Brenden sits up straighter. “The Brotherhood’s waiting your house?” He glances at me but his face remains neutral.
“Day and night. You’d think they’d get bored or make a move, but not yet. And it’s not expensive running a real surveillanceteam, even for criminals.” Sam taps a finger to his glass. “So you’re not here to kill me?”
I put a hand on Sam’s desk in alarm. “Absolutely not. Is that what you thought?”
He groans in relief, looking up at the ceiling. “Fuuuucking hell, I figured Brenden was going to shoot me in the face or something, I don’t know. I’ve been freaking out ever since the safe got picked.”
“You’re okay, I promise.” Guilt rolls over my shoulders. We could’ve talked to him sooner, but Brenden’s trying to be careful. It took a few days before he was willing to come back into the city, and only then under strict circumstances: fresh car, new clothes, my hair dyed a honey blond.
“If you’re not here to kill me, whatareyou doing here?” He looks between us and the shrewd manipulator and planner starts to show itself. “I’m guessing not to punch my bouncer in the face.”
“We need something from you.” Brenden’s voice is clipped and matter-of-fact. It’s business time and he’s all in. “Tallie and I have a game running, but Arsen’s on our ass. If he catches us before we get what we need, we’re all fucked, including you.” He pauses for that to sink in. “It’s time we pool resources.”
Sam spreads his hands magnanimously. “Whatever is mine, brother-in-law, will also be yours. Ask and ye shall receive and all that shit.”
“The Davises.” Brenden jerks his head back toward the door. “They have grandsons, don’t they?”
“You mean the arms dealers?” Sam grabs a book and flips it open. “They sure as hell do have devil spawns. Randolf and PeterDavis. Here, let me see…” He squints at the writing. I can’t read it upside down. The page looks like it’s covered in alien scrawl. “They’re not here tonight, but they come more often than not.”
“How much do they owe?”
“Enough. A lot. Randolf’s not a bad player but Peter…” He clucks his tongue. “Peter’s dumber than rocks. What do you two need with those idiots?”
“We need information on the Davis family home. Have you been there before?”
“Once or twice. I can go again?—“
“No,” I say instantly and put a hand on Brenden’s arm. “Absolutely not.”
“But if you need?—“
“You aren’t getting more involved than you already are and I’m not arguing about it.”
Brenden touches my fingers lightly. “What your sister means is, if you can give us the layout of the house and anything you know about the grandparents, that would be good. We’re looking for a safe. Something high-tech where they’d likely keep important documents.”
“I might be aware of somesuch safe, and I’d be happy to show you?—“
“No,” I say emphatically.
And Brenden backs me up. “Information only, and only what you already have. Arsen’s got his eyes on you which means we can’t risk you doing more. You won’t contact the Davis boys.You won’t do anything out of the ordinary. Assume all your electronics are under surveillance too.”
“Please, my op-sec is solid, there’s no way?—“
“Alexan Sarkissian is one of the most talented information technologists in the world. If you have a phone, he cracked it. You’re tapped.”
Sam’s face pales. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“What can you give us about the house?”
My brother wipes two hands down his face, takes a third shot, and flips open a book to a blank page, where he starts to draw.
It’s a good diagram. Brenden leans over and they discuss the details. Sam adds what he can, though he clearly hasn’t been in every corner of the place. By the end though, Brenden seems to think we have enough.
“Be careful,” I say, hugging Sam tightly. “And don’t worry about us. No matter what you hear, we’re fine.”
“What did you two do, anyway? Seriously, is Arsen watching our house because of me? Or is it because of you?”
I don’t bother answering. “Just be careful, okay? We’re working on it.”
