Page 32 of Storm and Tempest (Brand of Justice #13)

“My debts have come due.” He fiddled with the lid of the water but didn’t open it. “It’s a long story, and there’s nothing I can do about what is going to happen.”

“So why was I supposed to find you?”

His father frowned at him. “They told you to find me?”

“I had no idea where to start looking, but they said I should find you before one of their operatives did.”

Ramon and Zeyla headed out of the room, and Maizie grabbed her laptop. She followed them to the living room, leaving him alone with his father.

“I want to help you,” Jax added, “but my priority has to be getting Kenna back.”

“Then you can guarantee I won’t be able to help you with that. Otherwise, they’d never have told you to find me.” His dad let out a breath. “They have to believe that you helping me will detract from finding her.”

“I think they believe I’ll never find her. Not even when they send men to take my blood so they can have my genetic profile.”

His dad whipped around to face him. “What?”

“Kenna is pregnant.”

The color drained from his father’s face. Jax wandered to the cupboard above the microwave and poured his father two fingers of whiskey. The old man knocked it back in one gulp. “You need to find her.”

He’d been saying the same thing over and over to himself, but now he couldn’t bring himself to echo his dad’s words. He couldn’t find her. They had no leads, and if he was going to get her back, wouldn’t he have done it already?

You could have led me to her by now, but You haven’t.

He didn’t want to be angry at God, but the situation seemed so hopeless that he wasn’t sure what else to be. It might not be fair, like taking his frustration and fear out on his friends wasn’t fair. But if anyone could handle his anger, it was God.

“What was the deal you made?” Jax stared at his father across the breakfast bar, entirely too much history between them. They lived different lives in different worlds, but right now they had to bridge that gap and figure out what was going on.

His father poured himself another drink.

“Little things at first. They needed favors, like a delivery that had to be accepted with no questions asked. Customs forms and shipping manifests. In return, your mother and I went on trips that were paid for. Then it was bigger, and they offered to pay down the mortgage. Your mom had surgery, and they brought in the best doctor. An expert in the field.”

“Probably seemed like it was worth it in the beginning. Like it wasn’t a big deal.”

His father nodded. “My business partner was stealing from me. Suddenly he’s gone and isn’t a problem anymore.

I wind up with a silent partner and an influx of cash, and we’re expanding to more locations up and down the West Coast. We got a contract with the Port of Los Angeles, which was a huge win considering it’s the busiest port in North America. ”

Jax wasn’t sure that random fact was relevant, but his father needed to explain it his way. If Jax interrupted or steered what his dad was saying, he could shut down or forget something.

His father continued, “I didn’t realize how deep in I was getting until it was too late. Then when I wanted out, it was impossible to untangle myself from their business.”

“What about cutting your losses and walking away?”

“First, I tried to push back. When that didn’t work, I put my half of the business up for sale. They should’ve just taken the offer and bought me out. Instead, I started to get threats. Adrielle, Laney and her family, even you. They were watching me. Following me.”

“When was this?” Jax asked.

“Years ago.”

“So you stayed?”

“I tried to retire, just in case stepping aside as the figurehead of the company was going to work. Tried to put someone else in my position. They wanted you to quit the Bureau and take over the company, but I told them you’d never do that.”

“Why me?”

His dad shrugged. “They always think in terms of leverage. I’d have a reason to want you alive, and cooperating. You would have a reason to want the same for me. That meant they could use us against each other.” He winced. “I didn’t let them do that. I pushed you away, and then I let you go.”

Jax might owe his father a thank-you. “You protected all of us, even though it meant you were trapped.”

“You have a family now, Son. You know that’s how it works.”

Jax stared at his father, his eyes burning.

From the living room, Maizie yelled, “Jax!”

Ramon rushed in. “We’ve got incoming.”

Jax pushed off the counter. “Gun safe is in my closet.”

Zeyla yelled, “It’s that team from the hospital!”

His dad backed up so fast he nearly toppled off the stool. “They found me here. They know I came to see you, and they’re going to kill all of us.”

Maizie rushed in, clutching her laptop, with Zeyla right behind her. “They’re approaching the house from all sides, and they’re armed.”

Jax nodded. “We can’t stay here.”

“We can’t get out.” Zeyla’s voice shook. “Not without someone getting hurt. And digging in to defend ourselves will only prolong it. They’re going to kill all of us.”

“So what do we do?!” His father’s gaze darted around. “I’m sorry. I didn’t come here to die or get all of you killed.”

“Has to be why they wanted you to find him.”

Jax glanced at Ramon. “So we could all die?”

Ramon only shrugged.

Jax looked at Maizie. “Grab Jolene.”

“The RV?”

He nodded. “The RV. It’s our only way out.”