“I called Devlin after I learned about the contract on your life. Although we didn’t find one for Casey, there’s the possibility Eduardo will put one out on her if the D.A. decides to call her as a witness in Carrie’s death. He may have held off because Mateo’s lawyers could easily discredit her based on who her father is and the fact that her own case was dismissed.”
“Oh God,” Jonas whispered.
“Devlin had just learned about the dismissal. They were preparing to come back to the States when Casey…”
Jonas straightened and released my hand. “What? She what?”
“There were some complications with the pregnancy. She and the baby are fine but the doctors are worried about the stress she’s under so she’s on bed rest. Probably for the remainder of the pregnancy. She can’t fly home.”
Jonas paled. “I have to talk to her,” he said, automatically jumping up.
Cole grabbed him gently and said, “She’s okay, Jonas. We’ll call her as soon as we’re done here.”
Jonas hesitated and then nodded and lowered himself back down. I could tell he was checking out so I turned my attention to Ronan.
“They need protection.”
“Devlin’s already hired some people. I sent Hawke to keep an eye on things.”
I nodded. Michael “Hawke” Hawkins was one of Ronan’s best men. I knew next to nothing about him but I’d seen him in action on more than one occasion. All of Devlin Prescott’s wealth couldn’t have found him a better man.
“What happens next?” Cole asked, though his eyes were on Jonas.
“If the plea is overturned next week, the D.A. will seek to re-indict and he’ll want Jonas to testify in front of the Grand Jury. That’s probably why Eduardo hired other guys to go after Jonas the other night…Benny was taking too long to get the job done.”
I nodded and then stood up and moved closer to Ronan. I spared Cole a glance and saw understanding in his gaze. He knew what needed to happen. My eyes shifted to Jonas who seemed to be in a daze.
“Can you get me whatever you’ve got on Eduardo?” I said to Ronan.
Ronan didn’t question my request. He simply nodded. “I’m looking into what can be done about Mateo.”
“What?” Jonas said, his voice uneven. I heard his chair scrape back and then he was shoving between me and Ronan. “What are you doing?”
“Cole,” I said but as soon as Cole stood, Jonas put his hand out to stop him.
“No!” he said firmly. “No, you are not doing this. I won’t let you.”
I settled my hands on Jonas’s upper arms but he shrugged them off. “I said no!”
“Jonas…”
But he whirled on Ronan and shouted, “Do you even give a shit about him?” Ronan looked caught off guard by the attack but he didn’t even get a chance to respond. “Did you really think you were saving him when you offered him a job where he fucking killed people?”
“Jonas,” I said, grabbing Jonas’s arm.
Jonas shoved me off but turned back to me. “I heard you and Cole last night. He’s the one, isn’t he?” he asked as he slashed his finger at Ronan. “The man you said offered you something you wanted more than anything else.”
I nodded because I was too overwhelmed to speak. I’d meant to tell Jonas about my past when I was stronger…when I no longer had to worry about losing him over the betrayal I’d inflicted on him.
“He used you, Mace! He used your grief and turned it into something cruel and ugly. Because the man I’ve come to know and love doesn’t enjoy going around killing people! If he’d cared for you even a little, he would have helped you find a way to live with your loss instead of exploiting it!”
I hadn’t missed Jonas’s indirect admission of love but I couldn’t focus on it so I said, “Jonas, I knew what I was signing up for-”
“How could you? You were so filled with hate and anger and pain that you couldn’t have known what it would do to you.”
I felt my whole body go tight at Jonas’s words. He couldn’t know the toll my work had taken on me over the years. He couldn’t know the same darkness that had consumed me after Evan’s death had started to bleed back into me little by little with each life I took.
But he grabbed my face and said, “I get it, Mace. You wanted to protect kids like Evan and you did it the only way you knew how. But you’re not like that monster who took Evan from you. You don’t take pleasure in taking a life…any life!”
