“Your dad, Sheriff Summer, I mean, showed up and arrested me that night…and I told him I had broken into my dad’s house.” Landon looked down at his lap as mixed feelings of shame, guilt, and righteous anger washed over him. For all these years he had kept the truth a secret to protect Maddox, and to respect Emmarie’s privacy. Landon looked up at Georgia, attempting to read her thoughts. Was she angry? Was she disappointed in him?
Georgia was staring down at the ground, processing this information. Her eyes wandered over to the running brook, and she watched the water gently pour over the rocks for several moments. She finally looked up at Landon. “So…those rumors…” she said slowly. “You didn’t break into your dad’s house at all. You were just covering for Maddox.”
Landon nodded silently.
“And that’s why Maddox said he owed you one.” Her voice was resigned as she fit the pieces together.
Landon nodded again.
“What happened after my dad arrested you?”
“My dad arrived home shortly after. He talked to Sheriff Summer for a while…” Landon paused as he remembered sitting in the police car that night. He watched his dad and Sheriff Summer speak heatedly on the front porch, his dad desperately trying to protect his son at whatever the cost. “My dad managed to persuade your dad to drop the charges. Said I was just a kid trying to get attention. ‘Acting out,’ is what he called it, I think.” Landon closed his eyes for a moment. Of course, the fact that his parents were separated had also helped to paint a more convincing picture for Sheriff Summer.
“And what about the gun? How did you explain yourself out of that?” Georgia asked, confused.
Landon gripped the edge of the wooden stump. “I told my dad and Sheriff Summer that I wanted to sell it for cash for Emmarie and I. It’s true that we needed the money.” He remembered the profound disappointment carved into his dad’s tired face as he lied to both him and Sheriff Summer about why he had the gun.
Georgia nodded, finally understanding it all.
“So, Sheriff Summer left. Dropped the charges and said I needed to get my act together.”
“Did you tell your dad the truth after my dad left?" Georgia pressed, praying that he would have said yes.
Landon hung his head, the guilt and shame as heavy as ever. “No. I didn’t,” he said quietly. “I couldn’t. I had to protect Maddox and Emmarie.”
Georgia pressed her lips together and dipped her chin, nodding imperceptibly in understanding. “What happened then?”
Landon reflected on that moment as the police cars drove away and he and his dad were left alone on the porch, not knowing what to say to one another. The front porch and entryway were littered with broken glass from Maddox breaking in. Landon remembered looking down at his feet, ashamed and embarrassed for causing his dad such pain.
He remembered waiting for his dad to get angry, to scream at him with fury, but it never came. Instead, his dad just looked at Landon. Landon remembered gazing into his dad’s eyes. His dad had looked completely lost…and disappointed. Like he had traveled thousands of miles looking for something, only to realize that it didn’t exist.
The truth though was that Dr. Young also felt guilty. In the back of Dr. Young’s mind, he felt fully responsible for what had happened. His separation from his wife would have caused Landon an untold amount of pain and suffering. And where had he been as a father? He had been attending to every other person’s needs in Willow Creek, and ignoring his own son’s. He had been absent when Landon needed a father most, and for that, Dr. Young blamed himself. To Dr. Young, the night’s events were merely a symptom of his own shortcomings as a father, while his lack of parenting was the ultimate, underlying cause.
“What happened then, Landon?” Georgia asked again. She peered up at him, her blue eyes wide with concern.
“Nothing,” Landon said softly, remembering how his dad had finally gone inside, the silence remaining unbroken between them. “It was like he had given up on me.” Landon took a deep breath as he recalled how things had only worsened after his father had left him there, standing on the porch all alone.
“I’m sure he was just confused. He probably sensed you weren’t telling him the whole truth.” Georgia reached over and put her hand on Landon’s shoulder. Landon’s body relaxed at her touch, and he put his head in his hands. Georgia had never imagined she would see Landon like this, so undone and vulnerable.
Landon didn’t know if he should tell Georgia the rest of the night’s events. How could he even begin to explain to her what he had felt? And why he did what he did?
“Landon?” Georgia asked.
Landon lifted his head from his hands and looked at her. His expression was pained. “Georgia, the night didn’t end there…There’s something else that happened.”
Georgia swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure if she could stomach any more than she had already heard. Her stomach churned with dread.
“After my dad went inside, I left. But I didn’t go home.” Landon remembered the dark fury he felt as he became consumed with hatred towards the two men that had hurt Emmarie. He felt volatile, like a missile that was hurtling towards a target, ready to obliterate anything that crossed its path. Landon had bolted from his dad’s porch after his dad left him there, his anger blinding him, compromising his better judgment as he repeated their names under his breath, the names Maddox had given him.
He went to one of their homes, looking for them. Pretending to be a friend when his mom answered the door, Landon inquired if the boy was home. His mom had been so trusting and so gullible as Landon explained that he was just a friend from school. But no, her son was at a friend’s that night, she told him. Landon thanked her and didn't ask any more questions. He had all the information he needed.
Landon knew exactly where the two boys would be. He made his way to the other’s house, fueled purely by the need to exact his revenge for Emmarie.
“Where did you go?” Georgia asked.
Landon withdrew from his thoughts. He gazed at Georgia’s innocent face, wondering if he could admit to her who was responsible for all this. “I went to find the two men that assaulted Emmarie.”
Georgia stared at him. “How do you know who did it?” she asked dubiously.
"Maddox told me.”
“So who was it? Did you know them?” Georgia wrinkled her brow with confusion. She had heard terrible stories before about Johns who had stalked and preyed upon women.
“I do know them, and you do, too,” Landon answered.
Georgia leaned away from Landon, her expression doubtful. What was he saying? “What do you mean, Landon?”
“What I mean is, Emmarie’s perpetrators are not strangers to any of us.” Landon couldn’t bring himself to say who they were.
Georgia felt her heart racing and her palms sweating as she waited, not wanting to hear what Landon was about to say. “Who was it?” she asked softly, almost in a whisper.
A long moment passed as they stared at each other, one of them not wanting to admit the truth, and the other not wanting to hear it.
Landon’s mouth felt suddenly dry. He swallowed again, willing himself to tell Georgia the truth. “It was Monty Cunningham and Jace Montgomery that assaulted Emmarie,” Landon said quietly.
Georgia felt the color drain from her face. She felt time stop as the world began to crash down all around her. Hot tears spilled from her eyes and onto her cheeks. “Are you sure it was Monty? Virginia’s…?” Her voice trailed off, unable to ask the question.
Landon nodded gravely.
Georgia put her hand over her mouth in shock.
Landon watched her, not knowing what to say, or how to comfort her. He had known full well that night that Virginia and Monty were engaged with newborn twins, barely a few days old. But all he had cared about that night was seeking vengeance for Emmarie.
“I can’t believe it,” Georgia said shakily, interrupting Landon’s thoughts. “To think he did that to Emmarie…he and Jace�
�I never trusted Monty in the first place.” Georgia shook her head as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked over at Landon. Her sadness was now replaced with fear as she thought of Landon, and what he would have done to Monty and Jace. Her heart began to pound in her ears, drowning out the sound of the running water nearby. “What did you do to them?” Georgia asked softly. She was afraid to know the answer. She watched Landon carefully, studying his expression.
Landon's eyes darkened with inexplicable pain as he revisited that night, and the moment he decided to seek retribution for what Jace and Monty had done to Emmarie.
Chapter 27
Vengeance
Four Summers Ago
Landon had found them both in Monty Cunningham’s shed where Monty and Jace frequently hung out, drinking cheap beer they stole from their parents. Landon remembered approaching Monty’s home, bypassing the front walk that led to the front door and making his way over to the abandoned-looking shed on the edge of the property. He noted Monty’s car parked outside the shed. Looking around as he walked by Monty’s car, he made sure no one was watching. No one had seen him under the cover of darkness that night.
The door on the side of the shed was unlocked, and Landon quietly let himself in. He could hear both Monty and Jace laughing. Landon silently made his way through the shed, moving in the shadows of the tractors that loomed over his head. As he stealthily made his way closer to Jace and Monty, he saw an open toolbox with a crowbar resting on top of the other tools. Noiselessly, he picked it up, holding it tightly in his hands.
There was a single lamp lit on the other side of the shed where Monty and Jace sat on plastic lawn chairs, working their way through a twelve-pack, their backs to Landon. Landon watched them for a moment, feeling the solid weight of the crowbar in his hands.
They never saw Landon coming. Landon approached them soundlessly, swinging the crowbar at Monty first. There was silence as the crowbar swung through the air, followed by a deafening thud as the crowbar met Monty’s skull, knocking Monty almost senseless. Monty yelled, and Jace launched himself at Landon. Landon swung the crowbar again, this time aiming for Jace’s ribs. An earsplitting crack followed as he broke Jace’s lower ribs, and Jace crumpled to the floor, clutching his chest.
Monty stood up, still reeling from the blow and trying to gather himself to fight back, but Landon was faster. Dropping the crowbar, Landon delivered a swift, hard punch with all his might, hitting Monty squarely in the face. Monty didn’t even know what hit him as he fell backwards and onto the bare concrete. Monty lay there unconscious while Jace squirmed on the ground, trying to stand up.
Landon bent down, grabbing Jace by the scruff of his shirt. He shook Jace, demanding answers. “Why the fuck would you do something like that to Emmarie? You disgusting, pathetic piece of shit! What the hell is wrong with you?!?”
Jace glowered at Landon, not denying what he had done.
Landon punched him, nailing him just under his eye. “Answer me!” Landon yelled.
Jace coughed, spitting up blood, and still refusing to answer.
Landon stood up, breathing heavily with anger. He began to kick Jace, counting in his mind.
One two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight…
Every blow to Jace’s body was for every second, every hour, every day, and every week that Emmarie would have to deal with the aftermath of what Jace and Monty had done to her. She would never be the same girl again.
Landon continued to kick him, and Jace began to lose consciousness, his body becoming limp and unresponsive to the repetitive blows from Landon. Landon kept counting.
Eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two…
Maybe it was seeing Jace become lifeless, or maybe it was sheer exhaustion, but something finally made Landon stop. Bringing his feet to a standstill, Landon stared down at Jace, his upper lip curling with disgust.
Jace let out a long moan of pain.
Landon looked at the two bodies on the floor, his eyes darting back and forth between Emmarie’s perpetrators. He could easily finish Jace and Monty off right now. They were weak and vulnerable. Isn’t this what Landon wanted?
Landon closed his eyes and clenched his fists, immobilized by a flood of emotions. He slowly released his fists as he came to his senses. He took several deep breaths, his rigid anger dissolving, and transforming into agonizing grief. He then felt a cold shock as the harsh, cruel truth washed over him.
No matter what he did to Jace or Monty—even if he killed them tonight—nothing would bring his Emmarie back. Nothing would reverse what had happened to her. Nothing would ever return to what it once was.
Landon sat down on one of the plastic chairs and put his head in his hands, overwhelmed with the hard truth. Images of Emmarie flashed in his mind. She was his girlfriend and his first love, and he had failed to protect her. Now she was long gone, a silent victim of assault. He knew deep down that Emmarie would never return home to Willow Creek. Who knew if or when he would ever see her again?
His mind drifted back to the way his dad had looked at him on the porch with utter disappointment, as if there were no hope for his son. What would he do when he found out what Landon had done to Monty and Jace? And in the same night that he was also caught red-handed with his gun?
Landon rubbed his forehead, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. Maybe he was a lost cause. Maybe he was destined for failure. He closed his eyes, holding his head in his hands as he tried to calm the mayhem of thoughts in his mind.
He couldn’t let his father find out about this and what he had done in revenge for Emmarie. The truth would kill his dad. Landon’s eyes fluttered open as he lifted his head, his eyes roving over to Monty. Monty was still out cold, his chest slowly rising and falling.
Landon bent down and grabbed Jace again by his shirt, lifting his head off the concrete. “Jace,” he said loudly.
Jace stirred, opening his eyes. Though he didn’t have much left in him, he used his last ounce of energy to glare at Landon.
“Can you hear me? Do you understand me?” Landon demanded. “Blink if you can understand me.”
A moment passed, and then Jace blinked.
“Listen up, you weak scumbag. I’m not going to tell anyone about what you and Monty did to Emmarie,” Landon said, clenching his teeth with suppressed anger.
Jace’s eyes, though swollen, widened with shock.
“I’m going to keep your secret, but you have to keep mine.” Landon's voice seethed with pent-up anger.
Jace opened his mouth to speak, but Landon put his hand over it, silencing him.
“No. You don’t get to speak,” Landon said, the rage in his voice evident now. Jace didn’t deserve a voice in the matter. By hurting Emmarie, he had lost all of his rights as far as Landon was concerned, except the privilege to remain silent and keep his secret. “So me coming over here? Me handing your ass to you? That never happened. You got it?” Landon shook Jace and Jace whimpered, clutching his rib. “Got it?” Landon snarled.
Jace nodded.
“So when you go to the hospital, and I recommend you do,” Landon added, jabbing Jace’s lower broken ribs.
Jace winced with pain and grasped at his chest.
“You’re not going to say anything about me, about Monty, or about Emmarie.”
Jace nodded again, fear in his eyes.
Landon lowered his voice and leaned in closer to Jace’s face. “And if I ever hear that you even whispered my name,” Landon said softly. His steel eyes gleamed with conviction as he spoke, and he could feel Jace trembling under his grip. “I’ll come back. I’ll find you…and I’ll kill you.” Landon dropped Jace and his head fell back onto the concrete. Landon stood up, looking down at him.
Jace stared back up at him. The fear and pain written across his face were as evident as the bruises that marred his skin.
Landon knew Jace would never tell anyone about what Landon had done to him and Monty. Doing so meant only undoing himself. And Jace had no d
oubts that Landon wouldn’t renege on his promise to come back and finish him off if he didn’t keep his end of the deal.
Landon walked over to Monty. He bent down and picked Monty up, putting him over his shoulder.
Monty groaned with pain.
Jace turned his head slowly to look at them, his face contorting with discomfort. “Where are you goin'?" he asked breathlessly. He closed his eyes, holding his ribcage as his chest throbbed with pain.
Landon adjusted Monty on his shoulder and Monty moaned again, unable to fully comprehend what was happening. “Monty and I are going for a little drive.” Landon’s voice was flat and emotionless. He picked up the crowbar from where he had dropped it earlier.
“What are you goin' to do to him?” Jace asked, the alarm rising in his voice as he watched Landon. His eyes darted nervously to the crowbar.
“Don’t worry about your friend. He’s actually going to be a lot better off when I’m through with him,” Landon answered heavily, not bothering to look at Jace’s terrified face.
Then without another word, Landon left with Monty, leaving Jace behind.
Outside, Landon headed for Monty’s car. Praying the car was unlocked, he tried the passenger door first. It opened easily, and he slid Monty off his shoulder and into the front seat. Landon went around to the other side and got in, tucking the crowbar away on his left between the seat and the door. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use it again. The keys were still in the ignition, and he turned on the car. Landon quickly backed out of the dirt driveway, and drove off into the night with Monty.
They drove for hours in silence, Landon staring straight ahead, and Monty still unconscious in the passenger seat. The night passed by in a blur as Landon kept driving, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
It was almost dawn when Monty finally stirred. He groggily blinked his eyes open, looking around him as he attempted to get his bearings. Landon looked over at him, not saying anything.
Georgia Summer Page 23
