Chapter 13
“Did you know rattlesnakes become more active at night here due to the hot temperatures?” Elias asked him as they crept behind a huge cactus.
“Dude, you grew up on a mountain. Do you think they’re different because they live in Arizona? Grow a pair,” he hissed. “While you’re at it, shut the hell up. The way you keep talking, you’ll wake the dead.”
Scanning the landscape with his night vision goggles, Owen counted eight cameras, two gates, and four dogs. He guessed prancing around in underwear paid a ton of money.
“Where did you put the meat?” he asked as Elias skidded to a stop to let a critter have the right of way.
“It’s in my backpack. Do I have to open it here? There’s a shit ton of spiders and other things waiting to crawl in and lay some eggs.”
“When did you become such a ninny?” Owen barked as he turned and tugged the backpack off Elias’ shoulder.
He took out the fresh pieces of meat to keep the dogs busy while he scaled the gate.
Knowing Cade’s soft spot for injuring animals, he knew the signs of an electric fence posted every three feet were fake.
If not, why the second fence? He moved into position and turned to Elias.
“Stay here until I open the gate,” he whispered.
“Out here? By myself?” Elias exclaimed. “There are coyotes and shit waiting to make a meal out of me. I’d rather take my chances with you.”
“When we get home, remind me to pummel your ass,” Owen threatened as he inched forward. “Stay right behind me then.”
“Like I didn’t already plan on it,” Elias snarked.
“Will you shut up?” Owen insisted.
“You’re talking, too,” Elias hisses angrily.
Owen rolled his eyes, reminding himself he did this for his mother, who always acted with patience and kindness, with the qualities of a saint.
Throwing the bits of meat in the corner of the gate, he watched as three of the dogs lifted their noses high in the air and sniffed. When they detected the smell, they came running, gobbling up the pieces.
Owen silently leaped over the first fence and cursed as Elias landed on his ass with a yelp.
“We’re attempting to go in unnoticed,” he growled, yanking his brother by the collar and setting him to run.
He hoisted him over the second gate as the camera moved in the opposite direction.
Then, he climbed it himself in a heartbeat.
As they reached the door, Owen yanked Elias into the bushes as the camera turned in their direction.
Taking out his lock pick, he waited for the chance to clear the path to the door.
“Stay here. When I unlock the door, you wait for the camera to swing in the other direction and then run inside,” he directed Elias.
“Gladly,” he muttered, pissing Owen off more. Having second thoughts about letting Elias tag along, he took off as soon as the camera turned. He fiddled with the door lock and turned the handle.
Scanning the yard for Elias, he saw his brother standing like a statue in the middle of the yard, in plain view.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he whispered furiously. Then, he heard the low growl of the fourth dog coming directly behind Elias.
Owen wanted to bang his head against the stucco siding.
Glancing at the camera, he dug into the backpack and threw meat from the bag toward the dog.
At first, the animal continued growling at Elias, but the scent of the beef piqued his curiosity.
He lifted his nose in the air, appearing torn between the food and Elias.
Finally, the food won out, and Owen motioned for Elias to walk slowly toward him as he threw more pieces.
The dogs on the outside began to bark, and Owen jerked Elias into the house and slammed the door.
Pushing him up against the wall, he scanned the interior, searching for a silent alarm.
Cade wasn’t stupid, and getting in seemed way too easy.
“What are you doing?” Elias whispered. “We know he’s at a club downtown. They posted pictures less than ten minutes ago.”
Owen hung his head. Elias knew better after having five brothers, how sneaking around worked. Only now did they play a more adult and dangerous version.
“I’m checking to see if he has a silent alarm. Hold still,” he ordered as he dug in his bag and tossed baby powder into the air. The infrared beams glowed across the room.
“Cool,” Elias said, staring at the maze. “I thought they only did it in the movies.”
Owen’s head began to throb as he tossed a little more, getting an idea of where to walk. “Stay there until I can shut these down,” he said, moving his way a few feet at a time, stopping, and tossing powder into the air.
“Owen,” Elias whispered.
Not bothering to turn toward his crazy brother, he signaled for him to shut his trap.
“Owen,” Elias persisted.
Suddenly, a giant wall ran smack into him, knocking him to the floor. A fist connected with his jaw, and he returned one to the assailant’s gut. Glass crashed around them as they fought, each taking licks at one another.
Elias jumped in, tackling the person from behind.
A loud roar filled the living room as the man knocked Elias to the ground.
He landed on his ass with a big thud and immediately launched from the floor at his attacker.
Owen swept the legs out from under him and pummeled the suspect for hurting his kid brother.
“Damn it, Owen, you hit me in the fucking face. I have a shoot next week,” the massive man growled. Still holding his fist in the air, Owen stopped mid-punch.
“Cade’s here,” Elias announced, making his two brothers shake their heads.
Elias held his eye and said, “They said you were at a party in Phoenix.”
“Hate to disappoint ya, brother. My PR firm puts out those crap videos. What the hell, big brother? Last time I heard, you became a SEAL. I heard you three miles back,” Cade boasted.
“It’d help if I didn’t have the clodhopper tagging along,” he said, nodding toward Elias. “He’s worried about snakes and spiders.”
“There’s a reason I didn’t join the military. My foster mom encouraged me to use my brain instead of my brawn.”
“What, those limp spaghetti noodles hanging at your side?” Cade teased. He glanced at Owen and his mouth firmed. “I don’t know why you came, but I’m not going to the funeral.”
“Why don’t we take care of his eye before he starts whining, and then we’ll talk. Give me a broom, and I’ll clean up the glass,” Owen offered, dusting the tiny shards from his pants. “Maybe turn on a light, too.”
Cade flipped the switch and the two brothers’ mouths dropped open at the opulent, gourmet kitchen, the large TV, and overstuffed chairs.
“It appears you’ve done great for yourself,” Owen said, whistling. “I’m surprised you have muscles with all your sashaying down the runway.”
“Stow it,” Cade warned. “It pays the bills.”
“And gets the chicks,” Elias said, staring at a wall full of photos of Cade with different women.
Cade walked to the side of the kitchen and pulled out a broom, tossing it to Owen. “I’ll grab a bag. Sit your ass down, Elias, and let me check you out.” Cade winced when his brother pulled his hand away.
“If Mom saw this, she’d give us a hell of a whoopin’,” he said as he held Elias’ head back and examined the cut along his forehead and the darkening eye.
“Ya got a suture kit?” Owen asked. “I’ll sew him up.”
“Like hell you will,” Elias protested. “We crawled on our hands and knees in this freaking desert, and you handled raw meat. Take me to a hospital,” he demanded.
“Ahhh, little brother, have you forgotten the rules of the house?” Cade asked in a condescending tone. “If you aren’t screaming or dying, it’s not worth a doctor’s visit.”
“I’m fucking screaming,” Elias said, raising his voice. “If you come at me with a needle, I swear, I’ll wait until you’re asleep and bash your head with the skillet again.”
Owen chuckled as he swept up the mess. “I’m sorry about your stuff. I hoped to waylay you when you got home.”
“It’s stuff. It can be replaced,” Cade said, taking out a bag of peas and heading into another room. A minute later, he returned with a medical bag.
Owen swept up the baby powder and put the last of it in the bag with the glass. “Where can I put this?” he asked, holding it up.
“I’ll take it. The bathroom’s down the hall on your left. Then, I’ll hold Elias down while you sew.”
“Touch me, Cade, and you’ll regret it,” Elias growled.
“Ha. He sounds like a baby kitten in search of his mama’s teat,” Cade laughed.
“Try flying with him. I gave him my peanuts to shut him up,” Owen muttered as he went into the bathroom and washed his hands.
Returning, he examined Elias’s eye. “It’s not bad. You only need a couple of stitches,” Owen said, digging through the bag. “It’ll take me two minutes.”
Cade set a glass of whiskey in front of each of them. Elias grimaced and pushed Owen’s glass away from him. “You’re not touching it until you fix my head.”
“Fine. When did you become this squeamish?” Owen asked. “You used to rabble rouse with the best of us.”
“When I stuck my head into books instead of fighting with one of you every night. Honestly, I don’t know how Mom survived us,” Elias said, wincing.
“It appears we need to pound on him more often,” Cade said, sipping his drink.
Owen eyed his brother as he placed the last suture and cleaned up around the eye. “Hold the peas,” he instructed, putting everything away.
He moved to the other side of the bar, Owen took a seat and his glass, downing the alcohol.
“Clear your schedule. You have to return to Wolfe Mountain with us. The attorney won’t read the will until we’re all there.
I know how you feel. It’s not as if I wanted to go either.
The old man wrote me a letter. He wants me to do it for Mom,” Owen explained.
“She’d want us to come together, even if it’s for the last time.
If we forfeit the mountain, we’ll never visit Mom’s grave again. Strangers won’t tend to her grave.”
“Don’t try to emotionally blackmail me. I haven’t seen her grave since I left for the military. She’s not there,” Cade said harshly.
Elias sipped on the liquor, holding the bag to his eye.
“It’s not for Mom. It’s for us. We’ve stayed apart too long.
We used to fight at each other’s sides. Don’t you want to know what happened to your family?
Do we mean nothing to you? Mason has two little boys, who have never set foot on the mountain.
Wyatt needs our help whether he wants it or not.
Will you let Dad keep us apart forever?”
Cade hung his head. “I have a life here. We’ve all changed. None of us will ever be the same after the horror of watching our mother wheeled out on a stretcher, bleeding from the gut.”
“No, but you at least got to stay in your school and live with people you knew. They split up Dillon, Wyatt, and me. I didn’t know what happened to any of you.
Do you know how many nights I lay there, hoping one of you might visit?
I missed my brothers. Do you think Wyatt and Dillon felt the same way? ” Elias asked softly.
“We can’t change it,” Cade argued. “What happened…happened. It’s time to move on.”
“Like we have? Where Wyatt drinks himself to oblivion, and Mason barely summons the strength to care for his kids?” Elias said, tracing his finger along the rim of his glass.
“Shit,” Owen mumbled. “Take his glass away.”
“What about you, Cade? Everyone thinks you’re having the time of your life, and you sit here in the dark alone,” Elias said quietly.
“Damn it, Elias, stop it,” Cade roared. “I’ve put it behind me. I suggest you do the same.”
“Fine.” Elias slammed the glass on the countertop.
“Let’s go, Owen. My big brother has bossed me around for the last time.
He doesn’t care what happens to us or the mountain.
Dad never should’ve written you a letter.
He thought if he got his boys together, it might mend us.
It’ll never happen. He stupidly believed it.
I’m stupid.” Rising, Elias stormed out the door.
Cade watched in horror as Owen slid off the stool and shook his hand. “Dad said Elias hides his feelings. I guess he finally found his voice. I’m picking up the others, and we’re going home. We have a new brother named Conner. He, at least, deserves to meet you.”
Owen left, knowing Elias headed toward the bigger van they rented at the airport. Guilt washed over him as he realized how much his leaving hurt his brothers. If he’d only stayed, he might’ve kept everyone together.