“You sure?” he asked after a long pause. Averylong pause. The kind designed to give me time to rethink what I had just said.
“We have rules for a reason, Titus. Please tell me I don’t have to explain to you how dangerous—”
“No, I know exactly how difficult it will be for you to maintain law and order if those you’re in charge of don’t believe you’ll enforce your word. And I support your decision one hundred percent…if you’re sure that’s your decision.”
“So then, why are you tacitly questioning my decision?”
“Because I know how close you and Vance are. How much he means to you. And I wonder if there might not be another way to make your point?”
“Such as?”
“What?” Titus huffed, and the sound was not without a certain bitter amusement. “I have to think of everything?”
“Cute. But he’s already on the way.” At least, I hoped he was. “And I’m going to need a replacement. Someone who knows what’s been going on here with Silas.” I exhaled heavily. “Someone whodoesn’tlook like Lochlan. Seriously send me the least attractive enforcer you have. My sister has a type. It’s men.”
“Charley, all of my enforcers are men.”
“So then, you understand my problem.”
He laughed.
“It’s not funny. It’sreally reallynot funny.”
“Maybe it would help if you tried to see the humor in the situation.”
I growled over the line, and Titus sighed.
“I’ll shuffle things around, and you’ll have someone new by morning. Can you manage until then?”
“Yeah, thanks.” I gave up the battle for willpower and pulled the nearly empty bottle of very expensive tequila from my drawer. It’s not like I was gonna get drunk off one shot anyway. “I’ll call in one of the guys from Memphis if I need to.” One of my other, non-local enforcers.
“Good. So, what’s the update on the case?”
“Do you remember Billy, my short order cook?”
“Vaguely. He’s just a kid right? Davey’s age?”
“A little younger. Turns out he was Silas’s stepson. In a weird, backwoods common law kind of situation.”
I filled him in on the case, and Titus was quiet for a moment, evidently processing the new information while I poured myself a shot, one handed. Without spilling a single drop on my desk blotter.
“Do you have Billy in custody?” he asked at last.
“Locked up in the basement as we speak. I’m not convinced he was involved, but I’m not prepared to let him go yet either.”
“And Denny?”
“Still tracking him down. Vance did a second interview with Billy this morning and he left me a list of every place he and Denny hung out as kids, every place he ever worked, and every single friend and relative he ever heard Denny mention. Tucker is on internet duty, with Austin and Bishop standing by to do leg work as possibilities come up. When we find him, we’ll bring him in.”
Titus exhaled. “Do not under any circumstances go after this Denny alone. I know you’re down a man now, but you take Tucker with you. Or Austin and Bishop, if you trust them. Do you understand, Charley?”
“Yes, of course.”
Titus hesitated for a second, and I could almost hear his mental gears turning. “So, what did you think of Faythe?”
“She’s a legend.” I wanted to stuff the words back into my mouth the moment I’d said them, but it was too late.
He burst into laughter. “Don’t let her hear you say that.”
