It Takes Two

by Allie K. Adams

  “Bailey, I already feel bad enough.”

  “You should,” she retorted, holding nothing back. She never did. It was one of the many things he liked about her. Just not right now. “You let your brother go into that find without all the intel.”

  “I was just following orders.”

  “He’s your brother. Your twin. Orders never come before family. I’d never send any of my brothers or sisters in without giving them a full briefing.”

  “I didn’t know!” he roared and nearly snapped the phone from the pressure of his fist. “I thought the op was dead.”

  “If you really believed that, you would have told him. Instead, you’re freaking out someone else will tell him. Oh, and instead of facing what you did like a man, you called me to stroke your precious ego and assure you everything will work out. Well, you know what? I don’t think it will this time. I think you screwed yourself on this one.”

  “To hell with you and your holier-than-thou attitude. Who are you to judge? You sent Chris into his last op without all the intel and look where that got him. He’s in a wheelchair now because of you.” As soon as he said it, he wished he’d kept his goddamn mouth shut. What a shitty thing to say. “I’m sorry, Bailey. I didn’t mean… Hello? Bailey? Hello?”

  Thank God she hung up on him before she heard that last part. At least he hoped she didn’t hear it. The guilt now crushing his spirit under its weight, he shoved the phone into his back pocket and ground out a curse.

  He didn’t see the fist until it was too late. Jason flew back, landing on his ass. The explosion of pain centered in his cheek. Before he had the chance to recover, his brother was on top of him, fists flying, connecting with his jaw, cheek, and nose. If he didn’t buck him off, he’d end up with broken bones.

  And yet, he didn’t fight back. He deserved this. He deserved the beat down of his life, the pain coursing through his body. Maybe then he’d finally feel the agony he should have felt had he been the one in that warehouse.

  “Fight back, damn you!” Jeremy hollered and swung, slamming his fist into Jason’s temple, sending everything spinning. He didn’t block any of the blows. He didn’t lift his arms to defend himself. He didn’t even close his eyes. The hate in Jeremy’s eyes drilled into his very being, making him hate himself even more.

  He’d been an asshole in school and treated everyone like they owed him something. He expected his brother to be at his beck and call. As the QB who led his team to multiple college championships, he did anything he wanted and got away with it. Even in TREX, he spent more time pointing out Jeremy’s flaws, all so no one noticed his.

  “Fight back!” Jeremy’s swings slowed. Jason lifted his chin to give his brother better access. He should have been able to stand in on that op. He should have been able to convince the tango he’d made the bomb and had the ability to show him. He should have been the one in that warehouse.

  It should have been him attacked and left for dead. His brother had done nothing wrong, nothing to deserve what he got. Jeremy had taken the punishment karma had dealt Jason.

  He slid his lids closed before the emotions swelling his eyes along with blow after blow became too obvious. When the beating abruptly stopped, he opened his eyes to find his brother panting, his eyes wide, his mouth open. He stood and moved to the building to hold him up.

  Jason rolled to his side and spit. He wiped the blood free-flowing from his nose and licked at the splits in his lips. Sitting up, he dared a glance at his brother and nearly begged for another beating when that look of betrayal hit him. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t care,” he growled, curling his lip and working his hands.

  “We need to get ice on your hands before they really swell.”

  “I don’t know if I’m done, yet.”

  Jason nodded and dropped his gaze to the ground. “Now what?”

  “Now you get out of my fucking house. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

  “Jeremy, please.” He stared at him, willing his brother to just look at him.

  “You knew, didn’t you?” He snapped that glare to Jason. “You knew what I was walking into and did nothing to stop it. You’re just as much to blame as the assholes that attacked me.”

  “I didn’t know it was an ambush. I swear.”

  “Bullshit. You expect me to believe that? You knew what he wanted. You could have warned me. You could have—” He stiffened as his attention lifted past Jason. “Holy shit.”

  Jason sprang to his feet, his hands at the ready, and whipped around. The shock paralyzed him.

  “At ease, Bowman.” Dan Weber nodded as he approached. Jason lowered his hands and straightened, still stunned to see the special director of TREX standing there. Weber shifted his gaze and nodded again. “Looks like you called me too late, Rand. These two are already trying to kill each other. Maybe we should let them finish.”

  “Eh.” Rand waved them off and held open the front door. “They’re just letting off a little steam. If they wanted to kill each other they would have used guns.”

  Weber chuckled. “Good point. Tell me there’s coffee.”

  “Fresh pot.”

  “And our subject?”

  “Passed out with a little help of whiskey and zolpidem. She’s out for the night.”

  “You drugged her?” Jeremy pushed away from the wall and stepped toward Rand. Jason jumped in front of him. The ex-SEAL could easily snap his neck. “Get out of my way, Jason.”

  “Yes, Jason. Get out of his way.” Rand egging him on didn’t help. Weber had already disappeared inside the building and into the elevator.

  “It’s the special director,” Jason said and grabbed his brother’s shoulders as he held his gaze. “Something is up for him to be here. Hate me later. For now, we have a job to do.”

  Jeremy jerked out of his grasp. “I think I’ll do both.” He pushed past Rand and joined Weber in the elevator. The doors closed, leaving Jason alone with the other man.

  He wanted to jump him for telling Jeremy something he had no right to be in the middle of. His job on this find was to drive Bree to and from the office, keeping his eye on her and reporting back with anything off. It wasn’t to drug their subject or pit the brothers against each other by revealing confidential information about a find.

  “You look like he got the better of you.” Rand pointed out the obvious.

  “I let him.”

  “I know.”

  Jason frowned. He’d never understand this guy. As big as a house and tough as hell, with the power of perception unlike anyone else, Walter Randall was the epitome of a Navy SEAL. He talked about his time with the SEALs as the best time of his life and did nothing but bitch about his assignments with TREX. Why would he leave the Navy if he loved it so much? Why join TREX if he clearly hated his job?

  “How do you know?”

  “No defensive wounds,” he pointed out and nodded at Jason’s arms. “You and I both know your brother wouldn’t be able to hit hard or hit long. He’s a desk jockey. Even in his blind rage, he didn’t hit in any way that would break the bones in his hands. You’ll heal.”

  Physically, maybe. His brother hated him. After everything he’d done, everything he’d been doing all these years to make up for his mistake, Jeremy still hated him. As soon as Bree woke and found out the truth, she’d hate him, too.

  “Come on, Bowman.” Rand slapped his back. Hard. Jason winced. “Let’s get upstairs and have a little chat with the special director.”

  “Why is he here?”

  “I called him.” He pushed Jason over to the elevator. “Some things are best coming right from the source.”

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  Jeremy was more furious than he’d ever been his entire life, and he’d been pretty pissed in the past. It wasn’t enough his own flesh and blood had lied to him all these years. No way was his brother allowed to claim any level of innocence in this.

  But add the fact Jason had simply let him beat the shit out of him l
ike that was enough to boil his blood. Why not fight back? Why take hit after hit? On top of all that, why have tears in his eyes? It wasn’t like he had a heart. If he gave a damn, he would have said something instead of letting Jeremy believe he’d failed that mission for not being a good enough field agent.

  Jason had failed that mission for not being a convincing enough nerd.

  After Rand and Jason joined Weber at the table, Jeremy gripped the counter to stop himself from taking another swing at his brother. He didn’t know whether to hate him more for keeping the truth from him or for trying to cover it up with yet another lie. No way did he not know the truth behind that mission.

  “It’s pretty thick in here,” Rand started and leaned in the chair, looking far too relaxed. “Who wants to start?”

  “Start what?” Jason asked. When Jeremy’s gaze sliced through the tension and landed on him, he shrank back. “What?”

  Weber’s lips kicked up into a cool grin as his piercing blue gaze bounced between the twins. “I’ll start. Have a seat, Bowman.” Jeremy eyed the only empty seat and bunched his jaw, not trusting himself to sit that close to his brother right now. “I don’t like repeating myself. That wasn’t a request.”

  “Yes, sir.” He took a seat and stared at the coffee steaming from the cup in his hands.

  “I also don’t like talking to the top of a person’s head. Look at me when I’m talking to you. That goes for you both.”

  He lifted his gaze and stole a quick glance at Jason. When their gazes collided, he quickly jumped his attention to Weber. The director watched him, narrowing his eyes as he took his time studying him. It was unnerving, but Jeremy wouldn’t look away.

  “I’m still cleaning up after the old director. That bastard Donovan ruined a lot of lives.” Weber cocked his head as he bounced his attention between the twins. “Listen up, because I’m only going to say this once. What I’m about to disclose doesn’t leave this room. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” They nodded in unison.

  “You were asked to build a dirty bomb for a man claiming to want revenge for TREX’s hand in taking down his boss, Carlos Mercado. What neither of you know was the connection Donovan had with Mercado. Not Carlos, but his son, Santos. We didn’t know it at the time. It wasn’t until an op went south shortly after that did we discover a mole in the agency.” Weber worked his jaw for several seconds as his eyes grew vacant, hollow. “Donovan had been controlling missions by manipulating agents. Some walked away unscathed and never had a clue they’d taken part in a find that could have been considered treason. Some never had a chance.” He dropped his shoulders and lowered his head as if in prayer.

  When he lifted his head, he nailed them both with a look so intense it stirred in Jeremy’s gut. It was the eyes. They bore into him like a drill. “As much as you both want to punish the other, or even yourselves, for what happened on that find, you can’t. Things were in play way above your paygrade.” He centered his attention on Jeremy. “You got in too fast, and Donovan got nervous. He didn’t care much for intel agents. Too smart for their own good, he used to call you guys. So, he told you the op was dead so you’d back off. He then brought in your brother, using the story that he needed a field agent to protect the intel. That’s why your brother couldn’t tell you anything. Your protection. When Jason moved in, Donovan switched you back to really dig your grave. He played you against each other.” He then shifted his gaze to Jason. “What brother wouldn’t jump in to help the other if it meant saving him?”

  Jeremy’s gut twisted at the realization. He swallowed hard and stole a glance Jason’s way. He really did a number on him. The nose wasn’t broken, but it would be a while before the swelling went down. Both eyes were swollen, as was his left cheek. Several cuts decorated his lips. At least he didn’t have any chipped teeth.

  “The fact you’re twins made it even easier to manipulate you,” Weber went on. “You twins go out of your way to overcomplicate your lives just to cover for the other. I speak from experience.”

  “Are you a twin?” Jeremy asked. Dear God, he hoped not. The world could barely handle one Weber.

  “No, but I know a set of twins that are even bigger PITAs than you two. Charis and Chris McKoy redefine the term and they aren’t even identical. If I can read them, I can certainly read you. You two will do anything to protect the other, include take a secret to the grave.” He flashed a knowing look Jason’s way. “Here’s something you two clearly have not picked up on. Neither of you were supposed to survive the mission.”

  “I want to hunt him down and kill him with my bare hands,” Rand growled and made the gesture as if strangling someone.

  “It’s a little late for that.”

  Rand dropped his jaw as he jerked upright. “I only heard rumors. Please tell me you got that bastard, and that’s why he disappeared in Colombia.”

  “It doesn’t leave this room.” Weber tossed a cautious look Jeremy and Jason’s way. They both nodded. “Ron Donovan no longer has a pulse. Or internal organs. Or meat on his bones. Neither does his double agent crony, Peck. They made the very poor decision to recreate LEON—a weapon of targeted destruction that zeroes in on strands of DNA. I stopped them.”

  “I’ve never heard of LEON,” Jason said.

  “And you never will again.”

  “No wonder you didn’t want to relay this over the phone.” Rand shook his head. “This is some heavy shit.”

  Weber nodded at the twins. “Stop beating yourself up…” He paused and gave Jason a second glance before going on. “Stop beating on each other. You two got played.”

  “Good agents don’t get played,” Jason muttered.

  “Is that so?” Weber thinned his lips as he sharpened that piercing look into a glare and held Jason in it. “Do you consider me a good agent?”

  “You’re one of the best, sir. We used your file at Gahanna in several of our field trainings.”

  Weber pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a crescent-moon scar just over his heart. “See this? This is what happens when even the best agents get played.” He centered on Jeremy. “Stop trying to hide the scars in the body art. The scars themselves are the art. Each one tells a story. Don’t take away their meaning by covering them up.”

  Holy shit. How did the man do it? How did he see into a person’s soul and call him out like that? Jeremy nodded in understanding, too shocked and moved to speak. Weber had effectively reached into the blackness consuming him and yanked him out without a second thought. For the first time in as long as he remembered, he drew in a deep breath, tasting the life-giving oxygen as it filled his lungs.

  “That’s better.” Weber stood and faced Rand. “Stop drugging our subjects.”

  “She needed the sleep,” he defended, his hands up. That still pissed off Jeremy knowing Rand had slipped something into Bree’s drink. “She had a shitty day. The board took Goggles from her.”

  “What?” Jeremy shot right out of his chair. Jason slapped the table. Weber simply waited, that look sending Rand scrambling.

  “She was voted out tonight. I thought you knew.”

  “How were we supposed to know?” Jason spoke up. “She was practically drooling by the time we poured her into bed. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Watch it, Bowman.”

  “Blow me, Rand.” He didn’t back down, despite the fact the ex-SEAL had become agitated. “Bree is Jeremy’s girl. You should have at least told him. Or maybe you were too busy turning him against me.”

  “Okay, tough guy. It’s time for you to know what a real beat down feels like.” He rolled up his sleeves.

  Weber lifted his hand. And, just like that, the table settled. His lips twitched. “Like I said. Twins will do anything to protect the other, even go up against a SEAL.” He sat back down. “Now, let’s talk about this vote. The timing isn’t a coincidence.”

  “She told me the board took Goggles and ordered her to cut a check for nine hundred and eighty-eight
thousand dollars or they file criminal charges against her for embezzlement.”

  “She can’t,” Jeremy exclaimed, aware of the horror in his voice. This had escalated into so much more than he could have imagined.

  “It’ll be okay.” Jason nodded. “She can afford it. It will put this all behind her.”

  “You don’t understand. Writing that check incriminates her.” He met every set of eyes before going on. “I’ve traced and retraced the money. I’ve tracked every single record. They all lead to her. If she cuts that check, she’s as good as guilty.”

  “How certain are you she isn’t?” Weber asked.

  “You can ask me that?” he fired back. “She didn’t do it. She’s being set up.”

  He sighed and crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair. “By who?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m close.”

  “Maybe too close.”

  Rand snorted. “You can say that again.” He shrugged at the angry glares. “What? I’m not saying anything untrue.”

  “You’re a real son of a bitch,” Jason practically spit as he once again challenged the giant in the room.

  “This from the guy who sent his brother to slaughter?”

  He launched out of his chair and got off a good hit, knocking Rand’s head back with the blow. Blocking the next swing, Rand then threw a punch, making contact with Jason’s chin and sending him flying back. He charged and would have jumped Jason had Jeremy not shot up in his path.

  “That’s enough.”

  “Move it, Jer. I’m going to show your brother what happens when he shits out his mouth.”

  “You’re not touching him.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  “Stand down,” Weber spoke up. He didn’t shout. Didn’t even raise his voice. He simply stared down each and every one of them. “Have a seat, all of you. Jesus Christ, boys. What are we, in high school? Control yourselves or I’m aborting this mission.”

  Jeremy turned to Weber, barely restraining the debilitating fear that he’d be on his own if Weber followed through with his threat. It tightened every muscle and left him struggling for air. He couldn’t be serious. Abort now and they may as well kill her.