“Dillon, we don’t have time to play games. We need to talk,” Owen shouted again.
A muffled sound came from the area where he found Noah. Owen shot off into the woods to find Wyatt hanging upside down, his mouth taped, with a note saying, “Leave now.”
“Damn it, Dillon. We don’t have time for this,” he called, climbing the tree and pulling an angry Wyatt toward him. “Come out and stop playing hide-and-seek.”
Ripping the tape over Wyatt’s mouth, he helped him sit on a branch to untie the rope from his ankles.
“He’s an asshole,” Wyatt cursed. “He hung me upside down and told me to tell you he’s not interested in anything you’re saying. Leave him here. I didn’t ask to come. You’ve made me ride in my underwear half the night, and the kid pissed all over my foot. Then, he taped my mouth and strung me up in a tree. My ankles hurt, and he resembles a sasquatch.”
“Shut up or I’ll put the damn tape over your mouth again,” Owen growled. “Don’t make me come get you,” he said, turning to the trees. “I have two three-year-old boys in my van, Mason, Elias, and this one. If you think I drove all the way here with thesenutjobs only to turn around, you’re mistaken. I will camp out in your damn woods and play kid music at all hours. Trust me, you can’t unhear it.”
“He won’t answer you,” Wyatt told him. “He’s not the Dillon we used to know. He’s…mean and scary.”
“I can be too,” Owen said. “I came to talk, and either he listens, or I’m headed back to find the Teeny Bopper Channel.”
“Can you walk back to the van, or did he hurt your ankles? It doesn’t matter. Suck it up, buttercup. Return to Mason and Elias. I’ll be right there.”
“What if he grabs me again? I swear I never even heard him approach,” Wyatt said, anxiously scanning the trees.
“I’m not in the mood, Wyatt. Get back to the vehicle,” Owen ordered testily.
Wyatt’s face screwed up into the same pout he used to give their mother before Owen made him do something. Shaking his head, he waited until his brother disappeared from his view.
“It must’ve done a number on you to stay away from people. Black ops can be a bitch. Your brothers need you right now. Mason lost his wife. He has two little boys, and he’s checked out. Noah suffers from seizures. When I showed up, Mason lost his job and can’t afford his son’s medication. Wyatt’s drinking. He smelled as bad as Dad on his worst day. I pulled him from a full pile of garbage to the creek and dumped him in it. We borrowed clothes from Masonbecause he didn’t have any clean ones. Cade refused to come. Then, it only leaves you. I’m sorry if I walked away from you without explanation. I hurt, too. Did you know I have a son? Leslie gave birth to our child, and I’ve missed out on almost nine years of my son’s life because of it. How can I make it up to both of them? Even if it means one last time, I need us all together. Do it for your brothers and for Mom.”
The silence felt deafening, but he waited, knowing Dillon always thought things out thoroughly.
A few minutes later, Dillon stepped out of the trees, covered in a ghillie suit.
“Cade and I stood by your side, and you left us. Dad doesn’t deserve a service with all of us there. You acted as the third parent,” Dillon said, angrily.
“I did,” Owen accepted his responsibility. “I’m not asking for Dad. Wolfe Mountain has stayed in our family for generations. The attorney won’t read the will until we’re all there. You may not care about the money, but Mason needs it. Wyatt won’t turn into Dad on my watch. Elias’ foster mom has brainwashed him. He bitches if he breaks a nail. I can’t do this alone. You can stay on the mountain in one of the cabins from the resort. They’re in disrepair, but I imagine we can fix one up easily enough. Come hear the reading of the will, and if you want to return, I won’t stop you. Although I might ask you to helpwith Cade. He’s not budging. We’ll drop the boys off and then kidnap him together.”
Dillon threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Some things never change. You know, it’s illegal to kidnap people? I’m willing to risk it after seeing the bastard swaying his hips to some cringe music and flashing a smile like he’s Mr. America.”
Owen relaxed. “How soon can you be ready to leave? Both of Mason’s kids will be up within the hour, and it’ll be hell on wheels returning to the mountain.”
“I’m already packed. Cade called to warn me you planned to come,” Dillon admitted.
“If you knew, why did you string Wyatt up in the tree?” Owen asked, watching Dillon shed his suit, roll it up, and place it in a bag. He disappeared into the woods and came out dressed in camo, his face wiped clean of all the makeup.
“Because Mom always babied the little shit. He’s got the shakes. You need to handle them before they get worse. We can dry him out on the mountain. I wanted a little payback for all the times I got into trouble because of his whiny ass. There’s a little diner about two miles back. We can feed the kids there and then be on our way.”
“Do you have any alcohol? It’s not like I can find one this early in the morning. The sun’s not even up,” Owen said, watching Dillon sling a backpack over his shoulder.
“I have something to help him,” Dillon assured him. “I’m not doing this for you. Mason looks like shit. I didn’t see the kid until I grabbed Wyatt. I kept an eye on him the entire time. Did I scare him?”
“He’s upset. He doesn’t know his uncles. It’s something we need to remedy,” he said, turning and heading for the van. Hearing his brother behind him, he didn’t bother glancing back. From now on, he refused to walk away. He planned to handle everything head-on, including Leslie.
CHAPTER 20
Leslie wincedand held her throbbing head as she walked toward the back of the cave to retrieve more water. Her mouth felt parched, yet she shivered despite the fire.
“You can’t get sick. The boys need you,” she chanted as she collected the water.
Owen never returned her call, and she didn’t know what else to do. Thinking about dialing nine one one again, she recalled the night before when the police showed up on her doorstep. It took her fifteen minutes to drive into the town, and the cops made it there in less than ten. Nobody patrolled the road she lived on at the base of Wolfe Mountain. With Jeremiah gone, who bothered to patrol a dilapidated resort? The knot in her stomach twisted. She realized if Tucker hadn’t stepped in when he did, she might be with Jeremiah, singing with the angels right now.The intruder rushed her, as if he expected her to hear the noise. Did he plan to kill her? It’s not as if anyone questioned a random break-in where she startled a stranger and he hurt her.
She shivered again and screwed the cap on the canteen before heading back to where the boys slept. Leslie took her sleeping bag and placed it in front of the boys. No one knew of this cave, and after hours of keeping watch, she needed to sleep a bit before the boys woke up.
