Page 56 of Man of Honor
"Strange that it turned up right when the AG started digging," Gideon said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
A muscle in the side of Wyatt's jaw was ticking, and his eyes were narrowed, like he was trying to fit pieces together in his head. "What are the conditions of your release?" he asked.
Ben lifted his head and grimaced. "They're not gonna like it."
Mason planted his elbows on the table in a move that would have had Loretta smacking him with a spoon if she'd caught him. "The conviction's vacated but not overturned," he said, looking like he'd tasted something bitter. "The court recognized procedural errors in the original trial, but they can still retry him."
"Wouldn't that be double jeopardy?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Not in this case. Vacating the conviction means the original trial basically didn't happen. It gives the state a chance to build a stronger case. But the DA's under a lot of pressure from the AG's office. Colt managed to get the case folded into the larger corruption investigation, and he's gunning hard for both Vanderhoff and the DA. Until something shakes loose, Ben's under conditional release."
"What exactly does that mean?" Gideon asked with narrowed eyes.
"Pre-trial supervision. Ankle monitor. Colt volunteered to house him. It'll keep him safe from Vanderhoff and give him as much freedom as he can expect under the circumstances."
"Jesus Christ," I muttered, tilting my head to peek under the table. If Ben was wearing an ankle monitor, it was hidden beneath the cuff of his poorly fitting pants.
"What about this investigator?" Dominic cut in acerbically. "What does he get out of babysitting?"
Ben's face clouded at the description. He opened his mouth, but Mason silenced him with one swift look, saying sharply, "Nobody has a better motive to keep Ben safe. Especially since we can't trust local law enforcement. Vanderhoff despises us, and the DA made his name prosecuting Ben.”
Wyatt looked at Ben again, his gaze softening just enough to reveal the weight of his concern. “How long do we have before the DA makes a move?”
“Not long.” Mason’s expression turned grim. “They’ll want to rebuild their case quickly, especially with the AG breathing down their necks. Colt’s keeping us informed, but we need to stay ahead of them. If they find a way to discredit him, it’ll all fall apart.”
Ben shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like the idea of someone putting themselves on the line for me.” His voice was quiet but resolute. “I’ve lived with this for years. If I end up back in prison, so be it. I’ll deal with it.”
“You’re not alone,” I said so fiercely my voice shook. My hands were clenched into fists beneath the table. “We’re family, dammit. That means we’re in this together.”
Ben’s smile was brief and affectionate, but I could read him like a book. He didn’t agree, and he didn’t want to piss me off by saying it. Too late.
“There’s no going back now,” Mason said, shooting Ben a look that said he knew exactly what he was thinking. They were twins, after all; blood brothers in a way the rest of us would never be. He could read him like a book. “As the lead investigator, Colt’s involved either way. If this case blows open, Vanderhoff and the DA both go down with it.”
Dominic smirked, downing his glass in one vicious swallow. “Now that’s something I’d pay to see.”
Wyatt's gaze was turned inward as he drummed his fingers on the table. He didn't look happy, but none of this could have come as a surprise. He knew things weren't right in his own department. Now he finally had a chance to prove it.
So why didn't he look happy?
Chapter Twenty-Six
WYATT
It wasafter midnight by the time we made it back to Gage’s bedroom, buzzed from reminiscing over pricey wine. The house felt strangely empty, but I locked the door with a sharp twist of antique key anyway. Dominic’s bodyguard had driven him back to his city apartment, and Mason and Ben had left to make the trade-off into Colton Langford’s custody. That left the kids in the foster wing and Gideon on the opposite end of the hall.
Sound carried strangely here. It filtered through paper-thin walls and cracks in the floorboards only to be swallowed up by empty rooms and secret passages. With the thick oak door cutting us off from the rest of the house, Gage’s childhood bedroom felt like it existed outside time.
Gage stood at the foot of the bed, staring off at nothing, working the buttons of his dress shirt one-handed. He’d faked it for hours, but I could see how much Ben’s sudden release had rocked him. He still blamed himself for everything that had happened.
I leaned against the doorframe to watch, rattled more than I’d ever admit. I’d nearly climbed out of my skin when Masonmentioned the task force, and it hadn’t escaped Dominic’s notice. His suspicion was sharp as a blade at my back. I’d been feeding Langford information for months, hoping it would lead to cleaning house in my own department. That gun turning up now felt like a challenge, like I’d missed something important.
Gage peeled off his shirt and tossed it toward the hamper. He looked strong as ever but so damn tired. Exhaustion dragged at him, forming visible knots between his shoulder blades. His bare back caught the glow of a bedside lamp, carving out lean muscle and a pale spiderweb of old scars. I’d noticed them many times, but I didn’t know their story. Gage’s past was a boundary I respected, even if I didn’t like it.
“You okay?” I asked, rougher than I’d intended.
He glanced at me over his shoulder. “How early do you work tomorrow?”
I knew what he was really asking. “Not so early that I can’t stay,” I said firmly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.