in. Instead, I nodded, and turned away before the emotions in my throat got the best of me. Giving her that, a piece of me, it was the most important thing I could give her. Thinking about it had my hand itching to reach up and rub that little piece of metal. Maybe she did the same thing and thought of me.
Remy sighed, and then pushed off the back of the Humvee that we were currently using as a rest.
“Figures.” He turned back to face me with his rifle in his hand. “Don’t make me shoot you for hurting her. I’d hate it, but I’d still do it.”
A nod was all I could give him. I mean, it’s not like I could tell him the truth. His sister refused to talk to me. She didn’t answer my calls, or emails, or the instant messages that I sent to every social media profile she had. I was turning into a fucking stalker and there was nothing I could do about it. I loved her, always had, and always would. I just needed to get in front of her and make her see me.
“Hey, dicks.” Danny slapped Remy on the shoulder and joined our circle, with Daisy, his service dog by his side. “Parker’s having a boy.”
“No shit?” I pushed off the Humvee and grabbed my brother up into a brief hug, ignoring the way Daisy tried to press between us. “Another boy in the family. That’s great news!”
He was grinning, like he constantly was nowadays. “Yeah. I’m happier than a pig in shit.”
Danny and Parker got married, literally hours before we’d gotten on a plane to leave for Afghanistan. He’d left his new wife at home with our family to help her get through it.
“You’re cutting it close, aren’t you?” We still had another two months left, and he’d honestly be lucky to get home in time for his son to be born.
“Yeah. But there’s always Skype.”
Remy snorted. “Man, I hate to tell you. Absolutely no one wants you on Skype in the common area while your wife gives birth.” He shook his head. “That’s just plain disgusting.”
Danny shrugged. “Who cares? We’re all stuck in this together. Might as well share that. Oh.” He snapped his fingers dramatically. “Speaking of sharing. The Major wants a volunteer for the next mission. So avoid that area at all costs.”
With those words, the radio attached to his shoulder started to go off.
“PFC Hayes.” Some static. “PFC Danny Hayes. Major Morgan wants you to report to the Helipad. They need Daisy again.”
Remy and I both cackled. “Guess you’re the volunteer.”
He flipped us off. “See you assholes later.”
The sound of the helicopter taking off ten minutes later had us both rolling our eyes. Danny might complain about it, but becoming an MP was probably his dream job. Not only that, but he got a dog out of it. Sure, Daisy was an asshole just like him. She was also smarter than most of the men in their unit, though.
“I meant what I said, Linc,” Remy said once the chopper was almost out of range. “I don’t want to deal with a broken-hearted sister. I’ve already seen her broken. I don’t want to have to bury you in the woods for hurting her.”
I swore. “Look, man. I’m not going to hurt her.”
An explosion in the distance dropped me to my knees, and my rifle was in the air as everything burst into action around us.
Although one glance at the fire in the sky, and I was frozen watching my brother’s helicopter crash to think about Kennedy any more after that.
I raced through the desert, not giving a fuck about anything or anyone that might be coming after me.
“Danny!” The scream ruptured something in my throat, but that didn’t stop me. I pushed harder, ran harder than I ever had in my entire life. I think I dropped my rifle, but I kept going. Screaming for my brother through the sound of vehicles approaching. Through the sounds of the gunfight all around us.
I kept calling my brother’s name until I found him, pulling his body from the wreck and flames, with his dog whimpering at my side. “Please look at me. Danny. Please.”
He only looked back at me with lifeless eyes, and I knew.
Nothing was ever going to be okay again.
If you want to find out what happens next for Lincoln and Kennedy, make sure to pre-order Balls to the Wall, coming soon.
To read more of the Birch