Daniel's slowing steps drew him to her with the seeping realization from her words. He may not agree with her choice to stay silent, yet there was no question but that this woman selflessly had his brothers' best interest at heart. Always.
She was scared and he was grilling her. Way to go, bud.
He brushed her hand aside and finished untwisting the hair from her earring. "Damn it, Mary Elise, don't clam up now. This is too important for you to deal me half parcels of truth."
"Yes, Danny, I do know you, and I knew you'd be just like this. That you'd throw yourself in the middle of my mess, which is the last thing I want for you. Or for those boys."
His fingers gripped tighter around the silky lock. "You would have left today, without telling me."
"Of course," she answered without even a blink.
More of that anger and something else he damned well didn't want to define scratched through the numbed state. Letting her go eleven years ago had been the toughest thing he'd ever done. And yet she could just write him off. She'd put the boys first and once they didn't need her anymore, she was gone. Over and done without a wince about losing him.
That bit. Too much.
"Yes, I would have left. Would that have been the right decision? Have any of my choices been the best option? God, I don't know." Her steady gaze pinned him. "Where is it written that every choice is clear cut? Even in your logical brain, there's got to be room for shades of gray. And who says that we're perfect and had better damn well make the perfect, right decision or we're too stupid to live?"
She fisted her hands by her sides. "Kent told me for years I was defective. Incompetent. Incomplete, if I didn't live my life his way. I almost bought into it. Almost. But I got away. And I'll be damned if I'll let you take away something harder to rebuild than you'll ever understand."
Her voice didn't so much as quaver. But pain laced her words.
Psychological warfare on the home front.
He'd studied and experienced the power of mental mind games in the POW phase of military survival training. And for her, the propaganda crap had come from someone she had every right to trust, someone who'd vowed to love and cherish her.
When had anyone cherished this woman?
Damn straight he didn't agree with her decisions, but he understood how she'd arrived there. She'd been betrayed by her husband and her parents. Why should she trust him, someone who'd already let her down before?
Yet even as he saw the wounded pieces of her, he couldn't mistake the grit. Hell, yeah, she may not have made his kind of choices, but she'd kept right on moving.
He'd seen bravery and cowardice in a hundred different forms. And, God, was he ever in awe of this woman right now.
She inched her hair from between his fingers. "Are we clear? I'm leaving, and I'll be careful. I'm going to find a private investigator and try to put an end to this. But I can't let it touch you and the boys anymore. I only told you this much so you're aware and can be careful for their sakes. I did not tell you so you could launch into a commando protector and solve my problems for me. I am leaving."
Like hell.
She wasn't taking one step out that door without him five steps in front of her, between her and whatever waited. Daniel shook off the sentimental fog, emotional crap that would distract him, get her hurt. She could make this easy. Or she could make it tough.
Mary Elise picked up her suitcase.
Okay, so it would be tough.
Ducking a shoulder into her stomach, Danny hefted her up. She gasped, deep. Damn. She was gonna get vocal.
Planting a hand on her bottom—ah, hell—he forestalled her with, "Shout and you'll upset the boys."
"Danny," she threatened through gritted teeth. "Put me down." Her suitcase thumped his leg.
Deliberate? Or accidental.
Ow, damn it. Deliberate.
Daniel flung her on the sofa. On her back. Already she arched up.
Something snapped in her eyes. All that Mary Elise calm and restraint unraveled into a tangle as convoluted as her hair twisting through her hoop earrings. Any minute she would lose it, and he couldn't let that happen, for her or his brothers.
Daniel dropped, flattened her fast. His body pinned hers in a full-length press to the sofa. "You're not going anywhere."