Navy SEAL Surrender (12 page)

Chapter Seventeen

It was a clear night, and the moon provided enough light to see through the open field and the overgrown path to Roy’s barn. John cut the car’s lights when he left the road. Each bumpy lurch of the small car felt like crossing a gully—lots of bumps as a result of nonuse. He wouldn’t have cared if he hadn’t spent the past two hours driving in circles, waiting for Alicia to fall into an exhausted slumber.

He pulled the rental slowly through the forgotten alfalfa and weeds on the far side of the run-down barn. Run-down, but he noticed a fairly new air-conditioning unit added crookedly in the middle of the wall. Odd, since units like that normally fit into windows. Whatever Roy had been doing out here either had been moved somewhere else, or no one felt it important, since it was obvious no one had kept this property maintained since his death.

The phone vibrated in his lap. He ignored it as he had the three times before. He hadn’t answered it, fearing even his voice would wake Alicia. She’d been pushed to her limit. Everything had been taken from her and if she didn’t get some rest, he wasn’t sure how she’d react the next time something happened.

And the way his luck had been running, it—whatever
it
was—would definitely go wrong and happen. Military ops coordinated from halfway around the world seemed a lot easier than dealing with the unpredictable rationale of civilians.

Leaving the military would be a huge change. An idea that he was getting more comfortable accepting.

He parked the car and got out without jarring the vehicle too much. The inside bulb was still taped over, so no light shone on his sleeping beauty. He jogged out of earshot and answered the vibrating cell. “Yeah?”

“Where the hell have you been?” His brother sounded loud without raising his voice. Somehow he’d always been able to do that.

Then again, Brian’s voice hadn’t only come through the cell. He spun around and was face-to-face with his short-haired twin.

“When I texted where we were going, I didn’t expect you to meet us here. You weren’t followed?” Inadequacy reared its ugly head as John searched for the car he’d missed or additional cars on the horizon.

“I came on horseback.” Brian threw a thumb toward the south end of the barn, indicating where he’d left the animal. “The deputy assigned to me is parked on the road, probably sound asleep by now. It’s not my first time avoiding a tail.”

Brian shoved saddlebags into his chest with an extra push that forced John back a step. His twin wasn’t elaborating on “avoiding a tail,” and as much as he wanted to ask about the past twelve years, he couldn’t. He had other things to worry about.

“There was no way I was going to let Mabel get any more involved by bringing you food.” Brian continued moving. He was always moving, never seeming to relax around him at all. “Which she insisted you’d need by now.”

“Thanks. She was right, but you shouldn’t be here.” His words sounded as forced as they felt. Maybe he was as
unrelaxed
around Brian as it seemed his
big
brother was around him.

“Grow up.” Brian threw his hands above his head and turned to walk to his tethered horse. “Did you expect Mabel to come?”

“I didn’t ask for any food and I didn’t ask for your help.”

“But you got it anyway, didn’t you?” He spun on his booted toe. “You’re back three days and you manage to drag Dad and Mabel into a dangerous situation right along with you. We’re all supposed to just chip in, follow your orders and lie through our teeth so you can play the big badass navy SEAL coming to the rescue.”

“What does that mean?” He hadn’t asked to become involved in the kidnapping. There wasn’t any way to explain that to free his brother he’d had no choice but to get involved.

Brian threw his hands lamely in the air. “Forget it. We’re all in this up to our necks now. You’ve got no right to keep us in the dark.”

“Us? Meaning you. Why? How did
you
plan to rescue Alicia? I seem to remember you were in jail and she was headed there.” The old Brian would never believe the deciding factor to leave Dad and jump into this fray was to clear Brian’s name. It hadn’t happened twelve years ago, so why would the selfish brother do it now? Right? At this exact moment he didn’t really know the answer to that question, either.

“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t have put Dad and Mabel at risk of landing there, too.” Brian scratched his freshly shorn head and pressed his lips together as if he wanted to say something, but he wouldn’t. “Dammit, I probably would’ve done the same thing. It’s not like you had much choice.”

“I can tell it hurt to admit that.” It had always been hard for him to admit Brian was right, and he hadn’t enjoyed the experience. He should confess, too. One more minute to enjoy this moment. Involving them had been a tough on-the-spot decision. It had been his only choice, but that didn’t make it the right one.

Brian paced liked a caged animal. The area was six square feet. The same size as a jail cell. Something more was bothering his brother. Bothered him, too. They needed to talk. It just wasn’t the right time.

Would it ever be?
Not really.

“I didn’t pick this fight,” he admitted. It was the best he could do.

“You’re saying you aren’t responsible for dragging us into this mess?” Brian asked through clenched teeth, his hands balled into fists.

“I couldn’t let Alicia go to jail.”
And can’t admit that wasn’t the only reason you became involved.

“But letting me go there was just fine. Of course, I should be used to that by now. Right?”

“So we’re back to the fire? Well, going to jail while they investigated was your choice back then, since I didn’t need defending. I didn’t do anything.”

“Forget it. That subject is dead. Buried.” Brian looked around him, through him, but not
at
him. He didn’t meet his eyes, but he didn’t walk away.

“Not quite buried. More like a zombie that rises at every occasion. Sure doesn’t seem dead.”

“There’s nothing left to talk about.”

“How about the truth?” Maybe now was the right time to talk about it after all? “I fought with Alicia. She caught a ride before I could catch her. The party broke up. I looked around and our truck was gone. I put the fire out and walked to the old clubhouse.”

“You must have done a half-ass job putting it out, since the barn burned to the ground. I knew you were drunk, and shouldn’t have let Dwayne talk me out of dragging you home.”

His brother spoke with such venom and resentment. Had he been feeling that way the entire twelve years or had the hatred been gaining ground with each year they’d been separated? Was it anger that had kept him from coming home to face Brian? Not recently. But a long time ago, he’d been pretty mad.

“That’s the thing, Brian. I wasn’t drunk. I saw you with Alicia.
You
were the one completely wasted that night. We argued after you made a play for my girl and I didn’t believe Alicia when she said nothing happened.”

“You’re crazy. I wouldn’t do that. Besides, Dwayne took me home.” The pacing stopped. Brian stood, grinding a fist into his palm. Ready to fight. Maybe even subconsciously inviting a fight.

John’s fist twitched, responding, until he forced his fingers open. He just shook his head. “That story’s full of holes. I’m telling you, the truck was gone. I walked and wasn’t drunk.”

“If you didn’t leave the fire going, then who went back? They had a witness who saw our truck there. Why lie about what happened, Johnny? You trying to convince Alicia you’re worthy of her? Better wait until she’s actually around.”

His brother really believed the dribble he spouted. Even under moonlight, John could see the sincerity and confidence. Two minutes ago he’d been tired, worn-out and wanting to avoid another confrontation. The itch to fight and settle this once and for all was there, and no matter how exhausted he’d been, adrenaline kicked him into full gear.

Throughout their childhood and high school years they’d settled their differences with a fight. Rolling on the ground, punching kidneys, ripping shirts and jeans along the way. Why should now be any different? It had just taken twelve years to have it out about this one.

Without thinking too much about it, he rammed a sore shoulder into Brian’s gut and they tumbled to the ground. Brian landed a hard fist in his side. Already bruised from Gargantuan’s punches, John yelled in pain.

“Admit that you left the fire burning,” Brian shouted, throwing another punch that rattled John’s teeth.

“Admit that you felt guilty about making a play for Alicia and never gave me the chance to tell you the truth.” John threw his own fist to crack Brian’s jaw, then clamped his mouth shut to stop the groan of pain he wanted to release. His knuckles and lots of other body parts were already raw due to his earlier brawl.

They rolled in a deadlock, equally matched and equally tired. Brian groaned after a flip to his back when John landed a knee close to his groin. Then they reversed and broke apart as he narrowly avoided a furious knee slamming onto his chest.

He locked his arm behind Brian’s head but couldn’t finish the defensive move without snapping his brother’s neck. He needed a minute to catch his breath and decide where to go. In the past, the victor had won the argument. Problem solved. But winning wouldn’t resolve this ongoing problem between them.

Finding out the truth would.

“Well, it’s about time.” A very feminine voice laughed.

John looked upside down into Alicia’s gorgeous smile as she bent over them. She didn’t appear mad at all.

They both relaxed their grips just like they’d been caught fighting by their mother all those years ago. They rolled off one another and scrambled to their feet. He expected Alicia to scold them for being stupid. Instead she stretched open her arms, running to them and pulling them into an embrace.

“How much did you hear?” John asked over her shoulder.

“Did you really expect me to stay asleep with the two of you yelling at each other?”

John’s eyes connected with his twin’s, reflecting the shock he felt. Alicia’s face was buried between them but he thought she muttered something about waiting a long time for this fight to clear the air.

“Wait a minute,” Brian said, pulling back from the awkward group hug. “I wouldn’t say anything’s been cleared up.” He wiped the blood from his lip with the back of his hand.

“I agree.” John set Alicia slightly away from him, half expecting her to stomp her foot in frustration.

John edged his tongue across his own lip, itching to wipe the wetness away, not ready to admit Brian had drawn blood.

“But you’re finally fighting it out. If you’d done this that night, we could have avoided the strained relationships and years of hurt.”

Brian backed farther away. “Nothing would have changed, Alicia. He was a jerk of a kid, always avoiding getting blamed for anything.”

“Is that what you think? You’ve really believed I was guilty all these years? You think I was drunk and irresponsible. That I set the fire and couldn’t face the truth?”

“I think I’ll wait in the barn.” Brian darted around the building.

“Oh, no, you don’t, Brian Sloane.” Alicia did stomp her foot and shout. Brian returned as far as the corner and leaned against the aging wall. “You two are going to get this over with, even if it requires a broken nose.” She pointed her finger at him, then back around at Brian. “Or two. Now get on with it.”

“There’s nothing to argue about,” his brother said, visibly clenching his jaw and swallowing hard. “He won’t admit he was there.”

Watching his twin, he realized just how much their gestures revealed. He was bone weary and emotionally done and Brian didn’t look much better. He was holding his right ribs—not the left, where John’s fist had connected several times. Somebody left-handed had taken some shots.

Alicia looked expectantly at him to start the reconciliation. He stuck his hand out in front of him and shrugged. “What do you want me to say? I wasn’t.”

“Well, let’s start with who drove the truck home that night. It wasn’t me. I rode home with Trina Kaufman. Or I drove her home listening to her snores.” Alicia put her hands on her hips, forcing Brian not to turn away. She flicked a finger and he responded like a little kid, shuffling forward, back within arm’s distance.

Do I look like that?

Was that a bit of courage straightening his own spine? This slip of a woman, in spite of all the problems she’d faced, would be the driving force behind resolving the feud with his brother. She had courage and stamina worthy of any navy SEAL. He should be ashamed it had come to this, but in a way, he was relieved.

For better or worse, the time had come to clear the air.

“It doesn’t sound like either of us drove Granddad’s truck home,” he said, drawing on the courage to see the conversation through without throwing another punch. “I was in the tree house.”

“I stayed at Dwayne’s,” Brian mumbled.

Realization hit John about the same time as Brian. Neither of them was responsible for the fire. Twelve years of anger could have been avoided.

“So neither of you drove the truck home. But there were witnesses who saw the truck leaving Mrs. Cook’s after the fire started.”

“Son of a bitch.” Brian turned away from Alicia with a string of curses and a fist slamming the rotten barn wall. “Anyone could have taken the truck. We always left the keys in it at those things since we shared it. Everybody knew that. I mean, we never thought anyone would steal it.”

“Someone framed us good enough that even
we
bought the story.” John wanted to punch something through the barn wall. He settled for slamming his fist into his palm.

“And since you never asked each other,” Alicia continued, “you just assumed the other was responsible.”

“Yeah. We were idiots and have paid the price for our stupidity,” Brian admitted for them both.

“Twelve years.” Alicia’s body relaxed. Her arms went above her head and smoothed her curly hair, pulling it into a ponytail and twisting it into a knot. “Twelve frustrating years of silence when a two-minute conversation would have resolved everything. Men.”