Page 36 of Securing Samantha

Sighing, she turned onto the access road to head to Edie and Saint’s. “Whiskey came to see me,” she told him.

“How did it go?” Bryan’s voice calmed her.

“He asked for a haircut and shave. He badly needed one, and I agreed to do it. Then we got into an argument,” she gave him the shortened version.

“It sounds as if it took a toll on you. Hopefully my news will cheer you up. The lab completed the initial testing process and gave the green light for a more advanced screening. It’ll take a couple of months, but it’s very promising.”

Samantha squealed while she made an air fist. She needed the good news. All her thoughts of Whiskey fled her mind as she concentrated on Bryan’s announcement.

“We’ll celebrate when you get here,” he laughed.

“Thank you. Your news brightened my day.”

“It makes my day to hear the smile in your voice. I’m late for a meeting, but I wanted to tell you personally. I’ll chat with you later, sweetheart.” He disconnected the call.

Her heart beat faster at his closing statement. Samantha smiled. It felt nice to have a man pay her a little attention. Her thoughts mellowed as she recalled Whiskey’s reaction to the picture. Why did he even care? He showed his respect for the ending of their marriage by sleeping with a beautiful blonde. Why did she feel the need to drive to his cabin and explain the picture. She shook her head. Liam left her long ago. She refused to listen when he told her she suffocated him. Maybe it wasn’t about their marriage but her living close to him. Maybe moving back to Seattle made sense. Staying with Edie and Saint provided a temporary solution, and she searched her mind for a more permanent one.

Whiskey rounded the parking lot of the facility. Surprised by the amount of vehicles he recognized; it appeared the entire team showed up at one time. He walked to the door and entered his passcode. The door lock disengaged, and he swung it open, hoping to find his friends.

He walked into the kitchen, the common area where he always seemed to find someone. Leo glanced up and a silent communication between his men passed through them. Saint indicated the seat next to him. Feeling the need to speak and break the uncomfortable silence he said, “I finished my appointment early and thought I’d join the meeting.” Then he noticed Ash sitting on a stool away from the team. The hackles on the back of his neck began to rise.

“You want the truth? I’ll give it to you. This is all your fault.” Ash 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 him 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.

Ash wiped the blood from his mouth as Doc threw a towel in his direction. Saint still held on to Leo. The tension in the room ramped up higher.

Whiskey’s body began buzzing in warning. His mind calculated all the clues and realized why the men held a secret. Ash, his friend and teammate, did something the team didn’t approve of. He knew Leo seemed upset he found Ash instead of Olaf, but obviously it was more than that.

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. Whiskey began to shake. The team must be mistaken. Ash sat up with him on nights he woke screaming bloody murder. He wiped his body down while Whiskey shook in terror and drenched in sweat. He encouraged him to fight his way back.

“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. Whiskey struggled believing what he heard the men saying. The man he thought of as a loyal friend killed their teammate and brother. He showed no remorse.

Whiskey tensed. Something was coming. His brain filtered out the final moments before the explosion. As if in slow motion, the moment he heard Taco over the coms. He tried to shake the memory. It faded into the background as he forced his brain to hear what Ash divulged.

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 as 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, 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.” 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 was evident as Ash 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.

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. Whiskey’s pulse quickened as his heart skipped a beat. His body started to go blissfully numb in a protective shield as he tried to deny everything he heard.

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