“What are you getting up to out here? You’re a mechanic now? I never heard that.”
“That’s a business a couple of my guys run.” As they turned the corner, Declan saw two men, roughly Gray’s age. “Horatio here is the mechanic,” he said, pointing to a man in a pair of coveralls and with longer hair held back by his stocking cap. “And this is my roommate, Raiden.”
Raiden stood up, extending a hand, his arm ropey with muscles. “Nice ink,” he said. “You Gray’s uncle? Are you the good part of the family or the shitty part of the family?”
Declan barked a laugh. “Good part.” He didn’t even have to think about that one. Compared to what half his family got up to, he and Gray were definitely the good guys.
They all took seats at a small table in the den at the back of the house. Cups of coffee and a couple of ashtrays dotted the table, and some fast rock music Declan didn’t recognize thrummed over the speakers. “How’s Albany treating you, Gray? Last time I talked to your mom, she said you were making it good.”
“Bought this house,” he answered.
Raiden chuckled. “I don’t know if you’re still making it good when you get the down payment by stealing a couple of cars.”
Gray waved his hand in the air. “Don’t listen to him, Uncle Declan. Those cars belonged to crooked cops. I was doing the town a favor.”
“Damn, Gray,” Declan chuckled. “What the hell? You know your mother would have your ass if she heard you were stealing from cops. There’s no need to take a risk like that!”
Gray grinned, clearly happy with himself. “Trust me,” he said. “They were crooked enough to make it worthwhile. And I’m good enough that I won’t get caught.”
He took after his mom even more than Declan realized. Declan turned to assess the crew, watching as Raiden eyed him right back, and Horatio turned his attention to a pack of cards he was shuffling idly. They looked tough enough, that was sure, but Declan could tell they were green, too. He made plenty of mistakes when he was that age, always trying to impress someone else, and he hoped those two were smart enough to keep Gray in line.
They all talked for a while, exchanging stories and catching up. Like Raiden suggested, there was a rift in the family. Declan’s father had always kept the family under control, and back when he was still in charge of things, it had been a different game. Since he’d died and Declan’s uncle took over, though, the family business had gone darker and darker. They’d started selling opiates and running guns, which was bad enough, but when Declan had been asked to help arrange a hit on one of their arrivals, he’d finally called it quits, skipping town for good. Declan ran one more gig with his best friend to squirrel away some money, then escaped to Vegas, looking for a new life, same as Gray’s mom had packed up her house and moved her son to the other side of the country.
Gray was definitely from Declan’s side of the family. He might have an outlaw complex about being some kind of Robin Hood hero, holding up crooked cops like he was, but at least his heart was in the right place.
Declan stubbed out a cigarette, then cracked his knuckles. “Nice as this is, I did have some business I needed to ask about.”
“Yeah, what’s up?” Gray asked, leaning forward across the table. “You said someone made a move yesterday?”
“Tried to kidnap the guy I’m protecting. Blue Devils? You heard of them?”
They all exchanged a look. “The Blue Devils made a move?” Horatio asked. “What’s your job again?”
Declan gritted his teeth, hoping he could avoid the full story of how he ended up there in the first place. “Just a standard bodyguard contract. His father is a big wig at Horizon Zed. As far as I know, the plan was to hold the son for ransom.”
“My uncle fought those motherfuckers off,” Gray said. “Didn’t you, Uncle Declan?”
“They ran,” Declan answered. “Nothing too exciting.” If he’d had a good brawl, he’d definitely share the story. The truth was, though, those Blue Devils ran so fast, he doubted they were prepared to fight in the first place.
And hell, what was he going to say? He’d stayed behind to play out some weird fantasy with Sebastian? He’d sound like he had his head up his ass.
“The Blue Devils are a local crew,” Gray said. “They usually can’t get their shit together to pull off a job once, let alone twice.”
“Sure,” Raiden agreed. “But every now and then…” He turned his eyes to meet Declan’s, and Declan saw an intense flash behind the steely concentration. “They’re unpredictable.”
“How violent?” Declan asked.
Raiden grimaced. “Violent enough.”
“Got it,” Declan said. “They’re inefficient but dangerous.”
“You want us to help with anything, Uncle Declan? They don’t tangle with us, but I got some strings I can pull. Ask around, see what the word on the street is?”
“See what you can find out. If something else is coming, I want to know about it.” The looks of the security and extra cameras that had appeared at the house put Declan’s mind at ease, but now that he had promised Sebastian he would keep him safe, he wouldn’t sleep right until he knew he’d done everything he could to that end.
“Want to smoke a joint?” Gray asked. “I’ll show you the garage, maybe get your take on a couple jobs we’re thinking of running?”
“Next time,” Declan answered, clasping his shoulder. It felt really good to be around family, and it was a relief to spend time with people who understood his life, but the day was slipping by, and he felt an urge to head back.
