Animal steps forward, jaw locked, eyes dark. “Well, that’s the thing. We think they were supposed to.”
The four of them drag chairs out from the table and position them so they’re sitting around my desk like they’re preparing for a funeral. My frown deepens.
“Explain, Animal,” I order.
He drags a hand over his face, exhaling long and slow. I recognize that sound—it’s the one a man makes when he hates what he’s about to say. “We know who’s behind the shooting you were in, Horse.”
Every muscle in my body goes still. Tight. Ready.Already expecting the worst.
“Fine,” I say. “Out with it.”
Animal hesitates.He fucking hesitates. My brothers don’t do that shit. We’ve faced death together and do that head-on. This means that whatever he’s going to say is going to gut someone. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the someone in question is me.
“Horse, brother, all signs point to the person behind it being Dee.”
The world blinks out for a second. It’s like someone drives a fist straight up under my ribs, knocking the air from my lungs. I breathe out a broken whisper, feeling as if the words are choking me. “The fuck you say.” The room turns heavy. Suffocating. It presses in on all sides, thick with anger and disbelief and something that feels too close to betrayal.
Pie clears his throat. “There were no cameras nearby. It’s pretty clear the shooters planned it all. Traffic cams show someone following you. It was far enough back you wouldn’t have clocked them, but that van was there each time.”
I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches. I should’ve noticed. I’ve let myself get complacent. Soft. Comfortable. That’s on me—and I swear to God it won’t happen again. Not with Gwen in the picture. I’ll burn the damn world down before I let anything touch her.
“Skip the fluff,” I snap. “Tell me what makes you say my bitch of an ex is mixed up in some asshole taking a shot at me.”
Rocky lifts his chin. “There was an ATM within view of the site. I doubt the shooter thought of that?—”
“Rocky,” I warn, wanting him to get to the point.
“I’m saying that,” he pushes on, “because the bastard caught on camera is someone we all know.”
My stomach drops. “Whoever it was, I know for a fact it wasn’t Dee,” I tell him, and I’d die on that hill. Whoever held that gun wasn’t a woman. I didn’t get a clear look. I was too busy diving for cover and protecting Gwen, but I definitely saw a man’s hand on the gun.
Animal gestures toward the big monitor on the wall. “It’s easier to show you.”
The screen lights up with grainy footage. I see myself standing with Gwen on the sidewalk. It’s only been a week, but watching it feels like a lifetime ago. It’s like she’s always been part of my life. A smile tugs at my lips—until a blurry figure leans out a van window and lifts a gun. Animal pauses the frame. He zooms in, and I see him. Iknowthat face. Dee’s brother, Mark.
“Motherfucker,” I hiss.
Animal looks pained. “Horse, man … I think we should loop in the cops. Dee will make your life hell, and right now we've got nothing linking her to his actions.”
“But we all know that for something like this, Dee would have to give the go-ahead. Mark is too stupid to act on his own,” Rocky says, and I agree with him. It’s just the aftermath of what I’ve seen here that is slowly killing me inside. Dee and I weren’t this big love match, but we lived together for six years. We have a beautiful son together. There is a history between us, and yes, a lot of it is bad, but motherfucker there was a lot good too. This isn’t just betrayal. It’s annihilation, and the person who stands to get hurt the most is Caleb.
I shake my head, fists clenching. “I’m getting Caleb today. I’m not letting anything fuck that up.” My voice drops, hard as steel. “What I want from you is proof. Physical proof that bitch knew what her brother did. You’ve got one week.”
All four men tense.
“I have my boy until Christmas morning. Then I’ll be forced to give him to Dee,” I continue. “I want her stopped before sheever lays eyes on my son again. I will not let my son go back to that house.”
Animal whistles low. “That’s a tall order, Horse. Might take magic.”
I meet his eyes. “Good thing it’s Christmas, then. Magic’s supposed to be everywhere, right?”
Pie snorts. “Boss, you got any magic corn for my reindeer?”
I flip him off. “Get to work. I’m going to get my boy early. Knowing that bastard is living in Dee’s house …” I grind my teeth. “I want Caleb out of there immediately.”
My men file out. Each one of them is filled with a determination that radiates through them. I just hope it’s enough. I have to get this done before I have to send my son back into their clutches. I head for the parking lot, already fishing out my keys—but Knife appears at the passenger side and hops in before I can question him.
“What are you doing?” I ask as I start the engine.
