Page 93 of The Stone Family Warrior

Brooks took the key out of his hand, holding it up and inspecting it.

Marshall ran to punch his hurt shoulder. “Maybe you could lead with that next time.”

Trent and Hunter met each other’s eyes and started to laugh.

Brooks chuckled too, and then Liberty went to Trent’s other side and took his hand. “I don’t know why you guys are laughing, but I guess that’s a good sign.”

Hunter put his arm around her shoulders. “Liberty, the first thing you need to learn about the Stone brothers is that we find everything funny.”

As proof, all of them burst out laughing at that.

Brooks fell into step next to them. “The second thing you need to learn about the Stone brothers is that we would die for each other, but we’d also prefer to cause each other a significant amount of pain, even when we are just teasing each other.”

Trent saw the look on Liberty’s face and couldn’t help but smile at the antics of his brothers.

Her eyes widened. “O-kay.”

“The third thing you need to learn about the Stone brothers,” Marshall said, “is that I’m the brother who’s going to bring most of the pain.”

Good thing they’d found a key with the Superman insignia. They had something. Trent rolled his eyes at Marshall. “You wish, bro. You wish so bad.”

As they reached the group who had decided to wait for them, the women huddled around to look at the key with the Superman insignia.

Kensi threw up her hands. “What does the key go to?”

Brooks shook his head. “I have no idea. No idea at all.”

Trent wagged his finger, his mind spinning with possibilities. “Dad and Mom were talking about the scripture that Mom had in her journal, but God knew we would think of the Fortress of Solitude. So I’m thinking it has to do with something about that. It has to be the Fortress of Solitude. What is the Fortress of Solitude?” His mind started to spin.

They boarded the helicopter, and Hunter let out a wail. “Mom and Dad, what did you do to us? Trent is going to drive us all crazy.”

The family called out their agreement.

“Between him and him,” Trey said, gesturing from Brooks to Trent, “we already are crazy.”

Brooks lifted his chin toward Trent in respect. “We may not have found the treasure today, but you were a warrior. You took that bullet and didn’t even cry.”

Trent grinned. “Ha. Ha.”

The rest of the group laughed.

Liberty snuggled into Trent’s side.

He liked her next to him way too much, he decided.

“I think you’re a true warrior,” Liberty whispered to him.

He looked down at her, and he was overcome with gratitude and emotion. He kissed her.

The helicopter took off, and Trent pulled back. He couldn’t help but try to process all that had happened. Now that the adrenaline was gone, the throbbing in his shoulder was becoming more persistent. He rubbed at it.

Liberty put her hand over his and smiled at him.

“Hey, you’re the warrior. You’re the one who said you would die for me, and I cannot believe you would. But, let’s get this straight. If someone’s going to die for the other person, it’s me dying for you.”

She laughed, and then he saw tears in her eyes.

“Lib, are you okay?” As soon as the words were out, he realized they were stupid. Of course she wasn’t okay. She had just been in a triggering situation, and she’d told him that every time something traumatic happened, she thought of Ian and Will.

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