Chapter Twenty-Nine
Two weeks later.
“ I s this a real working ranch?” Rebel asked from the back seat when they drove beneath the archway with the overhead sign that read Nightfall Drifters.
“It is,” Rogue said. “But not all of it is animals.”
“What other stuff is here?” Boston draped over the seat with curiosity.
“They have training,” he said slowly. From what he remembered, Quick helped with training Phoenix operatives. Now that Quick was no longer with Phoenix, did the guy now train Genesis assassins?
“What kind?”
“The kind right up our alley.”
“So, assassins and shit?” Rebel sounded excited.
“Yes. Maybe? There’s been some changes that I don’t know about.”
“Remember, what you see here, stays here,” Wrath added.
Rogue had already filled Wrath in on what he knew about the facility, and also that Quick said there had been changes.
It took twenty minutes to reach the inner portion of the property where the ranch-like facility was located.
Rogue noticed that they had installed way more surveillance along the route, so he knew they would have a welcome party when they pulled up to the massive sprawling home.
Of course, he had called ahead so Quick knew they were coming and were bringing the boys with them.
“My lips are sealed,” Rebel said and zipped his mouth with his fingers.
“I won’t tell anybody. I don’t know anybody,” Boston said with a slight laugh.
Rogue shot Wrath a quick glance. That was the first half laugh that he had ever heard come from Boston.
A group of people, both men and women, stood gathered in front of the eight-bedroom house. In the back were several bunkhouses where both men and women stayed for training.
It wasn’t filled yet, but Rogue had no doubts that Quick would have it stocked with people who had passed the several tests it took to get into the place.
“Damn, it’s good to see you.” Quick strode up to him and gave him a gentle hug. “I thought you’d met your maker there for a minute.”
“No, it’s going to take more than a couple of bullets to take me down,” Rogue said with a smile.
“Damn right,” Wrath agreed and when Quick stretched out his hand, Wrath shook it.
“I’m Wrath.”
“Quick,” the man with bright green eyes said. “It’s nice to see that Rogue has someone. And you two are Rebel and Boston.”
Quick turned to the boys but got them mixed up. Rebel snickered and corrected Quick.
“There’s food in the barn,” Quick told the pair, and Boston and Rebel raced off into the red barn just to the right of the house.
“No manners,” Wrath said with a chuckle.
“It’s cool.” Quick drew them over to a man who stood patiently waiting.
“So, tell me about the changes?” Rogue said to Quick.
“Well, right now, the ranch works as a training facility for Genesis and also active military personnel. These are men and women who are interested in becoming a part of Genesis, but are waiting for their six months to be up.”
“Like Crow?” Rogue suggested, glancing around.
“Exactly,” Quick said.
“Who runs the active side of things?” Wrath, who was a former Navy SEAL, asked.
“That would be Viper, who reports to the current SecDef,” Quick said.
“And Real runs Genesis.”
Quick nodded and Jagger came jogging over the dusty ground. When he reached them, the man gave a quick smile and offered his hand to him first and then Wrath.
“I’m Jagger,” the man said. Jagger was well built, with curly brown hair and soft brown eyes. Standing next to Quick, the two men were completely opposite. Jagger was slender while Quick was heavily muscled.
“Let me introduce you to some of our core crew,” Quick said and pointed to the group of people as he spoke their names.
“This is Memphis. That’s Steel and Gray over there. I think you both know Winter.” Quick nodded to the big guy.
“Who’s guarding Stone?” Wrath razzed Winter and the guy smirked.
“Stone is inside.” Winter gestured with his thumb toward the house.
“Ah, I see.” Wrath smirked.
Quick continued, pointing to one of three women in the group. “This is Willow, and you two should remember Chandler.”
“Hey.” Rogue lifted a hand to Chandler and shot a glance to Crow. “Was this your doing?”
“Yup,” Crow drawled. “He needed a place.”
“Hey, Rogue. It was time I moved out.” Chandler shrugged, and Rogue noticed the cast on the young man’s leg, signaling a recent repair.
“I’ll never remember all these names,” Wrath huffed and Quick smiled.
“Don’t worry, they’ll remind you,” the man teased and continued when another group came out of the front door of the house. “On the porch…you know Stone. And that’s Ramsey, Memphis, Rip, Cat, and Regal.”
Rogue sucked in a breath when Quick said Wrath’s brother’s name and he wondered…His silent question was answered when he glanced at Wrath.
Wrath’s face had turned paper white, and anger shot from the man’s suddenly cold blue eyes.
The world seemed to stop for Wrath when his brother’s name came out of Quick’s mouth, and he snapped around to run his eyes over the group.
No way could he be that fucking lucky.
Blue eyes identical to his own caught and held his across the distance and Wrath felt his eyes burn and breathing stutter.
Rogue pressed a hand to his shoulder as if to steady him.
“Did you know?” he asked Rogue in a hoarse voice. He hoped like fuck that Rogue hadn’t known his brother was here. The sense of betrayal came fast and hard.
“No, I didn’t know,” Rogue assured him, and Wrath heard the honesty in the words.
The hot rush of rage swept away, leaving him shaking.
He couldn’t even look at Rip. Knowing that his brother had been here at this facility and not once reached out to him or Justice was a hard blow.
“I’m not staying here,” he said harshly and spun on his heel to stalk toward the SUV.
“What’s going on?” Wrath heard Quick ask Rogue, but he didn’t hear a thing beyond the rushing sound in his head and his heart pounding.
Yanking the door open, a palm came out and flattened against the door, sending it slamming shut. He sucked in a breath and clenched his fists.
“Don’t…leave,” Rip’s voice came out in a low, choked growl.
“Why the fuck not?” Wrath spat, keeping his eyes on the vehicle.
“I’ve wanted to call you so many times,” his brother said in a regret-filled voice.
“But you didn’t.” Wrath yanked at the door, but just like Justice, Rip had always been bigger than him, and it remained closed.
Well, just because Rip was bigger, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t knock the shit out of him.
Wrath whirled and did exactly that. Rip grunted beneath the punch to the solar plexus and dropped like a stone when Wrath took his legs out from beneath him.
Gazing up at Wrath, Rip stayed on the ground. The last thing he wanted to do was to fight his older brother.
“Get up,” Wrath spat.
“No.” Rip stayed sprawled on his back, holding Wrath’s icy blue eyes. His brother was a badass, a former Navy SEAL, and Rip couldn’t have been prouder. Now he just had to break through the anger.
“I’m sorry.” That might be the best place to start.
“Did you see me at your discharge?” Wrath spat.
Shock swept through Rip. “What? No! I didn’t know you were there.”
“I yelled your name.” Wrath snarled.
“I didn’t hear you,” Rip whispered, and not for the first time, he was filled with regret for not reaching out.
He’d had his reasons, but in the face of his brother’s anger, he was filled with regret.
Wrath pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
After a long moment, Rip watched Wrath’s shoulders deflate and his brother opened his eyes.
“Get up,” Wrath said, holding out his hand. “You look stupid.”
Rip huffed on a laugh and took the hand Wrath extended. When he was yanked to his feet, he grabbed Wrath and squeezed him tightly.
“Justice is going to kick your ass,” Wrath muttered, squeezing him back just as tightly.
“I’ll take the hit,” Rip said, his voice muffled in Wrath’s hair.
“Come on, I think they are wondering what’s up,” Wrath said, and Rip stepped back, dropping into step beside his brother.
The past two years had changed Rip even more so than the military. At thirty-four years old, his brother had a lot more muscle than he’d had that day at the base.
“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Rip said as they walked back toward the group.
“Who?”
Before Rip could answer, a noise from the barn reached them and Wrath turned along with his brother.
Rebel and Boston stood in the barn door and the noise had been Boston’s plate dumping noisily to the ground.
Rip’s breath sucked in quietly, but Wrath heard it. He glanced from his brother and back to the boys.
“You know them?” he asked Rip, but the man didn’t answer.
Wrath glanced back at the barn only to find Boston flying toward them over the dirt-covered ground.
“Rip!” the boy screamed with a sob.
The cry of Rip’s name sounded so tragic that Wrath felt his own chest tighten.
“Fucking hell,” Rip rasped, sounding shaken, and his brother’s long strides covered the ground between him and the young boy.
Boston launched into Rip’s arms and Wrath watched as his brother held Boston as if he were the most precious thing on earth.
“What’s that about?” Rogue whispered from his side with a warm hand at his back.
“I have no clue,” Wrath said and spun on his man. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Rogue sounded confused.
“For thinking you might have known.”
“It’s okay. I knew you were in shock.”
“I was, I still am,” he murmured and shot a look back at Rip. The two were still wrapped up tight. Suddenly, Rip put Boston at arm’s length.
As it should be, Boston was only seventeen and if his brother had thoughts of anything with the boy, then he was going to need to wait. It seemed that Rip thought the same way and when Boston tried to step closer again, Rip gave him a stern shake.
“We have food in the main house too,” Quick said, walking over to them along with Crow. “I have a room prepared. I’m assuming I don’t need two rooms?”
“No,” Rogue chuckled.
“Hey, I’m curious,” Wrath said to Crow. “Did you ever find who you were looking for?”
Crow’s eyes swept over Rebel. “I did,” the man said and spun around to head toward the house.
Wrath, along with Rogue, walked toward the house with Quick. There would be time later to talk to his brother.
But first, Rip needed to call Justice.
And Wrath did not want to be any part of that conversation.