“Since when have you ever been afraid of anything?” Mav pointed out.

“Since I fell for the girl,” Nick said.

“I think you need to get answers before you make any judgments,” Sherman advised.

“Let’s get this hearing over with, and then I’ll go from there,” Nick said.

“That’s a good idea,” Cooper agreed.

They left the room, sober and silent.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Chloe was waiting in the chairs outside the judge’s chambers when they all walked out. His brothers wore smiles of victory, and Sherman patted his shoulder. They all turned to spot Chloe there, and the smiles fell away. She looked to the ground.

Even though victory was at hand, Nick had a feeling of dread that wouldn’t go away. His brothers, Paul, and Sherman walked away to give them privacy. They were barely around the corner when officers came out with both Judge Williams and Mitch Reynolds handcuffed.

“I bet you enjoy seeing this, don’t you?” Reynolds snapped at Chloe. Her head shot up and she looked at her father with both fear and hope.

“You’ve been arrested?” she said.

“It won’t last,” he thundered as he tugged on the officer. “You’ll all pay.” The officers dragged the two men away. Finally, Nick and Chloe were alone.

“Why did you want me here, Nick?” she asked as she rose to her feet and moved over to him.

“Because I think it’s time you tell me the truth,” he said. One part of him insisted on having the answers he needed, the other part wanted to bury his head in the sand.

Chloe searched his face for several moments before tears filled her eyes. That was the moment he knew everything was about to fall apart.

“I did know what was happening, Nick,” she whispered. He tensed. He was no longer going to be able to deny her involvement in this if she was finally willing to tell him. His heart was aching.

“Explain,” he said, his voice so quiet she had to lean in to hear him.

“My brother, Pat Edmond, was your rescue swimmer.”

“But . . .” He went silent. That hadn’t been what he’d expected her to say at all. It made no sense. He thought he’d already learned everything he was going to learn.

“My brother hated our father. He left when he was eighteen, changed his name. He kept in contact with me, but he didn’t want anything to do with the old man. Or he told me that, but I still think he wanted his approval. I think he even changed his name to our mother’s maiden one to get a reaction. When our father wouldn’t even react to that, Pat joined the Coast Guard and took the most dangerous job he could find. Because of that he lost his life.” She ended on a sob, but Nick watched as she tried pulling herself together.

“I didn’t know,” he finally said.

He took a step closer to her, and she backed away. Anger filled him. He’d been the one lied to, so why was she the one backing up? Maybe it was shame. She should fear that.

“I didn’t kill your brother, Chloe. I’m sorry you lost him,” Nick said as he took another step toward her. This time she didn’t move.

“It doesn’t matter, Nick. I lied to you, and you have your own secrets. I never should have taken the job, never should have agreed with my father. If you think hurting me will help you get revenge on him, you’d be wrong. He hated my brother, and he hates me even more. Both of us have been a disappointment to him our entire lives. He expects perfection, and we never could live up to what that meant in his eyes.”

She spoke in a monotone. He could see this wasn’t a great revelation. It was just simple truth. It didn’t really matter in the end because there would be no winners. Her father would go to jail, Pat still had lost his life, and Nick and Chloe would go on with their lives, likely separately.

Nick’s emotions were flowing through him. He felt pain and betrayal. But he’d known it was coming so it wasn’t a shock. He almost hated her for admitting the truth. That made no sense whatsoever.

Even with all he’d already known, Nick was still thunderstruck as he gazed at Chloe. After all they’d been through together, he couldn’t believe she’d been working for the enemy―that she’d been trying to take him down the entire time he’d thought she cared about him.

To her credit, Chloe stood there, tears streaking down her cheeks as she faced him. Her shoulders were back and she refused to look away. She wasn’t going to hide from him anymore. Still, nothing could make this right―not in his book.

“I didn’t know you when this began. All I knew was who I’d been told you were. By the time I figured out you weren’t that person, it was too late, I was in too deep,” she said, her voice hitching.

Rage filtered through him.

“So honesty and ethics mean nothing to you?” he thundered as he got his bearings. She winced at the fury of his tone. He felt a bit of guilt when he saw the look of pain cross her face, but he reminded himself she’d been putting him through hell with no remorse.

“I was doing what I thought was right, Nick,” she told him. Finally, she reached out for him, and this time he was the one who took a step away. If she touched him he might lose it.

“I want you gone from my house within the hour. By the time I get home, I don’t want a single trace of you left behind.”

Her tears fell even harder at his words. Her hand slid to her side, and her shoulders slumped. She was defeated and she knew it. Nick wasn’t sure if he wanted her to fight for them or not. There was too much anger raging through him.