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The boys had helped at the clinic when they were younger. I’d never gotten their keys back.
I hadn’t seen my eldest boy in over two years. We’d only talked on the phone twice in the past year. Those calls were brief. He’d needed a document each time.
“Hello, Justin. I didn’t know you were coming to town.”
Justin held up the keys to his truck. “Benji, why don’t you take my truck to Mom’s, and I’ll bring her home.”
I opened my mouth to protest. Benji hadn’t wanted to get his license, and I’d dragged him to the DMV only six months ago. “I can drive just fine and meet you at the house.”
Benji hugged me quickly and I couldn’t hold back the wince as he pushed against my ribs.
“Sorry, Mom. I’ll be fine.” He let go and grabbed the keys dangling from Justin’s hand. Before he stepped out the front door, he paused. “Mom has the gun.”
“You gave him a gun?”
Justin nodded, his arms folded over his chest. He’d added a lot more muscle since the last time I’d seen him. All my sons towered over my five-foot-four frame. Justin was the tallest at six-four. “Why and how?”
“Grab your stuff and I’ll explain on the way to the house.”
I wanted to protest, but I had to get on the road soon. Tomorrow I’d come in early and clean up the rest of the surgical equipment. I grabbed my purse from my desk, but left the gun.
Justin was on his phone when I stepped back into the lobby. He tugged the door and motioned for me to follow, hanging up the call.
“I’ll explain everything in the car, but first, I want to know why you winced when Benji hugged you,” he growled.
I turned and locked the clinic before I turned to my son. “I had an altercation earlier today. It’s nothing you have to worry about.”
I pulled the car keys from my purse, and Justin plucked them out of my hand.
When he opened the passenger side door, I thought he was going to get in, but he motioned for me to instead.I climbed in and waited for him to get into the driver’s side. “Justin, why are you here?”
He put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. “Benji called a couple of months back, saying you needed help. Back then, I wasn’t in a position where I could leave work or it would cause an issue with my undercover operation. I told Benji where I’d placed a gun in the house and to only use it in case of an extreme emergency. I never expected the case to last two months, but it finally broke this morning, and I jumped on the first flight here. Now, you are going to tell me why you never called.”
I messaged the back of my neck, hoping it would help with the headache. “Why are you doing undercover work?”
“My goal is to climb the ranks. Undercover work will help me get to the next level. I brought you up to speed on me. Now are you going to tell me why you didn’t call?”
“Are you sure you want to hear this?” I asked.
Justin bobbed his head.
“Not sure how to explain this in a way that you will believe.” I took a deep breath. “Your father, the one you and Des look up to, isn’t who you thought he was. When it came to Brad, everyone wore rose-covered glasses, and I will not cover for him. I’m barely hanging together, and I don’t need any shit saying ‘Dad can’t possibly have done that or how did you let this happen,’ or whatever else you might say. Please take me to the house. I have an errand to run.”
I should have kept my mouth shut, but I just couldn’t anymore.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Justin sighed as he pulled into the driveway. “Des and I were dumbasses when we were kids. We didn’t see the shit behind closed doors. I take that back. We did. But the two of us were too blinded by Dad's charm and the gifts. So, we did nothing. For years, I stayed away because of guilt. God, Mom, I did nothing while Dad beat you. The next day you would get up, cook us breakfast, take us to school, and then go to work. Now I spend my days putting scum like Dad in jail.”
I didn’t want my boys to feel guilt. “You might be my oldest, but in my eyes, you're my baby. You don’t have to apologize for anything. I would like to sit and talk to you more, but tonight I really need to run an errand.”
Justin strode next to me up the steps to the house. Benji was on the couch when we came through the door.
“And what errand is that?” Justin asked.
I patted him on the chest. “If you want to help, stay with Benji for a few hours.”
I didn’t give him time to reply as I rushed down the hall to my bedroom. I pulled open the bottom drawer of my jewelry case. The crimson red box had faded over the years, but the same sparkling opal ring was inside. I pulled it from the case and headed back to the living room. But my sons weren’t alone.
Sam had arrived.
