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It was a bribe. Garrett was bribing him with the one thing he knew might work. But would he go through with his promise? Would he release Indy after he’d made his escape? It sounded like he was going to use her as some kind of hostage, to make sure he made it to the docks—whatever that meant. Was there a ship due to leave tonight? Perhaps loaded with cattle or cargo, and a way for Finn to escape unnoticed?
“What happens if I don’t make the call?” Finn asked defiantly, angling for more time. Time to come up with a solution. Time to get out of this no-win situation.
“If you don’t make the call, then I will kill her,” Garrett stated bluntly. “And then I’ll shoot you. Look, bro, take the deal. This way you get to save the girl. If you don’t, then you’ll both die, anyway.”
Finn stared at his brother, not comprehending how he could be so cold and calculating. How this could mean so little to him. Indy was right, Garrett was holding a grudge, but this was one, gigantic, enormous grudge. Finn had thought he no longer knew his brother, but now it was driven home like a sledgehammer beating into his brain. His brother was a psychopath.
As Garrett watch Finn waver, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the engraved silver lighter. Finn had forgotten about it, with everything else going on. It took him a second to remember that Garrett was wearing Finn’s jeans, and must’ve discovered the lighter at some stage.
“Thanks for finding this for me, bro.” He sniggered and leaned down. Finn’s blood turned to ice. Garrett had just confirmed that he’d been in that secret bush camp. Did that mean…? “I looked everywhere for this. It’s my favorite. Stupid of me to drop it, really. I was a bit worried it might incriminate me, if you know what I mean. But it looks like you kept it safe.”
And suddenly Finn knew with a profound clarity that his brother had been the one to murder Ronaldo. A heavy weightsettled in the pit of Finn’s stomach. If Garrett was capable of that kind of cold-blooded act, then he was capable of just about anything. Had he been ordered by someone to kill the other man? Had they had a disagreement that ended in murder? It didn’t matter why Garrett had done it. All that mattered was that he had. It made him shudder to think Garrett had been that close to stock camp, and he’d never even known.
Why hadn’t Finn turned the lighter in for evidence as soon as he found it? He knew he should’ve. That stupid sentimental streak of his had no place in a murder investigation.
But there was no time for self-reproach, as Garrett leaned even closer, an intent gleam in his eye. “But that’s not why I brought this up. I want to make a deal with you.” His brother flicked the switch and moved closer, holding the lighter between them, so they both focused on the brightly burning flame.
“I promise I’ll set her free. I vow to be true to our twin flame,” Garrett intoned.
Finn flinched away from his brother, but he couldn’t escape the light of the fire. He wanted to shoutbullshitin his brother’s face, but then a memory caught him, and he stopped.
It was a stupid pact they’d made as kids. They must’ve only been seven or eight when they’d played with that box of matches. Lying in the long grass in their neglected backyard, hiding from their mother, who was on the rampage, trying to get them to clean their rooms. They’d been setting miniature fires with dry blades of grass held between thumb and forefinger, lighting them and then watching them burn until they almost singed their fingertips.
They’d been skylarking and joking, egging each other on, until Garrett had unexpectedly become serious. Plucking two long blades of grass, he handed one to Finn, and then made him hold it up against his own.
Setting the twin blades ablaze, they’d watched the entwined stalks burn, as Garrett recited, “Together, forever, we’ll always have each other’s backs.” Then Garrett had hissed at Finn. “Say these words after me. I promise never to forsake my brother. I promise to keep the flame alive.”
Foolishly, Finn had repeated the words, in shock that his brother had come up with something so profound. Then they laughed and dropped the burnt grass just before the flame touched their fingers.
It was a silly child’s vow, made back when they were too young to know how cruel life could be; how different they’d eventually become. Finn had almost forgotten the whole thing, but clearly Garrett hadn’t. How ironic, because Garrett was the one who’d ultimately broken the pact, the one who’d chosen the dark path. The one who’d fragmented their family. And yet here he was, offering Finn his promise. And a choice, of sorts. A choice to perhaps save Indy’s life. At the cost of his own.
“What about Swampy?” Finn demanded. From what he could tell, Swampy was in charge. If he didn’t agree to Garrett’s terms, Indy would still be in danger.
“I’ll handle him. I promise I will get her out of this alive.” Garrett leaned in and touched Finn on the leg. It was the first time his brother had touched him in over ten years.
But Finn wasn’t fooled by this sign of good faith. He was only saving Indy to get what he wanted. He needed Finn to make that call, and if the only way to get him to do that was to save the one thing that was precious to him, then Garrett was no idiot.
What if Garrett didn’t set her free? Or what if he simply wanted Indy for himself? Was this perhaps another form of revenge, to take his woman away from him? Whatever the reason, Finn didn’t have the time to mull over the different options. He was out of time and out of choices.
Finn sagged against the wall. “As long as you promise to let her go. I’ll make the call.”
He couldn’t believe he was doing this. Couldn’t believe he would willingly put his own team in danger. But when it came to that unthinkable choice between saving Indy—the woman he loved—or sacrificing himself, it was a no-brainer. He just hoped he wasn’t agreeing to sacrificing his team members, as well.
Garrett was offering him this one ray of hope. This one dispensation. And it’d have to be enough. He had to trust that a tiny piece of the old Garrett was still in there somewhere. The one who would hold to the promise he’d made to his twin brother.
“No. Finn. What are you doing? You can’t do this?” Indy shook her head wildly from side to side. “I won’t let you.” A single tear slid down her cheek, and he watched it fall. She was so bewitching, even when she was crying; especially when she was crying. He would do this. He would save her.
CHAPTER TWENTY
INDY STRUGGLED AGAINST Garrett, refusing to go with him. She wasn’t leaving Finn. She wasn’t. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. She couldn’t dash them away, because her hands were still tied behind her back. Garrett had been smart enough to only release her feet, dragging her out of the basement and up the stairs, locking the door behind him as they went.
“Why are you doing this? That’s your brother in there. Don’t you care about your brother?” she screamed.
“Me and Griff ain’t seen eye-to-eye for a long time, now,” Garrett mumbled. “It’s a little unfortunate that things had to end this way. But it was always going to be me or him. Only one of us is going to win.”
“I don’t get it. You’re identical twins. Aren’t you supposed to be soulmates, or something?” How could he do this? To his own brother? It was incomprehensible to her.
“In a perfect world, maybe.” Garrett shrugged. “Look, I promised Griff that I’d see you safe. But if we stay here much longer gabbing, then you’re gonna be as dead as he is.”
