Yeah … that’s what he’d been thinking from the beginning, that he could walk away without his longtime friend ever knowing the truth. He’d been lying to himself, but he wasn’t going to lie to Colton, not anymore.
He walked through the door.
Colton was sitting up in his hospital bed. He was pale, dark circles under his eyes. The IV was still in his arm, and he had a bandage across his chest. Two bullets—one that hit half an inch from his heart. But he survived. And the FBI promised Sean that if Colton cooperated, he wouldn’t do jail time. That was something, wasn’t it?
“Hi, C.”
Colton was staring at him. He didn’t say anything.
“I heard you were being sprung tomorrow.”
Again, silence.
“I, umm, just wanted to—”
“What, Sean? What do you want to do? Try to justify lying to me for weeks? To me—the man you said was your best friend? The man you said had saved you and given you purpose?”
Colton stared at him and Sean felt small and miserable.
“Jonathan Paxton was going to kill hundreds of people.”
“Sexual predators. Ten years ago you wouldn’t have cared.”
“I never killed anyone.”
“So that’s where you draw the line? Murder? Good to know.”
“Colton, I am really sorry.”
“I don’t want your false apology. I won’t alleviate your guilt. You came back into my life and I thought we were brothers in every way except blood.”
“We are—”
“No! We’re not! You lied to me, used me, for a personal vendetta.”
“It wasn’t personal.” Except it was, in a way. Jonathan Paxton had held a crime over Sean’s head for the last six months and Sean had to clean the slate. He’d confessed to the FBI, he’d agreed to infiltrate Colton’s team and gather evidence against the senator in order to erase his own black marks.
“You’re a selfish bastard, Sean.”
“Paxton knew about what we did ten years ago, Colton. You told him about that, C! That’s the only way he could have known. He was holding it over my head. I didn’t have a choice! I had to go to the FBI.”
“We all have choices, Sean. You aligned yourself with the system. I aligned myself with doing the right thing.”
“Maybe,” he said quietly, “but they used you, Colton.”
“You should know because you used me, too. We’re done, Sean. I never want to see you again. Get. Out!”
Sean had left and sat in his car for an hour trying to control his pain and guilt. Would he have done it again? He didn’t know. Maybe … maybe not. Colton nearly died. Others did die, people he had once cared about—even if they later made bad choices.
Everything Sean did he did because he thought it was right. What if he didn’t know anymore? What if he didn’t know right from wrong?
Because the pain on Colton’s face was real. The emotional pain of betrayal. And Sean would never forget it.
* * *
“Colton.”
Sean almost couldn’t speak. He hadn’t seen Colton since that day in the hospital when he went to apologize … it had been a dark time in Sean’s life, but he had no other options. Not then.
Colton stared at him for a long minute. Hatred. Colton hated him so deeply he couldn’t even hide the emotion in his expression.
Sean had wronged him, but Colton had gotten in deep into an illegal operation and if Sean hadn’t been there, he would have certainly been dead or spent the rest of this life in prison. But Sean had still betrayed his oldest friend, and he’d never forgiven himself.
And clearly, neither had Colton.
Colton motioned toward the ropes Sean had left on the bottom of the boat then said to the men with him, “Tie him up, bring him out, we’re on the clock.”
He turned his back on Sean without another word.
Chapter Thirty-six
OUTSIDE MONTEMORELOS, MEXICO
Jack walked over to where Kane was resting against a shade tree. It was hot, but not unpleasant, especially this high in the mountains. He handed Kane a water bottle.
“I talked to Leo,” Jack said. “He’s bringing in someone he trusts.”
Kane had interrogated Peter Blair and learned that Jesse was supposed to have been grabbed Friday after school. Because Lucy picked him up early, that didn’t happen—but it didn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Until they found Jimmy Hunt and Elise, Jesse was under house arrest. Jack talked to Jesse, made sure he understood the situation. He didn’t want to instill fear in the kid, but right now they had to be doubly cautious.