“At least she’s alive and can be in the shit.”
He nodded slowly. “You told me how you found your mother.”
“I did. I should’ve been home earlier from work. If I had, I’d have been able to stop the overdose.”
“Don’t hit me for what I’m about to say.” He knocked back the whisky in one. “That might’ve been the case, but there’d have been a time after that when you wouldn’t have been on time, or early, or there.”
I stared at the floor between my feet.
“I know.”
“Here’s the plan. I’m going to tear my sister a new one for keeping secrets about this. You’re going to look after her.” His expression told me I didn’t know everything.
“What else happened, Nate?”
“Whoever it was had a crack at Keegan, the lad who works the matchday parking, the one with red hair.”
My stomach turned. “What did they do?”
“Knocked him out. I’m not sure how. Genny has the details. He’s okay — he’s been taken to hospital to get checked out, but our doc thinks he’s okay. He’s a good lad.” Nate poured us both another measure.
I stared at it before taking a mouthful. “Security?”
“Yep. My house and yours, and something at Kitty’s too. Genny has a list of PIs.” He swallowed, watching me like a hawk. “Is this going to make you ditch my sister?”
Something in my chest popped. “No.” I put my glass down. “Fuck no.”
He stared at me some more.
“I know I haven’t dealt with getting close to someone for the fear that something will happen to them, but that’s not a reason to end things.” I looked at him, feeling wetness in my eyes that I didn’t want to drop. “You and Chan. It didn’t end you. You’re still living.”
When Nate’s wife had died, I’d stayed away. I’d been Chan’s friend too, spending time with her at their house, just like I did now. Seeing her ill and not getting better had made me run for the hills, and there’d been a period of time when I just couldn’t be around.
I’d got my shit together eventually and turned back up, not knowing what to expect from a couple who were about to experience the worst of what life had to offer, but Nate had just slapped my back and told me he was glad I was there.
He nodded three or four times, finishing his whisky and putting the glass down on Guy’s desk with a slam. “I am. So’s my sister. So are you. She’s as stubborn as hell, and she’ll try and do everything by herself. There aren’t many men who I know can be what she needs, even when she doesn’t think she needs anything.”
The door swung open before I could respond, an ashen Genevieve coming through.
“Is that Guy’s whisky?”
We both managed to look twitchy.
“Poor me a double. It’s his good stuff too. Make it a triple.” She sat down in the leather chair facing his desk.
Nate sorted out her drink. I braced myself for words I needed to handle hearing.
Genny took a few sips before relaxing her shoulders. “It always tastes better when Guy’s paid for it.” She put her feet up on his desk. “You ready for the details? I‘ve just sat in with Jez while the police have gone through everything.”
“Who’s with her now?” Nate asked before I could.
“Your dad. You mum’s taken the girls and Amber home — they don’t know anything. I’ve sent security over there and they still won’t know anything. Jez is okay. She’s shaken, but she’s okay.”
“What happened?” I managed to get my shit together.
Genny took a deep breath. “Keegan saw someone messing with Jez’s car. He went over to them and took a blow to the head, probably from a bat. Whoever it was left a note — this is the fourth correspondence from the same person. There are various nasty threats about what they want to do to Jez, and I’m not going into more details because you don’t need them.”
“Is it one of the standard crazies?” Nate folded his arms.
