“From the sofa?” Seamus asks sarcastically.
“Things like what?” This time, Cal picks up his lighter and shoves the cigarette behind his ear. He grips the lighter tight. He stands and walks over, staring down at me. “We’re in a good place, Declan. Things are going well. We don’t need to rock boats or stick noses where they don’t belong.”
“Someone’s trying to kill her and has threatenedher mam. They might’ve taken her father, too.” I scratch Arnold’s ears and stroke fingers down Clawzilla’s back.
“So?” Cal asks.
“So…I’m going to help keep her safe.” I shrug. “Look, those drugs?—”
“Fuck those drugs. Learning curve, Declan. Deal with it and don’t make fast and loose deals.” Callahan flicks the lighter. “Think things through before you act.”
“The girl is Marlowe Briggs. Her father’s?—”
“Heston Briggs.” Torin picks up his laptop and turns in his chair, balancing it on his knee as Seamus pours some drinks. “Of Briggs Energy.”
Cal looks at him. “Briggs Energy is big, lots of things under that umbrella of theirs.”
Callahan means not all of it is energy related.
“They diversified years ago, but they do have a branch that keeps the core original business. Energy. Only it’s renewable energy now.” Torin frowns. “And now Heston’s missing. Not reported, but the Dark Web mentions his wife, Cloris, has hired people to find him, but so far nothing. There were threats made—and mysteriously squashed—against her life.”
“And her daughter’s.” I look up at Cal.
“Again, so?” Cal says.
“Heston likes to gamble,” Torin says.
Seamus looks at us. “So fucking what? Lots of rich people like to gamble.”
“Board members include a few unsavory people, the type to put the mafia to shame. Dirty players who have money and checkered pasts,” Torin says. “But no one we’d be interested in.” He pauses. “Some of them have links to various cartels and mafia families.”
“Why are you interested enough in this family and their business to kidnap the daughter?” Seamus asks, handingdrinks out. He puts one down for me on the coffee table opposite Arnold. I know why Arnie’s being so needy. He wants to go for a run, but right now, I can’t leave. Much as I’d like to escape the inquisition.
He whines like he can read my thoughts and guilt sets in.
“Extra-long run tomorrow, Arnie,” I whisper into his fur. Clawzilla swishes his tail. “You, too.”
“Dec?” Cal asks, clicking the lighter and sipping his drink.
There are answers to Seamus’s question, but some shouldn’t be mentioned. The fact I almost fucked her would be a red flag to my brothers. And if they knew she was the one behind that arrest that never was? It would be bad.
So I settle on other possible responses.
“It’s not kidnapping. I’m technically guarding her.”
“Not a fucking answer, Dec.” Cal’s eyebrows knit together.
“I think her father was taken by the cartel. Either Cinco Cartel, who aren’t big, but are nasty. Or Roja. And I’m pretty fucking sure this Cloris has ties to Milo Marcello.”
Callahan pauses in taking another swallow of his drink.
“If she’s in danger, she needs protecting. If there are cartel links, we should know about them,” I say. Cal’s eyes narrow. “And if there’s an in through all this to the Marcello mafia without us formally getting involved, it could be worth it. I’d be on the inside, maybe get access to Marcello through Cloris.”
“We?” asks Seamus. “Fuck no.”
“By we, I mean me. I go in as her bodyguard, my offshoot business separate from our family business.”
I’m determined, so I keep going. “I could find out more. Get intel about the cartels, her father, and Marcello mafia.”
