Page 2 of Tactically Acquired

“It’s the truth. The things I said to her…”

“Yeah, I never fucked up like that,” I huffed. “I loved my wife too much to ever say the shit you said.”

“It’s not that I don’t love her?—”

“Yeah, because men who are desperately in love with their wives are cruel on purpose,” I retorted. Fuck, I hated getting involved in other people’s drama. But he was my brother now, and I had to do this for Eva and her kids. I thought I had no family left in this world aside from Kate and my kids. Then I found out there were a whole slew of them out there. And somehow, I just couldn’t bail on them.

Shadow walked away from his meeting and then crossed the street. I was torn between chasing the mystery man down and finding out his identity and hanging back with Cash. I was desperate for answers of my own, but I made a promise to Eva, and if I left now, I might just break that promise.

Cash sat up and started taking his rifle apart, tucking it into his case. I watched as he did it with great precision—as if he was back in the field and it was just another day in battle.

“You have no fucking idea what it was like to pull the trigger that day.”

My eyes flashed up to meet his gaze. “How fucking long are you gonna use that excuse?”

I hit the nail on the head, drawing out the anger I needed. “Watch it.”

“Why? Can’t face the truth? You don’t like hearing that you’re hiding behind the choices you made?”

He scoffed out a laugh, shaking his head at me. “You’ve never cared about anyone besides yourself and Kate.”

“That’s probably true.”

“Yet, you have the nerve to stand there and lecture me about hiding? You don’t know the first fucking thing about what it takes to take a stand and fight back when you’ve just lost everything!”

It would be fucking hilarious if it wasn’t still fresh in my mind. “When Kate was taken, I went on a fucking killing spree. I bet you didn’t know that.”

He paused, questions filling his eyes.

“You don’t know all the details because it was all so fucking classified. Your old man was involved. Fucking Shadow,” I scoffed. “He was at the center of it all, working in the background to take down the men who were responsible for trying to unleash a virus on the whole goddamn world. And for what? Political gain. Killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people so they could gain control and get what they wanted. And Kate just happened to be collateral damage because of something I couldn’t leave alone.”

I looked away from him, squeezing my eyes shut as I saw the shot that ended her life on the camera. It didn’t matter if itwasn’t real or if she was alive now. In those months following that horrible moment, I ceased to exist. The man I had become for her was only a shadow of my former self.

“Yeah, I know what you’re going through. I watched my wife get shot in the head on camera. I didn’t pull the trigger, but it was because of me that she was killed.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “Kate’s alive.”

“I didn’t know that,” I gritted out. “For months, I thought she was dead. The only thing I had was anger and revenge. I pushed my kids away. I didn’t see them. I didn’t talk to anyone. I was barely surviving, just like you are now. And I didn’t stop until I killed every last person involved in her death. I made them all bleed. All those fucking pricks were on display in the most gruesome way so the entire world would know what traitors they were to their country.”

Something sparked in his eyes and he looked up at me with a jerk. “The three heads on spikes on the lawn of the Capitol.”

I nodded, remembering how it felt to end their lives.

“Wait, you said Michael was involved.Shadow. If he was involved, how did you not know it was him at the time?”

“It wasn’t something I found out until later, but it didn’t matter. He walked out of my life a long time ago. I don’t give a fuck what he does anymore.”

He slowly rose to his feet, slinging his rifle case over his shoulder. “Then why the hell are you here?”

“Because while our father means absolutely nothing to me…” I clenched my jaw, my eyes flicking away from his for a moment. “You’re family.Evais family. I know what I put my kids through. I left them,” I admitted, my voice cracking. “I couldn’t be what they needed without her, and I thought walking away was for the best.”

“Is this your attempt to bring me home? You think you’re going to tell me I’m fucking things up and I’ll realize the error ofmy ways? And then what? I’ll fling myself at Eva’s feet and beg her to forgive me?”

I shook my head, knowing that would never happen. It wouldn’t have worked on me either. “I’m here to end this. I know what you’re doing. I know what’s at risk.”

He swallowed hard, the truth of my words reflecting in his eyes.

“You might be damn good at hiding the truth, but I know all too well what the hell you’re doing. Noble causes are my specialty. And my curse.”

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