Page 21 of Midnight Escape

“Rumors. That was until Dad died.” His voice broke speaking their father’s name, and Danny wasn’t sure how to react and respond.

Could he believe his brother after all this time? Was his brother really on the straight and narrow?

“Look, I was there when Dad was gunned down and couldn’t do shit about it. The agency wouldn’t let me do shit about it afterwards. So I chose my own route to find out the truth. It’s just taking longer than I’d planned.”

Moira reached out and clasped Justin’s hand, and something inside Danny rebelled at the thought of the two of them together, an odd sensation for sure.

“There’s something else going on. Someone is pulling strings to seize control of more than a drug pipeline. I just can’t figure out who or what exactly is happening, but Boyle’s been acting squirrely.”

Danny dropped back down in his seat. He’d always been jealous that his older, perfect brother got to go on ops with their dad while Danny still did grunt work in the agency. The day their father had been murdered had been a day from hell. First, he’d lost his snitch, then he and his brother had argued about Danny’s helicopter training, then the murder. And he hadn’t been there to stop it.

Sure, they’d captured those who’d killed their dad, but deep down, Danny and his fellow agents knew the men weren’t acting alone. Their father had been leading an op that had ties to Ireland. Yet, he hadn’t been able to prove it.

Now, maybe his brother could prove it and bring the mastermind behind the death to justice. Ironically, Justin had been named for justice. Their old man’s play on what was important. When Danny came around, they just went with a name his mom liked.

“What can I do to help?” Really, there was no other appropriate answer. He couldn’t hold on to all of the pain and anger at his brother after learning the truth. It surprised him how easy it was to let most of it go and how much lighter he felt.

Justin raised his and Moira’s clasped hands and kissed the back of hers. “You can take care of the family. They mean everything to me.”

Danny understood. Moira was off-limits. Damn if that didn’t wrinkle his mood further. It shouldn’t have, but he felt a connection with Moira since they were kids. He figured since a woman had been all but dropped into his waiting arms, then she had to be worth pursuing. So much for fate.

“Listen,” Justin said and stood, bringing Moira up with him, “we need sleep, and Moira needs to adapt to your time zone.”

“We’ll finish talking in the morning.” Danny watched Justin lead Moira up the stairs to the bedrooms. Why did they have separate rooms? Were they trying to fool him or something? He shook his head. It didn’t matter. He needed sleep as well, so he trudged up the stairs to his own room. Tomorrow he’d show Moira the third floor and where she could put her studio. Anticipation flowed through him at how excited she’d be and thankful to him for the gift.

That eagerness dimmed somewhat since he couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea that if his brother loved her so much, he wouldn’t leave her. Then again, he was leaving her in the capable hands of his brother. No pressure.

* * * * *

Danny spent the last few hours of the night tossing and turning and was up before dawn. As he dressed, he smelled coffee and figured his brother had beat him to the punch. All night he’d thought on his brother and the situation. For so long, he’d been angry at Justin, thinking he’d been playing both sides and being a part of what got their father killed.

Finding out it wasn’t true released most of the anger, but not all. The fact Justin hadn’t confided in him set his blood to boiling. Then again, he’d given his brother a blistering at their father’s funeral. Still. Justin had disappeared. Their mother would—

Their mother, she had to know Justin had reappeared, but she couldn’t know what he was doing. She’d never been so happy as to see him and Justin leave the DEA. The fact Danny held a job with more risk didn’t matter. It’d just been the heartbreak of losing her husband to the DEA; she didn’t want to lose her children to them also.

When he joined his brother downstairs, Danny decided to tackle what was most important. “You have to see Mom. She’s been worried about you.”

“I can’t,” Justin said. “Not until I settle this.”

“No. You have to see her. She’s dying inside, losing you like she has. It’s bad enough she blames me.”

“She does?”

“Well, she hasn’t said so, but I know she does. I mean, I go off on you at the funeral. Next thing we know, you’ve resigned and disappeared. What else is she to think?”

Justin rubbed his hand through his short hair. “All right. I’ll go see her. But, Danny, first I have to go back. If for no other reason than to make Boyle think the three of them are dead. They don’t deserve having to look over their shoulders.”

“Fair enough. Admirable, actually. What else do you plan?”

“I’m going to keep digging until I can find proof the US pipeline originates with Boyle. I want a confession out of him admitting to having our father killed, but I’ll go with finally connecting him. We know the leader had our dad killed. Those idiots who got arrested are loyal soldiers and nothing more. They’d never kill someone—especially a DEA agent—without orders.”

Danny poured himself a cup of coffee, already knowing what his brother had said about the actual killer and his accomplishments and, like the DEA, suspected Boyle, yet no one had been able to definitively connect him. That’d be pretty awesome if his brother could do it. But also extremely dangerous.

“Aren’t things going to be dangerous for you? I mean, you didn’t tell Boyle about Diana and Declan.”

They sat at the table.

“Yeah, that’s going to be a tough one, but I think I can win him over by providing proof they’re dead.”

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