He set it aside, needing to stay clearheaded as long as possible. He couldn’t risk being drugged so early. The fact that he’d had about an hour of sleep in days wasn’t helping either.
He pumped her for information during the drive, but she either didn’t know anything was amiss or she was a much better actress than he’d given her credit for. They reached the family mansion in no time, and he settled into his character.
His bloodshot eyes and raging headache from lack of sleep worked in his favor.
Tension blanketed the interior of the mansion as the members scurried around, cleaning frantically. “What’s going on?” Mal asked.
Tree hurried in from outside. “Malcolm. The Prophet would like to see you immediately.”
“Huh.” Mal kept his expression mildly curious. “Okeydoke.” He patted April on the arm. “Will I see you for lunch later?”
Happiness flushed her young face. “Definitely.” Then she frowned, looking around. “What do you think is going on?”
“Dunno.” Mal turned and made his way unescorted to the end of the hall, where he knocked and waited for Isaac to invite him in. The second he’d cleared the doorway, a gun cocked and a barrel was pressed to his temple. “I’m thinking you’re not happy to see me,” he murmured.
Isaac sat behind his desk, while George held the gun to Mal’s head. He shut the door. “Ever seen brains splatter on a wall?” George asked.
“Yes. Have you?” Mal kept his gaze on Isaac, who watched impassively.
“Not yet, but I’m looking forward to it,” George said grimly.
Enough of that shit. Malcolm dropped, punched George in the knee, and grabbed the gun as George fell. “It’s a very ugly sight.” He slipped the Glock into the front of his waistband for easy access and faced Isaac, tilting his head. “Want to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Isaac studied him, his eyes a darker amber than usual. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Neither do I.” Mal could barely see a silver gun held casually in Isaac’s lap. He really didn’t want to get shot again.
Both men ignored a groaning George, who had to use the wall to pull himself upright.
“Do you understand that ends very often justify means?” Isaac steepled his fingers together.
Mal scoffed. “You’ve probably seen my record. Of course I do. Always have.”
Isaac nodded. “Can I trust you?”
Mal lifted an eyebrow. “As much as you can trust anybody, buddy.” He kept an eye on George via his peripheral vision. “Listen. I don’t need this crap. April is cute, and the meditation kind of helped with the headaches, if not the migraines, but seriously.”
“Do you want to belong?” Isaac asked. “Do you want to protect abused women like Mrs. Thomson and scared kids like her son?”
“Of course.” Mal leaned back against the door. “You know what I don’t want? I don’t want to walk into a room and have a gun pointed at my head.”
A light flared in Isaac’s eyes. “We need funds to keep this place safe for our family. Sometimes, we’ve robbed dens of inequity to make money and obtain necessary medication for some of our ill members.”
Dens of inequity? Had the jerk really just used that term? Mal tried to nod.
Isaac continued. “For decades, we’ve taken from pharmacies. They’re insured, and nobody has been hurt. We’ve had a couple of missteps, but last night, two of my best were captured. The police were waiting. Do you have an explanation for that?”
Mal lifted an eyebrow. “Were your guys any good?”
“The best.” Isaac set his hand on the hilt of his gun but didn’t lift it. “Don’t you think that’s a coincidence, considering you’re an ex-cop and have just joined the family?”
Mal hadn’t exactly joined the family. He frowned. “All right. I don’t believe in coincidences. But the only person I’ve really hung out with is April. Are you telling me she’s some sort of secret superspy who gave me information?”
Isaac leaned back. “No. Definitely not. Do you have an alternative explanation?”
Yeah. There was a bug two feet away from Mal. He had to get to it. “Well, approaching the issue like a detective, I’d ask if any of your members have acted funny lately. Used the phone without being authorized? Taken off by themselves when in town? Needed alone time to maybe talk to the cops?”
Isaac frowned. “George?”
