CHOOSE US

  THE ARCHERS BROTHERS

  HEIDI MCLAUGHLIN

  © 2022

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  The right of Heidi McLaughlin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  COVER DESIGN: Sarah Hansen: OkayCreations.

  EDITING: Edits by Amy / Briggs Consulting

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Nate

  2. Cara

  3. Nate

  4. Cara

  5. Nate

  6. Cara

  7. Nate

  8. Cara

  9. Nate

  10. Monster

  About the Author

  Also by Heidi McLaughlin

  Chapter 1

  Nate

  I’m so proud of EJ for standing up in front of everyone and giving his speech. I asked him a few times after he was tasked with the best man duties if he needed help, but he said he had it. I don’t know when the shift happened between us, but it did. After Evan came back, I encouraged him to form a bond with his dad—as much as it pained me—it was necessary. Not only for Evan, as EJ’s dad, but for my relationship with my brother.

  Our relationship is strained, and I suspect it will be for some time. I don’t know how anyone—especially a brother—can ever get over the fact that their sibling slept with their fiancée. In the beginning, I used to say, “In my defense,” but now that I’m looking at life differently; I should’ve known better.

  Still, as EJ stands up here and finally calls Evan “dad”, I feel a surge of pride for my nephew and my brother. This is an important moment for them and one which Evan has been waiting for since his return.

  Cara comes to stand next to me and slips her hand in mine. “Everything okay?” I ask her. She’s working a tough case, sex trafficking in Las Vegas. I hate her job and wish she would switch departments, but she’s good at what she does and is needed there. It’s hard for me to watch from the outside, though, knowing what I know about Evan’s mission. I had no idea how corrupt people could be. I mean, I did, but never thought it would be the magnitude that it is.

  “Yes, just checking in. I had some emails and missed calls. I put them off as long as I could.”

  “Ryley and Evan understand. They know you’re working.” Always working. I shouldn’t be upset because I knew what her job was and the hours it would entail going into this relationship with Cara. It’s not like she will give it up because we’re dating. Although being on a year-long sabbatical has been nice, I haven't given up mine. I return to active duty shortly, and honestly, I’m not looking forward to it. Although, I do miss my team.

  “What did I miss?” she asks, nodding toward Evan and EJ.

  “EJ gave his speech,” I tell her. “Jensen has it on video. You can watch it. It was perfect. Moving. He called Evan ‘dad’.”

  “That’s amazing. They all look so happy.”

  I glance at Cara. We dated in high school, and I suppose we can call each other high school sweethearts even though we weren’t as serious then as we are now. Now, we live together, or at least we do when she’s in town, which seems to be less and less as time goes on. We were in love then and have fallen in love again. I want to marry her and start a family, but I’m unsure where she stands with all of this. Her career is important, and I don’t imagine there aren’t a lot of mothers working for the FBI as special agents. But then, I could be wrong and won’t know unless I ask her. I’ve intended to ask her what she sees for our future, but there’s always a case or something she must tend to, and the moment never seems right. The more I think about it, the more I realize I hate her job.

  “They’re happy. They deserve it, especially Evan.”

  Cara sighs, and I know why. Every day, we thank God that Evan is alive and came back. I lived six years without my brother, and it hurt. Physically and mentally. Losing your sibling is one thing, but to lose your twin it’s a whole other ballgame. The day I came back and found out he was alive... and pissed the fuck off at me… my life changed. Everything became about protecting Ryley and EJ, rebuilding the trust Evan and I had before he deployed, and finding out what the fuck happened to him and his team.

  “Do you want to dance?”

  Cara nods and tugs at my hand, leading us to the dance floor. The DJ plays some slow, sappy song. It’s not something either of us knows the words to, but Claire—McCoy’s daughter––seems to love it. She’s dancing with EJ, which I think is cute, but when I look over Cara’s shoulder, I see Grace standing on the edge of the dance floor with her arms crossed. I lean into Cara whisper, “Young love and jealousy is not a good combo,” and spin her so she can see Grace.

  “Whoa.”

  “I know. I don’t remember being their age and feeling like this.”

  “Boys are different,” Cara says. “You’re into sports, getting dirty, and making sure you get a snack after school. Girls are nurturing, and our bodies are changing. Girls have it much harder than boys do. Not only at this age, but throughout life.”

  Cara’s right about the things I liked when I was ten. Girls never hit my radar until I was about fourteen or fifteen. Hell, I was even embarrassed when I got my first hard-on because I had no idea what was wrong with me. One night, I go to bed fine, and then I wake up and am in pain. And the only relief is to touch myself. How wrong is that? So not wrong when you’re a guy.

  “I wonder if I should have a chat with EJ?”

  She shakes her head. “Maybe mention it to Evan. He might already know. It’s more important for you to strengthen your foundation with him right now. EJ will always be in your life, but Evan’s psyche will always be fragile where you’re concerned.”

  “Yours isn’t?”

  Cara shrugs. “We weren’t together. You didn’t leave me for Ryley. We broke up because we headed in two different directions. Evan and Ryley didn’t break up. He deployed and expected to find her waiting for him. When he came home, his world was rocked. I honestly think you’re lucky he speaks to you. I think if you weren’t a SEAL and one of the best snipers in the Armed Forces, he would have nothing to do with you.”

  “As much as I hate to say it, you’re right.”

  “Of course, I am.” Cara smiles. “Just keep being there, and everything will work out. The Archer brothers will be a united front for everything that’s going on.”

  “Which is?”

  Cara shakes her head. “Not here. When we get home.”

  When we get home, I scan the apartment for bugs. I trust absolutely no one, not even all the members on my SEAL team. It’s sad to say, but after what my brother went through and the bogus training mission my team had when Evan returned, someone in my circle is knee-deep in shit and trying to protect themselves.

  Once Cara and I clear our space, she turns some music on and turns the volume up high. We meet in the kitchen, where I pour myself a drink, but she declines and says she’ll have water. She hasn’t drunk all day, which I find odd. She’s off work and is usually a social drinker.

  “Are you feeling okay?” I ask as I hand her a glass of water.

  “Fine,” she says before taking a drink. “I’m having trouble adjusting to the heat in Las Vegas. Dry and over a hundred every day versus the humidity. It’s wiping me out.”

  I drink down my two-finger shot of whiskey and pour myself another. “So, what’s going on?”

  “The car was a rental. I contacted the agency, hoping they’d give me the information without a warrant. No success. I asked one of my contacts in Vegas to hack into the site. The name came back as Roger Duvry.”

  “Doesn’t sound familiar. Are we worried for nothing?”

  Cara shakes her head and refills her glass from our filtered pitcher. “Not necessarily. I can’t find him on a flight manifest or even in the DMV, so it’s definitely an alias. I have an RD in my list of child porn viewers, though, so this could be related to Las Vegas.”

  “But?”

  “But… I don’t know. How does this Roger Duvry get a car rental in San Diego, from an airport location, without having an originating or returning flight, and isn’t on the manifest anywhere?”

  “Insider at the rental agency?”

  “That’s what I’m thinking,” she says, nodding. “But also,” she pauses. “I don’t know. I overthink a lot lately because I’m trying to take down this sex ring and keep my eye on Lawson’s ring.”

  “Are there more players?”

  Cara looks at me, “What if Lawson was small potatoes? What if he wasn’t the mastermind behind Evan’s deployment to cover up the Chelsey girl?”

  “We can play the what-if game all day long when it comes to this shit.”

  “I know, and I hate it. Just when I think I have it all figured out, someone throws a monkey wrench into my theory or timeline, and nothing matches anymore. Lawson is still my number one suspect for anything that has to do with Evan’s case, but my gut says he’s just a puppet.”

  “Frannie was his puppet.”

  “Her medical file is as thick as New York City’s yellow pages. I was shocked when her psychiatrist sent that in. Most doctors won’t, but he said she was one of the worst cases he’s had in his career and thought BAU could learn something from it. The stuff Lawson made her do—the way he brainwashed her—I don’t know how she managed to stay sane enough to marry River.”

  “I don’t either. River didn’t deserve what she did to him.”

  “Is he out of the Navy?” Cara asks.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I think Command is afraid to discharge any of the team because of all of this, but I can’t imagine River has any sort of access to the base. He’s the worst AWOL case out there. He shows up out of nowhere and disappears in the blink of an eye. He showed up at Magoo’s after we went to the gun range. Didn’t say much, just sat there, had a beer, and left.”

  “Do you think he knows more than he’s letting on?”

  I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so, but ask Evan. River was his team leader, and he knows him better. I only know him through Evan and what I read in that file you gave me before River blew the house up. I’d like to think he’s not involved, and he did kill Frannie.”

  “Maybe to keep her quiet?”

  Cara’s question gives me pause. “I don’t buy it. I think he killed her because of what she did to him and his team.”

  She sets her glass in the sink and turns to me. “We need to talk to Evan. He needs to know what I found. It may be nothing, but I’d rather him know than be surprised later.”

  “McCoy too,” I add. “Claire is... young.”

  Cara nods. “Carter?”

  “We can give him a heads up. So far, Grace hasn’t been on anyone’s radar.”

  “That doesn’t mean she’s not.”

  “True.”

  I step forward and pull Cara into my arms. “Someday, none of this will be a topic of conversation. We won’t spend our days and nights worrying about who lurks around the corner or who is trying to hurt our family.”

  “It’ll always be my job,” she reminds me. “But you’re right. Someday it won’t be our family involved.”

  Just someone else’s family.

  “How long are you here for?”

  “A couple of days,” she says. “I have a meeting with the Bureau chief on Monday at the field office in San Diego.”

  “What for?”

  She shrugs. “He didn’t say, and I didn’t ask. I’m almost afraid to know.”

  I hate her job.

  “Come on, let’s walk downtown and get some dinner.”

  “Sounds perfect.” Cara kisses me deeply, and instead of heading out for dinner, we head into the bedroom. With her on a mini vacation, it’s time we reacquaint ourselves.

  Chapter 2

  Cara

  Today is one of those days when I don’t want to work. Between the sun, the blue sky, and the sound of freedom flying overhead, the thought of opening my email or going into the field office to talk about sex trafficking and crimes doesn’t sit high on my list. To make matters worse, Nate only has a few more days until he returns to active duty, and who knows how that will go. We haven’t really talked about him retiring, but I know we’ve both thought about it. I don’t trust the Navy, not with everything going on, and I definitely don't trust the government even though I work for the FBI. The sheer number of cover-ups I come across blows my mind. Every politician is dirty, and everyone lies. The term passing the buck doesn’t even scratch the surface for these people. The truth could stare them down in an alley, and they’d still say it was someone else.

  The San Diego branch of the FBI sits in front of what I suspect is supposed to be a grassy knoll, but it’s more like a dirt knoll if there is such a thing. The campus consists of three buildings, made mostly of glass. It makes you wonder why an entity like the FBI doesn’t covet privacy a bit more. Granted, security is tight, but it’s like the feds are screaming for the criminals to, “come and stare in our windows.”

  I show the guard my badge. He checks the log and then raises the barrier to let me through. The San Diego branch focuses mostly on homeland security and anything significant in California, like fraud or corruption. Of course, the team here lends a hand whenever additional special agents are needed. I’m not sure why I’m here, to be honest. My division is special crimes, and while I go where I’m needed, my office is based out of Quantico.

  After checking in at the front and having my weapon checked, I head to Special Agent in Charge Suzanna Trey’s office. We met once in passing when she was the assistant director in charge of training. A colleague introduced us, but we’ve never had a face-to-face until now.

  When I get to her office, her assistant instructs me to go to the conference room where I find Ms. Trey and three other agents: Pamela Skinner, Hank Granger, and Jess Turner. After introductions, we sit down with cups of coffee and let the awkwardness settle in.

  “I’m going to cut to the chase, Agent Hughes. I like you. I like the work that you’re doing, and I think you’re the perfect person to head up our new sex crimes unit for this office.”

  I let her words sink in and replay them in my head. With anything as of late, I want to know why. It’s become a habit, almost like second nature, to ask. “Why am I the perfect candidate when there are so many more qualified agents in Quantico?”

  The other agents in the room look uncomfortable with my question, but not Agent Trey. “Qualifications mean nothing if you’re not passionate about what you’re fighting for.” She moves a large file in front of her and places her hands on top. “This is your file on Senator Lawson,” she says. “And when I look through here, do you know what I see?”

  “That I haven’t closed it,” I say.

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you want to know why?”

  Trey shakes her head. “I already know. It’s not finished.” She pauses and takes a sip of her coffee. “The fact that the man is behind bars and his file is still open says something about how you view this case.”

  I scoff. “My SAC thinks I’m stalling because I have a personal relationship with one of the victims.”

  “I don’t care about that. What I care about is that you’re aware enough to know there are other issues with this case, that once it’s closed, it will be a mountain of paperwork to get it open again. I admire someone who isn’t afraid to go against the grain, and I want someone like you to head up the division. This is just one file of many that we have. It makes sense for San Diego to have their own task force instead of continually borrowing from Quantico.”

  I take a drink of my coffee and lean forward, feeling a bit queasy. Honestly, the past couple of weeks I’ve felt off, and I’m not sure I haven’t picked up some bug from the cesspool of underground filth I’ve had to wade through in Vegas. Figuratively speaking, of course.

  “The job isn’t without hardship, as you know. The job is hard. It takes a toll on a person. But it requires someone with guts and passion. I think that’s you.”

  Leading a team would be a dream. Nate and I could put down some roots and not have to travel so much. “Would I be able to continue working on the Lawson case, even though my leads have gone cold?”

  Trey pushes the file toward me. I open it even though I have the contents memorized. “I’d expect nothing less,” she says. I thumb through the pages and work to keep the contents of my stomach where they belong. He’s a sick, sick man.

  “How big is the team?”

  “Besides you, Granger, Skinner, and Turner. Each of them has major crimes experience, and Turner did a stint at BAU.”

  I nod. “And an office?”

  “Your own pit, with an analyst. We’re not cutting corners here. Trafficking is an issue, especially so close to the border. I want it stopped.”

  We’re on the same page there. “When can I start?”

 

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