Dirty Little Lies: A Men of Summer Novel (27 page)

The answers were there, as was the guilt. She could feel it. The tension radiating amid the anger and defensiveness slid like an oily residue over her senses. Body language and expression went a long way, and could be learned. Instinct was far different. And that instinct assured Grace that whoever orchestrated her father’s and aunt’s deaths, whoever was determined to destroy her, they were in that room.

The questions didn’t reach into the past. Zack and Cord kept the arguments focused on Lucia and Grace. Who suspected Lucia was conspiring against Vince, who didn’t. Who was Lucia seen with, how Richard James had learned of Luce’s accusations against her daughter.

Richard was known by each of them. He’d gone to school with Grace, knew her cousins, socialized with them. He’d returned after a single tour in the service and stepped into the lower ranks of the Kin.

Of course, none of them knew if Ray and Lucia had socialized much, except Grace. And she knew her uncles were lying about it. Each of them was. Several times Lucia had mentioned seeing them at this party or that barbecue, kissing up to the agency, Lucia had stated insultingly.

Her aunt Mary didn’t deny it in the least. She invited him to dinner several times, and yes, Lucia had attended a few of those same dinners. No, they hadn’t seemed overly friendly.

“She was nothing but a whore anyway, it seems,” Teague, the third youngest brother sneered, his Maddox looks softened by his mother’s side of the family.

“The point they’re getting to,” the oldest brother next to Vince, Camden, bit out. “Is did we whore with her. And I sure as hell didn’t.” He thumped his chest for emphasis. “I might cuss him twice a day, but Vinny’s still my brother. Fucking prick,” he muttered, turning to the brother in question. “So was Ben.”

“Point taken,” Vince snorted, still slumped in his chair and glaring at his family.

“I might have if she wasn’t such an all-fired bitch,” Egan, the younger brother proclaimed angrily. “She thought she was better than every one of us, Vinny included.” He stabbed at finger at his brother. “Dammit, Vinny, what the hell did you marry that little tramp for.”

Grace could feel her throat tightening with tears. It was the truth; she knew it was the truth. Lucia hadn’t inspired respect in anyone. But Grace still found it humiliating to hear her uncles speak of her mother in such a way.

“That’s enough of that.” Mary turned on the three of them, her tone disgusted. “We might not have liked Lucia, but Grace is another matter entirely. At least care enough about her to temper what the hell y’all are saying.”

The three brothers turned their glare on Grace.

“She knows the truth,” Teague snapped, adjusting the band of his slacks over his thick stomach before glaring back at his sister. “It’s not like she’s surprised by it.”

“You’re a moron, Teague,” Mary informed him angrily. “How Lana puts up with you, I have no idea.”

Teague sniffed at the insult. “I’m a moron? I’m not the one who married my brother’s wife, now, am I? I warned all of you then that there would be problems from that, and you didn’t want to listen,” he snapped, his face twisting with anger and superiority.

“Teague, you, Egan, and Camden can take your asses home and leave me the hell alone.” Vince rose angrily from his chair then and stalked to his sister, where he gripped her shoulders and kissed her cheek affectionately, if impatiently. “Go home Mary, I’ve had enough.”

Her brothers were always gentler with her than they were with each other, and Vinny always swore she was the best of the lot of them.

Her expression softened. “I love you, Vinny,” she sighed. “But fix this shit, it’s getting on my nerves.” She shot Teague a fuming look, then returned her brother’s kiss, gathered up her purse, and moved to Grace. “Stay away from this place, sweetie,” she told Grace, giving her a quick hug. “It’s bad for your blood pressure.” Mary swept from the room in a cloud of subtly spiced perfume, the office door slamming behind her.

“I’ve had it, too,” Egan declared, his tone heavy with resignation. “I don’t know why we even do this every month. Nothing changes, everything stays the same, and I’m tired of having it shoved down my throat.” He shot Vince a hard look, contempt flashing for just a moment in his expression. “You should have stepped down years ago or gave one of us Ben’s place, Vinny. Because you’re jacking it all up.”

By now, Vince had his elbow propped on the arm of the chair, his cheek resting against it as he watched them with an irritated frown. Which was normal by this point.

“I agree with Teague,” Camden snapped. “You should have replaced Ben—”

“Replaced my twin?” Vince sat up again at that, his expression tightening angrily. “Which of you do you think would have fit the role, Teague? You?” He laughed at that. “I can’t spend an hour around you without wishing we’d drowned you at birth. And you, Camden?” He shot his other brother a mocking roll of his eyes. “Really? I’m still not convinced you’re even related to me. The only one of you I can tolerate for more than a short span of time is Egan. And he’s smart enough to leave. Or Mary. God love her heart, she’s just too sweet to be related to any of us. There’s no way in hell any of us are related to her.”

Grace had heard that said so many times. Mary would always laugh and point out her green eyes and the fact that as much as she hated it, she had her father’s nose. And she did, too. It wasn’t the most becoming part of her face either.

“I’m like Egan, this bullshit is a waste of time. I could be sleeping,” Camden muttered, shooting Grace a glare. “Sorry if I hurt your feelings, girl.” He cleared his throat, though his expression didn’t change.

Stomping past them, he, too, left the room.

That left Teague.

He shook his head and shot Vince a look filled with disgust. “If it weren’t for Cord, you’d have already lost control of everything our family has worked for generations to accomplish. And you risk it every damned day with this bullshit where Lucia and Grace are concerned.” He shook his head, the look he gave Grace uncompromising. “I’m sorry, honey, but you don’t belong here. You’re my niece and I think the world of you, but your daddy was a whoremonger and your momma no more than a tramp. You’re bad blood—”

Zack and Cord moved at the same time. Which would have gotten to him first, Grace wasn’t certain, but Vince beat them both, the fist he slammed into his brother’s face knocking him on his ass.

Where he stayed.

Gripping his jaw, he chuckled at the blow and worked it slowly, his expression resigned as he looked up at his brother. “At least you still know how to do that.”

“Banyon!” he bellowed.

Banyon didn’t step into the office alone, Baer followed, and neither of her half brothers appeared in pleasant spirits.

“Just make sure he leaves, then call Lana and tell her to have him take his antidepressants before coming back here.”

“And be nice to him,” Grace spoke up then, staring at her uncle with an acceptance that weighed at her heart.

“Be nice to him?” Baer asked carefully. “Why? He just called you bad blood, dammit. We were standing outside the door, not the other side of the property, Grace. Everyone in hearing distance heard him say it.”

Lifting her head, she met his dark, emerald green eyes directly. “At least he acknowledged we were related,” she told him flatly. “It’s a hell of a lot more than the two of you have ever done.”

And it was. She’d been raised with the knowledge that they were her brothers. Raised knowing it and watching them from afar, wishing they’d act like brothers. They had yet to do so.

She turned on her heel and moved slowly for the doorway.

“Grace, for someone who sees so much more than others do, you’ve been incredibly blind,” Baer said sadly.

“No, I haven’t,” she admitted, turning to stare back at him. “I’ve seen the games. I just didn’t appreciate being shanghaied rather than invited to participate. Try an invitation next time, I might be more obliging.” Then she shook her head, her eyes lifting to Zack’s. “On the other hand, maybe I won’t be.”

She walked slowly from the house to the truck were Lobo opened the door for her, his gaze somber. Of course, she’d forgotten about the communication devices they were wearing that paired to Zack’s. Wasn’t she the smart one?

“Grace.” He touched her arm gently before she lifted herself into the truck. “I’m sorry, girl.”

I’m sorry, girl.…

“I’m sorry, girl,” her father laughed as she pouted when she lost her hold on her kite. “There’ll be another time.”

“I’m sorry, girl.” Her father patted her shoulder gently. “Maybe you can go with me next time.…”

“I’m sorry, girl.…”

“So am I,” she whispered pulling herself into the truck and feeling immeasurably tired. “So am I.”

*   *   *

“Well, you handled that one well,” Zack stated as he watched Grace pull herself into the truck, Cord and Vince just behind him. “You know, the men in this family are a hazard to the safety of anyone who gives a shit about them, and that’s the truth.”

“Damn, Uncle Ben used to say that, too,” Cord breathed out roughly. “We still don’t know who the hell is after her, though. I was hoping she’d see something.…” He shook his head at the thought.

“Haven’t you and Vince used her enough?” he asked Cord softly, the anger at he felt at the look on her face burning in his gut. “You’ve sure as hell hurt her enough.”

“It beat burying her,” Vince sighed. “That’s what we would have had to do otherwise. She was supposed to be with Ben the night his truck went up in flames, Zack. She would have died with him.”

He turned to the other man slowly. “She was supposed to be with him?”

Vince nodded. “Ben wanted her to go with him, but Grace was sick that evening and couldn’t go.”

Ben had intended to take Grace with him the night he’d planned to leave Loudon. The explosion had caught him unaware when he stepped from the vehicle to meet Clyde in his. It had nearly killed him. Had Grace been with him, he’d probably have waited in the truck instead to protect her. And they would both have died that night, along with his parents.

Ben had never meant to leave Grace behind, though. Zack hadn’t known that, and he didn’t believe his sister knew it at the time either.

“Did Grace know where he was going? That he wanted her to go?” he asked her uncle.

Vince shook his head. “She never knew. And we never told her.” He shrugged at the answer. “It would have been cruel to tell her that. Even Lucia hadn’t known. Thank God.”

Despite Calli’s conviction, Grace hadn’t known where he was going that evening either. It was a belief she’d obviously held far longer than they’d been in Loudon, too. He’d have to be sure to discuss that particular situation with Ben himself. He wasn’t looking forward to the meeting.

“If you think of anything, call me,” Zack ordered then, ignoring the veiled looks of disbelief the other two men shot him as he left. “Until then, make sure you show up with that system, Vince. Let Grace do what she does best and piece it together. Before someone takes her out.”

And he needed to be with Grace. She looked too damned alone where she sat in the cab of the truck, waiting still and silent, refusing to look toward the house.

“We love her, Zack,” Vince said as he stepped from the house. “I know she doesn’t believe that now, but we love her.”

“Try showing it next time. She’d probably appreciate that more,” he advised them, almost wincing at the advice as he walked away from them.

Damn this place, this family.

Damn him.

Grace had been lied to so many times and in so many ways that he doubted she’d ever trust in the word “love” again. And who could blame her?

Sliding into the truck and starting the motor, he looked over at her, praying she wasn’t crying. “Back to the house?” he asked softly, seeing no tears on her face nor the damp sheen of recent ones.

She nodded slowly. “That seems the only option, doesn’t it?”

He breathed out heavily and put the truck in gear before driving around the curved driveway and heading back to the main road with Dylan and Eamon, Lobo and Calli maintaining their positions.

It was the only option left for her, she’d said.

Zack considered that statement as he drove back to the house, glaring into the late-summer day, wondering why the hell it bothered him so much. It shouldn’t. But damn, it mattered. He didn’t want it to be her only option; he wanted it to be her choice.

chapter nineteen

Within hours, Cord, Sawyer, and Deacon arrived with the laptop that held the files Grace needed. The fact that her uncle let it out of his home shocked her. The risk he’d taken showed how imperative it was that whatever her father had hidden be found, or at the least that the traitor be revealed.

And like her, Grace suspected, he’d begun to believe whoever had been pulling the strings for the twenty-odd years was someone in the immediate family.

Luce had always said that the lives they lived were nothing but lies and subterfuge, and Vince and Ben Maddox had perfected the game but their brothers had perfected using it against them.

The age of technology, terrorists both homegrown and abroad, and their ability to cause such destruction had necessitated those qualities. It had always increased the risk that they could be betrayed. And suspecting one of the uncles she so loved had perpetuated that betrayal, and the murder of his own brother, was more than she could bear.

With the information her uncle had and the stacks of files and pictures Zack brought to her after setting her up in his office, she went to work trying to piece the puzzle together.

There was so much information. Years and years of information, threads so tightly woven with others that she knew she could spend years picking them apart. Even her father would have had a hard time with it after all this time.

Laying aside other pieces of information to follow later, Grace concentrated first on the weekly reports her father had filed in the two years before his death. He was thorough, concise, but still, pulling out what she needed while deciding what to ignore wasn’t easy.