Chapter 20
Cullen swallowed as he considered Mia’s suggestion. His mother’s murder had followed him from the small town of Hillsboro into the Marines and beyond.
He was treated like everyone else—until it came to his mother. Then most handled him with kid gloves. Others avoided the issue altogether.
Yet here Mia was, facing it head-on.
And daring him to, as well.
How could he pass up such a chance? He’d thought after so many years, being reunited with his brothers to search for Orrin might have dulled the pain enough for them to talk about the murder. Not so the case.
It made the ache inside him grow. The same hurt that had begun the day of his mother’s death had only expanded, swelling within him until he felt he might burst because of it.
“Orrin never spoke of it,” Mia said into the silence. “I didn’t know about your mother until after working with him for a few years. Even then, I didn’t bring it up. I figured that he had all that time to tell me, and he chose not to for a reason.”
“No one in my family likes to talk about it,” he admitted.
“I was seven when she died, and Dad only sat me down once to speak of it. He told me that someone had come into our house and hurt Mom. He tried to soften the blow of what had happened, but you can’t live on the ranch and not know about death.
Then he swore to me that he wouldn’t rest until he’d found the person responsible. ”
Her brows shot up. “That’s it? He didn’t ask if you needed to talk?”
“That was it. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I didn’t want to talk about it. But Dad’s grief was tremendous. After we buried Mom, he disappeared for weeks. When he returned, he was different, harder. As if whatever tenderness had been inside him withered with her death.”
“He loved her deeply.”
Cullen slowly nodded and swung his gaze to Mia. “I never saw her. The day she died. I know why Wyatt and Owen kept me away, but it pissed me off. It still angers me. She was my mother. I had a right to see her.”
“They were protecting their younger brother.”
“I know.” It didn’t make it any easier. “I read the police report years later. That comes from living in a small town and knowing everyone.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear. “What did it say?”
“There was a storm that day. We hurried to the house because we thought there might be a tornado. I’ll never forget that because there were some gusts that swept me off my feet.
And the lightning. It was beautiful and terrifying.
When we reached the house, something caught my brothers’ attention.
Wyatt refused to let me in the house. He ran to the barn, and Owen took my hand and led me to a hiding spot at the side of the house.
“The rain was so heavy, we were soaked in seconds. I spotted Wyatt coming from the barn with two guns. He gave one to Owen, and they disappeared inside the house. Then the strangest thing happened.”
She leaned toward him. “What? What happened?”
“The rain and wind stopped. It was like someone had pressed pause. I sat huddled and shaking, waiting for my brothers. It felt like hours before they came running out. The next thing I knew, they’d saddled one of the stallions.
It was the fastest horse we had, but he was as wild as they came.
” Cullen gave a shake of his head. “He stood still as stone after they’d saddled him, waiting for me to get on his back.
It was like he knew something was wrong. ”
“He must have,” Mia said.
“I raced the stallion over several miles to our nearest neighbor, Wyatt’s words ringing in my head.
When I got to the Decker’s, all I could say was what my brother had told me.
‘Send the police. Mom has been murdered.’ The Deckers flew into action.
Mrs. Decker pulled me off the horse while Mr. Decker called the authorities.
I tried to return to the ranch, but they wouldn’t let me.
I was at their house for two days before Dad came for me. ”
A soft hand touched his arm. “They wanted to protect you from seeing anything.”
“I know. But it’s the unknown that’s the worst.” Cullen liked the feel of her hand on him.
It comforted him, soothed him. “I imagined all sorts of scenarios about what happened. When no one would tell me anything, I eventually lashed out. My brothers ignored me. Dad, however, understood. He was the one who explained with that one discussion.”
To his irritation, Mia let her hand fall away as she asked, “Was your mother’s killer caught?”
“No.” Not yet anyway. “We all suspect it had something to do with Dad and his work as a SEAL.”
He leaned back, bracing his hands on the floor and stretching his legs out so that his feet came close to the heat of the flames. “There were no fingerprints found, no DNA of any kind.”
“That means it wasn’t your Average Joe who committed this crime.”
“Exactly. It was an expert. Just one more clue that directed everything back to whatever Dad was working on.”
“Did you never talk to him about it?” she asked with a troubled frown.
To his shame, he hadn’t. Pride had been the culprit. He’d wanted to show his father he could be the best. That meant Melanie Loughman’s murder had been pushed to the side as Cullen lived his life.
“As I said, it’s not discussed.”
Her gaze hardened. “It’s rather difficult to solve anything when you allow five years to pass without talking to your family.”
“What about you?” he fired back.
She lifted her chin. “I might allow months to pass, but I speak to Dad on Father’s Day. I try to see him on his birthday, my stepmom’s birthday, and even mine. But I make damn sure I’m there for Christmas and Thanksgiving.”
He winced, the truth of the situation slapping him in the face.
“Things changed after Mom’s death. Dad did the best he could, but then he left for another mission.
My aunt and uncle moved to the ranch to raise us.
It became a habit for us not to talk to Dad because he was never there.
That continued when I went off to college and then the Marines. ”
Mia wrapped her arms around her legs that she’d pulled up against her chest. “He checked in on all of you every month. You might not have thought about him, but you three were never out of his mind.”
Now he felt like a first-rate ass. Then again, that’s exactly what she wanted.
She’d seen another side of his father. She’d been the recipient of Orrin’s advice and laughter.
He only had snippets of memories from throughout the years of his father returning home for a few weeks before leaving again.
He jerked at the realization that he was jealous of Mia. Envious of the time she’d had with Orrin, time that should’ve been Cullen’s. Resentful that his father had so willingly taken in others when he had three successful sons of his own.
Who hadn’t needed him.
Cullen met her dark gaze. She’d needed his father. So had Callie. How could he be anything but happy that Orrin had been there to aid both of them?
“What?” Mia asked at his look.
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“What did the police report state about your mother’s murder?”
“It wasn’t just the local police. The FBI, CIA, the Navy, and even the State Department all had investigations going. Over the years, I’ve managed to get my hands on each of the reports.”
“Anything that could help?”
“The facts were all the same. Melanie Loughman let her attacker inside the house. There was a half-drunk cup of coffee on the kitchen table that belonged to my mother. Because of that, it’s suspected she was strangled there.”
She recoiled. “Strangled? Dear Lord.”
“An up close and personal kill,” he replied with a nod. “I know. That’s what stands out for me, as well. She could’ve been taken out by a sniper at any time while Dad was away and we were at school. There were only four workers on the ranch, and all were out herding cattle that day.”
“Leaving her completely alone.”
“With no evidence, none of the investigators learned exactly where she was murdered. But the killer made sure to place her on my parents’ bed.”
Mia’s face scrunched up in revulsion. “This was definitely about Orrin. The killer wanted to leave him a message.”
“I believe so, yes.”
“You should ask him about it.”
Cullen’s lips turned up in a grin. “As soon as we find him and deal with the Saints, I’m going to. It’s time my mother’s killer was brought to justice.”
“Even if it is Loughman justice,” she stated with a smile.
He had to admit, it would be difficult not to exact revenge on the son of a bitch as soon as he was caught. Suddenly, Cullen frowned. “Was it a coincidence that Orrin was asked to steal Ragnarok?”
“He’s good at what he does, but there are younger men who could’ve done it, as well.”
“So why my father? Why not send in a SEAL team? Why not send in Delta Force? Why a Black Ops? Why Dad?”
Shock made her face pale in the orange light of the fire. “You think this all goes back to your mother’s murder.”
“Dad was supposed to have the bioweapon when y’all landed at Dover. It was his instinct that made him give it to you to mail off.”
“If he’d had it, he would be dead along with the others,” she said with disgust.
He nodded, a sick feeling roiling in his gut. “They wanted him dead, removed.”
“Orrin outsmarted them.”
“Do you think it was Yuri who took him?”
She shrugged helplessly. “Who else? We saw the order from General Davis granting those ten Russian soldiers admittance onto the base that night.”
“This morning, I was convinced Davis was a part of this. You seeing him with Markovic doesn’t help. However, the things he said to you about the Saints, as well as Davis getting you off the base lends to his innocence.”
“It could be that the general regretted joining the Saints and had a change of heart.”
Cullen bent one leg and leaned forward. “Or he was forced into helping them.”
“There is that, as well. We won’t know until we talk to him again.”
Cullen suddenly recalled something the general had told Mia. “Didn’t he tell you they were everywhere?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding. “He looked up at the ceiling when he said it.”
“There was a listening device in his office, and one probably watching him, too.”
Her face fell in remorse. “He did say there wasn’t much time. No wonder he didn’t say more.”
“And what he did tell you may get him killed.”
She dropped her forehead to her arms. He understood how she felt. It was difficult to take it all in. Conspiracy, deception, and lies combined with deceitful individuals was enough to make a person’s head spin.
“The general helped me,” she said, lifting her head.
“And I’m thankful for that.”
She pressed her lips together. “I should’ve helped him.”
“We don’t know anything for sure.”
“That’s the problem. We’re guessing.”
“They’re educated guesses,” he reminded her.
She threw out her arms. “That has gotten us nowhere with no idea of what to do next?”
“I know what to do next. We find Yuri Markovic.”