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I stalked to the round table in the corner where the rest of the guys were, pulled out the free chair, and sank onto it.

“About time, man. Must drive you nuts, my sister spending all morning priming and primping.” Brody was pure razzing where he was slung back in his chair.

If any of them had any idea of what had really taken so long…

My conscience howled, and I roughed an agitated hand through my hair. “It’s part of the job.”

“How are you this morning?” Silas asked. Pure concern.

I shrugged like I wasn’t sitting there aflame. “Fine. Like I said, it wasn’t a big deal.”

“You took a knife to the gut, brother,” Brody argued like I was off my rocker.

“It wasn’t even close to my gut. It was barely a flesh wound.”

Silas arched a brow. “One that you nearly bled out from.”

“Hardly.”

Silas’s expression went intense. “You did good, Heathen.”

Ferocity blazed through my insides. “I wasn’t about to let that motherfucker get away.”

Then my head shook as I thought to how I’d stumbled for a second and it’d nearly cost me my life. That fucker’s words that had tripped me up. I still couldn’t place it. “Of course, I wouldn’t be sitting here if it wasn’t for you.”

Silas and Brody were both damned good shots. Probably the best of our crew. Natural-born marksmen.

Silas sat forward, glanced at the bar across the room to ensure Pete was out of earshot. “I’m sure you would have turned that situation around. You were just trying to keep him alive.”

“I’m sorry we couldn’t question him.” Wasn’t sorry that the bastard was dead, but we needed that intel.

Silas issued a sharp shake of his head. “Not when your life was at stake. You’re more important. We have Cash to trace back his routes to see if he was working with anyone.”

“And?” Phoenix demanded, voice a permanent snarl.

“He can’t tie him to anyone other than a few connections out east. No one seems to be an actual accomplice. Cash is ninety-nine percent sure he was working alone. Here to fuck with us, trying to mete a small amount of revenge because he already knew his life was over.”

Apprehension stirred. “But that one percent?”

His nod was slight. “There’s always a chance.”

“And we don’t want to take that chance with your sister.” My statement was stone.

“Fuck, no.” Brody spat it.

“So?” I already had my answer, but I had to pretend like I wasn’t hinged on Silas’s command.

Part of me wanted to just blurt it right there. Stand up and tell them all that Elena was mine and I wasn’t going anywhere.

But I had to play it cool until I figured out what the fuck I was supposed to say or do.

How I could make this right.

Silas who’d forgiven the greatest crime I could commit against him, yet there I was, dishing treason again.

“Think it’s safe to ease off on some of the guards at night and around the store during the day, but I still don’t want her alone. We need to allow a few weeks to make sure these threats have ceased.”

Phoenix’s fist curled on the graffiti-littered tabletop. “I can watch over her.”