Page 14 of Fight for You
This time, the tension that roiled through the car drained, and I focused on aiming for a side street that led behind another half-acre lot. The SUV’s tires screeched as I navigated the windy roads of the Santa Monica Mountains. The city lights of the San Fernando Valley shimmered below—as if offering the thank-you Jordyn no longer had it in her to give me.I waited too long to find you.
The narrow lanes of Mulholland Drive twisted, bordered by steep drop-offs and dense bushes. The vehicle’s headlights cut through the darkness, revealing sharp turns. When I no longer heard sirens, I glanced back.
“Jamie,” Leith growled.
Too soon to relax. I swerved away from a pack of coyotes. The tires slashed hard against the road.
Leith gripped the side door handle. Jordyn reached forward to grip the back of my seat—her scent pleasant and sweet. One glance through the rearview—because I couldn’t help myself after all these years—and I caught sight of her pretty brown eyes, wide, confused, and fearful.
“Where are we going?” she demanded.
“Somewhere safe?—”
Sirens picked up again.
“Really?” I slammed a fist against the dashboard. I took a sharp turn onto a narrow side road, the SUV’s suspension protesting asthey bounced over potholes. The path led us deeper into the hills, away from the main roads, and into the shadows of the wilderness.
After a while, Leith sighed next to me. “I’ve gotta admit, Jamie. You’re familiar with this area? Or should I assume it’s because you live an hour away or the military taught you how to navigate?”
I glared at him. “The second I found Jordyn”—a quick glance in the rearview mirror confirmed the peaceful snores were real—“all I did was orchestrate a getaway plan for if things went sideways.”
“Speaking of, what made you pick me? You’ve six br-othercapable hands at your disposal. Your closest being Camdyn,” Leith asked. “When you were still a scrappy laddie, without a single twig of hair that wasn’t on your head, I thought I was the odd one out since Little Brody was Da’s right-hand man. I’d chosen education over MacKenzie Freight. Course, I knew our truck company was a front then.” Leith paused to rub his chin as if offering me a chance to enter the conversation.
Didn’t much feel like chatting.
After a beat, he said, “Camdyn would’ve helped you in a hot minute.”
Lifting a brow, I turned onto the freeway. “Hello? Cam’s got kids.”
“Have you met my daughter,Mia,and my namesake, Leith Junior?”
“Leith, you know what I mean. Mia is already off at college, and Leith’s quiet. A good kid.”
“Yeah, Junior breaks my bank—always bringing me all A’s. Mia graduated from high school a year early,” he said at first, then sighed. “I can’t believe so much time passed. She was three when my life almost uprooted.”
“Yep. But everything’s all good for you now. And Camdyn will always be a reformed addict, so I can’t stress him. Not after…”
Screw you, Camdyn. You let me get taken.The old memory ofwhen Camdyn started to catch feelings for Willow came to mind. She’d come to our house to work on a science report with me. Maybe physics? Hated seeing him taunt her. I’d pulled out all the stops to make my older brother feel guiltier. We’d met the girl of our dreams on the same day. At least, that was what I told myself. The situation had been more complicated than that.
“What’s on your mind,bràthair?” Leith brought me back to the current day.
This time, I didn’t cut my eyes at Leith for the connection—brother. “Nothing.” I heaved a sigh. “Willow.”
“You got help after … you were sixteen, right? When you built that playground set in Willow’s backyard. She was pregnant by Camdyn already, then? I always knew you were close to her since you all went to high school together. You were worried about their baby. You wanted to make sure their baby had a safe place to play.”
I snorted a laugh. “Then I turned my own worst nightmare—abduction at a playground—into Willow’s reality. During the night, Willow woke up, belly swollen, and saw me constructing the playground. She’d been frightened. I’d frightened her.”
A memory flashed—of a man hiding in a jungle gym castle at the park, back when I was still too young to understand what it meant. The second that man grabbed me and ran from the playground, I understood, though.
“Listen, don’t be hard on Jordyn. Whatever you saw from me growing up—the silence. The fits of rage. The cuts.” Along the side of my hip were the most perfectly constructed cuts. Some thought they were tribal.Nae. I’d needed the pain. I cleared my throat. “Everyone knew I tried to sabotage Willow and Camdyn’s relationship because, yeah, I didn’t think he’d make a good teenage father. Also wanted to help raise her baby while keeping ‘em away from all parks. Then, there was Devi and my suicide attempt. Nevertheless, what I’m saying is, you allowed my crapwhile growing up. I was only gone a week. Magnify that for Jordyn. Okay?”
“O—”
“I’m not done yet. Also, factor in how Jordyn hasn’t seen her family since she was five. Or … who knows. She was five when we met! She has no one. So, if you’re rude to her, I’ll kill ya.”
Leith groaned. “I’m sorry that I asked her to be grateful that we saved her.”
“Good. Stay humble.” I reached over and patted my br-Leith’sshoulder. Shouldn’t have been so hard on him. Similar to the earlier contingency plans, I also had another one.
