“Oh really, Nelson Masterson, you think you are so innocent. How about I tell your mother what you and Jake did Wednesday while she was out grocery shopping? I am sure she would like to hear the truth about her begonias!”
Nelson smarted, looking quickly at Jake, “You told her!”
“I needed help cleaning up. What was I supposed to do?” Jake shot back defensively.
“Enough!” Richard shouted, “You three are babies. Are we going to let a little girl control us? Please, she is just a girl. She’s nothing more than a girl in a dress!”
The laughter stopped.
She gasped, and Levi felt her hand slip from his. Never in his life had he wanted to beat the crap out of his brother more than he did at that very moment. She wasn’t just a girl in a dress. She was their best friend. The one they all went to when they were in trouble.
She made things better. They were better because of her.
Stepping up to the tree, Levi had never been angrier in his life than he was at that instant. “You take it back now!”
“Why don’t you come up here and make me, geek-boy?” Richard grinned.
When she stepped in front of him, she placed her dainty little hand on his chest. Tears swam in her eyes, pleading with him to let it go, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t let his brother get away with what he said. “Levi, please don’t.”
“I’m sorry, Cami. I have to,” he whispered as he gently moved her to the side. Walking toward the tree, he knew no good was going to come from this… and it didn’t.
Chapter Three
A rustling sound behind him brought him back to the present. Turning, he stared at a tall boy with her eyes. His hair was a dusty blond color and in desperate need of a cut, but he looked healthy and robust. That same pleading he saw that day, so long ago, bore into him once again. “You’re not going to turn us in, are you, mister?”
Shaking his head no, he turned back to the sleeping beauty curled up on the floor in his tack room. She hadn’t changed one bit since the last time he saw her. She was still beautiful, innocent, and shivering. She was cold. Taking off his jacket, he covered her with it.
So many things happened that day she and her family moved away, so long ago. So many things he wished he would have said and done differently. However, none of that would change the fact that by the time he and his brothers made it home that night, his mother told them that she was gone.
That day was the last time he had with her, and he chose his brothers over her. He chose to be an idiot instead of the friend she needed. That day haunted him for years.
“Our car broke down. Mom and I walked in the snow until we found this place. I’m sorry we’re trespassing, but Mom said this was where help would be,” the young boy stated.
“She is safe here. She’s always been safe with me,” he muttered, his eyes never leaving her face.
“You know my mom?”
Gently touching her golden locks, he caressed her as if she was something fragile and precious. “Her name is Cami Anderson. Her parents are Julie and Tony Anderson, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She has a scar on her right elbow from falling from a rope swing I put up so we could swing into the pond behind my house. She likes wildflowers instead of roses, and she is the best chess player I’ve ever known. She prefers pretty summer dresses to shorts and her favorite book is Tom Sawyer, which she read over and over to me when my brother Nelson and I got the chicken pox. Her favorite ice cream is vanilla, and there hasn’t been a day since she left that I haven’t thought about her.”
“Her name isn’t Anderson anymore. It’s Boudreaux, and Grandma died when I was a baby and Grandpa passed away three weeks ago.”
“She’s married?”
“Not technically,” her son began. “It’s a wild story, but no, she isn’t married, so to speak.”
“She is or she isn’t. If she is, I can call her husband and let her know where she’s at. I’m sure he would be worried. I know I would be if I was married to her,” Levi said, turning to look at the young boy. When her son blanched and his eyes widened, Levi knew.
Something was wrong.
“Mister, you can’t call him. Please don’t,” he pleaded quickly. “Mom’s not married. She thought she was, but she wasn’t.”
“What do you mean, she thought she was, but isn’t?” Levi asked.
“He’s a two-timing bastard, okay. He just said he was married to my mom. Her marriage wasn’t legal, and when she realized what he did…” The young boy sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Look, you seem like a nice guy, and you know my mom and all, but I don’t know you. All I know is that my mom said we needed to make it to her best friends’ house, and that they would help. We’ve been driving for weeks, and according to this map, this is where we’re supposed to be. If it’s wrong, then we will leave.”
“She’s not going anywhere and neither are you,” Levi whispered, picking her up with his arms. She weighed nothing. When she sighed and curled into him, his heart melted. “Grab that blanket. What is your name, by the way?”
“It’s kind of long. I think the doctors gave Mom to much of the happy drugs when she had me.” He grimaced but said. “Edward Thomas Harold Andrew Noel Anderson, but Mom calls me…”
“Ethan,” Levi whispered and smiled.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“It’s a long story,” he replied. “Come on, Ethan. The house is warmer and there is food in the fridge, and I am betting you’re hungry. And just so you know, I am one of the friends your mother is looking for.”
Smiling, the young boy zipped up his coat and followed him out of the tack room.
* * * *
Nelson was cold, tired, and in desperate need of a bath. All he wanted was to feel the hot water beat down his back and warm his insides. He really liked living in Montana, but the bitter cold was taking him longer to get used to. Born and raised in Louisiana, he was used to the warmer, sticky climate. This fresh mountain air, with its frigid winter and brief summer, was for the cows. Why he ever agreed to move here, he didn’t know. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He did know. He just chose not to think about it because if he did, he would want to beat the crap out of his brother Jake again.
Fighting with his brother was nothing new. He and Jake never got along. It was just something about his older sibling that rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was just sibling rivalry and he needed to get over it. Well, that was what Richard said, but he chose not to listen to his oldest brother. Nope, he figured that after thirty years, if he and Jake weren’t getting along, then they never would.
Nelson headed for the bathroom, started the shower, and turned the water on as hot as he could get it. Stripping, he hurriedly stepped into the shower and sighed, letting the steaming water soothe his cold bones.
It wasn’t easy living in a house with four brothers. At any given moment, they were all on top of each other. Living space was limited, and community areas like the kitchen and living room were always crowded. However, even though the house they built had five bedrooms, and enough space to house their hulking bodies, the home only had four bathrooms, which meant someone had to share.
Sharing was a pain in the ass. He hated sharing. His whole life he shared the same face, the same birthdates, the same rooms, the same clothes, everything. For once he wanted just something that was all his, and showering alone, all by himself, was what he got. For a few minutes, it was just him and him alone. There were no interruptions, no brothers barging in, nothing. The hot water was all his, and he relished that.
It was petty, and he knew it, but when he worked and lived with his brothers day in and day out, a solitary five-minute shower was heaven.
Nelson had just stepped out of the shower when Duke and Jake barged into the bathroom.
“Seriously!” he shouted, wanting to kill his brothers for impeding on his private time.
“Get dressed. We got a lead. Richard is booking the tickets now.” Jake grinned as he hurriedly g
rabbed his toiletry bag. “Don’t worry, Nellie. There’s always tomorrow.”
“Leave him alone, Jake. Grab your shit and get out,” Duke said.
Ignoring Jake, Nelson quickly dried his hair and reached for his jeans. Putting them on, he asked, “Where?”
“Somewhere south of Richmond, Virginia,” Jake said before rushing out of the room.
“Are we sure this time?” he asked, putting on a clean shirt.
“No, but we still have to check it out,” Duke replied as he headed for the door. “Look, Nelson, we’re not taking Levi with us. He will only get in the way. We’ll understand if you want to stay behind.”
“He’s gonna be pissed, you know?”
“I know, but the last time he took it really hard. We all want to find her, but he’s no use out in the field. You know that. He will just get in our way. Besides, he’s happier in front of his computers where he can be of some help to us. You need to decide, but hurry. We’re leaving in five minutes.”
Nelson stood there and watched his brother flee the bathroom.
Another lead.
Another sighting.
Another disappointment.
He knew they were chasing a ghost. Every time they got wind of her, they would rush to God knew where, and by the time they would arrive, she was gone. It had been that way since they took the case. Their mark was illusive, only appearing to a small few and then vanishing as if she was never there. He should have been used to it by now, but after two months of looking, he was starting to think that just maybe she didn’t want to be found.
Of course, he couldn’t blame her either. Her life hadn’t turned out as she thought it would have. She was scared and running. One minute she was happy, and then the next her world collapsed around her. The only way to make things right was to find her and fix what was broken. However, before he could even do that, he needed to find Levi.
After checking his twin’s bedroom Nelson headed into the living room where Richard, Duke, and Jake were gathering and checking their bags to make sure they had everything they would need.
“Are you going or staying?” Richard asked bluntly, getting right to the point.
“Levi’s not here. Have any of you seen him?” Nelson asked.
“You don’t think he’s in the barn, do ya?” Jake asked, looking at Duke.
“Fuck!” Duke cursed. “Geek-boy can’t leave well enough alone. I told him it was nothing.”
“Well, it’s for the best. He will be busy for hours trying to figure out what set off those alarms. We can be at the tarmac before he realizes it was just an animal. Let’s go,” Richard stated, grabbing his bag.
Nelson stood by and said nothing as his three older brothers each grabbed their bags and followed Richard. They had just made it to the front door when it burst open and in walked Levi carrying a small bundle in his arms with a small boy following.
Nelson froze as he stared at what his brother was holding.
It can’t be.
“Grab some blankets!” Levi shouted, moving quickly through the house, heading for his bedroom, the boy not far behind. Richard, Duke, and Jake dropped their bags and rushed to do Levi’s bidding, but Nelson stared. He saw what his twin was holding. He knew that face, every freckle, every laugh line, every beautiful inch of her.
“Cami.” He whispered in reverence, as if her name was the Holy Grail.
She was his best friend, the one he could always talk to and who would understand and listen to him when he was at odds with one of his brothers.
The rain pelted his bedroom window as he stared out, watching as his brothers floated around in their inner tubes as the streets flooded. They were laughing and having a blast, and he was stuck in his room, grounded, because he punched Jake in the nose for calling him a sissy boy. Being grounded was nothing new to him. He didn’t remember a time when he wasn’t grounded for something he did. He just wished the rain had held off for one more day so he could be outside with his brothers. It was rainy season, and he knew there would be more days like this, but this was the first. The first flood of the year, and the first time Mom allowed them out to play with the tubes. They were all old enough now, excellent swimmers, and he was stuck in his room, because of Jake.
“Asshole,” he muttered, resting his head on his arms as he sat in the bay window of his room.
“You know, if your mom hears you talking like that, you will never get out of this room.”
Smiling, he replied, “I know. You won’t tell, will you?”
Taking a seat next to him, she winked. “I’ll take your secret to the grave.”
“Thanks.”
“So what happened this time?” she asked, looking out the window.
“Jake was being Jake. We were getting along just fine, until I beat him at Monopoly. Then he challenged me to an arm-wrestling match, and before I knew it, he was on the floor with a bloody nose. Mom came in, and the rest is history.”
Taking his hand, he grabbed hers, and she smiled. He liked how compassionate she was. In her eyes, he did nothing wrong. Her sweet innocence unmanned him. She always understood him and never tried to change him. She was his best friend, and he was happy that she chose to spend her day with him instead of having fun outside with his brothers.
“You know, it won’t be like this forever, right?” she whispered.
“What won’t?”
“You and Jake,” she said, turning her attention toward him. “You two are more alike than you and Levi. It’s almost like you and Jake are the twins, but regardless, time will come, and all this competition will end. You two will just click and become best friends.”
“I don’t need another friend. I have you.”
“Yes, and you will always have me. But I won’t be around forever, and you and Jake will have to learn to get along sometime.”
“You will always be here, dollface,” he said, squeezing her hand. “Besides, you’re an only child. What would you know about getting along with a brother who hates you?”
She sighed and looked outside at his brothers again. “Jake doesn’t hate you, Nelson. He loves you. He just has a weird way of showing you. Be patient with him.”
“He makes it hard sometimes.”
“I know, but he is going to need you, and you will have to be there for him. Just be his friend, when the time comes, okay?”
Nodding, he didn’t know what to say to that. It wasn’t like her to be sad. He had never seen her this way, as if she was going somewhere far away from them. He didn’t like that feeling. Actually, he hated it, and shrugged it off, knowing that she would be around for years to come.
Getting up, he pulled her from her thoughts and dragged her over to the bed.
“How about a game of Monopoly?” he asked, smiling.
Her laughter filled the room, and Nelson knew that everything was going to be all right.
Every wonderful childhood memory he had had her in it, and then she was gone. If he had only known that was the last time he would have her all to himself, he would have done things differently, said things differently. Just like the case they were working on, his best friend had vanished and he never heard from her again.
Until now.
She was here.
In his house.
So many questions had gone unanswered, and for the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the truth. Before he could think of what happened to her, Richard, Duke, and Jake walked past him. As they picked up their bags, Richard asked, “Are you going? Levi is refusing to leave.”
He just shook his head. There was no way he was leaving now. He couldn’t.
Curious, he looked at his older brothers and asked, “How can you all leave?”
“We have a job to do, Nelson. Just because dollface shows up doesn’t mean we stop being who we are. She left us, remember? She left and never wrote or called. I don’t care where she’s been. I want her and that brat gone by the time I get back, or I will be moving out,” Richard
said vehemently, right before he walked out into the raging snowstorm.
“Richard, wait,” Duke stated before following Richard.
When Jake turned to him, Nelson expected the same sentiment from him as he got from the other two. However, when Jake headed for the door, he turned and looked at him, and Nelson braced himself for anything. “I’ll be right back.”
“Jake, hang on. There’s something you should know.”
Chapter Four
Richard stood outside in the freezing snow and wondered if beating Jake and Duke within an inch of their lives would do him any good. He knew who they were thinking about, and they had every right, because like them, he, too, had many unanswered questions. However, they also had a job to do, and mooning over some silly girl from their past wasn’t going to get them paid. Nope, they needed to get their heads back in the game and think about the one who, if found, brought a cash payday of a quarter of a million dollars. In addition to the monetary value of their case, where he was focused on the task at hand, Duke and Jake couldn’t get their pubescent minds off the one girl whose family put a rift between their parents that never healed.
It wasn’t their fault. Richard knew they weren’t as driven as he was, and that was to be accepted, even if he thought it was a bunch of crap. Their business was a last-ditch effort to keep them all together. That and a promise he made to their mother, which they knew nothing about. Nope, he kept that little bit of information all to himself.
He was the oldest, the leader, and the one they all looked up to, and he hated it.
It wasn’t easy being the oldest brother. The one to settle disputes, make the hard decisions, and mainly control the bickering that always accompanied them when they were together. Nope, being the oldest sucked, big time, and so did knowing everything.
After all these years, they were finally getting along, working together without wanting to rip each other from limb from limb, and in one night, all that hard work was just flushed down the drain, because of one pretty face.
The Chains That Bind [The Men of Treasure Cove 10] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 3
