Although he was the same age as the Jordan boys, he was significantly smaller at only five-feet-nine and around one-hundred and sixty pounds. His father outweighed him by at least a hundred pounds.
When the sheriff pulled up, they all felt a bit relieved.
“Talbot, what did you do now?” asked the sheriff.
“None of your damn business or theirs. Give me my kid and I’ll leave!”
“You’re not taking the boy,” said Ham. He looked at the sheriff, then back at Brian. “He’s beaten the boy half to death, sheriff. It’s clear it isn’t the first time.”
“Brian, how old are you now, son?” asked the sheriff.
“S-seventeen,” he stammered. The sheriff nodded.
“You can be treated as an adult in this state. Who would you like to go with?”
“H-hospital, I need a h-hospital.”
“We’re going to get you to a hospital Brian,” said Patrick. “Would you like to come with us, to our home?”
“H-he’ll come for me,” he whispered.
“If he does, it will be the last thing he ever does,” said Ethan. “We’ll make sure you’re okay, son.”
“W-with you,” he murmured.
Ham picked the boy up in his arms, carrying him toward the SUV. Talbot watched as his son was carried away. They could see that he was contemplating jumping Ham but they also could see he wasn’t quite that drunk.
“You like beating kids, Talbot?” asked Ethan.
“My kid.” He looked at the triplets and frowned. “And kids that interfere in my life.”
“Well, beating a kid is an easy win, isn’t it. I tell you what, why don’t you and I go a few rounds. Right here, right now, in front of the sheriff so everything is fair.”
“Wait a minute,” said the coach.
“No, you wait a minute. Your responsibility is to protect these kids on school property. You failed to do that. Had these three not been here, that boy would be dead. So, you don’t get to tell me what happens next.”
“Don’t matter,” said Talbot with a smile, “I’ll take you on. You don’t look like much to me.”
No words ever spoken could have been more inaccurate. Ethan Dunvegan was an anomaly.
After joining the Army, he became number one in his class at Ranger School. After two years of being a Ranger, he wanted to challenge himself further and transferred his time to the Navy. When he told his commanding officer that he wanted to be a SEAL, he laughed at him.
“Nobody becomes a Ranger and a SEAL.”
A year later, his father was pinning his trident to his chest. For four years, he was deployed with his SEAL team in the worst possible parts of the world. Time and time again, he showed his prowess and abilities, saving his entire team, not once but twice.
Then he was bored again. MARSOC. Delta. Green Berets. Each time he was told no one could pass all of the elite soldier, sailor, Marine training. And each time, he did it. When five spec ops emblems hung from his uniform, command took notice and later, the men and women at Belle Fleur.
“I feel it’s my duty to warn ‘ya, Talbot,” said the sheriff smirking in his direction.
“Fuck off,” growled the old man.
“Someone get this on camera,” smiled Christopher. “It will be fun to watch later.”
It really was sad. Talbot was so drunk he could barely stand straight. He’d only gotten to Brian because he was smaller. When he threw the first punch at Ethan, he easily maneuvered to the side.
“Stop now, Talbot. That’s my first warning,” said Ethan.
