Rebecca Zanetti - Forgotten Sins

Matt drove quickly through town, taking an unfamiliar exit off the interstate. Businesses and then homes passed by until trees and fields filled the view. The rain slashed against the window of her Toyota, and Josie burrowed farther down in the passenger seat. “We shouldn’t have left Shane to torture that guy.”

Matt’s jaw tightened. “Shane will be fine.”

Then why was tension suddenly filling the cab? Josie sighed. Matt wouldn’t turn back, and there was no way she could help Shane right now. But her clients were another matter. “I should’ve gone back to my office and gotten those files.”

He kept his gaze on the narrow road, his large hands relaxed on the steering wheel. “Your face is pretty banged up. It’s Friday—surely you take off early on Friday sometimes.”

The Hercules hadn’t given her a choice. Just hustled her out of the building. “Why don’t you like me?”

His head jerked. Muscles in his large chest shifted as he exhaled. “I do like you.”

“Do not.”

A dimple flashed in his cheek. Just like Shane’s. “Sure I do.” Matt’s gaze focused on her aching jaw, and he gritted his own, turning back to the road. “Enough to know you don’t belong in our world. You’re too—”

“Soft.” She sighed it. “All three of you have used that term.” It didn’t make any sense. “Maybe you’re all wrong. Whatever shaped you, whatever you think about women… maybe you’re all wrong.” Fog filled the windows, so she reached forward and flipped on the defrost. “I can be pretty tough.”

“I know.” He nodded. “There’s no doubt you’re a tough little thing.”

Why did that not sound like he was agreeing? “You don’t know anything about me.”

Matt had a deep chuckle. “I know everything about you.”

“Is that so? Like what?”

He inhaled. “I’ve read your records, sweetheart. Your hospital reports, your school reports, all the social worker reports. Your school transcripts, any e-mail you’ve ever sent. The court documents when Arthur and Claire Bomont began adoption proceedings.”

What? He’d investigated her? “The adoption proceedings didn’t go through.”

Matt eyed the rearview mirror, his shoulders relaxing as he took another turn. “I know. Claire died, and it took Arthur almost six more months to press forward.”

Surprise had Josie’s hands clutching together. “Six more months? What do you mean he pressed forward?”

Matt flashed her a glance, eyebrows raised. “Ah. Well, he tried to continue adopting you. Wrote letters, even wrote the governor to help. But the officials wouldn’t let a widower, a single man, keep you.”

Warmth, surprise, sadness all flushed through Josie that Arthur had still wanted to keep her, that he’d made an effort to get her back. “I thought he forgot me.” Maybe she should look him up—he was the closest thing she had to a father.

“No. He wanted you, sweetheart.” Matt rubbed his chin, one hand casual on the steering wheel. “Arthur remarried about a decade ago. The woman had three kids, and he seems to have made a good life. I have his contact information if you want it.”

“Maybe.” She needed to think about it and get her life in order first. “So you know all about my childhood. Shane has memories of you as boys at some camp. A military camp.”

Matt’s knuckles tightened on the wheel. “Yeah. We attended military camp.” He increased the speed of the windshield wipers with a flick of his wrist. “What did Shane tell you?”

“Everything.” Could she get information out of Shane’s big brother?

“Ah.” Matt turned on the lights as the forest sped by around them. They were heading into nowhere land. “I see.”

Okay. So he wasn’t going to bite and reveal everything. “Where are we going?”

Matt shrugged. “We rented a cabin for the duration. It’s safe and we can keep an eye on who approaches it.”

“I think I’d rather go to my house.” Enough hiding. “I mean, this whole thing was about me and not Shane, right?” She’d been thinking about it. Apparently Billy had done something or known something that had gotten him killed. Taking another look at those accounting records was a good idea. “My house was bugged because of a client, not Shane’s past.”

“It’s starting to look that way.” Matt turned onto a barely visible dirt road. “Any idea which client? Or why?”

“Maybe. The numbers for a few of the accounts weren’t adding up, but I haven’t figured out where the money has gone. I need to look again.”

“You think someone was skimming? Or laundering money?”

“I don’t know.” The words clicked out before she could weigh the question. “I guess it’s possible Billy was stealing to support his drug habit.” And she should check the other twenty accounts she’d taken over from Billy. Chances were he’d done a good job of hiding the theft but had probably also goofed up on the other files. Negligence and malfeasance from the drug addict. The Toyota bounced along rough potholes. “We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“That’s the idea.”

Should she be afraid? For some reason, Matt exuded safety and comfort. “You know, I’m still married to Shane.”

“I know.”

“That makes you my brother.”

Matt stiffened. His eyes closed briefly, and he lifted his head to reopen them. “Yes. I guess it does.”

Ah, so much like Shane. The need to protect was ingrained. “I always wanted a brother.” She ignored Matt’s loud exhale. “Alone in the foster homes, sometimes scared, always lonely. I prayed so hard for brothers.” It was the truth. So many times she’d hoped a brother would show up to protect her. Love her. Just be hers.

“You’re killing me.” Matt’s voice dropped to a rumble that sounded just like Shane.

“I know,” she whispered. The second they’d all shown up when she needed help had cinched it for her. She wanted a family—no matter how damaged it might be. “But I’m not letting him go this time. You might as well get on board now.” Realizing the truth, admitting it out loud, filled her with determination. “I’ve wanted a family my entire life. Now I’ve got one.” Whoever they were, whatever they’d done, they were hers. Right or wrong, she was keeping them. “That includes you, Matt.”

The sound he gave may have been a groan. A strangled groan. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Of course I do. The danger is over. We know one of my clients bugged my house. This isn’t about Shane. He’s safe.”

“Ah, darlin’. Shane will never be safe. And if he alerted us to his presence, he alerted the—”

“The?”

Matt cleared his throat. “Jesus. You’re good.” He took a turn between two large blue spruce trees onto a weed-riddled path. The Toyota jerked and dipped along the uneven road. “You need to understand we have enemies, and now they probably know exactly where Shane is.”

“You could get him to safety.”

Matt nodded. “Yes. I will get him to safety—whether he likes it or not.”

Relief had Josie’s shoulders relaxing. “Thanks. Now tell me about the military camp you all went to as kids. It sounds bad.”

“No.” Matt squinted into the pelting rain.

“Okay. Tell me about you. What do you do?”

“Um, I’m a U.S. marshal.”

Now that made no sense. Otherwise he would’ve called the cops and not let Shane torture George for information “No, you’re not.”

Matt flashed a grin. “Yeah, I am. For now, anyway.”

“Why?” She actually felt like a pestering younger sister. Warmth filtered through her along with curiosity. “I’ll bug you until you tell me.”

He rolled his eyes. “I need to find somebody, and marshals find people.”

“Who are you trying to find?”

“A woman who has answers I need.” His jaw hardened.

“It sounds like you don’t like her much.” Josie shivered. Having Matt as an enemy would be downright terrifying.

“No. Let’s just say she’s not a softie like you.”

Frustration ripped through her nerves. “Tell me something. What the hell is up with you guys and soft women? I mean, what makes you think most of us can’t face this world?”

“Ah, Josie. There are parts of this world you can’t even imagine. I wouldn’t want you to.” He shook his head. “More importantly, I wouldn’t want someone to hurt you to get to Shane. There are people out there who would be overjoyed to harm you.”

So much responsibility and determination in the set of Matt’s shoulders. “You’re the oldest, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Responsible for everybody?”

“Yes.”

“That’s quite the burden, Matt. Three brothers to be responsible for.”

He pulled abreast a large log cabin, switching off the ignition and turning to face her. “Two brothers these days. And now one sister.”

Shane slipped out of the SUV, his gaze on the quiet cabin. Blood covered his clothing from his interrogation. Was Josie already asleep? “I just need to walk for a minute.”

Nathan shut his door and tossed a flask at him. “Drink.” Highlighted by the moon, he leaned against the Jeep’s grill, arms crossed. Broad and dangerous, even leaning he didn’t appear remotely relaxed.

Shane unscrewed the cap and took a hit of Bourbon. The blend burned down to his gut.

“Now, talk.” Nathan didn’t move an inch from his position.

Shane shuffled his feet and threw back the flask. “You talk. I need to know about my past.”

Nathan turned, pinning him with a dark gaze. “How’s your gut? Your head? Your legs?”

His gut hurt, his head spun, and his legs felt wobbly. “Fine. Why?”

“I’ll hit you if I have to, Shane. I’d rather not.” Nathan tipped back his head and drank.

Shane jerked his head. “I feel sick.” Now. But while he’d been interrogating George, he’d been calm as a dead pond. “I knew just how to get answers from that bastard.” Frankly, he’d scared the shit out of himself. Well, afterward. During, he hadn’t felt a damn thing.

Nathan wiped off his bottom lip. “Our training is good.”

“We’re not normal.” There was no way they were normal. “God. The things he could do—the things he would do. He was a fucking abomination.

“Not even close.”

“Tell me.” Shane steeled himself for the blow.

“Take a shower, wipe off the blood, and then Matt and I will tell you everything.” Nathan slid the flask into his boot. “You should spend time with your wife before you have to leave her again.”

Heat roared through him. “I’m not. Not leaving her again.”

“Yes, you are.” Nate shook his head. “Our war is just starting, and she’ll get killed. Then you won’t be able to function at all.”

Shane coughed. “So it was never meant to be permanent?”

Nate sighed, glanced down at his boots. “I think it was—I think you wanted to take a chance on forever.”

“I still do,” Shane said softly. But at what cost? Bad people were after him, and they’d probably go right through her to get to him. What about his brothers? “It’s always been just the four of us, hasn’t it?”

“Except for a short time, yeah.” Nathan pushed away from the Jeep. “We fight for each other, we kill for each other, and we’d die for each other. Sometimes, that’s all you get.”

Shane lifted his head as his memories finally cleared. “If I lose her, I weaken and put you all in danger.” They were each other’s weak spots. Always had been.

“Yes.”

“Is that why I let her go?” The thought of letting her go again made him want to punch the Jeep. Hard.

“No. You left to find out what happened to Jory.” Nathan pivoted to stride toward the cabin. “We need to unlock your memories to find what you discovered.”

“Nathan, I don’t think I can let her go.”

“You don’t have a choice,” his older brother said, not turning around.

Shane shut his eyes for a moment. His gut hurt worse than when he’d tortured George. Steeling his shoulders, he opened his eyes and followed his brother into the cabin.

* * *

The rain beat against the window of Josie’s bedroom, and she snuggled down under the heavy comforter. She and Matt had quickly eaten sandwiches for dinner before spending several hours putting together an impressive array of computer and surveillance equipment. After Matt had carefully bandaged her wounded fingers, of course.

The sprawling cabin was luxurious rather than rustic and sported five bedrooms with attached baths as well as a large playroom. The pool table had beckoned her, but she decided to go to bed. Her jaw ached.

She heard a door somewhere in the house open and close. Male voices echoed. Shane and Nathan had arrived. They spoke for several moments with Matt before heavy footsteps sounded down the hall. Closer and closer. The door opened.