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Worse, we knew that at least one of the people in the inner circle had turned. Who could we trust? What could we say, and around whom? We couldn’t run the entire family with just the two of us, there was a system in place for a reason; we had to have people to delegate tasks to, and now we were going to be second-guessing every single order we gave. Did we tell the right person? Will this info get leaked?
My dad couldn’t go back to prison. I knew that in my marrow.
He was a pillar of strength in my eyes, sturdy and unyielding; even when buffeted by wind and storms, he stood tall and weathered it. I knew it took a toll on him, but he handled it gracefully. However, now that he had come out from that hellhole, he looked his age. Human, exhausted, and slightly broken.
He covered every window now, regardless of the time of day or night, as if he imagined someone was peering through it at every moment. Mom had brought in a second bed to sleep on since whenever she shifted during the night, he would go into fight or flight mode.
It was hurting me to watch him like this, but I couldn't help him. I couldn't even talk to him about it since his pride wouldn't let him, especially with me. He didn't want me to know how hurt he was. I got it, but it made me feel useless and impotent. All I could do was seek answers, and suddenly I couldn't even do that.
Thank God he had mom. I was certain she was the only support he’d let himself have at this point, and he needed her desperately.
Whoever the rat was, we had to find him before my dad got sent back again.
Something occurred to me, and I gasped.
Getting Lauren involved with the case was relatively low-risk before we knew about the Irish Mob’s involvement, but now it was clear that she had stepped between the Mob and their goal. My heart rate kicked up.
They could make her a target, too, and unlike my dad, she didn’t have armed guards operating around the clock. Something unpleasantly akin to fear churned under my skin.
“Keep trying to track down any more snitches,” dad said, forcibly reminding me where I was.
Talk about whiplash—a large portion of my mind was still stuck on Lauren, on the danger she was now in, and the deep-seated need to make sure she was safe at home, but the other part was pulled back into my worry for my dad and the duty I had to my family.
It was a disconcerting split, especially when both fears demanded my full and undivided attention. Fuck. “Normally, I could assign some other people to help you, but right now, we can’t risk trusting anyone. You’ll have to pull the brunt of the investigation alone.”
“I understand,” I said instantly. My chest warmed; even when he knew he had to second guess even his closest confidants, he still trusted me implicitly. I was honored. “I’ll handle it.” Dad smiled up at me wistfully, an apology in his eyes.
“Every now and again, it hits me how much you’ve grown,” he said. I huffed a laugh at him, hoping to lighten the weight on his brow.
“Alright, Boomer,” I said. Dad barked a laugh. Fabri called him that all the time, and I figured that as long as Fabri never found out, I could take a page out of his book every now and again.
“I’m old, deal with it,” dad rebutted. “If you find or need anything during the investigation, you come straight to me, okay?” I nodded.
“I’d never go to anyone else.”
Chapter Twenty
LAUREN
Iwas still dizzy from my epic win.
In just one day, everything I’d been seeking had been put into motion for me; the senior partners, while far from friendly, were asking for my opinions on new cases, and I was packing up the closet to move into a real office.
It wasn’t much bigger, but it had a window and didn’t feel like the kind of place forgotten socks got tossed into.
Dark, especially, seemed to be taking an interest in my work, and I had a good feeling that he’d be pulling me into cases soon. He’d still be testing me, of course, but as long as I kept impressing him one step at a time, then I’d be opening my own firm within a few years.
The attention I was getting from Richard left me giddy, too.
After the hottest sex of my life, he’d stayed all night and some of the next day to help me like he’d promised. I’d honestly thought he was joking, but he wasn’t. He’d gotten me pain meds, helped me shower and dress, and demanded I relax while he made us food. He wasn’t a great cook, but his food was tasty enough, and he made extras for dinner for me so I wouldn’t have to stand at the stove later. He’d even sat with me and watched Pride and Prejudice in spite of his snarky commentary.
Apparently, he was not a man with much literary inclination.
I’d told him the soreness wasn’t that bad once the Advil kicked in, but he hadn’t left right away.
He’d made sure I had everything I could need in my reach and left just after lunch, apologizing that he had to go as if I was going to blame him.
Fuck’s sake, I couldn’t believe he stayed at all; it was his dad’s first day out of prison, I was sure he wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. If Mr. Marino hadn’t wanted to spend his first night trying to conceive his fourth child, I was sure Richard would have waited to reach out to me.
