Behind the Lies (Montgomery Justice #2)(61)

She cleared her throat. “Zach’s been kind enough to help us. You might stop and look before you go off and slug him. He has a dislocated shoulder.”

Gabe winced. “Sorry, Zach. I didn’t notice.”

“I’m fine,” he said, frowning at Jenna. “She worries too much.”

His brother stared at their entwined hands and cocked his brow. “Interesting.”

Jenna felt a small tug on the back of her shirt.

“And who might this be?” Gabe asked.

Sam peered out and glared at Gabe. “He doesn’t love Mr. Montgomery. I don’t like him.”

Jenna gasped at the same time Gabe turned pale. Zach stared at Sam, clearly shocked at her son’s words.

“He hit Mr. Montgomery. People who love you don’t hit.”

Zach knelt in front of Sam. “My brother was just teasing, Sam. If he’d really not loved me, I would have slugged him back. I can hit pretty good, right?”

Sam chewed on his lip in thought. “You’re confusing me.” He straightened his shoulders and held out his hand to Zach’s brother. “I’m Sam. But you still shouldn’t hit. Mr. Montgomery told me so.”

Gabe grinned. “You’re right, Sam, I am,” and shook the boy’s hand.

Ace howled with laughter from where he’d secured the plane.

Zach groaned. “Can you be more cliché?”

“It was too irresistible.” Gabe looked from Zach to Sam then back again. Jenna could see the speculation. Her cheeks flushed. She may have had a few fantasies about being with Zach in the biblical sense, but Sam belonged to someone else.

Unfortunately.

“Don’t go there, brother,” Zach warned. “You’re climbing up the wrong mountain.”

Gabe shrugged. “Joy showed up out of the blue on Luke’s doorstep. I thought…”

“Well, you’re wrong. I suggest you drop it.” Zach’s words made even Jenna shiver.

Gabe lifted his hands. “No harm, no foul. You ready?”

“Yeah.” Zach picked up Sam and secured him in the back.

“Booster seat? Do you have kids?” Jenna asked, sliding in on the other side.

“I’m my niece’s favorite uncle,” Gabe said and slid into the driver’s side. “Gotta be ready for the little munchkin.”

“I’m the Dark Avenger. I’m Joy’s favorite,” Zach groused, getting in beside his brother.

“He is the Dark Avenger,” Sam brought up. “He beats up bad guys. The Dark Avenger got two.” Sam slugged his fist and kicked his feet. “Pow. Bang.”

Gabe turned in his seat. “Really? Tell me about that, Sam.”

“Once upon a time…”

Jenna could have stopped her son, but she didn’t. She wanted Gabe to hear that his brother was a hero.

“…it was neat. He laid that one guy out flat. Then he saved me when I fell off the mountain. Mr. Montgomery is even better than the Dark Avenger.”

Sam’s face glowed.

“Sounds like you’ve been having quite an adventure,” Gabe said, his voice speculative as he turned the key and the SUV roared to life. “Video game?”

“No, no!” Sam said, practically bouncing in his chair. “It was real. I promise. Then, the house blew up—”

“What?” Gabe shouted.

Zach gave his brother a deadly look. “Can we talk about this later?”

Gabe pulled onto the road and headed toward Arvada. “Fine, but you’re going to be explaining a few things, big brother.”

“I know,” Zach said.

He leaned back in his seat. Jenna slipped her hand onto his shoulder. He stiffened, but then his shoulders relaxed a bit, as if he couldn’t help himself.

Gabe’s phone rang. “Yeah. I’ve got him.”

He sent a sidelong glance to Zach. “Wanna meet at Luke’s?”

“No,” Zach said. “Nowhere that can be traced to the family.”

Gabe raised a brow.

“I want Jenna and Sam unconnected to any of us. I’ll explain later.”

Jenna grimaced at the words, despite their truth. She wished she could be with Zach, but she knew in her heart it would never be. Her chest tightened at the thought of never seeing or touching him again.

“Hold on,” Gabe said into the phone, lowering it. He twisted to Zach. “I’m bunking out in a small house behind the bar. It’s safe, and the bar owns the house. If someone dug, they’d eventually connect you through me, but it would take a while.”

Brad and the Company each possessed a lot of resources, and since they already knew about his mother, hiding wasn’t realistic anyway. “Do it,” Zach said.

Gabe placed the phone to his mouth. “Meet us at the bar. Twenty minutes.”

“I’m going to the hospital first,” Zach said.

“Mom’s out for the count.” Gabe glanced at his watch. “Visiting hours are over.”

Zach stared down his brother. “Go to the hospital, Gabe. I won’t wake her. I’ll sneak in, but I have to see her.”

His brother’s face softened. “I hear you. We’ll take a detour.” He did a quick U-turn.