Deploy, Part One (Rawlings #1)(5)

Declan flicked his glance to Nolan, wanting to be pissed that he had earned yet another glimpse of affection from Justice, but finding it just as hard to do when he saw his brother’s carefree grin, one that told Declan he didn’t even notice. It didn’t matter anyway. They were both out of there within a week. Justice Rose would only be a chapter in the book of their boyhood. When they returned for good, they’d be men.

Both Declan and Nolan stood six foot three inches tall, just a tad shorter than Tobias. They were lean but ripped—and they both had the same eyes. The only real differences, the ones you might notice if you didn’t know them, were that Declan almost always had a shadow of stubble framing his sharp cheek bones and his lips weren’t as thin as Nolan’s. And according to his grandmother, Missy, he had the longest lashes of all the boys.

“Fuck him,” Declan said to Tobias who was still glaring at Murdock for taking a cheap shot at his brother. “What are y’all doin’?”

“Coming to fetch you,” Boon said, still trying to look just as tough as Tobias while he glared across the way.

Declan furrowed his brow in suspicion. He had his own ride. Then his stare slid to Nolan, wondering what in the hell he was up to. He’d heard him talking to their dad a few days ago about how Declan’s truck needed a new set of tires. It did, but Declan was not going to drop over a grand on some tires that he would not be using for months to come.

That’s where Nolan came in. His truck wasn’t going to make it very far on his road trip, so he wanted to use Declan’s. They’d argued about it for months. Nolan had even said if they were going to keep their cover story up then he had to take it. Their daddy wasn’t going to let them take two trucks to boot camp; he’d know something was up.

“Happy graduation,” Tobias said. “Daddy dropped a new transmission in Nolan’s truck this morning, and now your truck is getting new tires.”

Declan shook his head as he stared down Nolan who was sporting his classic ‘f*ck yeah’ grin. New transmission or not, his truck still would not make it all the way to Canada, and now without the excuse of bad tires, Declan had little reason not to give in to Nolan.

It’ll keep his ass safe, he told himself, even though he flipped Nolan off.

“This storm’s going to be a bitch,” Tobias said glancing to the sky. “I told daddy I’d get you and we could head over to the bar and take shelter in the cellar. He’s already got Atticus with him.”

Atticus was the second to the youngest brother—daddy’s boy to say the least.

“I got two hours left on this bullshit. I need to be here.” Declan’s pride wouldn’t let him leave now, not after Murdock bucked up to him in front of everyone, in front of Justice.

“That’s a different tune,” Nolan spouted, glancing to the bleachers then to Declan. “What changed your mind there, bro?”

“Fuck you. I didn’t want to come, but I’m here ain’t I? I leave now, and that ass thinks he made me.”

“That pride got the two of you in this shit in the first place,” Tobias said dismissively. He thought they were both in the fight, but only Nolan was busted for it, and Declan was serving the time because it was the right thing to do.

“Like you would’ve done differently,” Nolan said with a lift of his brow.

Tobias smirked. “Do as I say, not as I do.”

“What do you gotta do?” Nolan asked Declan. “What’s left? I’m telling you they’re going to call that game any second, we’ll just tell whoever I finished the time.” He shrugged. “What are they gonna do? Make me do this shit the morning we walk the line? Doubt it.”

Declan glanced over his shoulder to the Sheriff’s cruiser parked a few spaces back. He was sitting in it watching his son play. He and his big mouth would tell someone they left early. He’d already been looking at Declan like he was sure the wrong brother was in detention.

If the Souters hated anything more than someone standing up to them, it was having someone pull a fast one and get out of whatever bullshit trap they had set.

“Mulch these flower beds. I was supposed to water it, but I don’t think that’s gonna to be an issue,” Declan said with another glance to the sky. The wind was picking up, and the dark clouds above seemed to be racing each other as they glided by.

This storm was rolling off the coast. They’d been talking about it for weeks, and the parties to ride it out had been planned for just as long.

Tobias pulled his phone out of his jeans, answering the silent ring, then stepped away, meaning whatever girl he had on the line for the night was hitting him up.

Boon grabbed a bag of mulch and started laying it down in the flower beds next to the building. Nolan came to Declan’s side to help him finish planting the row of new bushes.

Nolan elbowed Declan when no one was looking. “When are you gonna stop eye f*cking Justice?”

“Me? I’m just tryna’ to figure out how come a girl with your ‘take’ on her is looking right miserable. Starting to worry about you, man.”

“She’s smiling now,” Nolan taunted. Under his breath, he mumbled, “You and your damn loyalty.”

“When are you gonna take your ‘take,’ off of her?” Declan snapped back. “We’re both outta here.”