Page 122 of The Other Side of Green

I held my hands up between them like I was about to kick off a tug of war. “We’ve all tried to protect one another, and all we’ve really done is hurt one another.”

Both of them dropped lips like a pair of schoolboys.

“I’m just going to say this once and then I’ll leave it.” Luca’s face morphed into a serious one I didn’t see all that often. “He’s too old for you. Always has been, and I think it’s a really bad idea. I know you’ve both always had this thing, much as it bites my ass, but is that the foundation to a real life relationship? I’d be a shit big brother if I didn’t mention my fears.”

I’d never seen Luca so serious before. Or say anything so vaguely grown up, but there was no way I was letting any fear nestle itself inside my brain.

Jack and I were meant to be, and I’d fight for us to the death.

“It’s six years, Luca. It’s not likes he’s twenty years older and divorced with kids.”

I turned to Jack. “You aren’t, right?”

My breath eased a little better when his bright laugh rang against the empty buildings.

“So…” Luca left it dangling.

“So… what?” Jack’s eyes hardened just a little.

“Well. Let me think. Locked out your own club, your dad isn’t your dad, apparently, and you seem to be pretty damn tightlipped about it.” Luca fired straight from the hip, taking no prisoners. God, I’d forgotten how they could be together over the last four years. There were no boundaries between them at all. For the first time I realized how much it must have hurt Luca to keep that secret from Jack. It still didn’t make sense, but I knew it would have hurt all the same.

It was they who were brothers, in choice if not through blood.

Call me a wishful thinking unicorn pooping gold dust daydream believer, but I hoped they’d get back to that.

“The club wasn’t exactly my fault.” I tried to read Jack’s face, catching his lips flitting a small smile. “Okay, maybe it was my fault a little.”

Luca began to grin. “Am I exhibiting surprise? No, no I am not.”

Jack rolled his eyes, but then looked down at me, his smile fading. “And as for the daddy bombshell. Well.”

I held my breath. Why wouldn’t he just tell me? He literally hadn’t mentioned it at all. He’d distracted me with kissing—which made me feel a bit stupid now I thought about it—while he’d simmered and drank and let whatever it was build up into giant cloud of the unsaid. “Jack, it’s okay.” I squeezed his hand.

He grimaced, pulling his lips back. “Actually, no, it’s not.”

Luca and I crossed glances. Neither of us spoke.

“Phillipe Lufette is my dad.” His eyes narrowed. “But he didn’t know, not until four years ago when he came back and bumped into Mom.”

“Did your mom know? Why would she stay with…?” Luca started, but then glanced down at me and cut himself off. Yep, I might still have a monstrous father, even if Jack didn’t.

The truth hit like a steady punch to my gut. This was why he hadn’t told me… he didn’t want me to get hurt even more.

“Jack, it’s okay.” I nodded, although my stomach dipped and turned. “You need to tell us; this is killing you.”

“So ‘Dad’,” he air quoted, “went undercover before Mom even knew about me. Apparently, it was a career opportunity he couldn’t turn down. Then asshole Dad stepped in. He was running with some low time gang, nothing major, but he quite liked the thought of taking a police officer’s woman for his own. So he did.”

Jack stared at the ground.

“And when she tried to leave, he threatened to get Lufette’s cover blown.” Jack shook his head and I reached out to squeeze his arm. “You’ve got to be a real lowlife to do that to someone, haven’t you? He always knew I wasn’t his. Always used me as bait. Every time Mom tried to leave, he’d threaten to blow Lufette’s cover and where his old flame and son lived. Apparently Lufette was deep undercover in a neighboring state with some bad ass gang. If they found out he was a cop—well put it this way, Mom didn’t want to find out.”

“So when did Lufette come back?” I asked. I knew Ruth had a new boyfriend, another secret I’d kept from Jack, but then I’d never really had the chance to tell him.

“Apparently, he came back the year before, well you know.” His gaze flickered to Luca. “He looked up Mom, saw she was with someone and had a grown-up son. Then the night the call came in about the attack, he was first detective on the scene. Mom told him everything, but of course I’d already left by then.”

Silence hung around us. And not the easy nighttime sounds that linger around three people in a comfortable silence. No, this had a pained, jagged echo to it.

“Jack, I’m—” Luca went to speak, but Jack held up his hand.