Teague (The Family Simon 4)

“Don’t get me wrong. You still look like shit, just not the kind of shit I saw a few weeks ago.” Tucker watched him for a few moments. “You getting much sleep?”

Teague shrugged. “Some nights are better than others.”

“I see you’ve done some work on the gazebo. Your shoulder must be good.”

“Like new,” Teague replied. Damn thing hurt like hell sometimes, but that was to be expected considering a bullet had ripped into muscle and nicked

bone. At least his leg had healed from a similar wound.

The brothers settled into a familiar silence and for a bit at least, Teague got some of the peace he’d been craving. Of course it didn’t last long.

“Richard Bowen stopped in at the office to see me a few days ago.”

Teague’s head shot up. He wasn’t expecting that.

“Said he’d been trying to get ahold of you. Said he’d been trying since last week. I take it he’s still trying?”

Teague shrugged. “My cell’s been dead for days and I haven’t bothered to charge it.”

“That’s probably a good thing.”

Teague ignored the comment. Richard Bowen didn’t exactly have a fan club in the Simon household. “What did he want?”

Tucker’s mouth tightened. “I can tell you what he didn’t want.”

“Tuck—“

“He sure as hell didn’t give a shit whether or not you were doing all right. Hell, he didn’t even ask about your injuries.”

Teague wasn’t surprised. Richard Bowen wasn’t the kind of man who thought about anything beyond the next story and adventure. The guy ran on pure adrenaline and was on the road to crazy town. But he was one hell of a journalist and had been Teague’s wingman on many an assignment. The two of them had traveled to the most dangerous places on the planet, reporting and documenting for various publications including Time Magazine and Vanity Fair.

They’d seen and done a lot together and if Bowen was sniffing around…

“What did he want?” Teague asked again, back ramrod straight. His muscles were tight and restless, he walked the length of the deck, eyes never leaving his brother.

Tucker sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “He didn’t say exactly but it’s obvious isn’t it? He’s got another gig and he wants you along for the ride.”

Teague stared out across the water. Was he ready to go back out in the field? After the disaster that had been Syria?

“You’re not seriously considering going out again are you? You told Mom that you were giving it up. That you wouldn’t put yourself in danger again.” There was accusation in Tucker’s voice and Teague rounded on his brother, fists clenched tight.

So much for the coddling and kid gloves. Seemed as if his brother had come all this way to ride him hard. Good. It had been a while since anyone had treated Teague like the man he was.

He was spoiling for a fight and who better to get into it with than his twin?

“I told Mom what she wanted to hear in order for her to be okay with everything that went down over there. Jesus, she almost had a breakdown.”

“Well shit, Teague. Your kid nearly getting his ass blown to bits will do that to most people.”

“It’s part of the job,” Teague snapped. “It’s part of what I do. It’s part of who I am.”

I don ’t know how to be anything else.

The words echoed inside his head and Teague shook them away. No use thinking about it too hard. Not now. Not when he was about to pound the crap out of his brother.

“Well maybe it’s time for you to take a look at something else. How many lives you got anyway? You’re not a goddamn cat. You’re flesh and blood just like the rest of us.”

Teague took a step toward his brother, but Tucker wasn’t backing down. The anger inside Teague was fierce. It was hot and dirty and mean and he flexed his hands prepared to do something about it.