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. Tyler, Zane said sternly. You re going to stay outsideuntil I let you come in. Ty gaped at him, almost sending them off into asnow-filled ditch before he got control of himself and thetruck.He snorted angrily. Fine. Zane nodded, pleased with himself. You re wearing my boots, Ty grumbled a few minuteslater. What? My go bag boots.You stole them.Asshole. They re nice, Zane acknowledged, grinning instead ofoffering an apology. Do you want them back? Ty glared at him, then shook his head. Keep them.Theymight save your life one day. Ten minutes later, the truck had managed the climb upthe side of the mountain, and they sat with the engine off,the freezing night seeping into the cab.Zane was fighting thebubbling of nerves as he stared at the dark porch.What ifhe went in there and told Earl what they knew, and the mannever forgave him? What if this was the moment he lost thenew family he d so recently earned a place in? Maybe he d beenwrong, maybe they needed Ty in there to keep things smooth.But then, would they really get answers in an atmospherecharged with grief and emotion?238 No.No, they wouldn t. You guys know we don t have doors back here, right? Owen finally said as he rested his chin on the back of thefront seat.Ty snarled and turned to Zane.His eyes were blazing, andhe d obviously been going over an inner monologue thathad gotten him worked up.He looked absolutely livid.Zane took a deep, soothing breath. Okay, he saidquietly. We ll go in, ask a few questions.I ll flash the porchlight when it s clear for you to join. Ty sat silent, glaring.Zane didn t linger further, just popped the handle andslid out of the cab.He pulled the seat forward so Owenand Digger could follow, and they left Ty sitting in the cold.Ty seethed as he watched them walk up to the unlit doorand knock.A few seconds later, his mother answered, her facemorphing into a pleased smile as she pulled Zane into a hug.She seemed to recognize Owen and Digger, probablyplacing them as Ty s Recon team even if she might not recalltheir names.As soon as she saw Ty wasn t with them, concernfiltered into her expression.Zane s motions seemed to beaimed at calming her, and she ushered them inside.Zaneglanced over his shoulder at Ty before shutting the doorbehind him.Yes, Zane was right.Ty didn t need to be the one askinghis own father if he might happen to have been involved withstealing millions from a Colombian cartel.That didn t meanTy couldn t sit and sulk about being left like a dog in the carwith the windows cracked.239 He waited until his knee began bouncing, and then herealized he had far too much energy to just sit there.He pulledon a pair of gloves, then got out of the truck and closed thedoor with a quiet snick.He checked that his gun was loadedand the safety was off, and then he slunk into the woods toperform a perimeter check so he could feel useful.He d grown up on this land and he knew this mountainlike the back of his hand.He traveled through the trees witha fluidity normally reserved for wild animals.There wasn tmuch snow on the ground here because the canopy was fartoo thick, so he traded crunching on snow for trying to avoidthe snap of twigs as he moved.When he came around the small gully that behaved as anatural barrier for the property, he turned south and headedtoward the back of the house.He could see the lights ofthe kitchen between the trees, see the smoke rising from thechimney.He stopped and smiled wistfully at the peacefulscene straight from his childhood.Then a shadow moved amid the trees, blocking out thelight.Zane hadn t realized he was nervous until he d tried tomove his hands from where they were clutching his jeans, andhis fingers throbbed as they started getting blood to themagain.Earl was sitting across from him, on the edge of the sofa.Mara and Chester had joined them, which seemed to makeOwen and Digger uncomfortable, but Zane knew the Gradys.Mara wasn t exactly the little woman puttering around thekitchen.240 She didn t seem as distraught as Earl did right now. That can t be, he was insisting.He was shaking his head,staring at the table. I knew him too well. Sir, Owen said gently. We wish it weren t true, but wehave too much evidence. Earl glanced up at him, then turned his attention backto Zane.He looked so wounded, Zane wasn t sure how tohandle it.He had expected Earl to rail at them,to deny it, to get violent and protective like Ty had whenNick had tried to tell him.But Earl was none of thosethings.He merely seemed broken and sad. I m sorry, Zane whispered.Earl shook his head. Don t apologize, son, this ain t yourdoing.Where is Ty? Zane winced, glancing at Owen and Digger to make surethey had his back.They both nodded.Zane licked his lips andtook a deep breath. He s in the truck, he answered carefully.Mara sat up straighter and peered out the window,scowling. Why didn t he come in? But the dawning realization in Earl s eyes told Zane thatEarl knew exactly why Ty had stayed in the truck.He blewout a noisy puff of air. I have to ask you a few questions, Zane told him, tryingto keep the professional mask that had served him so well forso long.Mara turned back around, her brow still furrowed.Shelooked between them and put her hand on Earl s knee. Of course you do, Earl said, and he was astoundinglycalm.Fuck, he was making Zane nervous! Go on, boy.Getit over with. Were you aware of Richard Burns s activities? No. Earl s answer came out soft and sad.241 Were you aware of the safe he had installed in the floorof his home? Earl shook his head. No. Zane licked his lips, steeling himself. Were you awarethat Richard Burns was planning to murder myself and Ty sowe d take the fall for his crimes? Earl looked up sharply, eyes flashing.His breath seemedto leave him, and he stood. Is that true? he asked, barelyaudible since he still hadn t caught his breath.Zane nodded. We believe so, yes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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. Tyler, Zane said sternly. You re going to stay outsideuntil I let you come in. Ty gaped at him, almost sending them off into asnow-filled ditch before he got control of himself and thetruck.He snorted angrily. Fine. Zane nodded, pleased with himself. You re wearing my boots, Ty grumbled a few minuteslater. What? My go bag boots.You stole them.Asshole. They re nice, Zane acknowledged, grinning instead ofoffering an apology. Do you want them back? Ty glared at him, then shook his head. Keep them.Theymight save your life one day. Ten minutes later, the truck had managed the climb upthe side of the mountain, and they sat with the engine off,the freezing night seeping into the cab.Zane was fighting thebubbling of nerves as he stared at the dark porch.What ifhe went in there and told Earl what they knew, and the mannever forgave him? What if this was the moment he lost thenew family he d so recently earned a place in? Maybe he d beenwrong, maybe they needed Ty in there to keep things smooth.But then, would they really get answers in an atmospherecharged with grief and emotion?238 No.No, they wouldn t. You guys know we don t have doors back here, right? Owen finally said as he rested his chin on the back of thefront seat.Ty snarled and turned to Zane.His eyes were blazing, andhe d obviously been going over an inner monologue thathad gotten him worked up.He looked absolutely livid.Zane took a deep, soothing breath. Okay, he saidquietly. We ll go in, ask a few questions.I ll flash the porchlight when it s clear for you to join. Ty sat silent, glaring.Zane didn t linger further, just popped the handle andslid out of the cab.He pulled the seat forward so Owenand Digger could follow, and they left Ty sitting in the cold.Ty seethed as he watched them walk up to the unlit doorand knock.A few seconds later, his mother answered, her facemorphing into a pleased smile as she pulled Zane into a hug.She seemed to recognize Owen and Digger, probablyplacing them as Ty s Recon team even if she might not recalltheir names.As soon as she saw Ty wasn t with them, concernfiltered into her expression.Zane s motions seemed to beaimed at calming her, and she ushered them inside.Zaneglanced over his shoulder at Ty before shutting the doorbehind him.Yes, Zane was right.Ty didn t need to be the one askinghis own father if he might happen to have been involved withstealing millions from a Colombian cartel.That didn t meanTy couldn t sit and sulk about being left like a dog in the carwith the windows cracked.239 He waited until his knee began bouncing, and then herealized he had far too much energy to just sit there.He pulledon a pair of gloves, then got out of the truck and closed thedoor with a quiet snick.He checked that his gun was loadedand the safety was off, and then he slunk into the woods toperform a perimeter check so he could feel useful.He d grown up on this land and he knew this mountainlike the back of his hand.He traveled through the trees witha fluidity normally reserved for wild animals.There wasn tmuch snow on the ground here because the canopy was fartoo thick, so he traded crunching on snow for trying to avoidthe snap of twigs as he moved.When he came around the small gully that behaved as anatural barrier for the property, he turned south and headedtoward the back of the house.He could see the lights ofthe kitchen between the trees, see the smoke rising from thechimney.He stopped and smiled wistfully at the peacefulscene straight from his childhood.Then a shadow moved amid the trees, blocking out thelight.Zane hadn t realized he was nervous until he d tried tomove his hands from where they were clutching his jeans, andhis fingers throbbed as they started getting blood to themagain.Earl was sitting across from him, on the edge of the sofa.Mara and Chester had joined them, which seemed to makeOwen and Digger uncomfortable, but Zane knew the Gradys.Mara wasn t exactly the little woman puttering around thekitchen.240 She didn t seem as distraught as Earl did right now. That can t be, he was insisting.He was shaking his head,staring at the table. I knew him too well. Sir, Owen said gently. We wish it weren t true, but wehave too much evidence. Earl glanced up at him, then turned his attention backto Zane.He looked so wounded, Zane wasn t sure how tohandle it.He had expected Earl to rail at them,to deny it, to get violent and protective like Ty had whenNick had tried to tell him.But Earl was none of thosethings.He merely seemed broken and sad. I m sorry, Zane whispered.Earl shook his head. Don t apologize, son, this ain t yourdoing.Where is Ty? Zane winced, glancing at Owen and Digger to make surethey had his back.They both nodded.Zane licked his lips andtook a deep breath. He s in the truck, he answered carefully.Mara sat up straighter and peered out the window,scowling. Why didn t he come in? But the dawning realization in Earl s eyes told Zane thatEarl knew exactly why Ty had stayed in the truck.He blewout a noisy puff of air. I have to ask you a few questions, Zane told him, tryingto keep the professional mask that had served him so well forso long.Mara turned back around, her brow still furrowed.Shelooked between them and put her hand on Earl s knee. Of course you do, Earl said, and he was astoundinglycalm.Fuck, he was making Zane nervous! Go on, boy.Getit over with. Were you aware of Richard Burns s activities? No. Earl s answer came out soft and sad.241 Were you aware of the safe he had installed in the floorof his home? Earl shook his head. No. Zane licked his lips, steeling himself. Were you awarethat Richard Burns was planning to murder myself and Ty sowe d take the fall for his crimes? Earl looked up sharply, eyes flashing.His breath seemedto leave him, and he stood. Is that true? he asked, barelyaudible since he still hadn t caught his breath.Zane nodded. We believe so, yes [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]