Behind the Lies (A Montgomery Justice Novel)

by Perini, Robin

  He pulled the stolen phone from his pocket with its skull-and-crossbones skin.

  At her questioning glance he frowned. “Don’t ask.”

  Zach dialed a number only a few people knew.

  “Montgomery.” Seth’s voice held a suspicious tone. He wouldn’t recognize the number of a store clerk from Hidden Springs.

  “Hi, Seth.”

  The phone went silent for a moment. Zach strained to hear footsteps.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Seth’s voice was a whisper.

  “Incommunicado.”

  A door slammed. “You could have let someone know!” Seth raised his voice. “Why didn’t you call us back?”

  OK, he hadn’t talked to Seth in months, but still…his brother never lost his cool.

  Zach’s entire body froze. “What happened?”

  The last time he’d been out of touch on his recon mission in South America, his then three-year-old niece, Joy, had been kidnapped.

  The only thing that could get Seth this upset was family.

  “What’s wrong, Seth?”

  His brother took a shuddering breath. “It’s Mom.”

  Zach’s body went numb. If he hadn’t been sitting, he would have collapsed.

  “Is she—” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

  “She’s going to be fine…” Seth hurried. “Captain Garrison might not be so lucky. He’s still in a coma. When I find out who did this, they’re dead.”

  Zach could almost see his brother pacing, his eyes narrowed in cold, hard revenge.

  “Someone tried to make it look like the gas line near her house exploded,” Seth bit out. “Coward attempted to make it look like an accident.”

  “Explosion,” Zach whispered.

  Jenna’s mouth dropped open.

  His eyes closed, the ash-laden clearing of his house flashing in his mind. He scratched the ball of his palm with quick, hard strokes. “When?”

  “Two days ago.”

  Bastards. Three days ago, the organization he’d trusted had contracted a hit on him. Three days ago, Jenna stowed away trying to escape the Chameleon. Zach didn’t care who had hurt his mother and Captain Garrison. They’d used his family.

  They would pay.

  “Seth, I may know who did it.” Zach met Jenna’s gaze, and she closed her eyes, her face turning a gray to match the nearly rotten wall behind her.

  “Who?”

  “It may be our mutual friends, but there is another option. You’ve heard of the Chameleon.”

  A string of curses pelted from his brother’s lips. “What the hell are you into, Zach?”

  “Sitting in a pile, brother.”

  “Then we get a giant shovel,” Seth said matter-of-factly. “Mom wants to see you. Get here, Zach. Now that I know the stakes, I’ll be more careful.”

  Zach rubbed his eyes with his fingers. This couldn’t be happening. “What did you do?”

  “Tried to find you,” Seth said. “I called in a few favors.”

  “Not helpful.”

  “If my older brother kept in better touch—”

  “Shove it.” The ache behind Zach’s eyes pounded in time with his heart. “I need transportation.”

  “Where are you?” Seth asked.

  “Hidden Springs.”

  “I’ll call you back.”

  Zach closed the phone.

  “Explosion?” Jenna whispered.

  “My mom and an old family friend were badly hurt.”

  She squeezed his good arm. For the first time since he’d witnessed his home explode, Zach had hope because of his family. They were damned good at what they did. All of them. He could count on them, but the idea of involving them made him nervous. Still, he had no choice. He hoped they’d understand. With Seth’s contacts, they could get Jenna to safety while Zach and his brother dealt with Brad Walters. The Company—that was an entirely different problem. One he couldn’t handle alone.

  “Brad…” Jenna whispered.

  “Maybe. Or it could be the men who are after me.” This was why he’d stayed away from his family, and it hadn’t mattered. What a screwup. He’d been selfish. As usual. His father hadn’t been wrong about Zach. He wasn’t a true Montgomery.

  Zach shook away Jenna’s touch. He strode toward a window frame, the glass long since broken, and stared across the valley toward the highest mountain visible. Fools Peak. The name had been a joke to him at one time; now it was simply descriptive.

  A soft hand touched his back and he closed his eyes. He didn’t want to find comfort in her touch. He didn’t deserve it. Whether the Company or Brad had gone after his mother, the situation was on his shoulders.

  Just like his father’s death.

  He stiffened under her caress, but she didn’t take the hint. She rested both hands on his back and kneaded his muscles.

  “Don’t,” he whispered, blinking away the sting that had settled behind his eyes.

  She pressed herself against his back and her hands snaked around his waist. He looked down at the small hands and turned in her arms. Regret raked across her face. “I’m sorry I brought this onto you. If I knew where to run, I would.”

  Zach touched her cheek lightly and gazed into her green eyes. He could get lost in the moss-colored pools. They made him think of the forest, of better times. With his brother, with his family. With his father. “No matter who did this, I’ll find a way to make sure you and Sam are safe. I promise you that.”

  The phone rang.

  “Ace is coming for you. He’ll be landing just north of Hidden Springs in less than an hour,” Seth said. “Someone will meet you at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.”

  “Thanks, Seth.”

  “Just get here, Zach. Then we’ll kick some ass. Together.”

  That’s what Seth thought. Once his brother got Jenna and Sam to safety, Zach would end this. The way he’d started it. On his own.

  Jenna sat against the fence overlooking a nearby field large enough for a plane to land. She cuddled Sam next to her. Her son had gone very quiet, watching Zach with a sadness and despair that broke Jenna’s heart. Did he finally understand that Brad had hurt Zach and his family?

  No matter what Zach believed, Jenna knew Brad would do anything to get what he wanted. She didn’t pretend he wanted her or even Sam. She was certain he wanted the evidence. The irony—everything she’d collected remained in California. She had no idea how she would retrieve it, or what Zach had planned. She wanted to talk with him, but he’d put up a wall after he’d hung up the phone. The man she’d grown to respect—and care for—stood alone, silhouetted against the western sky, searching, and he’d completely shut her out.

  Part of her had wanted to fight him, but she had to face the truth. She and Sam had already caused too much trouble. Brad had hurt Zach’s mother.

  She swallowed back the bile rising in her throat. Zach was strong, but the best security in the world hadn’t saved the people Brad had murdered. She shivered and rubbed Sam’s arms. The summer Colorado air had turned cooler. Light was fading fast. What if the pilot couldn’t land in the field in the dark? She didn’t want to ask.

  Sam sniffled. “Daddy won’t find us, will he? He won’t explode us, too?”

  She hugged her son and picked up a dandelion, then blew softly. The seed heads scattered, floating as if magic on the air.

  “Oooh,” Sam whispered, instantly distracted, trying to grasp one of the white floating strands. “They look like fairies.”

  “Maybe they are,” Jenna whispered. “What do you think they’re doing?”

  “That one wants to find his mommy. He’s afraid,” Sam said, kneading the knees of his pants. “He’s all alone.”

  Jenna’s heart ached and she tugged her son closer. “I bet his mommy is doing everything she can to keep him safe.”

  “What if he gets blown farther and farther away and she can’t ever find him?” Sam asked.

  Jenna didn’t know how to answer. Sam’s five-y
ear-old mind was trying to process the strangeness of learning the truth of the man they had both once loved.

  In the last three days, Sam’s entire life had changed.

  Zach stilled. He turned slightly and walked over, crouching in front of Sam. He held a dandelion.

  “Is this the guy you were looking for, Sam?”

  Her son squinted. “I can’t tell.”

  “I think Zach found him,” Jenna said softly, pointing to one edge of the flower. “Right there.”

  “Sometimes you can be lost for a while,” Zach said. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t be found.”

  “Like when you and Mommy found me on the mountain.”

  “That’s right.”

  Sam nodded and Jenna squeezed Zach’s hand. Thank you, she mouthed.

  He nodded, but his face had gone solemn, as if a light had been doused from within. She couldn’t tell if it was concern for his mother or her and Sam, but she didn’t know how to comfort him.

  A buzzing noise drifted toward them from the east. A small plane glided, turned, then touched down lightly on the flat field.

  “Let’s go,” Zach said. He picked up Sam and strode to the airplane.

  “Zach,” the pilot said. “Sorry to hear about Anna.”

  A man somewhere between fifty and sixty held out his hand then dropped it when he saw the makeshift sling on Zach’s arm. “Seems like you’ve had an escapade,” he said, crossing his arms.

  A tattoo of an arrow crossed with a hatchet rippled over moving muscles. Zach nodded and set Sam down.

  “I’m Ace,” he said, tilting the brim of his hat at Jenna. “And who might we have here?” He knelt down to her son’s level.

  “I’m Sam,” he said, his eyes wide as he stared at the tattoo.

  “Sam, I am?” Ace winked.

  Her son smiled for the first time since they’d left the mountain. “You’re funny.”

  “I bet you’ve heard that joke more than once. So, young Sam, would you like a special seat in my plane?”

  He glanced back at Jenna.

  “Go ahead,” she said with a smile.

  She ran her hands up and down her arms.

  “Getting cold?” Zach asked.

  She nodded. “What happens now?”

  “I go see my mom, and we find a place for you and Sam to hole up until I can collect new documents to start your new life. Then you leave.”

  She grabbed his hand and squeezed.

  Zach pulled away. “Don’t, Jenna.” He led her to the plane and within moments the Piper Lance was airborne.

  Sam stared into the sky. “Look at the stars, Mommy. They’re sparkly.”

  The flight barely lasted an hour before Ace eased the plane onto a small runway. He turned back to Zach. “You need anything, you come my way. I owe your dad.”

  Ace exited the plane, and Zach followed. An SUV screeched to a halt near them. A man exited, limping toward Zach, his face none too friendly, but the square jaw was all too familiar. Obviously this was one of Zach’s brothers.

  “Stay inside, Sam,” Jenna ordered.

  She slid from the plane and cautiously approached the two men.

  “Where the hell were you?”

  “Calm down, Gabe.”

  “You bastard. Mom could have died.”

  “I’m here now.”

  Zach’s face had gone as expressionless as a movie poster.

  Gabe reared back and punched Zach in the chin. His head snapped back, but he didn’t even raise his fist to defend himself. His brother’s jaw clenched and he muttered under his breath.

  “The least you could do is give me the satisfaction, not go all peacenik on me. You had everyone worried. Especially Mom.”

  Zach rubbed his jaw with a wince. “I don’t have an excuse.”

  He met his brother’s gaze, and Jenna recognized the pain in his eyes.

  “How is she? Really?” he asked.

  “Caleb can tell you better than me using ten-syllable words, but they say she’ll make a full recovery. It was touch and go for a while.” Gabe crossed his arms. “The house is gone. The pictures, most of Dad’s stuff. Everything. She doesn’t know yet.” Gabe narrowed a dangerous glare at Zach. “Seth wouldn’t say much, but I get the impression you know who did this. I want in. I have…connections. I can help.”

  Zach laid his hand on his brother’s arm. “Listen to me, Gabriel. We almost lost you once. You stay out of this mess. It’s mine.”

  His brother’s jaw tightened. Must be a family trait.

  “Crazy fan? Crazy girlfriend?”

  “Something like that.”

  Jenna couldn’t stop her open-mouthed gape at Zach. Why lie? Clearly the brothers loved each other, despite the punch. Still, she got the impression that Gabe didn’t know Zach at all.

  He gestured to her. “Jenna, this uncouth person is my youngest brother, Gabe.”

  The six-foot-three man took a careful step forward and tilted his head. “Are you the crazy fan?”

  Irritation chewed at the nape of Jenna’s neck. She wanted to defend Zach, but he squeezed her hand, giving her a warning look.

  She cleared her throat. “Zach’s been kind enough to help us. You might stop and look before you go off and slug him. He has a dislocated shoulder.”

  Gabe winced. “Sorry, Zach. I didn’t notice.”

  “I’m fine,” he said, frowning at Jenna. “She worries too much.”

  His brother stared at their entwined hands and cocked his brow. “Interesting.”

  Jenna felt a small tug on the back of her shirt.

  “And who might this be?” Gabe asked.

  Sam peered out and glared at Gabe. “He doesn’t love Mr. Montgomery. I don’t like him.”

  Jenna gasped at the same time Gabe turned pale. Zach stared at Sam, clearly shocked at her son’s words.

  “He hit Mr. Montgomery. People who love you don’t hit.”

  Zach knelt in front of Sam. “My brother was just teasing, Sam. If he’d really not loved me, I would have slugged him back. I can hit pretty good, right?”

  Sam chewed on his lip in thought. “You’re confusing me.” He straightened his shoulders and held out his hand to Zach’s brother. “I’m Sam. But you still shouldn’t hit. Mr. Montgomery told me so.”

  Gabe grinned. “You’re right, Sam, I am,” and shook the boy’s hand.

  Ace howled with laughter from where he’d secured the plane.

  Zach groaned. “Can you be more cliché?”

  “It was too irresistible.” Gabe looked from Zach to Sam then back again. Jenna could see the speculation. Her cheeks flushed. She may have had a few fantasies about being with Zach in the biblical sense, but Sam belonged to someone else.

  Unfortunately.

  “Don’t go there, brother,” Zach warned. “You’re climbing up the wrong mountain.”

  Gabe shrugged. “Joy showed up out of the blue on Luke’s doorstep. I thought…”

  “Well, you’re wrong. I suggest you drop it.” Zach’s words made even Jenna shiver.

  Gabe lifted his hands. “No harm, no foul. You ready?”

  “Yeah.” Zach picked up Sam and secured him in the back.

  “Booster seat? Do you have kids?” Jenna asked, sliding in on the other side.

  “I’m my niece’s favorite uncle,” Gabe said and slid into the driver’s side. “Gotta be ready for the little munchkin.”

  “I’m the Dark Avenger. I’m Joy’s favorite,” Zach groused, getting in beside his brother.

  “He is the Dark Avenger,” Sam brought up. “He beats up bad guys. The Dark Avenger got two.” Sam slugged his fist and kicked his feet. “Pow. Bang.”

  Gabe turned in his seat. “Really? Tell me about that, Sam.”

  “Once upon a time…”

  Jenna could have stopped her son, but she didn’t. She wanted Gabe to hear that his brother was a hero.

  “…it was neat. He laid that one guy out flat. Then he saved me when I fell off the mountain. Mr. Mo
ntgomery is even better than the Dark Avenger.”

  Sam’s face glowed.

  “Sounds like you’ve been having quite an adventure,” Gabe said, his voice speculative as he turned the key and the SUV roared to life. “Video game?”

  “No, no!” Sam said, practically bouncing in his chair. “It was real. I promise. Then, the house blew up—”

  “What?” Gabe shouted.

  Zach gave his brother a deadly look. “Can we talk about this later?”

  Gabe pulled onto the road and headed toward Arvada. “Fine, but you’re going to be explaining a few things, big brother.”

  “I know,” Zach said.

  He leaned back in his seat. Jenna slipped her hand onto his shoulder. He stiffened, but then his shoulders relaxed a bit, as if he couldn’t help himself.

  Gabe’s phone rang. “Yeah. I’ve got him.”

  He sent a sidelong glance to Zach. “Wanna meet at Luke’s?”

  “No,” Zach said. “Nowhere that can be traced to the family.”

  Gabe raised a brow.

  “I want Jenna and Sam unconnected to any of us. I’ll explain later.”

  Jenna grimaced at the words, despite their truth. She wished she could be with Zach, but she knew in her heart it would never be. Her chest tightened at the thought of never seeing or touching him again.

  “Hold on,” Gabe said into the phone, lowering it. He twisted to Zach. “I’m bunking out in a small house behind the bar. It’s safe, and the bar owns the house. If someone dug, they’d eventually connect you through me, but it would take a while.”

  Brad and the Company each possessed a lot of resources, and since they already knew about his mother, hiding wasn’t realistic anyway. “Do it,” Zach said.

  Gabe placed the phone to his mouth. “Meet us at the bar. Twenty minutes.”

  “I’m going to the hospital first,” Zach said.

  “Mom’s out for the count.” Gabe glanced at his watch. “Visiting hours are over.”

  Zach stared down his brother. “Go to the hospital, Gabe. I won’t wake her. I’ll sneak in, but I have to see her.”

  His brother’s face softened. “I hear you. We’ll take a detour.” He did a quick U-turn.

  Jenna laid her hand on Zach’s right shoulder and squeezed the tense muscles. He turned to her. “You need to duck down to protect yourself.”