Behind the Lies (Montgomery Justice #2)(59)

“Sitting in a pile, brother.”

“Then we get a giant shovel,” Seth said matter-of-factly. “Mom wants to see you. Get here, Zach. Now that I know the stakes, I’ll be more careful.”

Zach rubbed his eyes with his fingers. This couldn’t be happening. “What did you do?”

“Tried to find you,” Seth said. “I called in a few favors.”

“Not helpful.”

“If my older brother kept in better touch—”

“Shove it.” The ache behind Zach’s eyes pounded in time with his heart. “I need transportation.”

“Where are you?” Seth asked.

“Hidden Springs.”

“I’ll call you back.”

Zach closed the phone.

“Explosion?” Jenna whispered.

“My mom and an old family friend were badly hurt.”

She squeezed his good arm. For the first time since he’d witnessed his home explode, Zach had hope because of his family. They were damned good at what they did. All of them. He could count on them, but the idea of involving them made him nervous. Still, he had no choice. He hoped they’d understand. With Seth’s contacts, they could get Jenna to safety while Zach and his brother dealt with Brad Walters. The Company—that was an entirely different problem. One he couldn’t handle alone.

“Brad…” Jenna whispered.

“Maybe. Or it could be the men who are after me.” This was why he’d stayed away from his family, and it hadn’t mattered. What a screwup. He’d been selfish. As usual. His father hadn’t been wrong about Zach. He wasn’t a true Montgomery.

Zach shook away Jenna’s touch. He strode toward a window frame, the glass long since broken, and stared across the valley toward the highest mountain visible. Fools Peak. The name had been a joke to him at one time; now it was simply descriptive.

A soft hand touched his back and he closed his eyes. He didn’t want to find comfort in her touch. He didn’t deserve it. Whether the Company or Brad had gone after his mother, the situation was on his shoulders.

Just like his father’s death.

He stiffened under her caress, but she didn’t take the hint. She rested both hands on his back and kneaded his muscles.

“Don’t,” he whispered, blinking away the sting that had settled behind his eyes.

She pressed herself against his back and her hands snaked around his waist. He looked down at the small hands and turned in her arms. Regret raked across her face. “I’m sorry I brought this onto you. If I knew where to run, I would.”

Zach touched her cheek lightly and gazed into her green eyes. He could get lost in the moss-colored pools. They made him think of the forest, of better times. With his brother, with his family. With his father. “No matter who did this, I’ll find a way to make sure you and Sam are safe. I promise you that.”

The phone rang.

“Ace is coming for you. He’ll be landing just north of Hidden Springs in less than an hour,” Seth said. “Someone will meet you at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.”

“Thanks, Seth.”

“Just get here, Zach. Then we’ll kick some ass. Together.”

That’s what Seth thought. Once his brother got Jenna and Sam to safety, Zach would end this. The way he’d started it. On his own.




Jenna sat against the fence overlooking a nearby field large enough for a plane to land. She cuddled Sam next to her. Her son had gone very quiet, watching Zach with a sadness and despair that broke Jenna’s heart. Did he finally understand that Brad had hurt Zach and his family?

No matter what Zach believed, Jenna knew Brad would do anything to get what he wanted. She didn’t pretend he wanted her or even Sam. She was certain he wanted the evidence. The irony—everything she’d collected remained in California. She had no idea how she would retrieve it, or what Zach had planned. She wanted to talk with him, but he’d put up a wall after he’d hung up the phone. The man she’d grown to respect—and care for—stood alone, silhouetted against the western sky, searching, and he’d completely shut her out.

Part of her had wanted to fight him, but she had to face the truth. She and Sam had already caused too much trouble. Brad had hurt Zach’s mother.

She swallowed back the bile rising in her throat. Zach was strong, but the best security in the world hadn’t saved the people Brad had murdered. She shivered and rubbed Sam’s arms. The summer Colorado air had turned cooler. Light was fading fast. What if the pilot couldn’t land in the field in the dark? She didn’t want to ask.

Sam sniffled. “Daddy won’t find us, will he? He won’t explode us, too?”

She hugged her son and picked up a dandelion, then blew softly. The seed heads scattered, floating as if magic on the air.

“Oooh,” Sam whispered, instantly distracted, trying to grasp one of the white floating strands. “They look like fairies.”

“Maybe they are,” Jenna whispered. “What do you think they’re doing?”

“That one wants to find his mommy. He’s afraid,” Sam said, kneading the knees of his pants. “He’s all alone.”

Jenna’s heart ached and she tugged her son closer. “I bet his mommy is doing everything she can to keep him safe.”