“He trusts you,” I said. “He’s thinking about Camille.”
Travis’s shoulders relaxed, and he reached back to touch my belly. “We have to think about everyone.”
“Let Shepley and Mare talk to him.”
Travis rubbed the back of his neck and began to pace, waiting for his cousin and my best friend to talk sense into his brother. I had planned for broken hearts and tears. I even assumed there would be anger once we came clean about the lies; even when we explained it was the only way to buy time while keeping everyone safe. I wasn’t prepared for the brothers to turn on each other.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AMERICA
SHEPLEY FLATTENED HIS HAND against the door, begging Trenton with his eyes not to take it further. Jim, Jack and Deana, and the kids were still asleep, although I wasn’t sure how with all the loud whispering. The lamp in the living room was the only light on in the house, and the air conditioner had just kicked on, drowning out the crickets whose chirping was just announcing the arrival of summer.
At three a.m., there was no traffic outside and no headlights sliding across the wall, just the old bulb in the corner of the living room surrounded by a dirty white drum held up by a five-foot tall Lucite column with a brass base. The entire home looked frozen in 1980, except that it hadn’t frozen. Everything was worn, stained, tattered, or marred, mostly by the five boys who grew up here.
The light from the lamp didn’t quite reach the hallway, so we stood with Trenton in the dark.
“Shep, I love you, but get the fuck outta my way,” Trenton said. His dark form moved toward the door, but Shepley moved in front of him.
“C’mon, cousin. You’re going to punch me in front of my wife?”
Trenton frowned and then turned to me. “Turn around for a second, Mare.”
“No,” I said, crossing my arms.
Trenton sighed. “I have to pick up my wife from work. I have to leave now. I don’t want her to have to wait on me.”
“Agent Perkins can do it,” I said. “He can leave right now. He’s ready to go, standing in the kitchen, keys in hand.”
As Trenton became more agitated, I threw my arms around him and squeezed. “Our kids are here; your nephews and nieces. Your dad is here. Travis and Shepley can’t save everyone. We need you here, Trenton.”
“What if something happens to Camille?” he asked, conflicted.
“Do you think whoever the agents are protecting us from are going to hit The Red Door before the house? She doesn’t even work there anymore. Not technically,” Shepley said.
Trenton glared at my husband. “Would you leave it to a stranger to pick up your wife when we all know people are out there hunting us down?”
Shepley sighed, and his shoulders sank. “No.”
Trenton put his hand on the knob. “Then don’t ask something of me you couldn’t do yourself.”
Just as he opened the door, an agent standing on the porch turned to stand in the way. He wore a suit like the other two agents, but he was much bigger. “I’m going to have to ask you remain inside the home, sir.”
Trenton looked up at the agent, and then back at us and over my shoulder. I turned to see Travis standing at the end of the hall.
“What the fuck is this?” Trenton asked.
“That’s Agent Blevins,” Travis said, smug.
“Why are you asking him?” Shepley asked. “Travis is just as clueless as the rest of us.”
Trenton’s brow furrowed, and he lifted one hand to point four fingers at Travis. “He knows all of their names. Do you happen to know all the names of everyone who works at the FBI, Shep, because I sure as shit don’t.”
“What are you trying to say?” Shepley asked.
Trenton’s face screwed into disgust, but at least he stepped away from the door. “I don’t know. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I know he is part of it.” He pointed at Travis.
Shepley and I traded glances. This was going downhill fast.
“I’ll go with you,” Shepley said.
“Shep!” I said. “You will not!” I turned to Trenton. “You were told not to leave the house, but you took her anyway.”
“She works to blow off steam, Mare. You know that,” Trenton explained. “She’s had a rough day. I was just trying to …”
“We need to do this their way, Trent,” I said. “They’re just trying to keep us safe. Why would you do anything to make their job harder?”
Trenton shifted. “You sound like Mom.”
“I know you want to pick her up so she feels safe, but we need to worry about what we can all do to actually be safe. No more crazy talk. No more Maddox machismo. Agent Perkins is going to bring Cami back, and you’re going to follow orders until we get this figured out.”
Agent Perkins jingled the keys in his hand, and Agent Blevins stepped to the side to allow him to pass. The door closed, and Trenton stomped past us up the stairs. Shepley followed him.
I returned to the living room where Travis and Abby were standing. When I was within earshot, they stopped whispering.
“Well done,” Abby said, patting my shoulder. I pulled away from her. My reaction startled her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
Abby’s gaze drifted to Travis.
“Don’t look at him,” I snapped. “I’m asking you. My best friend. My sort of sister-in-law.”
“Mare,” she began.
I arched an eyebrow. “Choose your words carefully, Abby. My kids are in the house hiding from some unknown assailant, and if you know why, you’d better tell me.”
“I,” Abby began but winced. She touched her belly.
“Oh, stop,” I said. “Don’t even try it.”
She blew out a breath and then reached for Travis. He held her to his side.
“Really?” I asked. “You’re going to fake a contraction to get out of telling me the truth?”
“She’s been having them for weeks,” Travis said.
I crossed my arms. “Something else you’re not telling me.”
She stood upright and nodded to her husband, signaling that it was over.
“Well?” I said.
“Mare, not now. Abby needs to go upstairs and rest. Stress isn’t good for her.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. I birthed three gigantic Maddox boys. No less than forty-seven hours of labor, and they were all over nine pounds. I only went to the hospital to have Emerson after I picked up Ezra from a two-hour T-ball practice. She’s not the first woman to have a contraction.”
“America!” Shepley said from behind her.
I crossed my arms, unwavering. “The truth. Now.”
Trenton returned, wearing an apologetic expression on his face. “I’m sorry, guys. I—”
What sounded like a gush of water sloshed onto the carpet just beneath Abby’s robe.
“Oh. My. Lanta,” Abby said, looking down.
We were all confused at first. Travis was the second to react. “Was that you?” He lifted up her robe a bit and then looked up at her, his eyes wide. “Your water just broke?”