“I don’t know a thing. I’m just helping out my friend,” Leon says, his voice rising in panic. “That’s why I came here tonight. I’m worried about her. I know who you are and what you’reinvolved with. She’s not part of that life, and I wanted to make sure she was okay.”
“Friend,” I mutter as his eyes cut up to me. “She doesn’t need your friendship. Or your concern. I am more than capable of keeping her protected.”
“Now, now, don’t murder him, Declan. It’s messy. Do it inside where we can clean up.” Cal edges closer and blows smoke rings in Leon’s face. “You’d be wise to answer my brother.”
“Look,” he says, “I swear I’m only trying to help Marlowe. The dude who had information about her dad didn’t show up that night like he was supposed to. I had no idea there were others meeting at the same time. Just like I had no idea my family would show. You and Marlowe weren’t the targets. The Italians were.”
Now Torin steps up. “Which family?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t fucking lie, dickwad,” Seamus says. “You were there with family. At best, setting up a girl, at worst, double dipping on the night’s activities and knowingly putting her in danger.”
Leon struggles against me. He most definitely doesn’t want to go down into what he probably thinks is the torture garage of nightmares and anguish. “I had to join my family, to save her. I’m not even really part of the cartel, okay? Being born into the edges of it doesn’t make me much more than a glorified foot soldier. And I’m barely that. I don’t do their shit.”
“No, you just stand shoulder to shoulder with them.” I squeeze his throat hard one last time before letting him go.
He stumbles a little, heaving and gasping for air. “What else am I supposed to do when family calls? I had to be there. It would’ve been fucking worse to walk.”
I press my lips together. That isn’t howfamily works. Everyone in ours is staunchly loyal. His words tell us he’s loyal, but there’s another note in his voice…
“Keep away from Marlowe.” I offer a tight smile. “I’ll take care of finding her da. I’m discovering I’m the jealous type.” I pause. “So you’d better go. Now.”
He turns and darts away, hands stuffed into his pockets, hunched over.
“This shit gonna be a problem?” Cal asks.
“No.”
Although I’m not really sure if I believe that.
It seems like anything to do with Molly becomes a problem.
A big one. In all caps.
In the garage, as Seamus takes care of the bike, Cal lights up his second cigarette.
“He’s not going to be a threat to the girls or the kids.” Or, I add silently, to the animals.
Mainly because I’ll gut him first.
“You know that?” Cal asks, blowing out a stream of smoke as he inspects some tools on the work bench.
I nod. “I’ll move Marlowe out if I?—”
“Your little project’s in danger, too,” Torin says. “And our place is a fortress.”
“We’ll also be taking down anyone who threatens us or our home,” Seamus says, setting a rag down on the saddle. “Not that Ava and I came up with anything after talking to our contacts tonight.”
Cal sighs, leaning against the work bench. “I’m curious about Briggs Energy and the Marcello family. I still want to get that meeting.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Not your business, Dec.
“So you don’t need me, and you don’t want to include me in on this,” I mutter.
Cal stubs the cigarette on a piece of sandpaper, putting it out. He comes up to me as the others find something else to do. Cowards.
