AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But you found the girls. At thesilos.”
Dane nodded. “Kirke was with Zara when Ifound him. I neutralized him, but she’d already gotten hit. Prettysure he was the source.”
“Dane extracted the twins instead offinishing Kirke’s interview.” Sawyer cleared his throat. “Didn’tthink you’d want them around for that, so I calledMcCabe.”
Adam’s wintry eyes swept over them,assessing and inscrutable. The moment stretched, their bloodthinned. Then, like a charm from above, the clouds parted, and theboss chuckled. “Good lads. McCabe’s making Kirke comfortable now.You fancy helping the hospitality room?”
Fucking yes!Dane’s hand flexed intoa fist. He nodded.
“Anytime, Boss.” Sawyer’s grin matchedDane’s. The chance to work directly with Adam in a family matterdidn’t come around every day. “We can go now if youwant.”
We’re in. This could be our chance! Biggerassignments, bigger cuts…
“Not yet. I need to check in with Zara.”Adam’s weathered features creased in a thoughtful frown. “But Ithink wringing some truth from his lying tongue will be anexcellent celebration of your new positions.”
What the hell?The celebratory plansin his head froze. Dane glanced at Sawyer before he spoke. They’dbarely begun taking regular enforcement gigs. Even with his dad’sextra tutorials and some independent work. “New positions,sir?”
“I’ve decided you two will be joining theguards,” Adam said with a deceptively jovial smile. “The girls aregetting older, after all. As tonight proves, old enough to makeidiotic choices. They’ll need more supervision this summer than thecurrent staff can handle. Especially with this southern nonsense.Think you can handle it?”
Dane forced his spine a few millimetersstraight, heart leaping into his throat. “Yes, sir,” he saidobediently. He’d be a fucking idiot to refuse. But then ithit.
A guard.Forthetwins.
For Zara.
His lips burned with the memory of hers. Healmost felt that beautiful figure molding to his body, her heatagainst his thigh...That shit cannot happen again.Never.
“Sir, thank you.” Sawyer was stumblingthrough his own acceptance. “We’ll take real good care of Kirke,too,” he added, a vicious gleam in his green eyes. “Right,Dane?”
Come to think of it, carving a pound offlesh off Kirke McAvoy would bury the memory of Zara’s perfume in awash of blood.That’ll get my head straight.“Yes,sir.”
“That’s the spirit.” Adam clapped Sawyer onthe shoulder, then Dane. He paused, looking at Dane’s bloodstainedshirt and the vomit he hadn’t quite managed to wipe off the ruinedshoes, and let out a low whistle. “Looks like you’ve already beenbaptized by fire. Good.” He tapped Dane’s cheek fondly as any uncleand grinned. “Don’t worry, kid. You won’t be babysitting themforever. They’ve still got senior year. And college. If I don’tlock them in the basement before then.”
“I don’t mind, sir. I’m glad to help.” Youdidn’t earn points in the Outfit by whining.
“Tell me that after a year of model shootsand teenage idiocy,” Adam chuckled. “But you two are young enough.Maybe that’ll help you survive them.” His mirth faded, and the handon Dane’s shoulder tightened. “How is Zara?”
“Sick as dogshit.” He understood thequestion Adam wouldn’t ask. “But she’s okay.”
“You found her with Kirke.”
“Yes, sir. But I followed them straight offthe dance floor.”
“He was going to have the money this week,wasn’t he? If you hadn’t found him tonight.” Adam’s jaw flexed, anda vein showed at his temple.
“Sir.” Dane swallowed. He didn’t want to bethis close to a Fitzgerald eruption, and he already understood hisboss’s path. The same one Dane saw laid out like the goddamn YellowBrick Road the second he found Kirke with Zara. The one that ledstraight to Adam’s psychotic asshole of a son.
Adam stared at the hand still resting onDane’s shoulder, especially the massive family signet ring on histhird finger. “Jesus wept. We should have stopped at three kids.Fuckin’ priests and their big happy family bullshit. At least thetwins are cute. But the other two little bastards... What the helldo you do with them?” It seemed a trifle unfair for Fitzgerald’syoungest son, Caleb, an enthusiastic freshman jock with all themalice of a horny golden retriever, to be lumped in with asociopath like Ben. But Dane wasn’t about to risk Adam’s wrath bysaying so.
“Sir?” Sawyer made a nervous not-quite-laughsound.
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t tell you to dropCaleb off a bridge, John.” Adam considered. “Yet. Ben, on the otherhand...”
Dane’s heartbeat sped up.Fucking yes.Say the word. I’ll do it for fucking free.“He was at theparty,” Dane volunteered. “Gia said he was in the back. Had a fightwith his girlfriend. I could go see if he’s still there. If youwant to see him.”
“See him?” Adam’s head inclined the barestfraction of an inch. “No. I don’t want to see him.”
“Dad?” Gia stood at the far side of thewaiting room, now wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Bare of makeup, herface was inescapably, painfully young. And much more like hersister’s. She’d taken to using a hell of a lot of cosmetics tochange that, Dane realized. “D-do you want me to take the other setto Zara?”
