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“It’s a big fucking deal. Why didn’t you tell us?” Zak asks.
“I’m a cop, Zak, surely I don’t need to spell it out for you.” They both raise their brows at that, and I admit that even I’m a little surprised he’d use that card given where he’s currently sat. “Okay, fine. Look, people don’t know I work for you two, and I’d like to keep it that way, although it’s becoming harder and harder, but if it was common knowledge that my wife was related to Mickey can you imagine the upset that would cause. Plus, it would put Simone in danger, and that ain’t fucking happening.”
Feeling like I need to change the subject, seeing as it was my fault, I ask, “Where’s Kavanagh?”
“He and Smithy went to check on the decoy location for Star. Kavanagh has a friend checking the real safe house.”
I give a nod. “That’s good,” I say. If the house is being watched and they followed them, then that’s good. They are less likely to question it when we execute the plan.
The quicker we get Star away from here the better because I can feel the coming storm in the air.
“Anyone checked on our guest down below?” I ask.
“He’s still breathing if that’s what you’re asking.”
Mitch shakes his head at Maddox’s reply but keeps quiet.
“Can he walk?”
“Depends on your interpretation of ‘walk’,” Zak says, with a spark in his eye, and I know exactly what he’s thinking about.
Shaking my head, I say, “Okay, so plan A is out the window. Plan B it is.”
“And what is plan B?” Maddox asks.
“Identical cars, a swap location where they won’t be visible, I don’t know, but whatever it is, they need to see her leave here.”
We spend the next hour or so discussing the finer details of our plan until Maria hollers that dinner is ready.
Kavanagh and Smithy still aren’t back but Maria puts a plate aside for them. The atmosphere changes when we walk into the kitchen where Star is helping Maria and she sees Bowser. Instantly tensing, I go to her and take her to the lounge, quickly explaining about Bowser’s brother, although I don’t tell her everything.
She’s relieved, yet her walls remain up, and I don’t blame her. It would take more than just a simple explanation to convince me that Bowser was trustworthy.
Star takes a seat next to Mitch, as far away from Bowser as possible, and we enjoy a nice dinner with no business chat. It’s the most normal, something akin to family, meal I’ve had in a very long while. My eyes scan the table, taking in all the faces of the people around it. Faces of people who I love, that mean the world to me and I would do anything for, even die for.
As we finish up eating, talk finally makes its way back round to business and the meet with Laskin tonight just as Smithy and Kavanagh walk through the door. While they eat, I fill them in on my theory about Theo and Laskin. Kavanagh is quiet about it and that makes me think he knows something or he’s not buying it. Whichever it is, I plan to find out.
When Mitch excuses himself to take a call, I wait five minutes then follow him out. I stand in the doorway while he chats to Simone, and when he turns and sees me there, I mouth to say hi to her from me, which he does before saying goodbye.
“Sorry, I wasn’t eavesdropping but wanted to catch you alone.”
“You don’t need to apologise, Roxy. What’s up?”
Stepping fully into the room, I push the door to and pull a sheet of paper from my back pocket and hold it out to him.
He takes it. “What’s this?” he asks, as he begins to unfold it.
“A list of names from Theo’s info that match names in the trafficking case. I thought that maybe we—you or maybe Smithy—could apply a little pressure and see if any are willing to cut a deal.” The words stick in my throat as I say them. Making a deal with sickos like these is never an easy decision, but I think the possible benefits on this occasion far out way the negatives. Cops have prison officer friends too, and some of us even have, not so much friends, but acquaintances on the inside that are always willing to do a favour for a favour.
“Roxy.” Mitch sighs, running his hand through his dark hair.
“I know I’m asking a lot. I would do it if I could, but I made my choice, Mitch. Just because I’m not a cop anymore doesn’t mean that I don’t still believe in the right type of justice.”
He quirks a brow at me. “Is that before or after the vigilante justice?”
“That’s not fair, Mitch. I know you don’t understand this, and I don’t expect you to either. But can’t you see that I’ve spent my whole life serving a system that’s a lie. In fact, the last ten years of my life have been a lie.”
“Not all of it, Roxy. Mine and Simone’s love for you has never been a lie. You might have come into our life because of a lie and to create an even bigger lie, but you better fucking believe that our love for you could never be anything but real.”
