“If you’re looking for trouble, I’m sure it will eventually find you.” One thing he’d learned: the Hendersons didn’t stay out of the public eye for long. Rarely was it anything good either. Something or someone always stirred the pot, and he didn’t want his name associated with them when shit hit the fan.
“And that’s why I need you. Finding out that we . . . that I have an older brother was a shock.”
Never mind knowing how that all came about.James Henderson was one sick mother fucker. He hated the man even though he’d never met him. But what he’d done to Caydan’s mother was unforgivable. Roger cared for her as though she were his own mother, and she accepted him as family as well. But there was a part of him that struggled to deal with everything he’d learned. And I’m not really family.
“Are you worried Caydan is going to take your spot as head of the family? Because I’ve known him quite a while, and trust me, he doesn’t want it.” Roger was shocked at how welcoming they had all been to Caydan. Too welcoming.
“If he did, he could have it. It comes with burdens I wish I didn’t bear,” Brice said, shaking his head. “It’s not what we know that concerns me. Every time I think I’ve heard the worst of it, I find out I’m wrong. My family can’t keep going through this. We can’t change the past, but we can’t keep getting blindsided either. It’s no longer just the six of us. We’re married with children. None of us want this shit to fall on them. Not if we can help it.”
He’d met the entire family at Caydan and Allyson’s wedding a few months ago. Roger knew he wouldn’t do this for Brice or his other siblings. But, for Caydan and his nephews and nieces, he’d at least hear Brice out on exactly what he needed.
“Does this mean you need me to head back to Tabiq?” Roger asked.
“That’s the problem. I’m not sure where to start looking.” Brice pulled out a black and white photo of two children. It was in poor condition. The time period wasn’t James’s generation.
“Who is this?”
“That’s why I need you.”
This really wasn’t much to go on. “Where did you find it?” Brice had to know something if he was willing to go to this length.
“I was the one who cleaned out our father’s personal belongings. This was in a box I hadn’t seen before.”
“What else was in there?” Roger wanted to see the box and exam it himself.
“Papers from my father’s early school years. Progress report cards and a few things I assume he made for his mother, my grandmother. I’m not sure. He spoke very little about her. My father said she was all we had as family. But we both know James Henderson was capable of more evil than anyone imagined. I’m sure lying was a way of life for him.”
Roger had come across some real fucking assholes in his DEA years. None had come close to what he’d learned about James. That was his concern with Brice and the others. Unlike Caydan, they’d grown up under the same roof as that asshole. He knew what Caydan was capable of, the type of person he was. The rest of the family, he wasn’t so sure about.
“To do what you’re asking means digging deeper into your family’s history. Are you okay with me seeing things you don’t want the world to know?” It was going to be impossible to determine who was in that photo without coming across a lot of confidential information regarding the Henderson clan. If it even was a Henderson.
“As long as you keep me updated on everything you find, then yes.”
The hairs still stood up on the back of his neck. Why did Brice want him? It made no sense that he wasn’t utilizing the connections he already had. People they had a history with. Ones they so-called trusted.
“I thought you had the Turchettas doing your dirty work,” Roger said. “I’m sure this shit is right up Gabe’s alley.”
“Normally, yes. We worked very closely on addressing certain issues back in Tabiq. But they also have some . . . family things they need to attend to. Besides, they have become quite close with the family. For the moment, I’d like to keep this quiet.”
Roger understood why Brice might not want strangers to know, but he needed clarification. “So you don’t want anyone, not even your brothers to know?”
“Not even Caydan,” Brice said firmly.
And this is why I don’t trust you.Lying to Caydan wasn’t something Roger had ever done. That’s not how friends remained friends. But Caydan found a brother and family. If taking on this job meant Roger would protect his friend, he would swallow his pride and do it.
“Do you think you can do this?” Brice asked.
“You know I can, otherwise you wouldn’t have brought me to Boston. Are you only looking for who is in the picture or everything I can uncover about your family’s legacy?”
With a heavy sigh, Brice reluctantly said, “Everything.”
Roger stood. “I hope you won’t regret what you’re doing.”
“My life has been filled with regret. That’s why I’m doing this now. I’ve had this picture for a few years. It’s time to find out why my father had it.”
Slipping the photo into the breast pocket of his suit, Roger said, “You can’t pay me enough to figure out what your father had been thinking. But I’ll get you the answer on who’s in the picture. Not promising anything more than that.”
When he left Brice’s office, he ran into Bennett Stone, who seemed surprised to see him there.