Page 152 of End Game

Brodie and Sadie ran ahead, grinning and whispering like they were about to see blood spilled.

Clara, Alejandro, and Henri shook their heads in unison and returned to the Friary. Neuman snored softly in one of the cozy lounges.

Phin rubbed his hands together. “The finale we’ve all been waiting for. Where’s the popcorn?”

Maddy elbowed him.

Rohan shook his head. “How did you ever survive adolescence?”

Lena laughed, weaving her arm through Rohan’s. “I love this family.”

Minutes later, even Phin was speechless. The garage doors stood wide open. Cruz’s Stutz took up one side and the other housed several man toys. Six four-wheelers with custom paint jobs and what looked like a two-seater dune buggy.

Ash and Zeke had already rolled out two of the ATVs. Four windblown gray wolf heads screamed across the front of Zeke’s and a distorted FBI seal stretched over the same area on Ash’s, with Fidelity on the left side, Bravery in the middle, and Integrity on the right.

Brodie sat on a smaller, camo-colored ATV still inside the garage, with Sadie standing next to him, arms crossed and mouth set in a firm line. Someone was feeling left out. Kayla couldn’t blame her. The off-road vehicles looked like a lot of fun.

Zeke had given the ATVs to his brothers last year as a thank-you for all their hard work and his big heart hadn’t been able to exclude his soon-to-be stepson. Although she didn’t doubt gratitude played a part in the gifts, Kayla suspected the big lug simply wanted a way to spend time with his brothers, to knit their bond back together again.

Unfortunately, Ash hadn’t been ready to accept the gesture yet. He and Zeke had too much unresolved stuff between them, and a man toy—no matter how cool and thoughtful—couldn’t fix it.

Fast-forward to today, Ash and Zeke looked happy, as if they’d siphoned out all the bad blood from their system and found a new way forward.

Emotion ballooned in the back of her throat. She forced it down and teased, “Going on a joyride?”

Ash grinned at Zeke. “We have some dirt in the exhaust that needs to be blown out.”

“Speak for yourself. My exhaust got cleaned out last month at the doctor’s office.”

Everyone stared at the normally warring brothers in varying stages of shock. Some laughed, some produced hesitant smiles, and some looked at them as if they waited for an alien transport ship to arrive.

Then a shift occurred.

The pivotal moment spread through the gathering like the sensation of hot cocoa sliding into your stomach on a cool evening.

Zeke put voice to what everyone was feeling. “Family first.”

“Through blood,” Phin chimed in.

“Through hate,” Rohan said.

“Through fear,” Cruz said.

The brothers all turned to Ash. His eyes flared, then he dropped his chin down, blocking her view of his face. His chest rose high and hard, once, twice, before he lifted his head. Moisture rimmed his eyes.

Ash cleared his throat. “Through joy.”

Everyone smiled and a chorus of voices intoned through tight throats, “No exceptions.”

“Ready?” Zeke asked.

Grinning, Ash nodded. “Lead on.”

They started their rides. Phin and Cruz stepped aside, creating an opening in the familial circle.

Ash glanced at Kayla, and she blew him a kiss. He mouthed, I love you, then tore off after his brother.

Lynette, in full-on military mode barked, “Boys, make sure your brothers don’t have a relapse.”

---