Chapter 18
LUCAS
The morning light filtered through the curtains of the Palmetto Rose suite, casting a soft glow across the bed where Lexi lay sleeping, her blonde hair splayed like sunlight on the pillow.
I watched her for a moment, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm, untouched by the chaos we'd stirred up last night.
My body still hummed from the memory—the way she'd felt in the ocean, her skin slick with rain and salt, her moans lost in the waves. Heaven, she'd called it.
But as I sat up, the sheets pooling around my waist, reality crept back in. This wasn't a vacation; it was a job, and jobs like this had a way of turning complicated fast.
I slipped out of bed quietly, pulling on my jeans and shirt, my mind already shifting gears. Coffee. That's what I needed—something to ground me before the day hit full speed.
I was halfway to the kitchenette when a knock echoed through the room, sharp and insistent. Lexi stirred, her eyes fluttering open. "Room service?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.
"Stay here," I said, low and firm, gesturing toward the bedroom. She raised an eyebrow but didn't argue, grabbing a robe and retreating as I moved to the door, my pistol already in hand, tucked against my thigh.
I peered through the peephole, expecting a hotel staffer. What I saw made my gut twist: Noah, looking as composed as ever, and beside him—Ethan. My big brother, huge and grinning like he'd just won a bet.
Shit. Lexi.
But there was no hiding this now. I holstered the pistol and opened the door, stepping aside to let them in. Ethan pulled me into a bear hug before I could say a word, his arms crushing me in that familiar way that said family without needing to spell it out.
"Little brother," he rumbled, his voice deep as ever. "I’ve missed you." There was a new affection in his tone, something I didn’t remember in him. What changed?
I clapped him on the back, pulling away to meet his eyes. "What are you doing here?"
Noah cleared his throat, his expression neutral but his eyes flicking toward the bedroom door. "Maybe we take this inside?"
We moved into the living room, the door clicking shut behind us.
Before I could explain or stall, Lexi emerged from the bedroom, looking like she'd stepped out of a photo shoot—her hair tousled just right, dress back on, her eyes sharp despite the early hour.
She didn't miss a beat, striding over with that confident grace that made rooms feel smaller.
She shook Noah's hand first, her smile warm but professional. "It’s nice to see you again, Noah."
Noah nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Good morning."
Then she turned to Ethan, extending her hand. "I'm Lexi."
Ethan, despite his size—six-five, built like a mountain—looked a little shocked, his arms hovering awkwardly before he returned the greeting. "Uh, Ethan," he said, glancing at me over her shoulder like I'd just handed him a live grenade.
Lexi stepped back, her eyes twinkling.
I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. "Ethan’s my big brother."
Lexi stepped in again and gave Ethan a big hug. So much for subtlety.
She beamed, but there was an awkward silence that followed, the kind that screamed unspoken questions. Lexi caught it, her expression shifting to understanding. "I know that look," she said, grabbing her bag from the counter. "Family talk. I'll make myself scarce."
"It'll only take a minute," I said, looking at Noah and Ethan for confirmation. "Right?"
Noah's eyes met mine, and I saw the weight there—something more than a casual visit. "I'll take Lexi to the set," he offered. "Give you two a chance to catch up."
I didn't argue, though my instincts screamed that this wasn't just a drop-in. "See you soon," I said to Lexi, my voice low.
She surprised me by leaning in, kissing me right on the mouth—a bold move in front of Noah and Ethan. Her lips were soft, a reminder of last night, and it took everything not to pull her closer.
She grabbed her things and followed Noah out the door, leaving me with Ethan in the sudden quiet of the suite.
Ethan gave me the look—the one that said what the hell did you get into?—his eyebrows raised high enough to touch his hairline.
"Lexi Montgomery?" he said, his voice a mix of disbelief and amusement. "You always did aim high, little brother."
I ignored it, waving him toward the sofa. "You hungry? I can order room service."
He shook his head, dropping into a chair that looked too small for him. "Always hungry, remember? But no time for breakfast. This isn't a reunion in the fun sense."
My stomach knotted. "Then what is it?"
Ethan leaned forward, his massive frame making the furniture creak.
He took his time, like always, choosing his words carefully.
I could see the scars on his arm—the ones from that day in Montana, the grizzly attack that had changed everything.
The memory hit me hard, unbidden: we were kids, hiking the backcountry near the ranch, fly rods in hand, riding horses, laughing about nothing.
The grizzly came out of nowhere, a massive shadow exploding from the brush, claws like knives, roar shaking the ground.
It went for me first, but Ethan—always the protector—cut between us with his horse.
The bear swiped his horse then went after him, tearing into his arm, blood everywhere, but he didn't back down.
He fought like a demon, shot the bear multiple times before he was empty, giving me and Caleb time to run away.
Ethan had saved us that day, his arm mangled, but his grin fierce through the pain. "Got him good," he'd said, as if it was just another scrape. That scar was a reminder: family first, always.
"Ethan," I said, my voice steady but urgent. "What's going on? You been called in, too?"
He nodded, his expression grave. "Yeah, but it's more than that. I made a career change, Lucas."
I stared at him, the words not computing. "Out of the service? You? Ethan, you're a soldier through and through. What the hell?"
He held up a hand, his scarred arm catching the light. "Hear me out. It's about family."
My mind raced. "One of the brothers? Caleb? Levi? Micah? Is someone hurt?"
"No," he said quickly. "Everyone's fine. But this … it's about dad."
Dad. Byron Dane. The name hit like a gut punch. I tried not to think about him—the man who'd been a ghost in our lives, showing up sporadically with stories of adventure and lessons in survival, only to disappear again.
Mom had raised us, kept the ranch running, taught us to be good men. But dad—he'd instilled the fire, the drive to protect, to fight. He'd taken us on those rare trips, showing us how to track, how to shoot, how to stand tall against the world.
And then he'd vanished for good, leaving questions we never asked.
"What about dad?" I asked, my voice tighter than I meant.
Ethan's face twisted, pained. "He had secrets, Lucas. Big ones. The biggest was here in Charleston. Dominion Hall. Noah and his brothers—they're connected."
I leaned forward, my elbows on my knees. "Dad knew Dominion Hall?"
"More than that," Ethan said, his voice dropping. "He had another family."
The words landed like a bomb, exploding in my chest. "What? No. That's impossible. We would've known."
Ethan shook his head. "He kept it hidden. Until recently."
My heart pounded, a roar in my ears. "Is he alive? Dad's alive?"
"No," Ethan said, his eyes steady but sad. "We don’t know what happened to Dad. He's gone. But before he went, he did things in the shadows—built another life, another family. Noah and his six brothers… they're our half-brothers."
Seven brothers. The number hit me like a wave, drowning out the room. "Seven? That's … that's bullshit. How? Why didn't we know?"
"Dad was good at secrets," Ethan said, leaning back. "He left them billions, Lucas. Built an empire here, made enemies along the way. The kind that don't forget."
Billions? Enemies? My head spun, the suite closing in. "What enemies? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"We don't know who yet," Ethan admitted. "But they're coming. That's why I'm here—to convince you to stay. Help us fight."
I stood, pacing the room, my boots thudding against the carpet. "Fight what? For a father who lied to us? Who abandoned us? He stole, he hid, and now we're supposed to carry his burden?"
Ethan's voice was calm, steady. "No. He left us a family. Good men, all of them. Noah, the others—they're like us. Fighters. Protectors. This isn't about dad; it's about blood."
Blood. The word echoed, pulling me back to that grizzly attack again. Ethan standing tall, blood pouring from his arm, refusing to back down. "We're family," he'd said through gritted teeth as we bandaged him up. "We protect our own."
But this? This was different. This was a bombshell that shattered everything I thought I knew.
"I have a life," I said, my voice rising. "A career. Responsibilities. Delta—"
"Delta's not everything," Ethan cut in. "I thought the same. But this … it's bigger. Stay, Lucas. See for yourself."
I shook my head, grabbing my jacket from the chair. "I love you, brother. But this is too much. I need time."
Ethan stood, his massive frame filling the room. "I get it. But if things keep going like they have, you might not get a choice."
Fuck that. I slung my pack over my shoulder, the weight familiar, grounding. "I'll decide my choices."
He nodded, no argument, just that quiet understanding that made him the big brother. "Be careful, Lucas. And think about it."
I left, the door clicking shut behind me, the hallway blurring as I strode toward the elevator. My mind was a storm—brothers I didn't know, billions I didn't want, enemies lurking in the shadows. Dad alive in secrets, dead in reality, probably.
It was ludicrous, a bad dream I couldn't wake from.
And Lexi. What would I tell her? Fuck. Lexi. The thought of her hit me like a lifeline.
But heaven? If this was heaven, it was the kind with thorns.