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He shakes his head before looking over at Ty and then me. “Right, yeah. So, the painting is being delivered soon; I can’t get an exact date as only a handful of people know this.”
“Figured,” West says.
“I’ve been looking over all of Darrell’s recent jobs, trying to see if we can predict what he’s going to do and I think that he may make the switch before the painting gets to the gallery,” Evan continues.
“Why?” Kay asks.
“Because he’s a professional—he knows what he’s doing. The run-through at the gallery was for him to see if he was being watched. It has no bearing on what he’s going to do,” Evan answers her.
I frown. “Why do the run-through then?” I ask, leaning forward.
Evan looks at me, his gaze batting down to my fists on the table before staring me in the eyes. “He was trying to catch us out. He may have seen us, but I think it’s unlikely. If he had, then he would have let us know that he knows. He’s the type of guy who likes to have the upper hand.”
Nodding, I lean back, thinking it all over. Since Darrell came back into the picture, we’ve all been working our asses off to make sure we get him this time. We need to be two steps ahead of him, knowing which chess piece he’s going to move before he does, but right now it feels like we’re trailing behind and picking up the scraps he throws at us.
“He didn’t know,” Seb announces.
“How do you know that?” Ty asks.
“Because I was driving. I saw you, but he didn’t.”
Seb and West have a silent conversation, and I know Evan is thinking the same thing I am: there’s something more going on here.
“I think it’s time you filled us in,” Evan commands, causing Seb to raise his brows.
He leans forward and rests his arms on the table before clasping his hands as he looks at Evan. “We’ve been undercover in his operations for three years now. We’ve helped him steal things that are worth more than you can imagine; worth the kind of money that could persuade you into turning to the other side. I know I’ve been tempted. But nevertheless, what he’s doing is pure greed.” I lean back in my seat, taking this all in. “It wasn’t until we saw you following us that we realized who it was. You know we’ve been trying to recruit you for years?”
I grit my teeth causing the muscles in my jaw to jump. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of people trying to recruit him. Evan always tells me when someone is trying to get him to work on a job. He said it’s so that someone knows in case anything happens, but I think it’s more than that. Out of everyone who works here, I’m the one he can come to and talk about anything with. I think he secretly hopes that I’ll do the same. But that will never happen.
“You have?” Ty asks.
“I’ve had a few people try to get me to work for them, but this is my home, my family,” Evan tells Seb, ignoring Ty.
“I guessed.” Seb looks around at all of us before turning to West.
“He’s asked us to bring someone else on the team for this job,” West says, raising his brow.
“You want Evan to go undercover with you?” Ty asks, his voice like thunder as he reads what West is silently saying. “That’s what you came here for? Because we will be bringing that fucker down. We don’t need your help.”
Both Seb and West stay silent as we all rage around the table. These fuckers think they can come here and deceive us, telling us they want to help when really they want Evan for themselves. They’re mistaken.
My hand snakes to cover my gun, ready and waiting.
“Why?” Evan asks.
“Because you’re the best with computers, equipment, that sort of thing. We’ve heard of some of the things you make.”
“He’s dope,” Dean announces and my attention zones in on him. He’s been getting along with Evan too well if you ask me. He winces as Kitty elbows him and I grin, satisfied.
“Shut up, they’re trying to take him,” she whisper-shouts.
“From where I’m sitting,” Dean starts, and I want nothing more than to fly over Kitty and shut his mouth with my fist. “They want his help to put this scumbag away. It can’t hurt. You’re all after the same thing. Surely it’s better to work together?”
My breathing accelerates, my anger a living, breathing thing. “Did anyone ask you?” I sneer, the tether holding everything in so close to snapping. There’s one thing you don’t mess with: my family. I’ll go to
extents none of them realize to protect them.
Dean holds his hands up, looking down at the table and silencing himself. I rein in my temper. Rationally I know he can’t do anything to us right this second, but I don’t trust him or his intentions.
