BLOOD TIES (Decklan Jennings Thriller Book 1), Philip Duncan [bill gates book recommendations TXT] 📗

side. He knew if he ever tried crossing the river without an adult around, his mother would have worn his ass out. She was protective, like most mothers, and he and his brother feared her as kids even though they often tested her patience. Decklan noticed something else, too, that he hadn’t been paying attention to until just now. It was getting darker by the minute. He looked down at his watch, 15:45, which was military time for 3:45pm. This meant he didn’t have long before it was going to be pitch black. There was one thing he learned about the mountains as a kid, and that was the woods become a very different place at night. Soon, Parker wouldn’t be the only thing he had to worry about out here. He had a decision to make, keep going or turn back for camp.

CHAPTER 23

Decklan decided to keep going, and he figured he had two hours, tops, before he would need to turn back. He didn't have the necessary equipment to survive out here during the night, so the stakes just got higher. With his clothes now soaked from the mountain stream, it would only get worse as the temperature continued to drop into the night. He needed to get the job done quickly.

Suddenly, something hit him. He had a feeling, a gut feeling, that he was getting closer. He could Parker’s presence somewhere close. The journey was about to finish, but the confrontation was about to begin. Still unsure of the mental state of his brother, he proceeded with caution. This situation could go a number of ways, so he had to prepare for all possible scenarios. He kept his gun at the ready, willing to take the necessary actions. He walked a few more minutes before coming to a third clearing. This time it wasn't a vast opening looking into the Virginia mountains or a riverbank next to a cold stream. This time, it was a flat open area, completely void of trees. It looked as if somebody had cut out a hole in the middle of the woods, and he noticed something off in the distance. A single figure.

Parker!

He lowered his gun as he approached his little brother. He didn't want to risk shooting his brother before he had the chance to ask him the tough questions.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to find me,” Parker said, with his head down and eyes closed.

There were two stumps in the middle of this open field. Parker was on one so Decklan sat on the other one, directly across from his little brother. Decklan laid his gun down on the ground next to his feet so they could have a civil conversation and looked directly at Parker.

“Why’d you do it, Parker? They were your family too,” Decklan said.

Parker shook his head as if he were ashamed of what he had done. “I know, but I didn't have a choice,” he replied.

“Bullshit!” Decklan snapped. “You always have a choice. You're just a coward!”

“They had Emma, Deck. They were at my house and they were going to hurt Emma,” Parker pleaded.

“Why didn’t you come to me? I would have been able to help. I’ve dealt with assholes like that my whole life.”

“They told me if I so much as hinted to you that something was wrong, they would kill Emma and then me, and then your family. It was my only option.”

Decklan continued to glare at Parker, refusing to feel any sympathy for him. How could he? It was because of him that his family was dead. He was the only person who could have kept it from happening, but he chose money and safety in exchange for three innocent lives.

“She’s dead now anyway,” Decklan said.

Parker finally opened his eyes and looked up for the first time. “What? How do you know?”

“I went by your house looking for you, but instead I found her hanging from the ceiling fan in your bedroom.”

Parkers face turned white as a ghost. “I can’t believe they killed her after we had a deal,” he said.

Decklan shook his head slowly. “No, they didn’t. She took her own life.”

“She would never do that! You’re lying!” Parker said, while tears rolled down his pale face.

Decklan reached into his pocket. “Here, she left this note,” he said as he handed it to his little brother.

He sat there and watched as Parker had to read the last words his wife would ever write. He would have to live with the fact that she took her own life because of him. Because of what he did to his own flesh and blood. As he read the note, his breathing became heavy and uncontrolled. He was reading his worst nightmare. The same nightmare that Decklan had been living for the past month.

“You see, little brother, she couldn’t bear the fact that you were capable of something like this. Even if she had left with you to run away, she would never look at you the same again. Your relationship was over, and she knew it,” Decklan said. “Her blood is on your hands, the same as my family.”

Parker finished the note, folded it back, and held it to his lips. “I’m sorry, Emma, and I love you more than you will ever know.”

Parker looked up at Decklan. “So what now? I guess you’re going to kill me.”

“I haven’t decided yet,” Decklan said. “But I still have some questions for you.”

“What more could you need to know? I already told you why I did it,” Parker said, growing tired of their conversation.

“Back when this all started, you remember that lead you told me about?” Decklan said.

“The guy at the warehouse? Yeah, I remember.”

“You lost a good cop that day. A young female officer. Did you kill her?”

“Of course not!” Parker replied aggressively.

“Forgive me if I don’t exactly believe you after what you’ve done,” Decklan replied. “Then what did happen?’

Parker hesitated for a moment before answering. “Vladimir hired a guy