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“Thank you.” The appreciation in his voice as he took the mug made her heart dip. He wasn’t used to being nurtured, even if it was as simple as someone making him a soothing drink. She nodded past the lump forming in her throat and brought her tea to the small table in the corner of the room. Neo followed her, pulling out the only other chair.
The warm mug heated her hands and provided a place for her to look other than Neo’s face. The weight of his assessing stare made her squirm in her seat. She took a fortifying breath and prepared to tell Jacob’s brother how she’d failed him in every way, starting with the unsafe neighborhood and apartment. “When the estate was sold, I had to find a place for Jacob and me.”
He hissed out a breath. “Brynn, look at me.”
A charged current rippled through her. Had her name ever sounded more alluring than when it was torn from Neo’s lips? She didn’t think so. No, that was a lie. It hadn’t. His voice was a low, rough rumble that reverberated through her body, pulsing in currents deep beneath her skin. Slowly she complied with his request, tearing her gaze away from the safety of the mug.
“You don’t know me,” he continued. “But you will. Wording things gently has never been a strength for me. I’m direct. To the point. More often than not, I put my foot in my mouth. I could sit here and tell you I don’t make promises I might break or that I have my brother’s best interests at heart. I could say I don’t give the first fuck that Jacob might have big hurdles to conquer, and I want to be by his side every step of the way because you’d never believe me. But you will. Until then, all I can ask is for you to trust that I don’t mean you or Jacob any harm. I know it’s a big ask. You’ve been with my brother for five years. Five years of having someone good in his life. Of knowing someone who loves him is there. Thank you for being here when I wasn’t. Kills me that I missed so goddamn much. You know him best. Please help me know him, too. Help me understand why you took on the burden of finding a place for you both to live.”
She clenched her teeth to keep her chin from wobbling. This was one of those times she’d love to believe. To take the leap and trust his intentions. Jacob needed good people in his life. Ones who could see past his physical limitations to the brilliant and humorous child he was. Soak up all the love he had to give. She wanted that for him while at the same time selfishly fearing she might be cut out of Jacob’s life. Still, if Jacob had the opportunity to discover a family member who’d do right by him, who was she to stop the bond from forming?
She cleared her throat. “I haven’t seen or spoken to Mrs. Godfrey in over four months. When the estate was sold, she took off. We stayed in a hotel for a few nights while I tried to track her down. I never could. I knew we needed a more permanent residence, but I couldn’t afford an apartment so close to the city. I hated pulling Jacob out of school, but I was so afraid he’d be put into foster care. This place was only supposed to be temporary until I could get on my feet. I’ve been delivering groceries. I can take Jacob with me. Also, online consignment sales have given me a boost. I’ll have enough saved in a few more months to look for more secure living arrangements.”
A growl rippled through the air. The man sitting across from her was fighting for calm. His jaw was set, and his lips formed a tight, thin line above his chin. “You had to deplete your savings because you haven’t been getting paid. You’re having to sell your stuff online? How long since you’ve gotten a check for Jacob’s care?”
She shook her head, and a dark strand of hair slid out of its confines and settled along her cheek. “That’s not what matters, right—”
“The hell it doesn’t. She stopped paying you, then mailed it in when she could no longer stay in the house. It’s not only gross neglect of a minor but felony child abandonment. It burns me that she died before she could answer for her crimes.”
For a moment, everything stilled before a whirring filled her ears. Dead? Jacob’s mother was dead. That was the reason why Neo was here. The reason he chose now to pop into his brother’s life. Had he really not known about his brother? And how had he found them?
“I see questions going through your head. Ask me.” Neo rested his arms on the table, leaning in closer to her.
“If you were estranged, how did you discover her death? I left her message after message with our location. I mean, she had to have written it down somewhere, yet no one tried to inform Jacob.” She wrapped her hands around her mug, trying to warm her fingers despite the late summer heat.
“Two days ago, my commander and a local officer informed me of her death. Handed me a certified letter from our mother’s attorney, and I called to let him know I had no interest in anything she left in her will. He told me that she’d been in significant debt and nothing of monetary value had been left to my brother or me. Her death wasn’t surprising. Ever since I was a kid, she lived hard and reckless. It was the news that I had a brother that knocked me on my ass. I’m sorry you didn’t know.”
“Are you in the military?” She took a sip of the tea. The strong, warm flavors usually soothed her. Not today.
“Yes.” He sat up straighter, studying her.
“What branch?” She set down her tea and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. She didn’t want to lose Jacob.
“Navy. We’re going to be deploying soon. I want to ensure all the necessary custody paperwork has been pushed through before I leave and Jacob is added to my benefits.”
“Is that why you introduced yourself as Ransom? Is that some kind of nickname?” If she kept asking him questions, it would delay asking what she really needed to know. How far he was taking Jacob out of her life.
“Yes. That’s what I was coined during training. It stuck.”
“Why Ransom? Did you save a whole slew of hostages?” She rotated the mug in her hands.
He lifted the tea to his lips and took a sip. “There’s absolutely nothing heroic behind it, unfortunately. There was a guy who snuck off base to see his girlfriend. I saw him sneaking back in and he begged me not to say anything. Was scared to death of being quarter-decked.”
Brynn raised a brow.
“Oh, that’s when you have to do an insane amount of exercise under the scrutiny of a drill instructor. The guy offered to keep me supplied with chocolate chip cookies once we could start receiving packages. His mom owned a bakery and I have a sweet tooth. Everyone joked that I demanded his mom’s cookies as ransom.”
Okay, enough stalling. “Where is your base?” She closed her eyes for a moment, not wanting him to see her expression when he announced his location if it ended up being halfway around the country.
“Virginia.”
The location of his base could be so much worse. She was thankful, even if it would be a hike to visit Jacob.
The urge to sink to the floor and wallow was overwhelming. Everything was happening so fast. How had such an ordinary day deteriorated so quickly? Neo had burst through their door and threatened to leave with everything she loved. Her eyelids burned, and she swiped away the first hot tear before it could hit her cheek. She buried her face into the oversized tea mug as though it would somehow help conceal her emotions from Jacob’s brother. She inhaled slowly, then released the breath. The questions she had might be hard, but she wouldn’t let Neo leave with his brother without an understanding of what his care was going to be like on a daily basis.
“How do you plan to care for Jacob when you’re deployed? He needs total assistance.”
He was quiet for a moment, those sea-glass-green eyes studying, assessing. “Do you have family in the area?”
