Page 46 of Lethal Justice

JaKheel shook his head. “Not your fault. This is on me. I should’ve listened to you.”

“Some lessons can’t be coached, only lived,” Ward spoke with sincerity, and Malco was convinced from the exchange that Ward was indeed innocent in every way and just another victim of greed.

Malco stepped forward. “Ward, we need a word if you have a minute.”

Ward looked at him with an open face and nodded. “Of course.”

King led JaKheel and Danie to the kitchen to get food, Caitlin, with her loyal beast at her side, following. Anyone willing to try anything with Killy around was indeed an idiot. Malco didn’t think JaKheel would. Just being around Danie, he’d changed, dropping the hardness he’d worn and allowed the soft around him. Malco had no doubt he was still a killer, but he wasn’t evil, just wanting to do the right thing and having lost his way in the process. Danie and this child could very well save this young man from certain death.

“I was that boy once,” Ward said as they entered the conference room with Frida, Emme, and Shane, his eyes on JaKheel and Danie as they walked away.

“What happened?” Malco asked, taking a seat, and indicating Ward do the same, his interest genuine as he waited for Ward to reply. Shane excused himself, and Malco knew he was going to try and figure out the Alex situation.

“I found a woman worth getting out for. She changed everything, saved my life in every way.” Ward looked to his clasped hands on the table as he spoke, and Malco could hear the love, but he also heard the sadness.

Malco leaned back slightly to make himself more comfortable. “What happened?”

Ward looked up at him, and the pain in his eyes was almost tangible; it was so raw and so fresh.

“She died.”

Malco closed his eyes on a long blink, hating that the man had been through that. “I’m sorry.”

“Was a long time ago now, but I miss her every single day.” Ward gave a humorless laugh. “The grief almost pulled me back again. Back into the darkness of the gangs where only killing and fucking mattered, but I knew she’d be so ashamed I let her down, and I’d done that enough when she lived. I wouldn’t do it after she was gone.”

Malco nodded. “Saving you even then.”

Ward looked up sharply, and his eyes locked on Malco as understanding passed between them.

“Exactly. But you ain’t got me up in here to discuss my past. What’s on your mind?” Malco took the laptop that had screenshots on it of Ward’s account and turned it around.

“Do you know what these are?” Ward leaned in, and Malco watched as anger made his friend’s jaw lock before he looked at Malco.

“You know damn well I don’t.”

“Do you know a woman by the name of Rina Flores?” Malco changed tack wanting to see if Ward knew something he didn’t realize.

“No, never heard of her. She do this to me?”

“We don’t know. We need to do some more digging, but we’re short on hackers right now.”

Ward’s eyes went wide, and then he grinned. “Have you spoken to Danie? The girl is a fucking whizz on computers. Nothing that kid can’t get into.”

“Really?”

Malco wondered at that, his mind working overtime. He finished up with Ward, thanked the man for his time, and asked him to continue to play dumb regarding his account. Knowing would put him in danger, so it was agreed he wouldn’t open the center for a few days or at least until Kasten and Pool, and now Rina, were in custody.

Malco walked from the conference room, moving with caution to the tech room. Finding it empty, he went to Shane’s office.

He opened the door and looked at his boss, expecting to see Frida with them but found only Emme.

“Shane or Frida around?” Emme’s face was guarded as she stood, and he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the next words out of her mouth.

“Shane is fitting her with a vest and body cam. She insists on going to see Rina and finding out if Alex is safe.”

“Over my dead body.” Malco slammed out of the room and headed to the war room where they kept the tactical gear. He heard Emme behind him but kept going, the anger in his blood boiling to a fever pitch.

Shoving the door with more force than necessary, he saw King tightening a vest on the woman he loved and almost lost his mind. Her eyes moved to his, and the guilt and defiance in then told him exactly how much she knew he would hate this.