A Beautiful Funeral: A Novel (Maddox Brothers Book 5) (26 page)

Agent Hyde put her hand on her holster, inching back from the kitchen window curtain with two fingers. “Incoming,” she said.

Liis tried to run for the door, but Travis stopped her.

“Just wait,” he said.

Agent Hyde relaxed. “It’s not us.”

Travis’s brows pulled together. “Who is it?”

Hyde nodded toward the door. After two knocks, Trenton pushed through, leading Camille in by the hand. They instantly knew something was up, gazing around to the strange positions of everyone in the room.

“Fuck,” Travis said, glancing out the window, and then tried to herd his brother out the door. “You have to go.”

“What the hell?” Trenton said, slinking away from Travis’s grasp. “Hi to you, too, spunk trumpet.”

“Seriously, Trent,” Travis said. “You can’t be here right now.”

“Why not?” Camille asked.

“We’re having a family meeting,” I said.

“We’re not family?” Trenton asked, offended.

Travis sighed, and then raised both arms, pointing eight fingers at the door. “You have to leave, Trent! Now! We’ll explain later, but for now ….”

Something outside caught Hyde’s attention, and she held up a finger. “Everyone quiet. Incoming.”

Travis rolled his eyes and pulled Trenton to the side. “Whatever you see in a few seconds, just … try not to freak out. Let Liis have her moment.”

“What do you mean?” Trenton asked.

“Just keep your fucking mouth shut for once,” Travis growled.

“What’s going on?” Camille asked me.

“You keep it together, too. This was supposed to be for Liis.”

We waited behind the sofa, staring toward the door. Liis stood in the middle of the room holding the baby monitor in her trembling hand. The door opened, and Thomas stood in a white button-down shirt and navy slacks, freshly showered and shaven. He was breathing hard from running up our long drive. He stepped through the threshold, a wide grin on his face. Liis ran, throwing her arms around him, sobbing.

Trenton’s knees buckled. Camille and Travis held him up for a few seconds before letting him fall to his knees.

Camille kneeled next to her husband. “I knew it, baby!” she said with a smile on her face. She kissed his cheek, rubbing his arm with her hand with excitement.

Trenton shook his head slowly, his mouth hanging open. “What the hell is going on, Travis?”

“We’ll explain later,” Travis said, watching his oldest brother with a smile.

Trenton looked up at Travis. “There’s an
explanation
?” He stood and took a breath, preparing to throw a tantrum. Before a sound came from his mouth, Travis grabbed Trenton’s shirt with both fists, dragging him into the kitchen. Camille and I followed, trying to calm them both in hushed tones.

Travis shoved Trenton’s back against the refrigerator.

“Don’t you fucking start,” Travis said. “I know this was hard on you and unbelievably unfair, but Liis has sacrificed the most in all of this, and you’re not going to ruin this for her. Do you understand me?”

Trenton tensed as if he might make a move but then took a deep breath. His eyes filled with tears, and betrayal replaced the anger. “You lied to us? He was alive this whole time, and you lied to us? Dad’s health has gone down the shitter. How could you do that?”

Travis clenched his jaw and then released Trenton. “I didn’t want to. If there were any other way, we wouldn’t have done it. We had no choice, Trenton. The Carlisis left us alone long enough to form a plan, and it worked. We set a trap and staged a raid. We’ve brought them all in. Whoever’s not in jail without bail is dead. Our family is safe.”

Trenton shook his head, and then he walked out to the living room, waiting for Thomas and Liis to finish their moment.

Thomas looked at Trenton. “I hope one of these days you’ll forgive me. Forgive us. I’m truly sorry for what I’ve put you through.”

Trenton stomped over to his brother and squeezed him tight. Once they let go, he stormed out of the house to his truck. Camille was still standing still, stunned. She walked over to him, gently touched his cheek, and then reared back, slapping him hard. Thomas closed his eyes tight for a second and then met her eyes.

“I deserve that,” he said.

“Yes, you do,” she said, walking over to Travis.

I stood between them. “I don’t care if he deserves it. If you hit my husband, I will slap you into next week.”

Camille glared at me, then at Travis, and then followed her husband outside, slamming the door behind her. Stella wailed, and just as Liis turned to get her, Thomas held up his hand. “I’ll do it.” We followed him to the nursery, watching him from the doorway. Liis stood in front of us just a few steps, still wiping tears from her cheeks.

“Hi,” Thomas said, his voice soothing and hushed.

Stella immediately stopped crying, looking up at her dad.

“Do you remember me?” Thomas asked. “Can I pick you up?” He reached in and lifted her into the air, taking a look at her while she stared at him. “You’ve grown so much. Practically a young lady now,” he said, hugging her to him. He sniffed once, and Liis hugged them both.

Travis closed the door, kissing my forehead.

“Should we follow Trenton?” Val asked. “Make sure he doesn’t tell the family?”

Travis shook his head, hugging me to his side. “He won’t. He knows he wasn’t supposed to be here.”

Val was unhappy. “You think Giada won’t do something drastic when she finds out Thomas isn’t dead, after all? She’s going to come for him. She’s going to come for all of you.”

“We’ll be ready,” Travis said.

Val narrowed her eyes. “You insane son of a bitch. You put your family through all that, and now, you’re using Thomas as bait?”

I glared at Val. “That’s one hell of an accusation.” I looked at my husband, waiting for him to deny it. He didn’t. “Travis. Tell me it’s not true.”

“You couldn’t get a direct connection with Giada or the wives, so you’re luring them in. You’re hoping they take another shot at Thomas? Or Liis? Are you out of your damn mind?” Val seethed.

“Travis,” I said, unable to say anything else.

“I—” he began, but I turned on my heels to find something to clean in the kitchen. The decision had already been made. I could hear him following closely behind. “Baby,” he said. I stopped at the sink, and he grabbed my arm.

“Faking Thomas’s death was enough, don’t you think? Now, you’re intentionally putting us all at risk? What if they don’t go for Thomas? Or Liis? What if they come for you? What if they come for James or Jess?” I seethed.

“They won’t.”

“How do you know, Travis?”

“I … Pidge, please just trust me.”

“How can I trust you if you’re not being honest?” I turned on the sink and then turned it back off, flipping around to face him. “When were you going to tell me? After our house was sprayed with gunfire?”

“No,” he said, stumbling over his words. I hadn’t been angry with him for a long time, and he was unprepared for my reaction. “But I know who their target will be. We just have to find out when, and that should be soon.”

“Your dad lost Thomas once. What do you think it will do to him if he loses him again?”

“He won’t.”

“How do you know?” I yelled, throwing the plate in my hand to the floor. It shattered, prompting Val, Hyde, Thomas, and Liis to rush in.

Travis breathed hard out of his nose. He glanced at Thomas, and then back at me. He was holding back, keeping secrets he didn’t choose to keep. I could see the agony and conflict swirling in his eyes.

“It was my idea,” Thomas blurted out. “It was my way of coming home early and drawing Giada and the wives out at the same time.”

“If something goes wrong,” I began.

“It won’t,” Travis said.

“Don’t” I yelled, closing my eyes, “talk to me.” I glared up at my husband. “Don’t say another word unless it’s the complete truth.”

Travis opened his mouth to speak but then closed it, thinking twice. That only made me angrier, so I turned to grab the broom, hearing Thomas, Liis, and the agents leave the room.

“I love you, Abby. You have to know that. Our family’s safety is my first priority. That’s the truth.” He took the broom and dustpan away from me. The glass scraped against the tile floor as he swept up my mess.

“You know I have your back, but Travis … this is a terrible plan. It feels rushed because Thomas wanted to come home.”

“It’s not rushed, trust me,” he grumbled, bending over to sweep up the glass. “They’ve been working on this since Thomas was well enough to stand.”

“Even Liis?”

“Even Liis.”

“Despite the likelihood of sounding like an insolent child, I’m still going to ask. Why does Liis get to know about these things and I don’t?”

Travis stood, opened the cabinet, and let the glass fall into the trashcan. “She has higher security clearance than you do.”

I frowned. “So now your honesty with your wife is based on security clearance? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

“Baby,” he said, reaching for me.

I stepped back.

He let his arms fall to his sides in frustration. “This is almost over. Can you be patient just a little longer?”

“Then what? You’re lying to me about the next case?”

Travis sighed, walking away from me, and then coming back. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that this is our life. The alternative is worse.”

“Have you even asked them, Travis? Have you asked them to let you go? You’ve served your time. You’ve helped them close one of their biggest cases in the history of the Bureau. Enough. It’s not a life sentence.” Travis stared at me, unable to respond. “You don’t want to leave.”

“I love my job, Pidge. When I think about going back and being a personal trainer or having a nine-to-five in some cubicle, it makes me sick to my stomach.”

“You love your job? More than you love your wife? Your children? Your brothers? Your dad? How many times have you lied to my face? How many times have you put us in danger? I ignored it all because it was part of a deal that would keep you out of prison, but can’t you at least
ask
?”

“I suddenly realize how Dad must have felt when Mom asked him to quit the police department.”

I arched an eyebrow. “But he did it.”

“She was on her deathbed, Pidge,” he said dismissively.

I reached over to grab his shirt. “If anything happens to our kids because of your need to play cops and robbers, so help me God, Travis.”

“What? You’ll leave? You’re going to leave me because I love my job?”

“That’s not it, and you know it! Don’t you dare twist my words!” Fighting with him was almost an out-of-body experience. We hadn’t argued like this since college.

“I’m not twisting your words! I’m afraid, Pidge. You’ve left me before for a very similar reason.”

“And look. You went and did it anyway. Worked out for you. Now, you’re hoping I’ll keep turning a blind eye, but I won’t. Liis chose this, but we didn’t.
I
didn’t! I don’t want this for our kids anymore. I don’t want to raise Carter alone while you’re off fighting crime instead of being a father.”

He pointed at the floor. “I’m a good father, Abby.”

“You are. But you’re choosing to keep working a job that takes you away, sometimes for weeks at a time.”

“Okay,” he said, lost in thought. “What if I work out of an office here? In Illinois?”

“Away from the glamorous organized crime unit?”

“I could get transferred. Liis knows people in the Chicago office.”

“No more undercover work?”

“Just regular ol’ investigating.”

I thought about it for a few moments. “After this is over, you promise you’ll put in for a transfer?”

“I promise.”

I nodded slowly, still not sure what my decision was.

Travis walked over to me and wrapped me in his arms, kissing my hair. “Don’t get mad at me. It freaks me the fuck out.”

I pressed my cheek against his chest, wondering if what just happened was compromising or giving in.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

AMERICA

“
C
AN YOU STIR THE GRAVY
for me, baby?” Shepley asked, putting on oven mitts.

With a wooden spoon, I stirred the brown liquid in the pan, turning to smile at Jim, Jack, and Deana. Shepley’s parents had visited Jim every day since the funeral; sometimes, they would stay for dinner, sometimes not. When Shepley wasn’t exhausted after work, we would join them. Tonight, Shepley was making his famous meatloaf, Deana’s recipe—that was, of course, also her late sister’s, Diane’s. Eating was comforting, but especially when the dish reminded him of his wife’s cooking.

Shepley closed the oven. “Almost done.”

“Smells good,” Jim called from the dining room.

My cell phone buzzed, and I fished it out of the back pocket of my shorts. It was a text from Abby.

We’ll be at Jim’s soon. Meet us there.

I tapped out a reply.

Already here. Cooking dinner.

Oh, good. Text me when you’re finished. We’ll wait.

For what?

It took her a bit longer to respond.

Until dinner is over.

There’s enough for everyone but suit yourself.

Trust me. It’s best if everyone eats first.

And what’s that supposed to mean?

See you soon.

I huffed, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.

Shepley glided by, plucking my phone out again and placing it on the counter. “How many times have I told you? Cell phones emit radiation. Do you want colon cancer? Don’t put them in your pockets.”

“Does anyone
want
colon cancer? What kind of question is that? First, I can’t eat Cheetos, then I have to replace water bottles with glass containers because the bottles heated in the car causes cancer, and now, I can’t put my phone in my pocket. You realize the sun causes cancer, right? Should we become cave dwellers?”

“Which is why I keep buying you that organic sunscreen,” Shepley said, kissing my cheek.

“You’re such a soccer mom,” I grumbled.

“I’ll take it,” he said, leaving me for the dining room table.

I teased him, but I knew he feared going through the same thing his Uncle Jim and his mom had when they lost Diane. Once we had Ezra, he began reading about everything that could kill us and started forbidding us from eating certain things. He did it out of love, and of course, he was right, but pretending to be annoyed softened the frightening reality. We were getting older, and a few of our friends had already been diagnosed. Sometimes, it felt like the whole world was dying.