Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

94. Luke

NINETY-FOUR

Luke

O h shit, here it comes.

Jett and my father barrel down the old porch with their crew, wooden steps creaking under the collective weight.

To protect the girls I shout, “We had to make the call!”

Grey eyes lock on me, then slam onto his daughter as he bellows, “Less than two weeks ago cops are sniffing around our home and now you guys fuck this up so bad we gotta answer more questions? What part of staying under the radar do you not understand about what we do?”

The four of us are circled. Soph and her father square off. She’s controlling her temper, lips twisting to the side, boots kicking the broken pavement like a bull about to charge. Her arms explode out. “Nobody is going to miss that pervert!”

“You were supposed to get in, see if the tip had merit, then get out!”

She cocks her head. “Celia was in danger. She reacted. What would you have her do, sing him a lullaby?!”

“Daughter!” Jett roars, “You’re so much like your mother, it’s scary.” As he switches his attention to Celia, she bites her lip. “Were you in danger?”

Her eyes drop to the ground. “No.”

Soph hisses, “Celia!”

“He didn’t have a gun. I did.”

“Bullshit! He grabbed Celia. We were in the basement, found the bodies, and she was up there…” Sofia Sol realizes her error and clamps her mouth shut.

Tonk fucking loses it. “You left my daughter alone when there were four of you on the mission? Two go downstairs! Two stay up! Didn’t we teach you anything?!”

“Dad, I can take care of myself!”

“You shouldn’t have to!”

My brother and I exchange a look. We’re supposed to protect the women at all times, that’s our calling even before hunting the evil of this world. We have nothing if we don’t have our family. It’s family first, then the mission.

I raise my voice to join the conversation even though it’s not my place. I’m not the one being addressed and the President calls the shots in confrontations among the club. Especially when it comes to fuck-ups.

“Look, I can’t stay quiet and let the girls take the heat. This was all us, me and Atlas. We were too sure he wasn’t coming back. We got too comfortable.”

Atlas nods, “Recent missions have gone smoothly, last four in a row. Didn’t occur to us he might come back.”

Our father is shaking his head as he grunts, “We taught you better than this.”

Like soldiers we nod.

Sofia is gritting her teeth. “It’s my fault, too, I was down there with them. I didn’t say go back up. I should have.”

Scythe and Fuse stay watchful but silent, since our fathers are responsible for us. Through the screen door I can see our moms, waiting. What a nightmare. Soph glances over to me. I nod that this sucks, but it’s all on us. She closes her eyes.

Jett points at the house. “You four get in there and stay outta my sight until I figure out how to handle this.”

We have to walk around the older crew to get by. They don’t move, one big wall of muscle and experience reminding us we have a lot to learn no matter how good we think we are.

My father says at our backs, “Never get soft. Always sharp. It’ll save your lives.”

Soph turns around on the first stair of our porch. “Dad, we told the cops he looked like he was pulling out a gun. They think it’s self-defense, that Celia was protecting herself.”

Jett counters, “What we don’t want is the cops asking why we were there. How we knew. We stay invisible so we can help more people.” He faces Tonk and mutters, “Last thing we need is Celia on a witness stand. The girl can’t lie.”

Tonk glares at me, Atlas, and Sofia Sol—we let his daughter down. Celia shakes her head and walks inside with us right behind.

Carmen and Luna, best friends all these years just like their daughters, stand waiting next to each other for our arrival. Opposite them are Melodi and our mother, Meg. Mel is here to support Mom because they’re super close—have been since Mom almost died from Pneumonia when she gave birth to Sage. Controlling-Type-A-personality, Melodi stayed by her, and never left.

Carmen is the first to grab her daughter’s face with loving hands. “Celia, you okay?”

“I’m not sorry I did it. He killed those poor kids!” She melts into her mother’s arms, tears falling for the children and their families.

Our mom stays put, knowing better than to baby us. “Your father was hard on you,” she gently says.

“He has to be,” I shrug.

Atlas nods.

Mel puts her arm around her and says, “They’re fine, Meg. Probably hungry. Let’s go fix ‘em up something to eat.”

They head away and don’t see the surprise of the century as Luna reaches out to push a lock of dark hair behind Sofia’s ear. “You’re pretty messed up over this, huh?”

Atlas and I cross our arms, heads tipped down even though we can’t stop watching.

Soph mumbles, “I should have been with her, Mom.”

“Yeah, but we make mistakes. Nobody in this house is perfect.”

Nibbling her bottom lip, Soph nods. It’s a struggle for her to say, “Thank you.”

Suddenly Luna pulls her daughter close, kissing the side of her head and whispering something that I strain to catch but can’t. Haven’t seen Luna like this with Soph since she was seven years old or something close to then.

Releasing her she says in a normal volume, “You ever need me, I’m here, understand? I’m hard on you, Sofia, but that’s because you need your lessons rough.”

Soph nods like the little girl I grew up with, not the powerful, badass bitch that she’s become. I frown as I see the softness in her eyes, the gratitude that her mother said such a kind thing to her at a time like this.

She looks fucking beautiful, and I’m struck by a desire to hold her, too.

Jealousy flits to my brother.

It’s subconscious.

I don’t mean to glare at him.

I don’t even know I’m doing it until he cocks his head, eyeing me like, what the fuck?

I drop my rage to the tattered rug and walk down the hall. Need to get out of this house. Do a job on the road to clear my head.

Tonk Jr. walks out of one of our sitting rooms, “Hey, Luke, can I talk to you for a second?”

Frowning I stay my path. “No.”

He stares after me as I march through the kitchen, TV room on the right, then explode outside, old screen door clattering objection to the abuse.

Dragging angry hands through my hair I keep right on walking, ancient oak trees on both sides of me.

Atlas shouts my name. I don’t look back. He shouts again, “Luke!” and the sound of grass making way for running boots lets me know he’ll never let me ignore him.

Stopping right here, memories thick in my mind, I wait. He faces me, eyes narrowed with questions. We’re daring the other to speak first.

He demands, “What’s up with you lately?”

“Nothing.”

“You’ve been weird with me.”

I hook my thumbs in my front pockets. He crosses his arms. And we stare.

He’s my best friend.

I’m his.

But right now I want to punch him because he was with her.

And that ain’t right.

“How long has it been going on?”

“What?”

I throw him a look. “You know what.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You think I’m stupid?”

“I know you are.”

This yanks a reluctant smile from me. He returns it, but his eyes are faking innocence, which means he knows. Atlas is as innocent as I am.

“How long have you been fucking Sofia Sol?”

He takes a step back. “How long have I been what? That’s crazy! She’s forbidden fruit and you know it!”

“Doesn’t mean you’re not lying through your teeth right now. The same teeth that were on her body, no doubt in my mind. And you’re wasting your time, she confessed.”

His pupils contract and he cocks his head, long hair lifted by a quick breeze at the ends. “No way she confessed shit.”

I sneer at him. “I called her out. She couldn’t deny it. Not believably. You don’t think I didn’t notice you looking at her? How you showed up late to the marsh for that gator? How her eyes darted to you when she was lying about some stupid ranch hand? How you’ve been following her around here, ever since!” I push him in the chest, and he corrects his footing. “You crossed a line!”

Anger flashes, innocence gone. “We’re adults now! If we want to fuck, that’s between me and Soph and no one else! Not even you, Luke!”

“Nothing is between just two people in this house and you know it!”

His nostrils flare and he pushes me, snarling, “It is between people who get married!”

My turn for shock, and boy is it strong.

The idea of Atlas taking Soph as his wife never occurred to me. Jealousy and fury comes hot, instantaneous, giving my tongue the taste of metal. I start to pace.

He watches me, eyes wary with intense concentration. “I see what it is now! You want her for yourself.”

My head pivots on its access. “You love her?”

He shoots back, “Do you?!”

My lip curls. “We’re done talking.”

A sardonic laugh ripples from my brother’s chest. “Oh yeah? You goin’ in to tell them all about what we did? You think that’s smart? Because everything will change.”

Leaning toward him I snarl, “I’m not telling anybody. You’ll do that when you get her a ring.” I storm away.

He sarcastically yells at my back, “That’s real nice of ya!”

I charge him, get in his face, “If you toy with her you’ll answer to me.”

“Toy with Soph?” he laughs. “You know that’s not possible. I love her like I love everyone in that house. And she can take care of herself.” He steps around me and heads off. I watch him go, glaring at his back and picturing the two of them together. That’s the problem. I can see every thrust he gave her. Every caress. Every kiss.

My imagination is my hell.

And now it’s all I have of her.