Speak No Evil (The Brotherhood Trilogy #2)

by Jordan Ford

  “I’m okay,” I murmur. “But you need to sleep.”

  I have no idea what time it is, but it feels like the early hours of the morning. I don’t know how far we have to go, but we need to rest if we’re going to make it.

  Kade confirms my thinking with a few slow blinks.

  I push against Kade’s chest and sit up, the blanket slipping off my shoulder. “Kade. We have to rest.”

  He gives me a reluctant nod, then sits up a little straighter. I wrap the blanket back around myself and we start looking for a place to stop.

  A few miles down the road we spot a rundown building. It’s an old garage. Whether it still functions, I’m not sure, but the place is dark and will hide us for the night.

  Pulling in around the back, Kade turns the engine off and peers through the darkness.

  “I’ll be back in a second.”

  He jumps out before I can argue. The rain is still falling, but not as loud and heavy as it was before. By the time he’s returned it’s softened to a gentle patter.

  “Come on.” He holds out his hand and I take it without hesitation.

  Pulling me across the seat, Kade holds me against his side and guides me to a beat-up station wagon. The trunk is already up and I crawl into the open space. It smells musty and stale, but it’s dry. Kade pulls down the trunk behind him and stretches out in the dark space.

  “Do you think we’ll get in trouble?” I nibble my lip and squint into the darkness.

  “This place looks like it hasn’t been used in years.” Kade tucks the blanket around me, then pulls me to lie on his shoulder.

  I snuggle beneath his arm and feel perfectly secure in his embrace.

  His arms are long, his hold protective.

  He rescued me from Antonio.

  But…

  “Why didn’t you come for dinner?”

  Kade’s gulp is louder than the soft rain. I can feel his Adam’s apple against my forehead.

  It makes me nervous about what he’s going to say. I won’t pull away, though. I have to hear him out.

  “I left Reno, Jules. I was headed away.”

  My chest restricts. “Without saying goodbye?”

  He squeezes me and kisses my forehead. “It wasn’t the plan. I was going to turn up, tell you everything…but something forced my hand.”

  I swivel my head to look up at him. I can only see shadowy outlines.

  “My name’s Kade Kingsley.” He sighs. “I’m eighteen, and I’ve spent most of my life being ignored by my parents and shifted from one caregiver to the next. Then, when nobody else wanted me, they shoved me into boarding school. I got expelled from two until I ended up at Eton Preparatory School for Boys.”

  That sounds familiar for some reason.

  “It’s a boarding school in Wisconsin. I shared a room with my two best friends. I started there when I was in tenth grade, and those two guys became my family. We had big plans to graduate and go off to college together…” His voice peters off, but then he clears his throat and keeps going. “Anyway, in November last year this new kid showed up. He was a wimpy, pathetic loser. Got bullied all the time. Didn’t really fit in. But for some reason, my best friend, Trey, was drawn to him.” He snickers.

  I frown, wondering why.

  “Turns out he was a girl.”

  “What?”

  “The US Marshals put her there under witness protection. No one was supposed to know, but she and Trey kind of fell for each other and the truth came out. We promised to keep it a secret and help her out. We trained her up, taught her how to be a little more manly, you know?”

  I shake my head, still slightly mystified. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.

  Witness protection in a boarding school?

  “Anyway, things turned to shit. One of the other guys at the school found out who she was and—”

  “Who is she?”

  “Uh…” Kade clears his throat again. “She was a key witness in a murder trial. She was going to testify against her uncle. He shot her friend.”

  “Oh my gosh,” I whisper.

  “So this asshole from school kidnapped her and sold her to the victim’s family for like a million bucks. We went after her and things turned ugly. Her family showed up, pissed off that she was willing to testify against her uncle. When she refused to go with them, they shot her.”

  “What?” My eyes bulge. “I feel like you’re describing a movie or something.”

  “I know, right? It’s crazy.”

  “Were you hurt?” I rub my hand across his chest, hating the idea of him being in harm’s way.

  He covers my hand with his. “I was okay, but Ana nearly died. To keep her safe, we had to disappear. So the four of us took off to the mountains.”

  I go still, a memory tickling the back of my brain. “Wait a second.” Perching my arm on his chest, I sit up and stare down at him. “Eton Prep. I think I saw something about you guys on the news. The Eton Prep runaways. You’ve been missing for a few months now.”

  “Yeah, that’s us. There’s been a nationwide hunt.”

  “But aren’t the US Marshals supposed to protect her? Why did you guys take it upon yourselves?”

  “Because we don’t trust them. They screwed up. Ivan should never have found out who she was, and he sure as shit shouldn’t have been able to get her off school property without them knowing.”

  “So where is Ivan now?”

  “Not sure. Probably on some fancy island in the Bahamas,” Kade scoffs. “According to the news, the family took him out of Eton. I still don’t understand why he wasn’t investigated. The guy was missing the night Ana disappeared. It’s so obvious he’s responsible, but nothing was done about it. It’s just another reason not to trust the Feds, the police, the marshals.

  “Dammit, the guy probably snuck back into his bed during the night and woke up, innocent as a frickin’ lamb. It makes me sick. I bet he paid off all the right people with his wads of cash, and then his parents took him out of the school.” Kade’s voice is deep with disgust.

  “And where are your friends?”

  “We’ve found a safe haven in the mountains. It’s this old cabin up the hill from this little town called Legacy. We figure her best bet is to stay hidden until this whole thing blows over.”

  “How long will that take?”

  He sighs again, the sound heavy and defeated. “I’m not sure. I thought we were pretty much in the clear, which is why I took off. I was suffocating up in that isolated place. I needed to get out. Get free, but…”

  I hold my breath, giving him space to say more.

  But he doesn’t.

  “Kade?” I softly prompt him.

  “When I got back to my motel this afternoon, one of the US Marshals was waiting for me. He wants to know where she is.” He pauses, his muscles tensing beneath me. “We fought. I smashed him over the head with a lamp and took off. I had to keep you safe, Jules. That’s why I left…but then I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing you again.” He reaches out in the darkness and cups my cheek. “And now I’m worried I’ve put you in danger. What if he finds us? What if her family finds us? There are so many people wanting to get their hands on her, and I might have made everything worse by leaving the cabin and acting like a selfish jerk. And worse than that, I’ve pulled you into it too!”

  I hold his hand against my cheek and smile. “If you hadn’t acted like a selfish jerk, I’d be lying in a gutter bleeding right now. You saved me tonight.”

  “Only to drag you into my shit.”

  “I don’t care. I feel safer with you than I do with anybody. And you’re not the only one with shit. I’m pregnant and the father wants to kill me for it.”

  He brushes his thumb across my tender cheekbone.

  “But if you’ll take me this way, then I’ll follow you anywhere, Kade Kingsley.”

  Sliding his fingers around the back of my neck, he pulls me down to his lips. They’re warm and inviting. I dive into
the kiss, feeling like it’s our first, even though it isn’t. Kade’s taking his time, slowly exploring my mouth like it’s an exquisite treasure. His tongue tastes delicious. Tendrils of pleasure curl through my body as we let time disappear.

  I have no idea how long we kiss for. It feels like an hour yet only a minute. Finally we pull apart and Kade nestles me back against his chest. Brushing his lips across my forehead, he then rests his cheek against my head and we fall asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

  It’s the only secure thing we have left—each other.

  #26:

  Here Comes Trouble

  Kade

  Jules leans forward to look at the ringing phone on the dash.

  “Keith again,” she murmurs, her nose wrinkling.

  “We have to ignore it.” Remorse tries to make me change my mind, so I grab the phone and switch it off.

  “Texting him was the right thing to do. At least he’ll be able to get his truck back.”

  “As long as they don’t figure out where we’re going next,” I mutter.

  “Where are we going?” Jules glances across at me. There are chip crumbs on her lip and I brush them off with a smile.

  She giggles and wipes her mouth. “Thank you.”

  The sun is shining through the windshield, illuminating her face. She looks fresh and beautiful, even after sleeping the night in a run-down station wagon.

  We woke up with the dawn and, in spite of our exhaustion, we pushed on. One of the cars in the garage was in good enough condition to hotwire. The engine puttered and spat in complaint, but it had four working tires and two doors that stayed shut even after loud groans and squeaks when we opened them.

  There’s grease under my fingernails from the tinkering, but I’ll give my hands a proper scrub when we reach the cabin.

  I check the gauge, happy that the needle is sitting on full. We should make it there without having to stop again.

  About half an hour ago, we pulled into a quiet gas station and I filled the tank, bought Jules a dry T-shirt, and filled the car with drinks and munchies. I did okay on the sustenance, but screwed up the shirt size. It’s tight across her chest and belly, making her pregnancy obvious to the world.

  She doesn’t seem to mind right now, but she might change her tune when I tell her the truth.

  I wrinkle my nose and look ahead. The road is clear of traffic. It feels like we’re the only people on earth right now, but I can’t shake the feeling that it could all change in a heartbeat. Any second now, sirens could be blaring at me from behind. It’s making me tense and alert.

  “Kade?” Jules sips her orange juice. “Do you have a plan?”

  “Yeah.” I nod.

  “So…what is it?”

  I glance at her, then look straight ahead. “I’m taking you to the cabin. To Legacy.”

  Her eyebrows rise. “To, uh…to your brothers?”

  I’d been filling her in all morning, telling her stories about Riley and Trey. About how we call each other brothers. Our pact to be a family no matter what.

  It felt good to talk about them again. Made me homesick. Made me drive that much faster.

  Jules goes really quiet. I glance over and notice her arms wrap around her rounded belly.

  “It’s going to be okay. They’re good people.”

  “But I thought you needed to keep them safe. Will going there be helpful? And I’m a stranger. Won’t they be mad that I know?”

  I sigh, raking a hand through my hair. “It’s the safest place I can think of, Jules. It’s in the middle of nowhere. We’ll be hidden away from the world up there.”

  “But I’ve got a baby coming.” She looks at me, slightly horrified as the reality starts to dawn…on both of us.

  I glance at her rounded stomach, then back to the road. “It’ll be okay. Women for centuries have been having babies without—”

  “Don’t throw my excuses back at me! How am I supposed to find a family for this kid if we’re in the middle of nowhere?”

  I nearly say that we could be its family, but thankfully I stop myself before blurting it out. We’re eighteen! What the hell do we know about raising children?

  “It’s just until things blow over, Jules. Let’s go there, regroup, and come up with a decent plan. It’ll be okay.”

  She slumps back in her seat. I can’t tell if she’s mad or disappointed. She’s facing the other window, hiding everything from me.

  “Jules.” I reach out, brushing my fingers over her shoulder.

  She glances back, her face marred by a worried frown. “What if they don’t want me?”

  “That’s not going to happen.” I shake my head. “They’re my brothers. We stick together through thick and thin.”

  “Didn’t you leave them?” She doesn’t say it to be mean—her voice isn’t cutting or full of accusation—but the question still lumps steaming piles of guilt on my head.

  I look away, not sure how I’m supposed to answer.

  “Sorry,” Jules murmurs. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just nervous.”

  She’s too sweet for her own good. I can’t help smiling as I glance at her. “I’m planning on pulling out my biggest and best apology ever. And if they don’t accept it…well, then you and I are just going to keep moving forward. We’ll find a home eventually.”

  “Home?” she whispers.

  “Yeah.” My smile grows a little wider. I don’t know why, but the words ‘Jules’ and ‘home’ fit well together. I like the sound of it. The idea of it.

  Guess I’m not such a lone wolf after all.

  Weird that it’s taken my blood on the ice, a pregnant runaway, and an escape from a US Marshal to figure that out.

  *****

  The car groans up the steep driveway. Riley and Trey are only yards away and my heart starts pumping triple time.

  Jules is wrestling into her semi-dry jeans. They look pretty damn uncomfortable with that mangled safety pin. At least we have some soft sweatpants we can loan her. Riley might have something that’s the right fit, although they’ll be way too long on her.

  I press down the gas to push us up the last part of the rise.

  The first person to see me is Ana.

  She’s on the porch, shaking out a blanket. Her hair is getting longer, and she brushes it out of her eyes when she hears us coming.

  I pull to a stop outside the house and open the door in time to hear her gasp and thump down the stairs.

  “Trey! Riley! Come quick!” she shouts, bounding around the car to wrap her arms around my neck.

  I lift her off her feet, swinging her around once while she giggles in my ear.

  “I’m so glad you’re back.” She squeezes me hard before I place her back on her feet.

  “What is it?” Trey comes tearing around the side of the house, his face masked with worry.

  And then he sees me.

  He skids to a stop, his expression rippling with surprise before landing on the hard grudge he’s obviously still holding.

  I take a deep breath. It’s not going to rile me. I refuse to get pulled into an old argument, not when the whole Jules thing is pending.

  “So, you’re back.” Trey’s boots scuff the dirt as he approaches. He’s looking stronger, healthier. This Paul Bunyan lifestyle suits him.

  The thought makes me snicker. “It was time to come home.”

  “Really.” Trey’s eyes narrow, but I can see it’s just a tactic to stop himself from smiling.

  I lightly punch his arm and laugh. “Don’t be a douche.”

  He’s about to swing and start our standard play fight, but we’re interrupted by Riley.

  “Hey!” He runs across, a wide smile on his face.

  We share a quick man hug and then Riley launches into a bunch of questions.

  “What happened to your bike?”

  “Where’d you get the car?”

  “What brought you home?”

  I’m taking my time to answer them, trying to figure
out where to begin, when Ana gasps again.

  “Wait, is there…?” She bends down and squints into the car, her eyes rounding when she notices Jules.

  Running around to the passenger side, she pulls open the door and after a few astonished blinks manages to croak, “Hi.”

  “Hi.” Jules sounds like a mouse.

  With an inaudible sigh, I walk around the car and take her hand, helping her out.

  Her foot slips on the mud and I catch her against me. Looking over her head, I catch Trey’s horrified stare. It’s quickly morphing into an angry glare while Riley’s head tips with curiosity.

  Oh yeah, I’m in so much trouble right now.

  #27:

  A Random Pregnant Chick

  Julienne

  They’re all staring at me like I have two heads.

  My heart is beating so fast. If I wasn’t leaning against Kade, I’d probably be passed out in the mud.

  The girl…Ana…her keen gaze assesses me quickly and then starts traveling down my body. I didn’t have time to wrap the blanket around me, and my tight T-shirt hides nothing. As soon as she hits my belly, her eyes round like dinner plates, her mouth dropping open with a high-pitched squeak.

  I try to shove my shirt down, but there’s no point. I’m found out and the shit is about to hit the fan.

  Out of nowhere, Ana lurches forward and slaps Kade on the arm. “I told you not to get anyone pregnant!”

  “What?” The guy with the dark hair and angry gaze marches around the car while the sandy-haired guy raises his eyebrows.

  Kade sighs. “It’s not mine. I—”

  “Great! So you’re just bringing home random pregnant chicks now? What the hell, Kade?” The feisty one’s loud. His intense stare bores into my stomach the whole time he’s yelling. I swivel into Kade, wanting to hide behind him. This one must be Trey. From the stories Kade told me in the car, I have to assume I’m right.

  Kade grips my shoulder, rising to the anger with a loud snap. “Calm down, man.”

  “Calm down?” Ana’s plants her fists on her hips. “Oh, you are so not getting calm from anyone right now! You know the situation we’re in and you bring a complete stranger up here. Are you out of your mind?”