“Shit, dude. I’m an asshole. I’m sorry, too. I was thinking with my big head instead of my little head,” Rogan chimes in. Although he adds the last in teasing, I can see by his expression that he’s genuinely apologetic.
“Thanks. She’s better off, I guess. Lost everyone she ever loved and was living all by herself.”
“Yeah, but you were taking care of her, man. Sending her enough money to put her up for life. At least she never wanted for anything.”
“For what that’s worth.”
“You did the best you could. We’ve all done the best we could.”
“So you’ve talked to the Colonel?”
“Yeah,” Rogan says, glancing at Tag. “Evidently, he has always answered to and received his orders from a committee. He’s having trouble finding out who heads it up, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if this went all the way to the top. Some sort of cover-up because a slimy politician wants a better seat at the table or some shit like that.”
“I won’t rest until I find out who’s behind all this. Matt may have pulled the trigger on my mother, but someone pointed him in the right direction. I want to know who it is. Someone needs to pay.”
THIRTY-ONE
Muse
I stand behind my father, surveying the room, taking in the power and adrenaline surging through the air. I tried to talk my father into leaving with me. Right now. Just picking up and moving to parts unknown, without looking back.
“Muse, honey, I can’t do that. I won’t do that. These boys trusted me. It’s up to me to do everything I can to get to the bottom of this,” he’d said. I should’ve known that’s what he’d say. Running is not in my father’s character.
I came with him to the kitchen. I’m tired of being left in the dark. This all very much affects me now and I dare even one of them to try and make me leave. They’ve never seen a hissy fit until they’ve seen me throw one.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” It’s Jasper who addresses my father’s statement.
“A young man that I worked with put out the hit on Muse and me to draw you here. You and I were his real targets. He was going to have Muse killed to cover his own ass in case she’d overheard something that could prove detrimental to him. But he was working for someone, someone high up on the food chain. We just have to find out who that person is.”
Rogan is the first to reply. “Well, shit! There could be a couple dozen people on that list. Damn bureaucrats.”
His mouth is curved into a lopsided smile. He seems like the type who doesn’t let much bother him, not even a Benedict Arnold. His disposition only adds to the laid-back appeal of his surfer good looks.
I’ve seen his incredibly handsome face before. Spiky blond hair, dreamy green eyes. He’s not only a champion MMA fighter, but he’s quite popular with the ladies, which lands him on tabloid covers fairly often. I guess I just never pictured him being a part of an elite black ops team. Of course, I can only imagine that those deadly fists were trained somewhere.
“So what’s the next step? How do we find this bastard?” the one called Tag asks. He’s just as good-looking as Rogan, but in a totally different way. He has a dark, aggressive look about him that reminds me more of Jasper. His hair is black-brown and longish, brushing the collar of his shirt, and his eyes are a stormy gray color. All three men are well over six feet tall, I’d say, and could probably win the heart of whomever they set their sights on, but my eyes are only for one of them.
Jasper.
His face, his eyes, his intensity draws me in a visceral way. It’s like my body, my heart, my soul strain toward him, even in a room full of beautiful men. He holds my focus with a reluctant singularity that reminds me of a magnet, pulled to its mate even when it doesn’t want to be.
“I won’t rest until I follow this to the source,” my father says.
“And I’ll take care of it when you do,” Jasper adds with a quiet ferocity that brings chills to my arms. I’m not repulsed or afraid. I can simply relate to the need to bring to justice those who took away what little he had left in the world. It makes me want to harm somebody, even though I’m still devastated over his deception. My heart isn’t differentiating between the Jasper of today and the Jasper of tonight. It still feels only love. Hurt, yes, but also love.
“I wouldn’t deny you that, Jasper,” my father assures softly, setting his hand on Jasper’s big shoulder. “We’ve all got a stake in this, though. We’re all in danger and no one we love is safe until we put an end to the threat. So in the meantime, boys, do what you have to do to keep your loved ones safe. Be vigilant. Keep ’em close. Warn them if you have to, send them away if you need to. Just until I can get some answers. Jasper, since you’re the only one still in the game, keep your ear to the ground and watch your back. Rogan, you’re a pretty public figure. Hole up somewhere quiet if you can. Keep your head down.”