Degrees Of Honor The Honor Series Book One

Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

Travis

At the mention of Anthony's name, my spine stiffened. I know that name. I served with him in boot camp and then for the first couple of years as a grunt. The term volatile is a mild term to what Anthony's personality was. We butted heads, competed against each other at every turn and fought over the basic rules of engagement more often than any other recruits. Anthony didn't follow the code and I did. He had his own rules and agenda. The man was capable of anything. He was a loose cannon and could go off at any little thing.

How had Cassie gotten mixed up with him, and what did Anthony have over her father?

"Wait a second."

Releasing her, I paced away and immediately felt the cold emptiness that wasn't there a minute ago. Strange. Something to consider another time. Turning back to Cassie, I got to thinking about what she said. Dean wants revenge on the Colonel.

"Why? What happened between them that he wants revenge? " Seeing the panic on her face I reached out to stroke my hand tenderly over her hair, attempting to help soothe her nerves. "How's he gonna get revenge on him, Cassie?" I realized now, I am very much in the dark on this entire mission.

Cassie shook her head. "I don't know exactly. I don't know his plan, but..." She hesitates and bites down on her lip contemplating what to share with me. "I found a letter from a man named Tom Roundtree in Anthony's things. Anyway, I guess this Tom person served with my father years ago. They seemed to be close but Dad has never talked about him. In the letter, it says that my father isn't really my father. It says my mother had an affair and this Roundtree guy is my father."

It had to have been a blow when she found the letter. Her truth, her trust, in the two people closest to her were put in question. Her own identity not what she thought. Her parents lied to her all these years, it must still hurt. I can't say how I would have handled that. "It says if Roundtree dies, then it was my father who killed him."

Frowning over this, I pull her back into my arms. It was as much for me as it was for her. Resting my cheek against the side of her head, I feel the warmth flood back into my body. Did the Colonel know about this before sending me? Was the Colonel guilty of killing this man? Was Anthony the one who had sent the letters to the Colonel? These were more questions than I have the answers to.

"Travis, he knows I know. Anthony caught me when I was reading the letter. We got into a huge fight over it, worse than any other fight we had." I don't like the sound of this. I'm positive the Colonel isn't going to like it.

"Did he touch you? Hurt you?" My blood began to boil with the thought.

She didn't need to answer me. I saw the look on her face. That subtle change to embarrassment and shame that she allowed it to happen. There's no reason, no excuse good enough to me for a man to raise his hands on a woman.

"Yes. It wasn't the first time but it was the worst. He hit me several times. I remember trying to block his blows, wishing he would just leave me alone. I blacked out some of it, it was horrible. I fell, I know that and I knocked my head against the corner of the table. I don't remember anything else until my neighbor found me. He heard us fighting and waited until Anthony left before he came over. He's helped me before to clean up or offer a safe place. He took me to the hospital." Cassie twisted the hem of her shirt around her fingers. A nervous habit I've identified.

"Where did Anthony go?" I questioned, trying my damnedest to separate my emotions from my job. My voice sounds raw and rough as I try to keep calm and think rationally through the emotions that are raging inside of me. What is the connection between Anthony Dean and Tom Roundtree? It's just another question for me to find the answer to.