“The fuck is this, Jonah?”
“I got a visit the other day. Shit blew me away, and I didn’t say anything to anybody about it, because a lot was going on. After tonight, I really ain’t got a choice in none of this.” Jonah shrugged, and Finn could tell that he carried a burden on his shoulders.
He wasn’t so sure that he wanted to know what was going on.
“Get out of the car.” He opened the car door, and Finn moved slowly to follow him into the back entrance.
The hallway was dark, illuminated by a single dull bulb above them. There was a staircase straight ahead and a hallway below leading to two of the units. Jonah closed the door and led Finn down the darkened hall. He tapped twice on the door, and Finn heard a lock click before the knob turned and the door opened. What waited on the other side blew his fucking mind. His face lost color, and he thought he was seeing a ghost.
“Max?” Finn breathed, soaking in the man in front of him.
“What’s good, youngin?” That voice.
Scared straight, Finn’s heart beat erratically.
“Get in here.” He stepped aside so they could enter the small living room.
Max closed and locked the door behind them.
“How… How are you alive?” Finn asked, unable to hide his surprise.
Max shoved his hands into his slacks, and his eyes lowered to the ground before he fixed them on Finn. It’d only been a little over a month since he’d been gone, but it seemed like much longer.
“You were in your truck?—”
“Yeah, that’s what it was made to look like. I knew that the Lynch family was ruthless. One of my guys I had outside did his job. He saw them put the bomb on my shit when I came inside for the meeting. One of our men was working for Gannon, through Eirian, no doubt. We switched him off in the truck. It happened fast. You were caught up with Luna, and Rose and Minx were talking.”
“All this time… we’ve been grieving and going through it. The whole time, you still alive?” Finn questioned.
“This was to protect everyone,” Max explained.
“That’s easy for you to say. You didn’t have to sit here and go through the shit. Mila is gone.” Finn tried to keep calm, but he was reeling.
“Mila is here with me, and she’s safe,” Max revealed, silencing Finn.
“What?” It was Jonah’s time to be surprised this time around.
“I’ve been keeping tabs on them and Gannon. Making sure I was there when they tried something. I knew they would. I just had to take my time and wait it out. I got a doctor here to check on Mila. He patched her up, but they beat her within an inch ofher life and left her for dead. She’s been sedated because of the extent of her injuries. The doctor said it could take a while for her to wake up. Where’s Rose?”
“With Minx, Mille, and Luna,” Finn answered.
“Eirian and his sister are dead. Gannon got away. The Martinez Cartel is in town, and it looks like we aren’t the only ones after them,” Jonah divulged.
He pressed his back into the wall and let out a heavy sigh. Finn seated himself on the arm of a nearby sofa and shook his head. He couldn’t quite put everything together in his head.
“This shit is fucking crazy.” He shook his head in disbelief. “You plan on telling the rest of your family that you’re alive?”
“We still have to get rid of Gannon.” Max overruled.
“And we will. We got time for that. If he’s fucking smart, he’s gathering all the resources that he can so that he can get the fuck out of town,” Jonah chimed in.
“Maybe. Or is he sticking around to get his revenge once and for all?” Max queried. “Check all his spots. I got a few things to work out myself. Jonah has my number. He can reach me if necessary.”
“What about Mila?” Finn questioned.
“Finn, stay here. Jonah, call Rose and have him bring Minx, Mil, and Luna out here. They’ll be safe,” Max advised. “Perez got a team watching this place.”
“Perez? He been knowing this whole time?” Finn demanded, becoming more baffled by the minute.
