Always Be True

by Alexis Morgan

  “Yeah, he beat me last time and promised me a rematch.”

  She’d have to have a talk with Cyrus about him hanging out with Tino later. Right now, she had enough on her plate. “If I go along with this plan, I’m going to insist on paying your going rate for the work.”

  Jack spoke up again. “Look, I’ll let you two hammer out the details while I start breakfast, assuming you’ve got food in the fridge, little brother. If not, I’m going over to Mom’s and see if she’ll feed me.”

  Tino winced. “Let’s not bother her this early. I can make a quick run to pick up some breakfast sandwiches.”

  A knock at the door had both brothers going on point. “Too late, Tino. I’m guessing Mom spotted my truck in the driveway and wants to know what the hell is going on.”

  Once again, Natalie was painfully aware that she was wearing Tino’s clothes with nothing under them. It was tempting to bolt upstairs to hide in Tino’s room, but what was the point? As soon as the guys filled Marlene in on what had happened, she was going to find out Natalie had spent the night in her son’s apartment. Nothing had happened, and they were both adults, anyway. It wasn’t as if she and Tino were even dating right now.

  She remained frozen in place as Jack pushed past her to open the door. While he talked to their mother, Tino shifted to put his arm around her shoulders. “She doesn’t bite, Blondie. Besides, Mom would’ve been the first one to insist you stay with us the minute she found out your place wasn’t safe.”

  “Seriously? She would have invited me to sleep in her son’s bed?”

  He leaned down to whisper near her ear, “Maybe. She’s pretty determined to get all three of us married off. Something about wanting a bunch of grandkids. Before you hold that against her, remember she’s not the only one talking that way. When your grandfather and I played chess the other day, he mentioned wanting the same thing from us, well, from you anyway. But considering it was me he was talking to, I have to think he pictured me being actively involved in the process.”

  Her face burned hot. “Really? I can’t believe he said that again. I’m sorry if it embarrassed you.”

  Oddly enough, Tino didn’t look at all upset about the prospect. To make matters worse, he gave her a quick kiss as his mother and brother watched. He winked at her before saying, “Hi, Mom. You remember Natalie.”

  “Yes, of course. I’m really sorry about what happened last night, and I’m glad you didn’t try to go home. Sometimes I wonder what this world is coming to, but I’m sure you slept well knowing my sons were standing guard. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

  Tino cleared his throat. “There is one thing, Mom. Any chance we can raid your kitchen this morning? I’m out of both milk and eggs.”

  Marlene was clearly a little exasperated. “Now, there’s a surprise. How many times have I told you that groceries don’t magically appear in the kitchen? You actually have to go to the store once in a while. I swear, Tino, if it was just you, I’d make you settle for cold cereal. But after what Natalie has been through, she deserves better.”

  Natalie hid a smile when Tino shuffled his feet. “Come on, Mom, don’t embarrass me in front of the lady.”

  Jack cracked up. “No, go ahead, Mom. I want to watch.”

  Their mother gave her other son a disgusted look. “You weren’t any better when you lived here, Jack. I didn’t raise either of you to be helpless, but I’ll go get things started. Come on over whenever you’re ready.”

  Natalie held in her own laughter until Marlene was out the door. “I really like her, Tino. She’s tough.”

  “Yeah, she is. She had to be to put up with a lot from the three of us. Dad, too, for that matter.”

  “Amen to that.” Jack set his coffee cup down on the counter. “I’ll head over to Mom’s to grab a quick shower and then help her put a meal together. See you in a few.”

  That left her alone with just Tino, who still had his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

  Feeling awkward, she said, “I’ll grab my clothes and get dressed.”

  But when she tried to step away, he stopped her. “Are you okay?”

  “Getting there.”

  “Good.”

  He seemed to want to say more, but maybe that was only wishful thinking on her part. She had so many questions about him, his family, and what was going on in that head of his, ones she was afraid he’d never answer.

  “Um, I can’t get dressed unless you actually let go of me.”

  “And if I don’t want to let go?”

  Something about the way he was looking at her made her think he meant something more than just moving his arm. Again, was that only wishful thinking? As her grandfather was fond of saying, no guts, no glory.

  “Then I think you need to think things through and make up your mind what you do want, Tino. You send so many mixed signals that I can’t make heads nor tails of what you’re thinking. But once you’ve figured it out, you know where to find me.”

  His dark eyes looked down at her with such…hunger was the only way she could describe it. It made her want to drag him down onto the nearest horizontal surface and have her wicked way with him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a good idea for so many reasons, starting with the fact that his brother and mother were just next door and expecting them for breakfast.

  When he didn’t immediately respond, she said, “Okay, I’m going to get dressed. If your mom is nice enough to cook for us, the least we can do is show up before it gets cold.”

  She picked up her clothes and started up the steps with Tino right behind her. When they reached the top, he finally spoke. “Natalie, we’ll do whatever it takes to get your life back on track today. Afterward, I’ve got to take care of some personal stuff, but I promise I’ll be back in touch soon.”

  “Okay.” She cupped his cheek with the palm of her hand. “But when you’re done doing whatever you need to do, we need to have a long talk. I’ve got questions.”

  He turned his head to press a kiss on the palm of her hand. “I don’t doubt that. I promise I’ll have answers.”

  “Good. Now, we need to get moving. Your mom is waiting.”

  Chapter 24

  “I hear you had some excitement last week.”

  Jay waited until the waitress set down the beers they’d ordered before continuing. “Clarence told me what happened. I’m glad no one was seriously hurt.”

  Tino met Jay’s gaze as he sipped his beer. “Yeah, a few bumps and bruises, but no real damage done. We lucked out because the police caught the kid who had stolen Natalie’s purse and briefcase right away.”

  Jay’s grip on his beer tightened until his knuckles turned white. “I hope you changed her locks, anyway, just to be safe.”

  “Yep, first thing. I figured she’d sleep better even though the cops were pretty sure they grabbed him before he’d had time to do anything with her personal information.”

  Staring down at the table, Tino thought about the three kids who had attacked them. “From what the cops said, the guy who stole her purse and one of his buddies will most likely do hard time, because both already have records. Only eighteen years old, and the dumbasses have already managed to screw up their lives big-time. On the other hand, it was a first offense for the third one, and he’s still a juvenile. Not sure what that will mean for him.”

  Jay leaned back in the booth. “What do you want to happen to him?”

  That was one of the questions that had kept Tino up the last couple of nights. “I want him to have a chance to change the path he’s on. If that doesn’t happen, eventually he’ll end up in the cell right next to his two friends.”

  Jay smiled as if something in Tino’s answer had pleased him. “You and I both know nothing is likely to change the trajectory for kids like him, not unless someone steps up to convince them that there is another way.”

  “Yeah.” And the weight of that knowledge had settled right on Tino’s shoulders.

  Maybe Jay was fe
eling some of that weight, too. “So, providing it’s not already too late for him, what are you willing to do about it? And is it only this one kid you want to save or do you want to do more than that?”

  That was another question Tino had been contemplating. “I want to do something for kids like him, although right now I have no idea what that might be. Our basketball team is a good start for the younger kids, though. I really believe we’ve got a good chance to do something positive with them.”

  It was time to share some good news. “On that subject, there’s a reason I asked you to meet me today. I had a long talk with my family this week, and we want to sponsor the team in the memory of our father, Joe Lukash. Back in the day, he and Marlene stepped up to turn things around for the three of us. We want to do the same for these kids. We’ve got you covered for equipment, dues, shoes, whatever you need. Come up with a dollar amount, and I’ll write the check.”

  “Holy shit!” The former Seal looked like Santa had just dumped a shitload of presents under his own personal Christmas tree. “For real?”

  Tino grinned. “For real. But there’s a price.”

  “Anything, man.”

  “Like I said, I want to do something for the older kids, too. Not sure what, but something. Intramural sports might be a good place to start, especially if we can recruit some other local vets to help coach them. Maybe if these kids get to know the men and women who have served their country, it might inspire them to reach for more. At the very least, that they deserve a chance to make something of themselves.”

  “Like you and your brothers did.”

  Tino nodded. “You, too, I’m guessing.”

  Jay stared at some point on the far wall of the bar before finally answering. “Yeah, me, too.”

  “One of these days, you’ll have to tell me something about your own background. All I know right now is that you were a Seal.” He offered Jay a sly smile. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten your promise to tell me about the lady in your past.”

  Holding up his half-empty beer, Jay said, “I haven’t forgotten, but I’m not a cheap date. One drink isn’t nearly enough to make me go all chatty on you.”

  “I never thought it was.” Tino checked the time. “Unfortunately, I can’t stay and ply you with liquor today, but let’s set aside time to brainstorm ideas about how to get the ball rolling about some kid programs soon. I’ve got someplace I need to be tonight, and I have another stop to make on the way.”

  “Sounds serious, man.”

  “Serious as death.” Because if things didn’t go as planned, the disappointment might just kill him.

  Jay toyed with the cardboard coaster that had come with his beer. “I’m guessing it has something to do with Natalie Kennigan.”

  Never let it be said that the man wasn’t observant. “Yeah, it does.”

  Jay reached across the table to clink his beer bottle against Tino’s. “Well, Soldier Boy, I will keep my fingers crossed that your mission is successful.”

  “Thanks, Squid. That means a lot.”

  “But if it all goes to hell and you need a drinking companion, you have my number.” Jay finished his beer and slid out of the booth. “Having said that, my money is on you, especially if Natalie is as smart as everyone says she is. You’re a good man, even if you did pick the army over the navy.”

  Tino defended his choice. “Joe was army.”

  Jay clearly wasn’t impressed. “That didn’t stop your younger brother from joining the marines.”

  “True enough.”

  By that time, they’d reached the parking lot. Jay stopped to stare up at the sky. “Thanks again for sponsoring the team, Tino. My mom always said what goes around comes around. Maybe by doing something good for the kids, you’ll get what you need in return. I hope so.”

  Tino glanced at his companion. “Why?”

  “Because then maybe there’s hope for me, too.”

  Then Jay disappeared into the darkness, leaving Tino staring at his back.

  Chapter 25

  Natalie wanted to stomp her foot in frustration. Her favorite relative was being a royal pain and refused to explain himself. “Look, you asked me to stop by for no particular reason knowing full well I have work to do, and now you won’t let me leave. Why?”

  “Because I said so.” Cyrus glared at her one last time before wheeling his chair around to disappear back into his library.

  “But, Granddad—”

  She started after him, when the doorbell cut her off mid-protest. Rather than follow him, she called out, “I’ll get it, Esther.”

  Her grandfather was back. “Well, it’s about time.”

  Who was stopping by that had her grandfather fuming like that? Only one way to find out. She opened the door and then wished she hadn’t. What was Tino doing standing on her grandfather’s front porch? She hadn’t seen him or heard from him in over a week. Yeah, he’d told her he had some things to take care of, but he could’ve kept in touch by email or sent her a text message. Heck, even a tweet would’ve been better than total silence. Surely, she deserved that much.

  And yet he’d clearly been in communication with her grandfather.

  Her mood took another turn toward the dark side. She picked up her purse and jacket. “Well, Granddad, look who’s here. I hope you and your chess partner have a long and happy life together.”

  Tino muttered something unintelligible, most likely a string of curse words he hadn’t really meant her to hear. Her grandfather joined in. “Dammit, Natalie, don’t go off half-cocked. We can explain, or at least he can.”

  She rounded on her grandfather, ready to really rip into him, when Tino planted himself right in front of her. “Don’t be mad at Cyrus. This is all on me.”

  Right now, she was in no mood to play favorites and gave each of them a dirty look. “You’re obviously here to see him and not me. Fine. Pretend I was already gone before you got here.”

  Because if she stayed another minute, she would either start crying or throwing things. Maybe both.

  “I don’t blame you for being angry, Natalie, but let me explain.” Tino crooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face so that she had no choice but to look at him when he added, “Please.”

  She’d always been a sucker for his dark eyes. That didn’t mean she had to surrender completely to his whims. “Fine, you get five minutes. After that, or if I don’t like what you have to say, I’m out of here.”

  Her grandfather rejoined the conversation. “Why don’t the two of you go into my library to have your talk.”

  Natalie kept her eyes pinned on Tino, but she didn’t hesitate to let her grandfather know she wasn’t any happier with him. “So you can sit outside the door and eavesdrop?”

  When he didn’t immediately respond, she glanced in his direction. His guilty expression said it all. Esther joined the conversation. “I’ll take him back to the kitchen with me and ride herd on him as long as necessary.”

  At least one person was on her side. “Thank you, Esther.”

  The old man clearly didn’t appreciate having his plans thwarted, but at least he surrendered to the inevitable. “Fine, I’ll go. Tino, that package you were waiting for is on my desk in the fancy bag.”

  Then, with one last defiant look at her, Cyrus wheeled his chair around and took off toward the back of the house with Esther following right behind.

  When they were out of sight, Tino stepped back and swept his arm in the direction of the library door. “Shall we?”

  Now that the two of them were alone, her anger was replaced by something more akin to stage fright. She didn’t know what part she’d been assigned in this play, and she clearly didn’t know her lines or how she was supposed to act. Once they entered the library, Tino closed the door. “This might take awhile, so I think you’d be more comfortable sitting down.”

  Tino waited until she was situated on the leather sofa before continuing. Rather than look in her direction, he stood in front of the firep
lace and stared into the flames. What was he seeing there? Whatever it was, it clearly wasn’t making him happy.

  Finally, he spoke. “I’ve owed you an explanation for a while now. But before I could do that, I needed to find answers to some pretty hard questions I’ve been asking myself.”

  After checking his watch, he glanced back over his shoulder in her direction. “No matter how this plays out tonight, I appreciate that you’re willing to listen at all.”

  The five minutes she’d promised him were ticking away far too quickly. Maybe she’d been too rash. “Don’t worry about the time limit, Tino. That was my temper talking. I’m here for the duration.”

  “Thank you for that, Nat. I appreciate it.”

  He drew a deep breath and started talking. “As you’ve probably guessed, Marlene Lukash and her late husband weren’t my birth parents. My real folks were killed in a car wreck when I was a kid. After that, I got passed around to various relatives until the last one finally turned me over to the state.”

  She gasped and then immediately regretted it when Tino quit talking. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I know this can’t be easy for you.”

  Tino shrugged. “It is what it is. As things turned out, getting thrown into the foster system at that point was the best thing that could have happened to me. My relatives didn’t want me, but Joe and Marlene did. They’d already found Jack, and it wasn’t too long afterward that Mikhail moved in with us.

  “You’ve met Jack and know we don’t look a thing alike. Mikhail has blond hair, blue eyes, and looks like some damn Viking who just parked a dragon-ship out in the Sound.” Tino’s expression turned fierce. “We don’t share the same DNA, but we’re still brothers down to the bone. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them, and that road goes both ways.”

  She believed him. In fact, she was a little jealous. As an only child, she’d always wanted a brother or sister of her own. “It was easy to tell that you and Jack are close.”

  “Yeah, we are. He’s four months older than me. Mikhail is six months younger than me and the baby of the family.”