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“And yeah,” he says, reading my face, “you should have met Karlee by now, but you and me, we’ve both had a lot going on, and she’s at college.”
“You want me to check in on her?”
He sucks in a breath. “This gang who’s affiliated with Smith? I got myself caught over them.”
I frown. “You’re saying you got deliberately caught?”
“This is where I need to be, Manolo. And I need you to watch over Karlee.”
There’s something missing here, and I fist a hand in frustration on the scarred bench. He said what I’m looking for. How would he know? Unless he’s heard of the questions Nicolo, Diego, and I have been asking.
People talk. “Smith Group’s your reason?—”
“Someone’s my reason, okay? And that’s that on the matter, I’m not going any further on it. But Karlee’s my little sister, man. She’s alone. She doesn’t know . . . she doesn’t know anything. Not a single thing about what I’ve been up to or doing.”
This is a side of him I haven’t seen. There are things he’s not telling me, and no amount of pushing’s going to get him to. I don’t think he’ll hold back something I need . . . if he knows I need it, but he’s heard De Luca enforcers have been quietly nosing into things.
“And this gang, or maybe other players, think she’s got something? You’re serving a ten-year fucking sentence. I got the sheet on you. And I gotta say, damn.”
He stares hard at me.
I don’t say it, as much as I want to. The list is fucking stupid. Possession with intent to sell, grievous bodily harm, armed fucking robbery of a mom-and-pop store so small, a man like Fallon wouldn’t bother.
And, if he did, he wouldn’t have been caught.
On any of them.
Sloppy, stupid, fucking idiotic, and with a lackluster defense.
What did he say? Some crap about doing things for a group named Genesis. Doing things, not joined, doing. Then, he mentioned different gangs and alliances. And he ran afoul of the Smith Group. It’s the wording.
If he said he’d got caught up with a gang that has ties to the bad juju Smith Group have, other than fucking secrets, I’d have thought maybe he got cocky and got the short end.
It sounds like he concocted a solution to protect someone.
“Is she pretty?”
He frowns. It’s a beat too long before he answers. “Karlee? Dude, that’s my sister. Don’t think of?—”
“I meant the reason you’re serving time.”
Fallon doesn’t answer, and from behind him, beyond the door at his back, comes a shout of abuse so loud it penetrates. He doesn’t even react.
Yeah. This man’s exactly where he needs to be.
“So, why would someone be after your kid sister?”
“Someone might think I’ve got information, and they might think it’s with her. Not, I add, my doing.”
Except if Fallon was desperate? I wait.
“There’s also a Lothario of the obnoxious age hanging around. Bad boy vibe, totally into himself and the babes. I don’t want her to be a notch, and I don’t trust him.” He puts his hands flat on the bench on his side. “And there’s another guy?—”
“Popular, this Karlee.”
His eyes narrow. “Come over here and smart-mouth me.”
“Would if I could so you’re safe.” But I smile a little.
