Ash sighed in resignation. No matter what they discussed, Firebrand always seemed to pop up in the conversation. “I remember all right. You’ve probably gotten tired of hearing me talk about it all these years, but last night changed things. Coming back has nothing to do with whether or not I’m going to be a part of the new training facility. It’s about my brother’s son. Lainey sounded frantic on the phone, and I keep seeing those two bodies in that storage room. I’ve got to find out what’s going on.”
“I’d say Lainey has every reason to be scared. Especially if somebody wants to kill her and her son. Just remember that any of Firebrand’s resources are available to you while you’re looking for this guy or guys, as the case may be.”
Reese’s words reminded Ash of what he’d sworn his allegiance to years ago—the brotherhood of Firebrand International. It didn’t matter whether or not he accepted the partnership in the center. There would always be ties to his band of brothers and the experiences they’d shared.
Ash rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “You and Colt and I, we were a cocky bunch, weren’t we? Thought we were hot stuff back in the day. Three guys just out of the military who were still on an adrenaline high. We wanted to do something nobody else had by serving our country in a different way. And we made something good, didn’t we?”
A half-smile curled Reese’s lips. “Yeah, it’s good we had some high-ranking military brass as well as support at the CIA who believed in us or we never could have pulled off the dangerous covert missions we tackled.”
Ash swiveled in his seat and faced his friend. “How did we do it, Reese? How did we live to tell about the things we’ve done.”
“We lived because we swore to protect each other, and we have.” Reese took his left hand off the steering wheel and touched his right bicep. “We carry the mark to make us remember.”
Ash couldn’t feel the tattoo through the jacket he wore, but he knew the symbol was there, a sword and a flaming torch in an X. It was a part of him the same way that the brotherhood was.
His fingers tightened on his sleeve as the memories of past missions, and their casualties flitted through his mind. He closed his eyes to make the visions go away, but he knew they wouldn’t. They were a part of him, and they went with him everywhere. Even to his dreams at night. “Reese, do you think my brother’s son might be in danger because of something I’ve done?” His voice quivered as he spoke the words he’d been thinking ever since talking to Lainey last night.
“I don’t know. What makes you think that?”
“It’s just a thought. Those guys at Lainey’s house asked her about Firebrand. It stands to reason Firebrand’s connected to this some way.”
Reese’s forehead wrinkled, and he cast a quick glance in Ash’s direction. “It does make me wonder, but it could be anything. Maybe somebody has a grudge against Richard or Lainey.”
“Yeah,” Ash said. “Or it could have something to do with my father’s business that Lainey’s running now. But I can’t dismiss the possibility that it might be connected to one of our missions.” He swallowed hard. “I can’t quit thinking about those two people at the diner. What if they were killed because of me, and Lainey and her son are in danger because of something that I’ve done?”
At that moment they passed a highway sign that displayed a distance of ten miles to St. Claire, and Reese exhaled a big breath. “There’s no use speculating, Ash. Whatever it is, it won’t be long until you know.”
<><><>
Lainey glanced at the clock on the mantel in the den for the tenth time in the last few minutes. She’d never known time to drag so slowly. She closed her eyes and rubbed her hand across her forehead. The headache that had been threatening all morning had finally become a full-blown attack. She reached for the medication her doctor had prescribed for her headaches and downed one more pill with a swig from the bottle of water on her desk.
She set the water down just as Max, dribbling a basketball, bounded into the room. Lainey closed her eyes and grabbed her head with her hands. “Max, please stop that. I have a splitting headache.”
Max came to an immediate stop, looped an arm over the ball, and rested it against his hip. His bottom lip trembled at her rebuke, and a hurt look flashed in his dark eyes. “Sorry, Mom. I didn’t know.”
Remorse filled her at the sharp tone she’d used with her son. It wasn’t his fault she was so upset this morning. She reached out and patted his shoulder. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bark at you.”
He grinned, her rebuke already forgotten. “That’s all right. You’ve barked louder before. I guess I’m so excited because I got to stay home from school when I wasn’t even sick and that I’m going to see Uncle Ash, too. I’ll keep the noise level down. I promise.”
See his Uncle Ash. He’d talked of nothing else ever since she’d told him this morning that Ash was on his way home. She’d never spoken to him about Ash until about two years ago when Max was playing in the attic and had found a box filled with pictures of Richard and Ash together. With little memory of Richard and none of Ash, he’d asked her questions about the two of them until she had thought she would go out of her mind. From that day on, he had developed a hero worship for the uncle who had to be some kind of super military operative who could take on anything that came his way. Now Max was going to meet that uncle, and she didn’t intend for him to break a young boy’s heart by proving he was nothing like the man in Max’s imagination.
Lainey forced a smile to her face and reached up and smoothed Max’s long dark hair back from his forehead. “You need a haircut. We’ll have so see about getting an appointment.”
He rolled his eyes. “Can’t we wait until after the school musical? I want to look like a guitar player in a rock band, and I need long hair.”
Lainey laughed out loud and reached up and tousled his hair. “Max, you’re ten years old, and you’re going to be in a school concert. You aren’t ready to go on a national tour yet. So we’ll save the long hair for a later time in your life.”
He grinned and nodded. “Okay. Maybe Uncle Ash will take me to get it cut.”
A new feeling of dread washed through her. Ash should arrive soon, and she had no idea how he was going to act toward her or Max. She couldn’t quite picture the Ash she’d known as someone who would enjoy taking a child for a haircut. For her son’s sake, she hoped Ash was cordial to him.
“Your uncle may have other things to do while he’s here, and we can’t expect to monopolize his time. So, let’s not start asking him to do things for us. Okay?”
Max nodded. “Sure, Mom. Have you heard from him this morning?”
“Not yet. I have no idea how long it will take him to get here. You’re going to have to be patient. In the meantime you can get a head start on that rock and roll career by going back to your room and practicing the solo you’re playing in the program.”
A groan rumbled in his throat. “Aw, Mom, I know that solo backwards and forward. I’m ready.” He grinned, and her heart lurched at the way his mouth turned down exactly like his father’s. “Isn’t it great that Uncle Ash will be there to hear me play?”
She put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head. “Don’t get too excited, Max. Like I said, we don’t know what he has planned or how long he’ll be here.”
Disappointment flashed in his eyes. “But he has to stay. You told me he used to play the guitar, and I want him to hear me play.”
She blinked back tears and tried to smile. “We’ll ask him. Now I have some work to do. You go up to your room and practice for a while. I promise I’ll call you downstairs when your uncle gets here.”
He backed toward the door. “You promise?”
“I do.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later.”
As Max turned and started toward the hallway, her attackers’ words popped into her mind. The next time you and your son will both end up dead. She took a step into the hallway and called out. “Max?”
&nb
sp; He stopped and glanced back. “Yeah, Mom?”
Her heart almost stopped as she gazed at him. He was all that she had, and he was growing up right before her eyes. No matter how much Ash hated her, she had to make him protect her son.
She took a deep breath. “Is it okay for me to tell you how much I love you?”
He grinned and nodded. “Sure, as long as none of the guys are around.”
She smiled. “I won’t embarrass you in front of your friends. But remember I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mom.”
Then he was gone like a whirlwind up the steps to his bedroom. She waited a moment before she collapsed into a chair and began to cry. For a long time she’d wanted Ash to come home, then she’d hoped he would never return. Now he was on his way, and she would soon know which of her wishes had come true.
<><><>
Reese pulled to a stop next to the intercom on the wall beside the locked gate. Ash stared at the buttons he’d pushed so many times in the past. Beyond this gate stood the house he’d lived in all his life until he left for the army. He closed his eyes for a moment and willed himself to remember why he was here. It wasn’t a homecoming. He was here to protect his brother’s son.
He realized Reese had spoken, and he turned toward him. “What did you say?”
“Do you know the password?”
He shook his head. “It’s probably been changed through the years. Push that big button. Lainey will buzz us through.”
Reese complied, and within moments they stopped in front of the house. Ash let his gaze drift over the stately southern colonial with its six white columns and the curved driveway in front. He remembered the four acres at the back and the stable for the horses he and Richard had ridden when they were children. He wondered if Max rode.
“Well, you’re here,” Reese said. “Want me to come in with you?”
Ash shook his head. “I think I’d better go this one alone, buddy. But thanks.” He glanced around. “Where’s Casey and her team? I thought you were going to send them over to guard the place.”
Reese chuckled. “They’re out there on the grounds. If you need them, they’ll come into view quick enough. I’ll head back out to the Training Center and send another team to relieve them. Let me know what you need next.”
“I will.”
He reached out his hand, and Reese gripped it in the handshake that the brotherhood used. Ash glanced down when Reese didn’t release him right away. “Be careful,” Reese said.
Ash chuckled and eased his hand free. “You know me. I don’t back down from a fight.”
Reese didn’t break eye contact with him. “You’ve been backing down from one for over ten years.” He glanced at the house. “You’re about to see Lainey, and it may bring up a lot of old memories. I guess I’m just worried about you.”
Ash gritted his teeth and shook his head. “No need to worry. I’m here to take care of my brother’s son. I could care less about what happens to Lainey.”
“I’m just saying, Ash, that there’s a fine line between hate and love. Be careful.”
Ash started to respond, but instead he stepped out of the car, grabbed his bag from the back seat, and strode toward the front porch. He stopped at the bottom of the steps and waited a moment, then climbed to the porch. He reached to press the doorbell, but the door swung open before he could.
His stomach clenched at his first sight of Lainey standing in front of him. He’d convinced himself through the years that she probably looked nothing like the young girl he’d once known and loved. In fact, he doubted if he’d even recognize her if they met. But he’d been wrong. If anything, she was more beautiful than ever. The only distracting thing about her appearance was a bandage that covered the side of her neck.
Her hair was a lighter shade than the ash blonde he’d always liked, but the blue eyes still had the power to make his knees go weak. The skirt and blouse she wore had a simple look that screamed how expensive it actually was. As that thought popped into his head, he scowled. She should look good. With the whole DeHan estate in her hands now, she had enough money to keep her in the lifestyle she’d wanted from the moment they met.
He glanced back and waved at Reese as he drove back toward the gate. Then he cleared his throat and turned to face her. “Hello, Lainey.”
A wobbly smile pulled at her mouth, and she stared at him. After a moment she blinked, stepped back, and held the door open. “I’m sorry. Come in, Ash.”
He walked past her into the house and stopped in the foyer to look around. The house had been given a facelift since he left. The walls were no longer the bright white his father had always wanted. Rich colors and deep crown moldings in the living and dining rooms on either side of the entry made them come alive, and Ash recognized Lainey’s touch in the décor.
“I like what you’ve done with the house.”
She closed the door and stepped up beside him. “I did it all after Richard died. He would never let me change anything when he was alive.”
Ash snorted. “Yeah, he never could do anything he thought might displease our father. He was Daddy’s boy through and through.” He turned and stared at her. “I never was.”
Her face turned pale, and she gritted her teeth. “You’ve just stepped in the door, and you’re already hinting at how hard your life was here. I’ve heard it all before, so there’s no need to replay past history.”
He let his gaze drift over her before he answered. “And you’re the same old Lainey. Forthright as ever. I suppose the next thing you’ll be telling me is how I don’t measure up to my good brother.” When she pulled her mouth into a grim line and didn’t answer, he stepped closer until she had to stare up at him towering over her. “This isn’t ten years ago. I don’t care what you think of me, but I will try to be on my best behavior while I’m here. And I’ll start by apologizing to you. I didn’t mean to cop an attitude. I haven’t slept all night, I’m concerned about you and Max. The important thing right now is what happened here last night.”
She glanced at the stairway and motioned him toward the den. “Let’s go in here to talk.”
He followed her into the den. It, too, had been completely redecorated. A sofa with a coffee table in front of it sat facing the fireplace, and two wingback chairs were positioned at either end of the table. For a moment he could imagine how cozy it would be to sit here on a cold winter’s night with a roaring fire and listen to the wind howl outside. Then he shook the thought from his mind.
She sat down on one end of the sofa, and he sat on the other. She took a deep breath. “I couldn’t sleep last night and was awake at two o’clock this morning when I thought I heard something in the house. I thought Max might have gotten out of bed.”
He listened as she continued her story. When she’d finished, his heart was racing at the thought of the knife leaving a trail of blood as it cut into her skin. He pointed toward her neck. “So the bandage is covering up the knife cut?”
“Yes. I put some antibiotic ointment on it. It wasn’t too deep. Just enough to make it bleed.”
He frowned and shook his head. “This makes no sense. They told you to get me home, and the note I received said you were in trouble.”
Her eyes grew wide. “What do these people want, Ash?”
“I have no idea. If they’re watching, then they know I’ve arrived. Maybe they’ll be in touch soon. In the meantime, you and Max need to stay inside. There’s a Firebrand team on the grounds. They’ll stop anybody who tries to get to you.”
She leaned forward. “What about you? Where will you be?”
“Firebrand is building a new training center on some land we bought out in the mountains. I’ll stay out there until we know what’s going on.”
She arched her eyebrows and studied him. “I read in the paper about the new facility. It said the organization is ‘reinventing itself.’ You’ll no longer be contracted by the government. Instead you’ll have a place where you can train military an
d law enforcement officers how to use the techniques that have made Firebrand so successful in your covert activities.”
Reese had been concerned when the local media broke the story about the new facility being built near St. Claire. If the sarcasm in Lainey’s voice was any indication, there might be others in the community who questioned having a training center operated by what appeared to be paid hit men housed nearby. “You make it sound like we were lawless mercenaries that operated with no ethics. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our missions have all been contracted through our contact at the CIA, so they’ve all been in the interest of national security. Regardless of what you’ve always thought, Lainey, we’ve done a lot of good things that have allowed you and your son to continue living in a free country in the lifestyle that you chose.”
Her nostrils flared, and she sucked in her breath. She jumped to her feet and glared at him. “The lifestyle I chose? The way I remember it is that I wanted something else out of life, but the man who was supposed to give it to me deserted me. I wasn’t the gold digger you accused me of being in the letter you sent to William Mason. I never wanted your father’s money.”
He stood up slowly and faced her. “Well, you ended up with it. If one brother couldn’t give it to you, the other one could.”
Her face crumpled, and tears flooded her eyes. “Is that what you really think of me?”
What was he doing? The minute she’d said she needed help he’d jumped on a plane and headed to her. Now that he was here, he couldn’t do anything but strike out at her. He’d never been so disgusted with himself in his life.
He raked his hand through his hair. “Lainey, I’m sorry. I’m here because you need help, and I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.”
She wiped at the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry, too, Ash. I don’t want to argue with you. We have to put on a good front for Max. He’s so excited his long lost uncle is coming home. I don’t want to ruin this for him. He’s wanted to meet you for so long.”
Targeted (Firebrand Book 1) Page 4