Chapter 30 #2
I blew out an exasperated breath. "A murder isn't a secret you keep."
"Who was murdered? You said Doug let go by himself," Cassidy said.
"He did. The man in the cave was murdered."
"Oh, so the dude was murdered now?” Kayden sneered. “Did you become a detective while you were away?"
Cassidy smacked his arm. "Will you cut it out? What's wrong with you?"
"Me? Mitch comes home after ten years and thinks he can call the shots."
I cast my gaze at the ceiling, then leveled a glare at my brother. "I'm not calling the shots, Kayden. I'm just trying to do what's right."
"Right for who?" He glared at me, then at Charlie. "Right for her?"
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to punch Kayden’s nose. Wouldn’t be the first time. Probably wouldn’t be the last. "Right for everyone," I growled at him, letting him know he was riding a fine line.
The silence stretched thin, ready to snap. Maybe coming back here hadn’t been such a good idea after all.
“I don’t get it,” Declan said. “If this guy was murdered, how did he get put in that cave? You said you had to climb out of that ravine.”
“Huh.” I nodded, glancing at Charlie. “You’re right. There must be another way into that cave.”
“Damn. Wish we’d thought that through before we risked our lives climbing out of there,” Charlie said, rolling her eyes.
“We’ll have to go check that cave out,” Cassidy said. “Maybe there’s more to be found in there.”
“No. Not until we find Dad.” Kayden glared at me.
“Speaking of Frank.” I cleared my throat. "Did anyone find out anything about him?"
“Yeah,” Declan said, and his expression suggested that he wished like hell that he hadn’t.
“What the hell, man? Why didn’t you say so?” Kayden scowled at Declan.
"Why didn’t you tell us?" Cassidy said at the same time.
Declan shrugged. "I needed all of us here for this."
A weight settled in my gut. Whatever it was, we weren’t going to like it.
Declan stood and disappeared down the hall. When he came back, he was holding an envelope. "I found Dad's will."
Kayden's face lit up. He rubbed his hands together. "Finally."
"Dad's not dead yet, dickhead," Cassidy said, scowling at him.
"He could be. Open it," Kayden said.
Declan looked troubled as he broke the seal and pulled out the papers. He read silently for a moment.
"Cut the crap, Declan. What does it say?" Kayden said.
Declan cleared his throat and read the details of Dad’s will that, according to the date at the top, he’d only written six months ago. I wondered what had prompted him to write the will then?
"Koolaroo Ranch is to be given to Frank's oldest child,” Declan said, his gaze going to me.
The words hung in the air.
Kayden's face went from confused to furious in a heartbeat. "What the hell? You get the land? You've been gone for ten years while I busted my ass keeping this place running, and you inherit Koolaroo?" He shoved back from the table. "Fuck this! And fuck this family."
He stormed out.
I sat there, numb. "Why would he give Koolaroo to me? Kayden’s right. I don't deserve it."
Charlie rested her hand over mine. "Maybe it's his way of saying sorry for what he did to you."
I cringed.
"What did he do to you?" Cassidy's voice was sharp.
Charlie's eyes went wide. "Oh shit! I'm sorry. I thought—"
"What did he do, Mitch?" Declan's tone left no room for evasion.
I looked at Cassidy. "You want to get Kayden back in here? He needs to know what kind of man Dad really is."
"We know he’s a bastard." The fire in her voice made me look at her harder. Maybe she had seen the real Frank Branson after all. If he'd ever laid a hand on her, I'd kill him. But slow, so he’d feel his life pouring out of him.
"Kayden needs time to cool off," Declan said. "Talk."
I took a breath. As I told them about Frank and Hannah, the woman they'd known well, Charlie's hand tightened on mine.
"He's an asshole." Cassidy's face went pale. "That's why you left?"
I nodded. "Got as far away as I could."
"You could’ve told us, you know." Cassidy looked so hurt. I wanted to punch myself.
I shook my head. "I couldn't think straight after that. I wanted nothing to do with this place."
The silence stretched.
"So, are you going to stay now?" The pleading in Cassidy's eyes nearly ripped my heart out.
"Maybe. Depends on whether Frank's dead or not."
"You going back to the army?" Declan asked.
"Don't know about that either. Officially, I'm on extended leave. When Dad went missing, I requested time off. First time in a decade. My CO said no. So, I decked him and walked out."
"Shit," Cassidy breathed. "Well, I'm glad you didn't take no for an answer."
"Told you I had shit going on," I said to Charlie.
She gave me a crooked smile and squeezed my hand. "We're a good pair, aren't we?"
I saw a depth in her eyes I couldn't quite name. Understanding, maybe. Or a connection beyond words. "I don't know if the SAS will take me back. I don't know if I care."
Declan looked at the will again, then at me. "Maybe Charlie's right. Maybe this is Dad's way of making it right."
"Giving me a ranch doesn't make it right."
"We'll figure it out," Cassidy said. "All of it. The jewels, the body, Dad. We'll figure it out together."
I nodded and hoped she was right.
But now we had a hell of a lot more problems than we did when I'd arrived at Koolaroo.