A Beautiful Funeral (The Maddox Brothers 5)

“You automatically assumed they’d be after the rest of the family because they went after you and Thomas?” America asked.

“They weren’t after Travis,” Abby said. “He was in my car. They were after the kids and me.”

America covered her mouth.

Travis’s gaze fell to the floor. “The men who ran me off the road … They were Benny Carlisi’s men. They had pictures of us in the vehicle. All of us, our families, the kids ...”

“Why?” I asked. “Because your cover was blown?”

“I fucked up,” Travis said. “I killed Benny. They’re out for blood.”

“You killed him?” America asked, stunned. “My friend Travis, my husband’s cousin, my best friend’s husband, killed a mob boss? Did we somehow fall into an episode of The Sopranos? How the hell is this happening?”

“He didn’t have a choice,” Abby said. “It was him or Benny.”

“And Mick?” America asked.

“He was in protective custody. He’s disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” America screeched, looking at Abby.

“Keep your voice down,” Travis said.

America stood and began to pace. “So now what? We’ll be prisoners in our own home until they’re all caught?”

“It won’t be long,” Travis said. “I promise, Mare. They gunned down one of our agents—my brother. We won’t stop until they’re locked up or wiped out.” Travis crossed his arms across his chest. As big as he was in college, he was a beast now. His arms were thicker than my legs, his chest almost twice the width it used to be. He was solid muscle. I couldn’t imagine anyone looking at him and thinking it was a good idea to go after his family, and it was hard to believe Thomas had dragged him into this mess.

Travis noticed that I was deep in thought. “What is it, Shep?”

I shook my head.

“Say it,” Travis said.

“You said it was to keep you out of prison. Couldn’t Thomas have done that without asking you to go undercover? Every time you were on an assignment, you were in danger. Why would Thomas do that?”

“It wasn’t an easy decision for him,” Abby said.

“That implies he had a choice,” I said. “Did he?”

Travis shifted his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

“What if you weren’t you?” America asked. “What if Abby had been involved with her first boyfriend Jesse, or Parker, or someone not as … capable as you?”

Travis shrugged. “Then if he would have been stupid enough to be involved in The Circle fights and found himself guilty of gathering a hundred students in a small basement with questionable exits, he would have gone to prison.”

“Or bartered with Abby for her cooperation and manipulation of Mick. I just …” I trailed off, hesitant to say anything more to hurt our family. “He could have found another way, if he wanted to. He could have, Trav. I realize it’s probably not the best time to voice that opinion, but I didn’t know back then. So I’m saying it now.”

Travis looked down and nodded, pulling in a breath through his nose. He looked up at me as if I had invited in a truth that had been living in silence on the edge of his conscience. “He knows that. I see it on his face every time he sees me on the job.”

“It seems a little too perfect,” America said. “Thomas is in the FBI, and his brother just happens to be dating the daughter of a man involved with a crime family they’re investigating?”

“Thomas got lucky,” Travis said.

“Lucky?” America snarled. “Did he get a promotion?”

Travis and Abby tensed.

“Did he?” America demanded.

“Yeah,” Travis said. “He did.”

“Un-fucking-believable,” America said, letting her hands fall to her thighs with a slap. “And you were okay with this?”

“No!” Travis said. His patience was running out. “No, I wasn’t okay with it. I did what I had to do.”

“Thomas sold you out,” America said, pointing at Travis.

“So Liis is coming here? Without Thomas?” I asked. “I’m assuming he’s in some secret federal hospital with a ton of security?”

“I can’t talk about that,” Travis said. “Not yet.”

“We’re your friends,” America said. “At least, we thought we were.”

Travis sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s not about how much we trust you. It’s about who’s listening.”

“The truth is dangerous,” Abby said. “The more you don’t know, the better.”

“Abby,” America said, disgusted. “We’re in protective custody. We’re already in danger.”

Travis and Abby traded glances. “There’s not much more you don’t know,” Travis said.

“Then fill us in,” America said, standing. “I guess I’m missing where we aren’t important enough, or smart enough, or have high enough security clearance to know why someone wants to kill us or our children.”

“Did they … have pictures of our boys?” I asked.

Travis hesitated then nodded.

America retreated to my side, forming a united front. I knew what was coming, and by the look on Abby’s face, so did she.

“You involved us in this without our permission,” America said. “We’ve been behind you since the beginning. We’ve been there for you through everything. Then we find out you’ve been lying to us for years. Okay. I understand the circumstances, but it’s time to be straight with us, now. Now, it’s our business. It’s our problem. Is there anything else we should know?”

She was right. Our boys were sleeping in a waiting room of a hospital, and before that, they were crowded on a makeshift pallet on the floor so we could be under the watchful eyes of the FBI. We weren’t sure how long the Carlisis had been in town, or how long they’d been watching us. We couldn’t protect ourselves or our sons without knowing exactly what we were up against.

“What are you going to do about it, Mare?” Travis asked.

“Trav,” I warned.

“No, I’d like to know. You think Thomas or I wanted any of this? It’s the last thing we wanted. That’s why I’ve been undercover for—”