He looked flustered again, but also amused.“You know why,” he retorted, a typical, cliché response.
My art of avoiding relationships and anything resembling the L-word flared, and I went silent.
I moved to the front of the cabin, Gray circling back to the bacon. Arms crossed against my chest, I peered out the large picture window at the river. One of those weasel-like animals was on a rock, gnawing on something. I found calm as I watched him.
A pine marten, I think Gray called it. He’d named it Larry. Villainy approached beside me and sat, watching Larry as intently as I was, and pressing his nose against the glass.
Bacon sizzled, and I could hear Gray eventually fiddle with the Moka pot again. It wasn’t long before the rich smell of more coffee reached my nostrils. Not soon after, a steaming mug appeared before me. I took it, though begrudgingly. I would not allow him to break me with proffered gifts of caffeine.
“I want to talk to Nash,” I whispered, taking a sip.
Gray’s voice was flat and simple when he said,“No.”
God, was‘no’the only word he knew right now? I clenched my teeth.“Please?” I implored.
“He’s safe, Betty. Everyone is safe. I have the best people watching over your family.”
“The best people,” I mocked.
“FBI,” he added.Did he just play his trump card?
I narrowed my eyes and turned my face toward his beside me,“FBI?”
He nodded.“My uncle won’t touch your father as long as he knows the FBI is watching him in New York. Nash and Sybil will be safe, too. Listen, I don’t expect you to trust me, but if you could try to trust me on this one thing, please make that effort.”
My jaw clenched. FBI. It made me feel a little better, but not much. Plenty of mob murders still happened under the protection of the FBI. It was a hard ask to trust him, and not something I felt able to do.
“Worst case, I’ll turn myself in, Betty. If they catch anyone you care about in retaliation, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you and your family. That is my only goal in all of this, and my chance to make things right.” His expression was so sincere it was almost unsettling.
Searching his eyes, I struggled. This was myfamily.They were the most important people in the world. How could I just relax right now? What kind of person would do that when so much was at stake?
“Please,” he whispered.
I bit my inner cheek. I had my phone, and hopefully, I could do something with it. Maybe I could get some signal if I moved around the yard a bit. I could be subtle about it and do it before the battery died. The right moment was all I needed.
I changed the subject abruptly, done with this entire conversation.“You have a woodpecker.”
He blinked a few times, not expecting that.“A woodpecker?” He glanced down at his crotch.
I fought back a laugh.“No, Gray. A bird. A woodpeckerbird.He’s ruining your work,” I added.
Gray grunted and sighed, dropping his head in defeat.“Thank you, but he’s fine. He’s hammering into a dummy piece of wood I placed there. He’s not hurting anything.”
He strode back to the stove, walking away from any further conversation.
Tongs in hand, he removed the bacon and poured the grease out of the pan and into a container he’d extracted from the fridge that was already half full of bacon grease. He probably kept it to use for cooking, much like the fat he used last night. He cracked eggs into the pan and quickly fried them in the remaining grease, then poured himself a second cup of coffee.
I moved back to the kitchen, not wanting to be perceived as a pouting little child in the corner.
When the eggs were done, he handed me a plate of food.“I’ve got you, Betty. Okay? We aren’t losing anyone. I promise.”
His stare flayed me open, leaving me raw and vulnerable to his words. I was used to being in control, knowing all the dangers, and managing them. It was not comfortable having to put that trust and control in the hands of another, especially when it was this important.
I gave him a slight nod, and he let go of the plate. I set it down on the counter, plucking up a piece of bacon and nibbling on it, trying to absorb his words, but they wouldn’t sink in. As much as I wanted to be on the same side, I just couldn’t cross that bridge.
Ihadto talk to Nash, and Ihadto leave.
Chapter 15
