my hands, ready. My uncle and father stepped back. When Wade joined them, not a fucking flicker of allegiance in his eyes, I waited. Beau moved beside them. The four of them were glaring my way. I eyed my little brother one last time. How the fuck had it come to this?
“Get against the wall,” my father ordered.
I did as he said and backed up four steps until my back hit the wall. Beau, Landry, Wade, and my father all raised their guns.
A fucking shooting wall. An execution. I wouldn’t close my eyes. I would watch them until I was dragged to fucking hell.
“You always were a fucking pussy,” my father said. “You were never the solider your people needed you to be. From being a kid, always questioning shit and being a sniffling lil’ disappointment.”
My old man clicked the safety off his gun. Just as he went to fire, Beau jumped out of line and fired two perfectly aimed shots . . . right through Wade and Landry’s heads. In seconds, he’d knocked the gun from my father’s hands. It went sailing across the floor, well out of reach.
My heart started to quicken. “What the fuck?” my father snapped at Beau.
My eyes dropped to Landry and Wade, dead on the floor, their eyes wide open. Kenny and Lars came smashing through the door. Beau turned and sent them to the boatman too.
Beau came to stand beside me. I stared at my kid brother as he faced our old man. “If I have to listen to one more fucking white-power chant, see one more Nazi salute, or attend one more fucking rally, I’ll slaughter every one of y’all.”
Our father’s face drained of blood. Then it quickly reddened. “You—” He went to hit Beau, but I grabbed his hand and threw the fucker back. His eyes stared daggers at us both. “You planned this,” he hissed at Beau.
Beau smirked. “All of it.” I looked at my little brother in shock. He glanced between me and our old man, his eyes finally staying on me. “I pretended to be Wade. I needed you to think I was all in to this Nazi shit.”
“You weren’t?” I asked, my throat fucking getting thicker by the second. I’d thought he was all in . . . I thought he hated me . . . I thought he was Klan through and through . . .
“Never was. You knew that.”
“I did . . . but then I assumed I was wrong when I left and you took over the leadership. You were quiet when we were kids. Thought I’d got you wrong all these years. That you did believe it after all.”
Beau shook his head. “I never wanted this life. Fucking hated all of it. Every fucking day under that cunt’s rules.” He nudged his head toward our old man.
“Why did you stay? Why the fuck didn’t you leave too?”
Beau paused, then quietly said, “You.” His arms folded over his chest. I knew this Beau. The one who never gave anything away. My baby brother never spoke much, never opened up. Ever. Crossing his arms over his chest? That was him protecting himself from whatever truth he was about to spill. I wanted to fucking pull him to my chest. Protect him like I always did. But I knew he needed to say whatever it was he needed to say.
Beau flicked his chin in the direction of our old man. “He ain’t my fucking family.” He pointed at Landry. “Neither was that redneck prick.” Beau looked at me. “You were, Tann. You were my only fucking family . . . and then you left me behind.”
“I wanted Adelita. I couldn’t be in the Klan life and have her.” I shook my head. “You were away with the army. And I didn’t believe in that shit anymore. Realized it was all bull. I got my chance to leave, through Tank. So I took it. You never came and looked for me after you got out. I figured you were done with me along with these cunts.”
“You fucking left me behind,” Beau snapped, anger lacing his voice. My stomach sank. I hadn’t known . . . if I did, I never would have left.
“But you’ve been leading the Klan. Training the soldiers. You sure as shit acted like you were still an all-in Nazi.”
“Had to look the part.” I couldn’t get it through my fucking head. I couldn’t fucking think. I eyed my father beneath my foot. He