Shattered Trust (Colorado Trust 4)

Their voices had steadily risen, and with Marley’s last words, the door to the room was thrust open.

“What is going on in here?” a nurse exclaimed in a stern undertone. “He’s supposed to be resting.”

Justin stepped back out of the woman’s way. It was either that or be shoved aside as she checked the monitors next to the bed. She made a sound of annoyance and pointed to the door. “Out. Both of you.”

Marley’s mouth opened in protest. “But—”

“Now!”

Justin directed a look at Nate. “This isn’t done.”

Before Nate could speak, Marley bent down close. “I’ll take care of it. You get some rest and don’t worry.”

Justin waited for her just outside the room. She swept past him without a word, and he ground his teeth in annoyance. Halfway down the hall he caught her arm, but she yanked free and kept walking. Short of forcibly restraining her right there in the middle of the hospital, Justin had no choice but to follow.

“How exactly do you plan to take care of it?” he asked when they reached the main level of the hospital. “Gonna turn yourself in and take the fall for him?”

She didn’t answer.

“Actually, that’s something I’d like to see. You on the stand, under oath. It’d be interesting to see which way you went with the story.”

She shoved out the door before whirling to face him in the bright morning sun. “Don’t you dare question my integrity. I quit a job I loved because I couldn’t face you every day knowing what Nate might have done.”

“You have integrity confused with guilt,” he accused. “You couldn’t face me because you knew it was wrong.”

He saw he’d hit the nail so dead center, he sunk it with one blow.

“What should I have done?” she asked. “Turn in my own brother for something that I’m not a hundred percent convinced he’s responsible for?”

Her vehemence drew the curious glances of people near the entrance. He lowered his voice and said, “It needs to be investigated. If it was his fault...”

“He’s your brother, too.”

“What would you have me do, just let it go?”

When she didn’t reply, he figured that’s exactly what she wanted him to do—until he saw her face. The misery in her expression convinced him that while she didn’t want Nate to get in trouble for what he’d done, the integrity she’d spoken of wasn’t so sure that would be right, either.

He was torn. So many emotions churned just below the surface that he didn’t know which way to turn, or which one to deal with first. Grief for the loss of his granddad and the desire for justice warred directly with anger for the lost years he should’ve had with his half-brother and his sympathy for Marley’s distress.

Yet a sharp sense of betrayal lingered. She’d known about his granddad and not said a word. It didn’t matter that he knew why she’d done it. Or that on some level he understood her motivation. Most likely he would’ve done the same thing in her shoes. So why did it still hurt?

“It’s not my decision alone to make,” he finally stated, pivoting as he pulled keys from his pocket.

“That’s my truck. Where do you think you’re going?”

He glanced back to where she stood near the tailgate, hands on her hips, a challenging glint in her eye. She’d known and hadn’t told him.

“Wherever I damn well please. Come along or don’t. Right about now, I really don’t care.”

Justin climbed into the driver’s seat. He’d started the engine and shifted into reverse before the passenger side opened, forcing him to apply the brake. She slammed the door and put on her seatbelt, but didn’t say a word as he drove to the offices of Hunter Construction.

Once there, some perverse urge had him pocketing the keys again. He felt her glare as she followed him up to the third floor.

“Jordan in his office?” he asked Bonnie without pausing his stride.

“Yes,” he heard her say to his back. “Morning, Marley,” she added in a curious tone.

Marley replied, but her footsteps dogged his all the way. Justin didn’t bother to knock and left the door for her to close as he met Jordan’s surprised, then relieved, then tense gaze. Justin didn’t flinch when the door slammed behind him, but his brother did.