Lenny stared at them then he sighed.
Then his phone rang. He grabbed it, looked at it, moved his glance through all of us and lifted a one minute finger. Then he flipped it open and put it to his ear. He talked and listened and we all waited.
Then he said, “Right, with Gray now, be back in around ten.”
Then he flipped his phone shut and looked at Gray.
“The station,” he explained. “Jeb Sharp just came in and asked to speak to his son.”
“About time Jeb had words with that boy,” Macy mumbled.
Lenny ignored Macy and noted softly to Gray, “This could be good, Gray.”
“We’ll see,” Gray replied and it was clear he felt Jeb Sharp had little sway over his son.
Lenny held his eyes. Then he nodded. Then he looked to the devastation his nephew wreaked, shook his head, his jaw got tight again then he looked back at Team Cody.
“Tape comes down, you need help cleanin’ up, takin’ care of those dead horses, you call me and Whit. We’ll be here.”
No hard feelings with my man, communicating what Pete did didn’t reflect on Lenny, it reflected on Pete and he showed this by saying, “I’ll call, Len.”
Another nod from Lenny, a glance through us all, a lifted hand and he turned toward his cruiser.
And as he did I saw another car coming up the lane. More brownies or a casserole, undoubtedly.
Then I saw what kind of car was coming up the lane.
A shiny black Lincoln with shaded windows.
My body jerked then I smiled and tipped my head back to look at Gray who was staring with narrow eyes down the lane.
“Did you call him?” I asked excitedly and he dipped his chin to look down at me but shook his head. I looked back at the lane. “That has to be him.” My eyes went back to Gray who also had looked back down the lane. “Do you know anyone in Mustang with that car?”
Gray again gave me his eyes and said, “No.”
“Who’s that?” Frank asked from behind us as the Lincoln came closer but Gray nor I answered, we just kept watching the Lincoln get closer.
Lenny couldn’t drive down the lane with the Lincoln coming up so he was standing in the cruiser’s opened door, watching the Lincoln approach.
Then it approached and I saw I was right.
Driver’s side, Brutus. Passenger side, Lash.
“Oh my God!” I cried, jumping a small jump against Gray’s body then I started to pull away to run toward my friends who were making a very well-timed surprise visit.
But I didn’t get very far. Gray’s arm locked around my shoulders and his other arm locked around my waist.
He also whispered, “No, baby.”
I struggled, looking back and forth between Gray and the car, thinking he was playing with me, wondering why, pulling to get away at the same time still jumping excitedly and crying out, “Gray, let me go!”
His arms got tighter and his voice dipped lower when he locked me to him and whispered, “Fuck, baby.”
At his tone, my head snapped back to the Lincoln to see Brutus had folded out, as had Lash. They were both wearing shades but I knew both their eyes were aimed at me and both their faces didn’t look happy.
But it was the backdoor opening that caught my attention, made my breath clean leave me, my stomach hollow out and my heart stop beating.
Because out of that door came my brother Casey.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Talk
I was in the kitchen, shaking.
Gray was standing in the doorway with Lash.
Macy was in the kitchen with me and she was crowding me.
“Tell me why you brought that motherfucker here?” Gray growled, keeping his distance from Lash and visibly keeping his body in check. They were close, the door not affording them much room and Gray was pissed beyond any kind of pissed I’d seen Gray be.
And I’d seen Gray be really, freaking pissed.
The Brothers Cody, Brutus and Lenny, who had wisely taken one look at Casey, undoubtedly remembered him and decided to stay, were all in the living room with Casey.
Casey!
Oh God.
“Because I know what he has to say, the Mustang police should know and hear it from him and, last, she deserves this, Cody, and you do too,” Lash replied, he was alert but calm and holding Gray’s eyes.
“Maybe but you could have called,” Gray returned and this was true. So, so true. “You did, you’d know the barn burned down last night and we got seven horses dead. Ivey was in that barn with me savin’ the thirteen we got left.”
Lash’s face got hard and his eyes sliced to me.
“Look at me, Caldiwell,” Gray rumbled and Lash’s eyes cut back to Gray. “Why didn’t you call?”
“Because I thought if I did, you’d protect Ivey by not giving her what Casey has to give.”
Gray’s body straightened and seemed to expand, such was his increased anger but Lash shook his head.
“Calm, my man, that guy in there has not pulled one over on me. I’m not here to orchestrate a family reunion. What he’s got to give is no good. It’s just truth. Ugly truth. And I read from you right now and read it the same seein’ you with her before that you’d protect her from that shit and that is not your call. It’s not mine. It’s Ivey’s. I’m giving her that call.”
“You don’t know me enough to know I wouldn’t give her the same,” Gray clipped out.
“You’re right but I also wasn’t going to take any chances,” Lash fired back, his eyes slid to me then back to Gray. “Timing sucks but better to get this shit over with and do with that guy whatever you decide you want done with him. Deal with him or cut him loose. One way or another, I want shot of him. Filth stinks and I’m really not fond of his smell.”
Lash, a man I loved, a man who looked out for me, a man who took care of me, a man who out-and-out spoiled me was talking about my brother that way.
Pure Casey.
Obviously he hadn’t changed.
“Ivey, you okay?” Macy asked softly, still crowding me.
No, I wasn’t.
I didn’t answer her.
I spoke to Lash.
“I know why,” I said softly and both Gray and Lash’s eyes came to me. When I got Lash’s attention, I continued, “If you gave Gray the info and he chose not to tell me, you thought, if Casey made his way back to me, whenever and for whatever reason, because, being Casey, even though it’s been years, he’d eventually need me, you thought I’d buckle.”
Lash gave it to me straight with his prompt answer of, “Yes.”
I studied him knowing he was right.
I loved my brother.
It was a failing.
I looked to Gray then to Macy then to my feet as they moved me through the kitchen and I muttered, “Let’s get this done.”
Gray and Lash separated so I could squeeze through them. I led and, with Macy, they followed.
Casey’s eyes came to me the minute I hit the living room. I took two steps in and stopped, feeling Lash and Gray position themselves behind me.
Brutus was standing behind and beside the armchair in which Casey was lounging negligently, even belligerently. The Brothers Cody and Lenny were positioned around the room, all standing. Macy went to Olly.
Casey didn’t tear his gaze from me.
“Looks like you landed on your feet, sis,” he remarked and I felt the heavy atmosphere in the room get even heavier.
I took in my brother.
He’d lost weight. He had a scar I knew came from a deep cut on his cheek, another one from a shallow cut curving up from the collar of his tee by his collarbone. His hair was a mess and, even though he was only thirty-four, it had already started to go gray. There were lines around his eyes and mouth that didn’t come from work in the sun or laughter but hard living and a lifetime of worry. His tee, jeans and boots weren’t dirty or tatty but they weren’t good quality and he’d had them awhile.