SIXTY-SIX
EVELYN
“You’re lucky I’m not pressing any legal action on your ass!” Kade screamed in Matt’s face.
Matt stood up and shoved Kade away from him.
“Back off,Ghost.”He emphasized Kade’s code name with air quotes. “I did what I had to.”
Buddha clapped both his hands down on Matt’s shoulders and pushed him back down into the dining chair. “We are here to talk, Master Sergeant. No need to get physical,” he said, his voice chillingly calm.
I glanced at Chief with a weary expression. This could get out of hand quickly.
Matt sighed. “I needed to have Anthony’s files in a vulnerable state so I could access them.”
What the fuck?
“Why go through all this trouble when you could have asked Ricci himself?” Machine questioned as he took a sip of his beer.
Matt scrubbed a hand down his face before looking at me. “You weren’t the only one who observed from the shadows, Evelyn.” My heart sank into my stomachas I remembered vividly how my mother screamed and sobbed when she found out my dad was dead.
“Explain.” Chief folded his scarred arms over his chest.
Machine leaned against the kitchen island countertop while the others stood as close to my brother as they could. I was over the testosterone in this room and now felt conflicted about interrogating my brother. He was all I had left and I didn’t like how the men were coming at him, caging him like a wild animal. He was answering their questions. This felt like a bit much for what it needed to be. Fury built up in my chest as I witnessed the exchange. “If all you guys are going to do is treat my guests like they are prisoners, you can leave.” I walked in front of my brother and glared at Buddha, Kade, and Chief.
“Hey, I was being good!” Machine hollered indignantly.
I rolled my eyes and gave him a fake smile. “Yes you were, snookums.”
That earned me a laugh from the monster of a man. I gave the other men atry melook before they all moved away from my brother and leaned on the couch and wall near the kitchen. I rubbed my hands down my legs. “Well, now that that’s settled.” I pulled out the seat across from my brother. “Please explain what you mean.”
Matt laced his fingers together and looked down at his hands, and then back up to me. “When Dad died, something didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t like how Anthony looked at Mom and at you and Sarah. I knew something was off but couldn’t figure out what it was.” Machine handed Matt a beer to give him the courage to continue.
“Just before I left for my first tour, I overheard a conversation between Anthony and Chief Carmichael in Anthony’s home office.” Matt’s face turned somber as he recollected his memories.
“I had heard Anthony and another man arguing. I could hear through the heating vent without getting caught. The other man said, ‘Sir, it’s all handled’. I could hear Ricci pacing on the wood floors as they creaked beneath his feet. He said, ‘She’s starting to ask questions, Carmichael. How can you say it's handled?’ Why would Chief Carmichael have anything to do with whatever Anthony was talking about?”
Matthew took a deep breath and paced the floor, his hands on his head, reliving the moment. I leaned forward with my heart in my throat. I wasn’t sure where the story was going yet, but I could tell it was important.
Matthew continued, “The Chief said, ‘I have it handled. Just trust me on that. It’s easier if you don’t know all the details. Just know I am making some calls, and she won’t be a problem much longer.’”
The threat was clear. My stomach sank.
Matthew turned to look at me, his eyes wide. “Then Anthony said, ‘This marriage to her wasn’t supposed to last this long. I want her handled, Carmichael.’”
Holy shit.
SIXTY-SEVEN
EVELYN
Matt scrubbed a hand down his face. His eyes were dark with fury. “Shortly after I was deployed, I found out Anthony had Mom admitted into the mental institution, basically as soon as I left. There was nothing I could do until I was home and could formulate a plan.”
Kade had a cold expression on his face that made me shiver just looking at him. “So why almost compromise my entire company? Why not target him another way?” Kade’s voice was flat and void of emotion.
Matt looked at Kade. “Security was always the most important thing to Anthony. I used some of my connections at the Pentagon to help lead me in the right direction.” He looked back at me.
“That’s how I knew about your team and what your mission was. When I found out who was in charge of all of Anthony’s security, I knew that’s where I needed to strike.”
