially. Big time.”
Tyler sat up straighter, every instinct sharpening.
“Apparently,” Logan continued, “he got sued in a neighboring county for faulty construction. Missed deadlines, failed inspections. Cost him big in fines, lawsuits, and blacklisted from county contracts. He’s scrambling to stay afloat.”
“And the condos are his ticket back,” Todd called out, swiveling from his station. “But he can’t move forward unlessyou sell. It would be great if he could get you and the McClays to sell. No loopholes. No eminent domain.”
