Page 180 of Indecent Lies

They were once closer; it had taken only one girl to split them.

It was the Yoko Ono effect of Harrison.

“Go ahead, say it all, because there’s nothing else for you to hold over me, is there? I already lost the club.”

Mal blinked surprised. “You’re not in the MC anymore?”

“Like you don’t know.”

“You fell off the fucking earth, Tait. I didn’t even know where you were for months, your phone was out of service. And I couldn’t get close enough to ask anyone in theSoulswhere you were.”

It surprised him that Mal even tried.

“I told them everything.” Now it was Mal’s turn to show shock. “What you made me do was fucked up, all because you were jealous I had another family who didn’t treat me like I was less than nothing.” Texas held up a hand when Mal geared up to open his trap. “But I was even more fucked up for betraying that family, for trying to protect them in any way I could, even when I knew it was wrong.”

“I’m your family.”

“You sure as fuck don’t act like it. You could have been in my life at any time, Mal. Any time, but you never tried, save for a few attempts that always ended up in issuing me a demand to go back home.”

“Things were complicated.”

“You’re telling me.”

Without realizing, they’d fell into matching frames, both of them sprawled.

Texas ranged his body forward, hands folded on the table.

“You never would have given me the info had I not blackmailed you.”

“You don’t say, Sherlock,” he laughed devoid of humor. “I belonged there, Mal. Do you not get that? I found a place that accepted me for me, didn’t want to stuff me into a shape that felt wrong. Look at the way I dress. A fucking tie and vest and none of them looked at me funny for it. Or for the way I speak or didn’t join in when things got rowdy.” Mal sat listening, not sure if he was taking it in but Texas went on regardless. Because it was everything he hadn’t been able to say to his twin in years. “We grew up with military rules, Mal. Do this, don’t do that. Always had to make the family name shine so the stink didn’t show, it didn’t matter if it made us happy. The club wasn’t like that. It was freedom.”

“And crime. Don’t forget that.”

“You telling me everything dad does is above board? Fuck that. I know for a fact that deal with the Martellos was not cut and dried. You’ve been paying snitches for years, is that legal, brother? Is that ethical? The club is more above board than your whole department. At least we’re honest about what we do.” What hedid, he amended for himself and felt the sharpness of that truth still stinging.

“It’s all by the by. But now we’re having this frank talk and I hope we leave it better than we came to it. I’ll tell you, Mal, you leave theSoulsalone. If it’s true what you say and you’re bored with the MC’s, you keep it that way.”

A smirk covered Mal’s face. “Threatening me, brother?”

“If that’s what you need. You leave them out of your crusade to get captain stripes.”

“Jesus,” Mal sighed, raking both hands through his hair and once again, Texas got the sense something was up with his brother. “How did it come about that you and I are on opposite sides?”

That shit was easy. “Addison.”

Mal snorted. “True enough. I wish it were different.” And then, “that summer, wish so much now that it never happened.”

That summer.

Two innocuous words which had haunted Texas’ mind for years now until recently.

Now he didn’t care and wondered why he’d held onto that for so long.

“Things aren’t going so well with Addy.”

Texas wanted to roll his eyes to the ceiling, instead he took another gulp and finished off the bottle, setting it aside.

“Your marriage woes are your business.”