When he ended the call, I asked, “You’re closing the Doc-for-hire?”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “I’m not the only doc out there doing this, you know.”
“I get that.”
“And I have other things to do for now.”
“Are you an actual doctor?” I asked.
He glanced at me. “I don’t have a degree if that’s what you mean.”
“Field medicine then,” I summarized.
“Necessity driven,” he said, and then made a second call, slower but just as firm. He inhaled once, as if he had to brace himself.
“I’m calling in the favor,” he said when the person picked up. His voice didn’t crack, but something underneath it did as he argued loudly with whoever he was talking to, a long list of curses, then snapped a “fuck you,” and gave an address.
“Why there?” I asked.
“Because it’s another one of Novak’s places,” he said without looking at me. “He’s got cameras everywhere. If anyone tried to touch my family, he’d know.”
My pulse kicked hard at the mention of Novak, and I knew I had to ask one of the questions that I had, whatever the consequences of him telling me. “Alex Dryden-Well was found dead with his throat cut. Was it Novak’s work?”
“The surgeon?” He frowned, shook his head. “Novak couldn’t find him. Hell, I couldn’t find him. He’s dead?”
“Oh yeah, throat slit, face all carved up, his father dead as well.”
“Face carved up?”
“Ribbons.”
“Raven. That was his signature. Not Novak.”
“And you trust Novak?”
“I pay him well.” His fingers tightened on the wheel. That didn’t answer the question, but then, who was I to ask about trust? I trusted Alejandro would do anything for his family, including disappearing after tying up loose ends.
Including taking me out?
I didn’t know.
The car went quiet, but not empty—behind us, the twins whispered, confused, trying to ask where we were going and why Uncle Alli wasn’t talking. Marisol hushed them, voice tight and trembling, and Doc didn’t look back once. The silence felt heavy, pressing on all of us.
We didn’t speak again. Not until we were pulling into a warehouse lot. A bay door was already half up. Two figures waited outside, and fuck, I recognized them immediately—Rio and his partner Lyric. Neither of them gave any sign of knowingme, keeping our connection clean, and Rio crossed his arms and scowled at Alejandro.
“What the fuck, Doc?” he snarled.
“I’m calling in my favor,” he began, “my family goes with you to an address that my sister knows,” Doc said. No explanation. No softening despite Rio snarling.
“Then we’re even,” Rio said.
Doc shook his head and jerked his chin toward Marisol and the twins who’d stayed in the car. “You stay with them until I say otherwise, and I’ll owe you free medical care for your entire fucking life.”
I didn’t know what to say, and Rio stared at Alejandro for a long second, expression unreadable. “Is this going to putmyfamily in danger?” He meant Redcars, but his gaze swept over me as well. The Redcars family was now a blend of the men at the garage and the Cave, which included me, although keeping myself on the downlow as a serving detective kept me away from them all for the most part.
Alejandro didn’t get a chance to answer.
Headlights swept across the loading bay as Novak parked, then ambled over as if we were meeting for a beer, threw Doc an up nod, and stopped at his shoulder.
