Page 33 of Coveting Catherine

Ash licked his lips as his gaze met each man. Emotions of disgust, anger, hurt, and disbelief displayed across their faces.

“Leo, I need to talk to you alone,” Ash pleaded.

“We work together as a team. My men deserve to know everything, Ash. I don’t think you want to be left in a room alone with me. I want you to tell us why Rahimi is here. What did you get involved in?” Leo’s casual friendly voice changed to that of a strong leader. He demanded answers. Ash glanced behind him searching for an escape.

“Your running stops today. The building is secure. There’s no way to escape. We know about the bank transactions. James Stanton confessed to Victoria, you aided him in kidnapping Kassie and Emma,” Leo began listing the team’s findings.

“Wait. It wasn’t my fault. You gotta believe me, Leo. I needed the money to keep Rahimi from coming after me and Whiskey,” Ash made his excuses.

Whiskey entered the kitchen and walked to the remaining seat next to Shadow and Saint. “I finished my appointment early and thought I’d join the meeting.”

Ash looked at the men before him. It felt like a meeting at King Arthur’s round table. But he remained outside the circle. His heart pounded in his chest as the men he once thought of as friends and family now sided with Leo. The resentment of constantly being shoved to the side when Leo appeared boiled in his gut. He wanted to strike out at the leader. Hurt him as much as he did. He ended up with Rahimi because of Leo.

“You want the truth? I’ll give it to you. This is all your fault.” he gritted out. “It must eat at you thinking how I fucked Catherine. How she preferred me over you.”

Leo shot from the chair and grabbed Ash by his shirt. He threw him to the floor and punched Ash in the jaw. Ash struck out, but his strength didn’t match the enraged beast inside Leo. Saint and Shadow pulled Leo off him as Taco and Doc yanked Ash off the ground. He didn’t miss the anger flash in Doc’s eyes.

Ash wiped the blood from his mouth as Doc threw a towel in his direction. Saint still held on to Leo, not trusting him to launch at Ash as soon as they released him.

Leo straightened. “What did you do to Ragu? The man never hurt a soul and you destroyed his career. I want to know why,” he seethed.

Ash laughed out loud, “You think I did it to Ragu? I did it to you, you asshole. If Ragu didn’t act like a fucking camel and drink your water, the team would’ve seen you for what you are. You might’ve fooled Maverick, but not me. You took my team from me. I worked for the position, and you slid right in and stole it from me. Oh, he claimed you were the better leader, but in the end he realized his mistake,” Ash smugly shouted at Leo.

“Did you kill our brother, Maverick?” Shadow’s voice came out deadly as he asked the question.

“When Maverick ended up injured after we rescued Doc, he goaded me into helping him die. He decided he didn't want to end up a cripple waiting for pain meds and the team returning home from missions, unable to tell him what occurred. When Saint relieved me after you went to surgery, I went out and bought enough illegal shit to put Maverick out of his misery. When Saint left us alone again, I gave it to him, and when he coded, I knew he wasn't coming back.” Saint started forward when Leo gestured for his friend to halt without saying a word.

“Continue,” he placed his attention back on Ash.

“I blamed you for Maverick's death because he jumped out to save you. I decided I wanted revenge. I needed to ruin your life as you ruined mine all the way back in high school.”

“Maverick did what any one of us sitting here at this table would do. He helped his brother.” Leo's steely voice filled with tension.

Shadow leaned in, placing his elbows on the table. “Don't want to hear your excuses, asshole. You killed one of our own. Maverick suffered traumatic injuries. You didn’t consider his state of mind,” Shadow didn't bother to hide his anger.

Ash nodded, licked his lips, and continued, “After he died, I made it my mission to make your life as miserable as I felt. I attempted to ruin your career. I laced your CamelBak with drugs. If the team witnessed you fuck up, you’d be removed from the group, and your military career ruined. If Ragu hadn’t ripped his CamelBak and used your water, none of the rest would’ve happened.”

Taco shot from the chair. “It was you. You asshole. I knew he didn’t take the drugs. Do you comprehend what you've done to our brother? You screwed up his entire life.” Rage shook through Taco making Ash wince and he readied himself for the enraged SEAL to leap across the table.

Ash felt good as he unleashed his confession to the men. He sat up the night before and the course of his life ended one way or the other. Either Rahimi’s men killed him, or he did it on his terms. This way, he got to see the devastation on Leo’s face.

Clearing his throat, he continued, “The day before we lost Olaf, I was livid at how you escaped my plan. You ordered me to scout out the town. I found one of Rahimi's men and made a deal. I’d kill his wife in exchange for him killing you. It left him free to take his newborn son, and when we attacked, Rahimi hatched an escape plan. I agreed to kill Avie, making it appear to be an accident, and grab the kid. Plans changed when Ragu drank the water like a fucking camel, and you rode in to save the day. The route you took blocked Rahimi's escape. I cut him off on the path and in the midst of warning him when Olaf rounded the corner. He thought I was captured. If Olaf would've stayed the course with Saint, he’d be here today.” Ash's voice cracked. “Damn him. If he didn't hero-worship you and stayed the course, everything would've turned out differently.” Ash remembered the shock on his friend’s face as Rahimi aimed the gun and let the bullets fly. The men at the table sat like snakes coiled, waiting to strike at him. “Olaf witnessed me talking to Rahimi. Rahimi shot him.”

Saint, Shadow, and Taco held Leo, but rage took hold and Leo launched his body toward Ash and grabbed him by the throat. “You worthless piece of scum. You killed my best friend, my brother.” The words weren't shouted, but Leo's pain penetrated Ash's soul, making his lips turn upward as he gasped for air. Taco and Saint pulled Leo back as Shadow loosened his grip from Ash’s neck.

Ash leaned against the kitchen bar, coughing, and wheezing for air. Chase stood, checked his throat, and encouraged him to take small sips of water. The compassion he witnessed in Doc’s eyes as he treated him after their rescue no longer existed.

Saint pushed his friend back into the chair and Leo sat on the edge. His mouth stayed rigid, and his jaw ticked as he stared his former teammate down.

Ash cleared his throat again. “I heard Whiskey coming down the corridor after hearing the gunfire. I didn't want Whiskey to die. I threw the grenade, hoping he stood far enough from the blast it only stunned him. Instead, Whiskey launched himself over Olaf. When the dust settled, I found him unconscious. Rahimi said he’d get him medical care and negotiate a release. I knew you’d refuse to leave without your men accounted for. I yanked Whiskey's dog tags and his boot laid on the ground. I saw the burned hand and knew they couldn’t lift fingerprints. I set up the scene and waited until you found me,” Ash felt no remorse for anything he did to Leo. Whiskey’s screams are what kept him up at night. Ash turned his guilt filled eyes to meet Whiskey’s. “I never meant to hurt you. I thought Rahimi would hold up his deal and after a couple of weeks we’d receive word you survived. Mistakes happen all the time during missions.”

“You sent me to that hell hole?” Whiskey's entire body shook. Saint crouched by Whiskey's chair. He murmured to the broken man as Whiskey shook his head. “I lost my wife and baby boy because you’re nothing but a piece of shit.” Whiskey shouted. Saint held him back, hugging his friend to his chest.

“I think you best continue, Ash. We need the full story, but I ain't gonna lie. I don't know what happened to the man I called my brother. My friend. Your soul is blacker than the devil himself.” Saint's southern drawl went deep as he comforted his friend.

Ash pushed forward. “We barely made it out alive. Then the team decided not to re-up. I never meant to break up the team, but I needed my revenge. When we returned home, Leo opted to stay with Ragu and Saint. Catherine's family held Olaf's funeral.” Ash chuckled to himself and noticed Leo fists clench and his eyes burned with pure hatred. Good, now he knows how I felt. “Poor Catherine kept searching for you, Leo. She hurt something bad, and she still never gave up on you. Every day you didn't show, put a nail in the coffin. I found her at the bar. She sat in a booth alone for two hours, and I waited, thinking you’d come in and save her. She told me about the breakup. I took her to a hotel.” Leo's fist banged on the table, making everything jump .

Shadow shook his head, “Boss, let him get it all out, then we'll take turns pummeling his ass before we gut him.” Shadow's eyes never left Ash's face.

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