Enzo ground his teeth.Fucker.He glanced at Kathleen. The way she hugged her middle, a frown etched deep between her brows, made his stomach knot. She couldn’t take much more. This needed to end.
He took the phone. “Vitale,” he growled.
“You disobeyed my instructions,” the smooth voice on the other end of the phone commented.
How dare the man treat him as if he were a school lad and Vitale was the head master?Fucker.“Yes. I have the treasure and, in the end, isn’t that what you want?’ he taunted. “Youdidn’t think the cartels would really go for a treasure map as payment, did you?”
The sharp hiss on the other end of the line was supremely satisfactory.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out what this is really about? You’re in trouble. You need to be bailed out, and you’re hoping this treasure will do it for you. The map gave you time to bargain with the cartels.” Enzo had kept his voice smooth, hiding the condescension he was feeling. Then he made his voice harder. “Too fucking bad. I’m on my way. You will stick to the deal. The treasure for Bianca. Try to screw me, and you won’t live long enough to regret it.”
Callum took the phone back and stared at Enzo as he listened. Then he hung up without ever uttering a word. He turned to his brother and gestured that they should leave the circle and chat.
“No,” Enzo growled. “This is your moment. Choose a side. I don’t know what’s up with you and the Callahans, and I don’t give a fuck, but this is where you draw the line in the sand. With us or against us.” They wouldn’t like the end result if they chose against them. Vitale wasn’t the only badass in the world. Enzo would make anything Vitale did in retaliation look like child’s play.
Callum looked at Griffin and then at his sister. Griffin did the same.
No one said a word.
Fuck.He really hoped it would go the other way, but so be it. He reached for his gun.
“Wait,” Mackie said, holding up her hands. “Just wait. It’s not that easy for us. Vitale…he…”
“For fuck’s sake,” Enzo snarled. “Spit it out. He what? Has something on you?”
Mackie hesitated and then nodded. “Yeah.”
“What is it?” Gage asked.
Griffin snorted. “Like we’re gonna tell you.”
“Why wouldn’t you? What if we can help?” Gage pushed.
“Why should we trust you?” Griffin shot back.
“Because,” Logan cut in, “apparently we’re family.”
Griffin snorted. “We may be related, but we’re not fuckin’ family.”
“You have us at an advantage,” Mitch commented. “You seem to know more about this situation than we do. You knew we existed, which is one up on us. Until the failed heist at the Museum in New York, we had no clue about you lot. You can be sure the minute this is over, we’re going to get answers, but whether we like it or not, we’re family. Tell us the issue, and if we can help, we will.” He spoke directly to Griffin. “I have no idea why you hate us so much, but I respect it. Don’t let your hatred stop you from getting the help you need.”
Enzo wanted to bellow at all of them to sort their shit out later. They needed to finish this, but his frustration was irrelevant. This needed sorting first—either by talking or by bullets—it didn’t matter to him. He just needed to keep going. Kathleen needed to be free of this, and all these fucking people were standing in the way of that.
“Look—”
“It’s a video,” Mackie blurted. “It shows me stealing something from a small museum in the south of France. I missed a camera, apparently.”
Griffin stared at his sister, and his eyes narrowed. Then he switched his gaze to Callum. “You said it was you.”
“I lied,” Callum declared, deadpan.
Mackie sighed. “I knew you’d freak out, so I didn’t tell you. But I told Callum, and then when Vitale called, he threatened to expose me to the police unless we did what he wanted. I knewyou would just go along if I said I wanted to do this job, so Callum told you it was him who screwed up.”
Griffin swore.
“What museum?” Gage asked as he dug out his phone. “And on what date?”
“What does that matter?” Griffin demanded.
