Engaging his Enemy (Shattered SEALs #4) - Amy Gamet Page 0,28

was fear in his eyes, fear and something darker Moto couldn’t name. “You come to the house tonight, too. I don’t want you fending for yourself on this one.”

Ben nodded.

Of course he would come. Their family was being threatened. Ben had every right to be there, maybe more right than Moto himself.

Razorback was barking orders. “…need them safe. We can’t have them in a vulnerable position when shit goes down at the warehouse. I’ll call the feds. With DeRegina here, this could be our chance to nail him. We’ll meet you at the house. Moto, get Davina on the phone.”

“Already on it.” He held it to his ear. “Come on, pick up.” It rang several times before going to voicemail. He hung up and cursed under his breath. “No answer.” He turned to Ben. “Did he imply they were in imminent danger?”

“Not exactly.” Ben sobbed once, the stress clearly getting to him. “He said if I loved them, I should be careful.”

“Jesus Christ. Let’s go.” Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he led the way to the parking lot beneath the building.

Ben got in the passenger seat. “This is all my fault.”

Moto zipped around the curves of the parking garage, anxious to get onto the open road. “What is?”

“Everything. All of it. Mom and Dad died because of me.”

“For fuck’s sake, don’t do this now.” He paid the toll and headed for the expressway.

“I knew this job was too good to be true. I knew it wasn’t on the up-and-up. But I fucking did it anyway because I wanted the money. I wanted to be somebody.”

“There’ll be plenty of time later to beat yourself up. Right now, we’ve got to focus on protecting Davina and Wyatt.”

“I wanted her for myself. I could have told you about the baby. I could have told you she wasn’t doing well and needed help. But I wanted to play the knight in shining armor. I wanted her to depend on me.”

“Fine. You’re a terrible person. Now shut up and let me concentrate.”

“And you! You always had to be in control. You saw your opportunity to get out and you took it. You didn’t listen to Davina’s explanation of what happened between us because you wanted an excuse to leave. You were a selfish, arrogant fuck. You still are.”

Moto couldn’t believe this ridiculous conversation. “What the fuck was I supposed to do?”

“Did you love her?”

“Hell yes.” The knee-jerk response and the depth of emotion that filled him were a shock to his system. He had loved her, goddamn it. She’d been everything to him. But the moment he turned his back on her and went away, he began telling himself a lie—a lie he could see now he’d never really believed.

“Then you were supposed to take her with you.”

Moto stared at the road whizzing by as the pieces clicked into place. The truth in his brother’s words was striking, a long-needed explanation of what had gone horribly wrong in his life. He had left here to save himself, just as surely as he’d left Davina behind, pregnant with his child.

All of Ben’s accusations—that Moto was a selfish jerk who cared only for himself—had been true. He’d convinced himself Davina had been unfaithful, when he had barely believed it himself.

The younger version of himself stood right before him, full of fault and horror at what he had done, and he longed to forgive the boy he had been, tell him everything would be okay. Warn him not to walk away from the people he’d loved.

Moto exited the expressway and turned toward Davina’s street. If he was going to get past this, there was one thing he needed to know. “Are you in love with her?”

“I was.”

Moto fumed silently as he drove, pulling into the driveway and throwing the car in park. Davina stood up from the swing on the front porch, arms folded as she walked to the railing and looked at Moto, her stare locking with his.

“But I’m not anymore,” said Ben. “She was your girl, even after you were gone. Looks like maybe she still is.” He unbuckled his seat belt. “Don’t fuck it up this time, you selfish prick.”

15

Moto watched as Ben reached the stairs first, stepping into the light, and Davina’s brow furrowed in concern. “What happened?” she asked.

“Zach will explain. I need some ice.” He went inside.

She turned to Zach, her mouth set in a hard line. “Is that the only way you know how to settle a fight?”

“What are you