Chapter 32
Rhylan
We didn’t want to wake the girls this early on the day of their test, but we needed to get them out to the range. I assumed that neither of them had ever handled a gun before, and for some, it can be a little scary and overwhelming at first.
Shortly after we’d finished breakfast, Trent and I loaded everything we’d need into the back of my truck, including a cooler packed with sandwiches and snacks to see us through ‘til dinner. Unless absolutely necessary, we didn’t plan on returning to the house until Dakota and Tiffany were certain they were well prepared.
“Alright, now stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Slightly lean forward at the hips. That’s it. Soft knees, don’t go locking ‘em up or hyperextending them.”
“Maybe you should be a dance instructor with the way you cue. Relax your shoulders, square up those hips, keep the spine in a neutral position to the target.” Dakota playfully mocked, leaning into me as I stood close behind to assist in lining up her next shot.
“Keep that up, and I’ll show you a few new cues when we get home.” I loved bantering back and forth with her; now that it wasn’t being used as a means to push me away, but to reel me in with affection.
“Ew, get a room. Jesus.” Tiffany took the gun from Dakota and lined herself up, pulling the trigger like it was second nature. The bottle on the fence shattered into a million pieces when the bullet struck its mark, and we all stared at her in surprise.
“Holy shit,” Dakota uttered. I even found myself speechless.
“Holy shit’s right. Where’d you learn to shoot like that?”
Tiffany shrugged before placing the handle in her sister’s palm while stepping aside. Dakota just continued to stare at her, completely taken aback by what she’d just witnessed, a hand raised to cover her gasp.
“He didn’t…”
“No. Tae taught me in her free time, and I practiced on my own the nights I couldn’t sleep—after a hard shift at work.
” Tiffany looked exhausted, more than usual, exhaling a lengthy sigh that seemed as though it had gradually lifted a pressing weight off her shoulders.
“I knew he’d come back, and I wanted to be the one to take back our freedom...
The gun in his possession that night wasn’t his… It was mine.”
“I-I don’t understand. I thought he—” Dakota took a step toward Tiffany, and she instinctively recoiled, ashamed of what she’d been hiding.
“He didn’t threaten me, D. Didn’t barge into our house ready to assault me all over again. I… invited him. Why do you think there were no signs of a break-in?” I was too focused on Dakota at the time to notice, but Tiffany was right; there were no signs, not even of a struggle.
“Are you telling me that you tried to set him up? Lured him into our home to—to what? To murder him?” Heat began building between the two of them, and Trent must’ve sensed something; adjusting his position to wrap an arm around his wife’s waist, holding her back from potentially launching herself at mine.
Just because they were close didn’t mean they couldn't turn things physical.
“Oh, come on. Don’t act like the thought of that psycho out there, somewhere, waiting to come back and fuck up our lives all over again didn’t consume your nightmares as it did mine.
” Tiffany fought against her husband’s hold, pointing a finger at Dakota in accusation.
“You may have been able to shut out everything that happened, but I refused to be burdened by it any longer. Quietly suffering in silence for all these years. Killing him would’ve been like coming up for air after nearly drowning under the weight of his existence. ”
“You could’ve died—”
“I couldn’t sleep!” Her breath had turned ragged, nearly winding her as she escalated into shouting. “And I know you said no secrets after he skipped town, but I needed this for my own peace of mind. I wanted him gone; for good… I’m sorry I betrayed your trust, D, but I needed closure.”
Dakota’s little sister turned out to be bold, brave, and less innocent than she appeared. Trent had known it, too; the look in his eyes and the way he continued to hold her tightly against his chest, not out of protection but out of admiration.
For a man who initially wanted nothing to do with Tiffany because of her age and their maturity gap, he damn sure seemed invested now.
“Tiff…” Dakota’s voice cracked at her name, and it broke my fucking heart.
“Let’s all just take a quick breather. C’mere, sweet pea. I wanna show you somethin’.” As Trent walked Tiffany away, I wrapped an arm around my wife and led her in the opposite direction, toward the truck.
“I never—she never told me… How could I have been so blind?” Tiffany’s words cut her like a knife, and I could hear the pain in her tone. Feeling as though she’d failed her sister by not paying close enough attention, and I knew that guilt all too well.
“You should be proud of your sister.”
“For what? Nearly getting herself killed because she didn’t feel safe enough to confide in me?
Not telling me that she was still suffering from nightmares plagued by him.
” I hated seeing my wildcat like this. Hurt.
“And here I thought she was always out late partying with friends when she was really learning how to handle a gun.”
“She was willing to sacrifice her life to protect you and your peace.”
“But she—”
“Darlin’, what matters is that the air between you is clear, and in a few hours, you’ll need that trust to eliminate your target.
Don’t let this destroy everything you two have built, not now.
” Holding her from behind, I leaned against the tailgate and pressed my lips to the back of her head, savoring her scent.
“Reckless as she was, her heart was in the right place, and you’ve got to give her credit for that.
You’re not her mother; you’re her sister. ”
Dakota relaxed into me, the tension slowly melting away the longer I embraced her. Looking out into the distance, storm clouds had started forming, the sky turning a darker shade of gray by the minute; a foreshadowing of what was still to come.
“No, you’re right… And I know I’ve been acting like a helicopter parent ever since he showed up…
” She looked over to where Trent was talking with Tiffany, the two of them having a moment of their own underneath one of the willow trees.
His knuckle tucked under her chin while she shot him an inviting smile; clearly flirting with each other.
“I need to stop trying to protect her.” Dakota sighed in admission.
“She’s in good hands now… And so are you.”
Cowboys protect their wives, whatever the cost.
There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that our wives couldn’t complete their assignment tonight. Trent and I worked with them for hours on gun handling, with Tiffany stepping in to teach her sister the way she learned from their mutual friend, Tae.
We ate dinner at the same table, like a true family, and it made everything feel even more surreal. That soon we would be exactly that.
“Well, the girls are next door getting ready and should be done any minute now. How are you holdin’ up?” Trent joined me on the back porch, watching as the sun set behind the treeline.
“Better than ever. They’ve got this—we’ve got this.” I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, handing over a second glass of whiskey that I’d poured, knowing he’d rather be out here with me than listen to Dakota and Tiffany talk about girl shit.
“I still can’t believe I’m doing this for you.
Marrying a woman I’ve never really met, bringing her into a world darker than she’s ever known it to be.
Tiffany is gorgeous; don’t get me wrong, but…
she’s far too innocent for the lives we lead.
Are you sure this was the right call?” It wasn’t like Trent to be cautious about anything, but I already knew where this discussion was heading, and it killed me that he continued to carry a weight that should’ve lightened over time.
“That’s not the issue here, and you know it. You’re worried about what’ll happen if she fails. The punishment.” My tone softened. This was no small favor that he did for my wife; for me, and he had every right to say no from the start.
“The memory of her haunts me any time I even consider dating a woman… The look on Chloe’s face when Leighton pulled that trigger… the light leaving her eyes while he cradled her cooling body in his arms as she slipped away…”
We were all there that night. A wake-up call that our choices had consequences. How quickly the things we love could be taken away if we weren’t careful enough.
“That won’t happen again… I promise.” I could tell Trent was brooding with the way he stared off into space. It was the same expression he’d held for days after her passing. Here but not at the same time.
“She deserved so much better—”
“And you can redeem your sister’s death by protecting Tiffany from the same fate.
Don’t think that I didn’t know who she was to you.
” Trent gave me his full attention, almost shocked but not entirely surprised that I’d figured it out.
“You may’ve acted like she was just some woman who’d gotten caught in the crossfire of our rules, but you cared for Chloe—deeply, and I knew the looks you always gave her were out of a love that ran thicker than water... ”
“That right there is exactly why I see you as a brother rather than a friend… No one, not even Silas, had managed to catch on… I’m honestly impressed.”
“Make her proud, Trent. Cherish Tiffany the same way you expected Leigh to care for your sister.” I never mentioned anything until now, because I knew it wasn’t my place. We all have our demons, and he preferred to fight his alone, keeping his emotions private on purpose. “Did he know?”
“No, and it’s better off that he never does... Seeing his pain after the fact was more than enough in retribution; I didn’t need to add to his suffering. I knew he loved her, and he still does…”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I see him every other day, at her grave. Leaving fresh-cut sunflowers when the previous ones begin to wilt beside her tombstone… Leighton may be psychotic now, but when he’s with her, it’s proof that humanity never left him.
” Trent smiled as he slid his hands into his jeans, and it just goes to show that we can be fucked up and wholesome all at the same time.
“But enough about the past. We should check on our wives and head out before we miss the opportunity of catching their target off guard.”
“Right. I’ll pack up the truck and meet you out front.”
“And, Rhy…” Just as I’d turned to leave, Trent called over his shoulder, taking a step off the porch. “Thanks, kid.”
“Anytime…”
What were brothers for?