AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, you don’t get to play that shit with me.” Adam slowly rose to his feet and glared down at Dillon. “This is about Aurora, isn’t it? I left before she died, and you think I was a coward, couldn’t hack watching her suffer.” He turned and roved his angry gaze over all assembled. “You all think that.”
“I don’t think you’re a coward, Adam.” That was true. Seth was still pissed his brother left when the going got tough, but he guessed Adam had his reasons. He could have claimed compassionate leave, but instead he’d gone back to his base. For a man who’d never run from a fight, Adam’s retreat made no sense.
“Dillon, you’ve got it all wrong,” Zach said.
“Fuck, Zach,” Dillon’s face twisted with anger. “He could commit murder, and you’d stick by him.”
Zach didn’t blink. “Absolutely.”
Dillon threw his arms out wide. “Why?”
“Because a long time ago, he took my back when nobody else would.” Zach spoke in a deep voice, his face free of anger. The bastard’s composure stood in stark contrast to everyone else’s around him. “And he’s done the same for every man here. Even you, Dillon. He saved your life, for fuck’s sake.”
Zach stood and fixed an unflinching stare on each brother in turn. “This is what we’ve become? Five men tearing each other apart? What would Aurora think if she could see us now? Her boys? Acting like a bunch of hormonal bitches verbally slapping each other.” He faced Adam. “Tell them.”
Adam’s jaw clenched so hard, Seth thought it would crack. “No.”
“Too proud?” Zach scoffed. “You’ll take the punches, walk away and lick your wounds in private?” He faced the others. “Aurora told him to go. She knew he was needed elsewhere, that he could make a difference doing his job as part of his team, whereas he couldn’t prolong her life.”
Seth swallowed. That was so like Aurora. Generous. Unselfish. But why the secrecy? “Why didn’t she say anything to us?”
“Because Adam made her promise not to.” Zach frowned at Adam. “I only found out the night after that imposter fucker made those posts. We were staying with Heath, had drunk a few beers. After Heath went to bed, we drank a few more, and Adam shared. Remember this.” He punched the air with his finger. “In agreeing to her wishes, Adam put Aurora first. And I’m guessing she assumed her sons wouldn’t be caught up with resentment after she was gone. And he”—Zach shoved a thumb in Adam’s direction—“didn’t make it any easier with his bullshit manly code of silence.”
Heath turned his shocked face toward Adam. “I wish you’d told us.”
“I wished you’d never doubted me.” Adam’s lip curled. “But hey, since now I’m absolved of ditching Aurora, I guess all is well.”
“All you had to do was share.” Dillon’s tired voice matched his sagging shoulders. “There was plenty of time afterward for you to let us know her wishes.”
Adam’s chest rose and fell with his heavy sigh. “Yeah, well, by then I felt the judgment.” He shrugged. “And I thought, ‘fuck ’em’.” He dropped back into his seat. “My brothers were the last people in the world I imagined would think I’d cut and run.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Seth saw Harper slide out of her seat and head inside. She was giving them privacy—again. He looked over his shoulder to see her disappear into the living area.
When he turned back, he noticed his brothers had followed her progress. Zach had sat back down, his expression thoughtful, Heath’s full of remorse, and Dillon’s? Sad. Plain sad.
Seth broke the silence. “We’ve all been idiots.” That was an understatement. “Whether you shared or not, Adam, I should have asked since your leaving pissed me off. Once Aurora passed, everyone moved out while I stayed with Dillon. As time went on, it got harder to ask you.” Seth raked a hand through his hair. “And that scared me, because the one thing we’d had, all of us, was the ability to say what we felt with the understanding the other person would take it on the chin and give an honest reply.”
Dillon once again leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together in from of him. “Since we’re being honest, I’ll say I was angry, hurt that Zach and Heath left so fast after Mom’s funeral. Adam I understood because he had to go back to base. Zach left after two weeks.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I felt like since Mom was gone, I didn’t rate any importance.”
“Brother,” Zach’s tone now had a harder edge. “I moved because the cabin came up for sale. I’d wanted that place since I first visited Razor’s Mountain years before. You know that.”
“You left before the sale had gone through,” Dillon accused.
“That’s how the owner wanted it. Those old timers have their own ways. Didn’t matter I’d been visiting the town for years. He was a mountain man, didn’t give a fuck about convention, wanted to see how I fit into his place. Considered it a fucking audition.” Zach’s laugh was mirthless. “And embracing the honesty here, I’ll share that Heath and I felt you needed your space after Aurora passed.”
“That’s true.” Heath glanced to Dillon on his left. “You were always closer to Seth, and that was okay. He was the youngest, the one you could most easily be big brother to. And you needed each other when we lost Aurora.”
Seth remained silent. He understood Zach and Heath’s points, yet he still felt Dillon’s isolation, his brother’s need to belong.
The muscles in Dillon’s throat strained as he swallowed. “I cared about all of you,” he said in a rough voice.
“Yeah, but you bonded with Seth, and that’s a good thing.” Heath spoke quietly. “Seth had just graduated. You had the business skills to help him realize his dream. We all gave money from our inheritance as financial backing, but you gave more, not just in money but in expertise.” He switched his gaze to Seth. “We’re proud as hell of your achievements, Seth. But we also know Dillon’s played a bigger role than us in helping you make them a reality. Adam, Zach, and I are grateful he could.”
Seth battled to draw in enough air through resisting lungs. When was the last time Heath had discussed their relationship as brothers in such a stripped back, honest way? “I couldn’t have made Shazad a success without all of you.”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Seth.” Adam’s words sounded more like a command than a brother giving support. “You’re a fighter. All of us are in our own way.” He speared Dillon with his gaze. “That includes you.”
Dillon’s expression was wary. “Did it piss you off, when Mom left me the house and a bigger share of the money?”
