As the questions kept assaulting him, Tom felt his head spin. He realized she had much to worry about, but honestly, he was just as nearly out of the loop as she was.
With a wince, he said, "I don't know why she was kidnapped, and as for Cadeyrn hating my brother, well..." He was absolutely sure Max wouldn't want Brook to know any details. Enough people knew already, and Tom could tell by their rushed, emotional reunion last month that Max felt guilty enough over it without letting all his friends know about it as well. So how to say the truth without giving anything away? "It's complicated." Very complicated. "Max and Cadeyrn have never actually met, but there were words exchanged... it isn't Cadeyrn's fault either. Max has changed. A lot. Like you said, war does strange things... to be honest, I have no idea what's been going on either. I thought Max had been dead for the last ten years, until recently... we've only just caught up. After he vanished with dad, I joined the Marines. So I've been there pretty much since I could legally enroll. Been all over the world and such, fighting everywhere... not much to say about me other than that, really. I'm sort of boring." No, he really wasn't his brother. "As for Tristan, I heard he's been there for several months now. Max went to visit him before going to Africa. I got him the boat, he's still sailing at the moment. He had to go to escape certain... troubles. He's got a daughter now. She's five."
Even saying it, Tom still couldn't believe it. It felt surreal, in a way.
As Brook went on about her home and the fact that she wouldn't leave, he felt an odd sense of relief. If he hadn't liked her before, he liked her now. He gave her a friendly smile. "I'm glad you want to stay. It's hard fighting for the country when everyone's leaving, you know?"
But then Tom heard the noise as well, and he stood up. The fumbling nervousness drained from his face, and he grew serious. With a gesture he said, "Stay here." There was no telling what it was, but he was glad he was here to protect her from it.
His hand rested over the holster of his gun, and he quietly slipped past her, toward the back door.