"I think maybe we need to get out of here, take a breath and regroup. Neither one of us got much sleep last night," Lucas replied. They had gone over every statement from each of Brannock's neighbors and no one had seen or heard anything, but all of them were ready to get the hell out of dodge. He had been asked multiple times whether or not it was safe to stay in the neighborhood any longer and he hadn't been able to give a straight answer. These people knew the captain, had for years, and even though they were all concerned for his children, they were more concerned about the problems that may come back.
He couldn't blame them.
Rains nodded, "You are absolutely right. We've already been down there enough. Maybe stepping away will help us come up with something."
They both hopped into Rains' car and drove off to go find something to eat and pump themselves full of coffee.
"You hear from Brannock's kids yet? Are they headed in already?"
"Yeah, I spoke with Con and Gus. They're coming to help out with all the arrangements," Lucas replied.
"That's good. Give them my regards, would ya?"
Lucas nodded.
"What about Aislinn?"
Lucas hadn't been paying much attention in the first place, he was too busy thinking about what they had found in her locket, but the mention of Aislinn made his head snap up.
"What about her?"
Rains glanced at him warily before turning his eyes back to the road. "Is she on her way in, too? Figured she show up with her brothers."
"Oh, yeah… yeah, I'm sure she is. Didn't really talk to her."
"Hmmm. Well you'll get the chance in a few days. You think it's going to be weird to see her after so long? Wonder if she's changed at all."
Lucas felt his fists close and tighten, stretching the skin of his knuckles until they turned white. He didn't want Rains or anyone else thinking about Aislinn or how much she had changed over the years. She was even more beautiful than before and everyone would see it. He had never been a really possessive man, but it was different with Ash. They had already had enough obstacles to climb over in their lives, he wasn't about to welcome more.
"Did you see her a lot before she left?" he asked his partner, trying to keep his voice steady. He didn't want to talk about her, but he needed to keep up the pretense that she wasn't in town yet.
"Here and there. I had only been working here for a couple years before she left, so I only ever saw her when she would come in to visit her dad or show up to an event. She was something else, though. No wonder you're in love with her."
Lucas felt like his teeth were going to crack with how tight his jaw was clamping down. He had thought it was safe for the man to know his feelings about Ash, but he was realizing it was going to cause a problem in more ways than one.
"Hey, man. I'm just trying to get a rise out of you. You are probably nervous to see her. I should be more sensitive, I guess," Justin said with a hint of mockery.
Lucas took a deep breath and looked out of his window, keeping his eye on the diner they were just pulling into. "Nah, I'm nervous, but that's just because I feel bad about the captain. They were pretty much my family growing up. I don't have time for a relationship anyway, buts se won't want anything to do with me even if I did."
"Well, if she finds out you were doing the hanky panky this morning, probably not," he laughed.
Lucas needed to change the subject and fast. "Hanky panky? What are you, 80? Who says that anymore? You're paying by the way." Then he climbed out of the car and strolled to the front door of the diner.
He checked his phone to see if he had any messages from Con or Gus. They should be getting in at any time. It was late afternoon and they each had early flights. He decided that he was going to head home after he and Rains ate. They both needed to sleep anyway or they would be completely worthless.
They ate in silence and didn't discuss the case or the Brannock's anymore.
Fortunately, Justin agreed with his plan to head home and dropped him off at his car when they got back to the station.
"See you tomorrow, Shade."
He waved and climbed into his car. He shouldn't have gotten so upset when Justin had asked about Ash. He needed to get that under control, otherwise, it would be too obvious to whoever was watching. His feelings for her could put her in real danger.
His phone beeped and he struggled to pull it out of his pocket.
Con: Just got to the house, had to wait for Gus to land.
He typed a quick reply and started his car. They would be wanting to come over to see Ash, but wouldn't be able to until he got back.
He needed just a minute with her alone first, though. He didn't know what she was planning on telling her brothers about the two of them, and if she wanted to tell them the truth, he needed to be ready for the ass kicking that was coming his way.
***
Ash was waiting anxiously for him in the living room when he walked in and jumped off the couch when he looked her way.
"Conall texted that you were on your way so they could come over."
"Good. They are anxious to see you I'm sure."
She nodded and nervously glanced to the door before licking her lips and hesitating. "Do you think we should…"
"That's up to you, baby," he said and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm ready when you are."
"Oh God, they are going to beat the shit out of you, I just know it."
He chuckled into her hair and kissed the top of her head before pulling back to look in her eyes, "It'll be worth it. I've been anticipating it for a long time anyway."
Before she could argue with him, someone started pounding on the door and shouting.
"Hey, asshat, get your ass over here and open the God damn door before we kick it in. I know you've got your hands on my sister and I can't wait to break them off."
Fergus.
Lucas stepped away from her and she stiffened.
"Yeah, we can see you. You need some better curtains if you are going to sneak around behind our back, Shady!"
"They still call you that?" Ash chuckled.
Lucas shook his head and sighed, "Just Fergus. He can't think of anything better."
He took a fortifying breath and yanked the door open, immediately putting his hands out in front of him to stop any kind of frontal assault. Fergus pushed through and wrapped his fists in his jacket to shove him against the wall behind him.
"Did I seriously just see you hug my sister?" he demanded quietly. He looked bigger than Lucas remembered, like he had been working out more frequently, and his clean shaven face was formed into the most menacing look he had ever seen.
Conall was right behind him, but he at least had the frame of mind to look Ash's way first. "Is that true, Ash?" he asked her.
She looked like she was trying to decide whether to hug her oldest brother or rip the other one apart. Lucas watched her, hoping she would leave the room while her brothers did what he expected and broke his face. Instead, she got a fire in her stormy grey eyes. The same fire that made his heart beat faster and his pants tighten. She was exquisite when she was mad, especially when she was mad at her brothers.
"Fergus Sharon Brannock! You get your hands off of him right now or I swear to God I will smother you in your sleep and this time I'll succeed."
Lucas looked back at Gus, meeting his eyes courageously, trying to hide both the fact that he was truly scared of him and the growing hardness that Ash was causing him down below.
Gus' lips twitched with amusement and he slowly released his hold on Lucas. "So, you finally stopped being a pussy, eh Luke? Finally admitted the truth that we all knew?"
"What are you talking about?" he asked nervously, wondering if this was a test.
Con stepped beside his brother and helped him smooth out his jacket. "We know you've always had a thing for our sister. We just didn't realize you were in love with her until you threatened us with our lives to get her flight. Looks like you finally gave up the act. Took you long eno
ugh, dumbass."
He stared at both of them incredulously. He knew he had been a head case that day, but didn't think they knew it was because he was in love with her. He told them he just wanted to tell her goodbye and smooth things over with her. Told them he didn't want them all to part ways with her being so upset about what had happened.
"You think we believed that you just wanted to make sure she didn't leave town mad at us?" Fergus asked him with a smile. "She can't stay mad at us no matter what we do. Right, little sister?"
Lucas was still trying to process the fact that he was just terrible at hiding things from them. All of them, except Ash.
"In your dreams, Share Bear," Ash replied.
Gus growled and stalked toward her. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that? It's not my fault Dad took the meaning literally. You can at least be sympathetic about it." He pulled her into a hug and lifted her off the ground.
"You are right. You were an accident. Mom didn't realize how fertile she actually was. Sharon means 'fertile plain', so what? None of us blame you, Gus Gus, it's just the only thing I've got on you."
"Holy shit, I missed you, Ash," he said and squeezed her tighter as she wrapped her arms around him in return.
"I missed you, too, but keep your hands off of Lucas."
He only guffawed in response, but Lucas knew her brothers would do anything for her right now.
He turned his eyes back to Conall who was still staring him down, but looking slightly amused. You could never tell with him. He was always so stoic and serious, one of the things Lucas picked up himself. Con always looked rough, like he had just had one hell of a night. He was rarely clean shaven like his younger brother, always sporting some kind of scruff that made the ladies go wild for him. He looked the most like his father and his blue eyes held the slightest hint of mischief that always contradicted with his serious expression.
"Conall."
"Luke."
"Go ahead and take your turn. I've been waiting for it."
Instead of doing something to hurt him, Conall threw his arms around his friend and slapped his back in a brotherly hug. "Glad she has you. Thanks for taking care of her."
Lucas hugged him back almost sagging to the floor in relief. "I'll always take care of her."
Conall pulled away with one hand squeezing his shoulder and nodded. "That's why we haven't killed you."
Lucas laughed weakly and watched the oldest Brannock sibling pick up his little sister in his signature bear hug and kiss her on the cheek.
"How you doing, kid?"
Ash wiped at her eyes, unable to hold back the emotion of reuniting with her brothers. "I'm okay. Just miss him."
"We'll find these guys, Ash. We won't leave until we do."
"You got that right," Fergus chimed in, already heading to the kitchen to raid the fridge. "Hey Luke, you got a bottle? I think we all need to lift a glass to the old man."
"Shelf above the fridge, Gus. The captain's favorite."
"Tullamore Dew. Damn it's been a while since I've had that," Con chuckled.
Ash was watching Lucas with watery eyes and a sad smile on her face. "Why do you have that?"
He walked over to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, flinching when Conall raised his hand to smack him, but pulled back at the last second… reluctantly.
"Sorry, Luke. Habit."
Ash shook her head and rolled her eyes, but focused on Lucas. He looked down at her wondering if he had ever seen her look more beautiful.
If the guys knew I was thinking like a total pussy…
"Your dad brought it over last week. Said it was a thank you for keeping an eye on you." He didn't realize it until now that it was to prepare them all for what he knew would happen.
The tears that she had been trying to hold back spilled over and he pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, baby."
Conall was watching them closely and Lucas wondered if he was still trying to decide whether or not to pummel him. Then he nodded to Lucas and walked into the kitchen.
He leaned down and softly wiped her tears away with his fingertips. "Let's have a drink. Your dad is probably waiting for it and I know it will make all of you feel better."
She nodded and let him lead her into the kitchen where Fergus had already poured four glasses of the only whiskey their father ever drank.
It was a tradition in the Brannock family to 'lift a glass to the fallen one', as William Brannock always said. He remembered the first taste of liquor he ever had was the night Isabelle Brannock died. The captain didn't worry about the legality of it, he just poured each of his children a glass, then handed one over to Lucas. They spent the rest of the night remembering the woman who had loved them all to her dying breath. They had laughed, cried, argued… doing the things that Isabelle would have wanted them to do, together.
When the night had faded and the next day arrived, they started planning the funeral together as a family. Ash had the hardest time with losing her mother, but being a Brannock meant having the world's greatest support system. They loved each other like a family should and Lucas had always wanted that for himself. Even though they had accepted him as one of their own, it hadn't replace his mother's ignorance toward him.
Fergus raised his glass and stared into the golden liquid with a smile. "You remember the day Aunt Neddy passed away, Con? Dad tried to sneak us a drink with him and Uncle Trick, but Mark told on him and Mom came bursting into the room like a bull on steroids," he chuckled. "The look on Dad's face was priceless."
"Priceless!" We all repeated and each tipped our glasses and drank.
Ash started coughing from the burn and Con and Gus laughed while I pounded on her back.
"I'm okay," she gasped and started giggling. "It's been a while and I don't remember that."
"You were 7, Ash," Fergus stated. "Mom kept you away because I'm pretty sure she suspected Dad would do that. Didn't want her sweet little angel to get drunk."
Lucas laughed and kissed the top of her head, this time flinching when Fergus moved to climb over the counter to smack him. Thankfully, Conall held him back.
Fergus shook his head like he was coming out of a trance and looked apologetic. "Sorry, Luke. Habit, I guess."
Ash groaned and rolled her eyes again muttering to herself, "I swear it will be like this for the rest of my life."
Con slammed his hand down on the counter and raised his glass. "Remember the time Jonnie Timpo asked Ash on a date? She came home and told Mom, so freaking excited about it. Dad overheard and paid me and Gus fifty bucks a piece to scare the hell out of the kid before he could show up to take her out."
"What?!" Ash cried. "He told me he had Mono!"
Lucas looked away when she turned to him for confirmation. He couldn't look her in the eye remembering that event very well. Ash had just turned 16 and Jonnie Timpo was a twig and a pothead. Con and Gus had come to him for ideas on how to get rid of the little twerp.
"Lucas?" she tried to get his attention, but he kept looking around the kitchen trying to find an escape.
Gus started laughing like a hyena while Conall continued the story.
"Oh, Ash. The plan would have never worked without Lucas."
He moved to smack Conall, but the bastard was quick.
"We told the kid to leave you alone and never touch you, but he expected that from us. He even expected the phone call from Dad that he would cut his hands off if he even thought about touching you. Didn't scare him at all, but Lucas…"
He tried to reach for him again, but Gus blocked him and Ash tried to pull him back so she could hear the rest of the story. She was going to be mad.
Conall continued, laughing now and swinging his arms to block the punches coming his way. "Lucas here was the only one that could get the job done."
"What did you say to him, Lucas?" Ash demanded.
He stopped trying to get to his so called 'friend' and turned to face her.
"Yeah, Lucas? What d
id you say to him? You never told us but it sure as fuck worked," Gus asked curiously.
"Do you have to swear like that all the time, Gus Gus."
"Yes," he said with a wink.
She rolled her eyes again and damn if it wasn't inconveniently turning him on more and more each time.
"Lucas?"
He sighed and glanced over at her brothers who were anxiously waiting for his response.
"I, umm… I told him that…" he turned back to her and her stormy grey eyes were boring into him and one of her eyebrows was quirked as if she was daring him to lie to her. "I told him that the only way he was going to take you on a date was if he could take me down. Said we couldn't trust him to take you out if he couldn't protect you."
The boys raised their eyebrows, surprised it was so simple and he thought it was over, but Ash wanted more.
"What did you do, Lucas?"
"I didn't do anything… he couldn't do it, so he canceled the date."
"Yeah, but he didn't show up to school for three weeks! That's why I believed that he had Mono."
"Oh, shit! That's right!" Fergus exclaimed. "I remember seeing him at the homecoming game the next week, hiding out behind the bleachers. He looked like he had been run over by a train."
"What?!" she yelled. She was getting angry and he decided he needed to tell them all the truth.
"Hold on, baby, I'll tell you the whole story." He raked a hand through his hair and tried not to panic. "He tried to take me down and couldn't, but when I told him to cancel the date, he told me that if your brothers couldn't stop him from getting in your pants, then I couldn't either."
She gasped and her brothers stood straighter, not happy about that little tidbit of information he never shared with them.
Leverage (The Brannock Siblings) Page 9