“You asked me if I’d have still pursued your mother, despite knowing I’d be putting her in danger. I can’t help wondering if this danger you’re so worried about dragging Josephine into has something to do with your brother.”
My jaw locks down, holding the words at bay. After keeping them inside for so long, I’m not certain I know how to release them.
“Tell me, Archer,” Pa orders. “The truth, this time. All of it.”
I know, from his grave tone as much as the stern furrow of his brow, that there will be no evading my father’s questions.
Not any longer.
I suck in a deep breath, trying to steady myself. And then, in as measured a voice as I can manage, I tell him. Everything. About Rico and Barboza. About their threats to me, to Jo, to him, to Ma. The parking lot ambush, my hand poised on a tailgate hatch; the afternoon break-in, a gun pressed against my cheek.
I describe their determination to bring Jax into the fold, dealing dangerous product to his local connections. And, finally, I tell him the darkest of my suspicions: that Jax will comply with their demands, rather than risk his own neck.
An unforgivable act of self-preservation.
“No,” my father breathes when I finally trail off into silence. “This cannot be true.”
“I wish it weren’t.”
“How could you not tell me this?” he roars, making me flinch. His voice has risen to twice its normal volume. I’ve never heard him yell before; he’s usually the epitome of calm. “How could you keep this a secret for so long?”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to put you or Ma in any danger.”
“So you thought you’d put yourself in it instead?Dios mio, Archer, I could strangle you for being so stubborn.”
“Get in line,” I mutter, thinking of Jo’s words to me last night.
You are the most stubborn human alive.
He begins to curse in Spanish, a rapid stream of profanity I can barely follow.
“I was trying to keep you safe,” I tell him, exasperation stirring to life inside my chest. “Don’t I get any points for that?”
“And who was keepingyousafe? Huh? Who was protecting you when these men showed up? Or do you think you’re invincible?” Without waiting for an answer, Pa pushes to his feet and begins to pace. “Of all my worst fears, I never thought… agang… dealing again…”
The cursing resumes.
My eyes narrow in thought. “If he’s caught again, he’ll face a much harsher sentence. He could end up spending half his life in prison if we don’t do something to fix this.”
Pa stops in his tracks. When he turns to look at me, bewilderment contorts his features. “You think that’s what I care about right now? Your brother getting in trouble?”
I blink. “Uh…”
“Archer.” My father falls to his knees in front of me. His eyes are rimmed with red. “I have two sons. I love them both. But it pains me deeply that you think I would ever value Jaxon’s future over yours.” He grabs my hand, his steely grip grinding my finger bones together. “I will not sacrifice one son to shield the other. I will not let you walk around in fear, paying the price for a sin you had no part in.”
My eyes are stinging. “I… I just thought…”
“I know what you thought. But you’re wrong.” He stands and pulls me into a hug so tight, it squeezes the air from my lungs. “Your brother is the only one who should be held accountable for his mistakes. Not me, not your mother. Certainly not you. I’m so sorry for ever making you think otherwise.”
I hug him back, trying not to break down. Hearing this — that I’m not second-place in my parents’ hearts simply because I’m the second-born — is something I’ve waited my whole life for.
We both brush inconspicuously at our eyes as we break apart and lean back against the lawnmower. His shoulder presses tight to mine. It’s quiet for a long moment.
“Tomorrow,” he says finally. “We will go to the police station together and tell them what’s been going on. Whatever happens after that, at least you will no longer be in danger.”
“But Pa, the police in this town… you know as well as I do how they react when they hear the name Reyes.”
“My mind is made up, son.” He blows out a breath. “Just give me tonight to talk to your mother. I need to be the one to break this to her. It will not be easy for her to hear.”