Danger II // J.N

Chapter 29

Jace's POV:

While everyone slept in I did further research about Alex and his charges. Originally, I wanted to know more about what he hasn't told Anna. I know he has more background than she probably knows. Which I was right about that.

Corey lay on the couch, scrolling on his phone. Sean is still asleep. Anna stumbles out of the room, wearing an oversized shirt and her hair messy. There's bags under her blue eyes, and drool stains on her shirt. She walks up to the counter and slightly smiles at me.

"Hangover?" I ask. She nods while rubbing her nose. "Definitely not feeling one-hundred percent," She says, stumbling to the stool and sitting on it. "When did you wake up?" She asks.

"An hour ago," I say. Corey gets up off the couch and walks over to us, sitting across from us at the island. He opens a bottle of water and starts drinking it, then puts the cap on. He pushes another bottle of water towards Anna and points. She smiles and grabs it.

"So uh, Alex called me today," I say. Anna stops and looks at me with her eyes widen open. "Excuse me?"

"We're supposed to meet up today, discuss some things."

"Jace, don't even do it," She says, I can sense her getting frustrated.

"I am. I don't plan on it going in the wrong direction. I'll give him some words, he might take a shot at me and if he does, I got a plan," I say. "But, I did some research on him and I discovered something the court didn't when they granted you full custody," I say, grabbing my phone and unlocking it.

"What is that?" Anna asks. Corey raises an eyebrow.

"As of two days ago, Alex has a warrant for his arrest."

"He just got out?" Corey states. I nod. "Yep," I say popping the P. "But he'll be back in if the police actually find him. He's on the run essentially."

"But I got custody three weeks ago. What does this have to do with the court if it's been two days?" Anna asks.

"Because two days prior to the court date you had for custody, Alex officially owed ten-thousand dollars in child support. That's the max amount before the child courts get into contact with the police. And at the time he hit that amount he still had partial custody of Violet," I explain. I show Anna the reports. Anna gasps. "So how long will he be gone if he's caught?"

"Two years in prison," I say. Corey nods. "Sounds about right," He says. "So today if he tries me, I'll just show him this," I say, pointing to my phone.

"That's blackmail," Anna says.

"Blackmail won't hurt him. The truth will," I say.

***

I stand in front of the laundromat Alex told me to meet him at. The sounds of sirens and crowds of people walking down the street get louder as they come closer, then fade out. I put my cigarette out on the ground and step on it.

"Norman," Alex says, walking around the corner and approaching me. "Hey," I say.

"When are you giving me my daughter back?" He asks.

"Does it look like I have control on that? I don't think the warrant for your arrest on back child support will help you either, bud," I say.

He grips his fists and squints his eyes, walking closer to me. "You son of a bitch," He mutters under his breath. He swings at me, striking me in the nose and my body stumbling back. Alex spits in my face and grips the collar of my shirt, his breath smelling of beer and hard liquor. "Fuck you," He spits again. I grab his hands and push him off me.