Book 4: The World We Live In
"Troy, stop," Cristine demanded. She didn't look at him, not even when she felt him cage her entirely between the door and himself, arms at either side of her body with his hands pressing into the door. Her eyes fluttere...
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Troy and the militia arrived just when noon hit. The sun beat down the dusty plains, and Troy was sweating beneath his fatigues. After a debrief of the long night's activity, he dismissed them. He spotted his brother at the sidelines, and Troy unconsciously straightened his tired body. Jake looked at his younger brother before a weak smile slithered on his lips. It had been a while since the two had a proper conversation. The tension between them had only grown after the Aaron debacle, and their father's condition with the bottle had only worsened. Jake wanted to be the one to break the ice with his little brother.
"You've been making progress," Jake said.
Troy shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "Just doing what needs to be done for what the Ranch needs."
"People are getting used to the new safety protocols," Jake said, trying to make small talk. "The walls are coming along nicely too." He gestured at their once simple barbed fences. At Troy's suggestion, they fortified the front with roof sheets with wooden support beams to hold them up. It was a great addition to the spiked barriers they already added near the front of the gate and blind spots near other areas. It was one of Troy's many suggestions regarding safety, the militia, and enforcing them into their community.
"All in a day's work," Troy replied, shrugging off the compliment.
Jake smiled. His little brother was good at this. Jake unhesitatingly admitted that Troy's skills were invaluable. Things were good between them when there was order, stability, and peace. But once, threats were at their door, not so much. When choosing to fight over bartering peace, Jake was the odd one out in a community where the majority favored the latter, which was a strange feeling since it had always been Troy who was that person. Jake learned that his way of doing things at those crucial times was frowned upon, not just by Troy. After a lot of reflection, Jake settled on a middle ground. Mending his relationship with Troy was at the top.
"Just promise me you'll be careful and won't put anyone at risk," Jake said.
"You mean I shouldn't put Nick at risk," Troy rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tell your girlfriend she doesn't have to worry. I'll keep her brother safe."
Jake's jaw tightened. "It's not that, Troy. I'm just saying that you need to be careful. You're the one who said we needed to become a model of what we want this place to be."
Troy filtered through his brother's words and made a turtle face, but the annoyance was plain on his face. "Nick understands the importance of our work. What we learn keeps the Ranch and everyone on it safe.".
Jake didn't want to argue, but he couldn't help but ask. "Is that why you've been away from home?"
Troy paused before speaking, giving his brother a once-over. He noticed the wrinkles on his forehead and let out a cynical grin. "Don't beat around the bush, Jake," he said with a hint of amusement. "What do you want to know?
