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“Then why the fuck didn’t he think about that before he went to bed with them?”
He looked me directly in the eyes. “Have you ever been in love?”
I didn’t answer him, but my thoughts drifted to Harlow and I wasn’t sure why.
“Well, I can tell you that when you love someone so utterly and completely, you’d do anything in the world to protect them. When they’re taken away, the horror of even thinking about spending the rest of your life without them is so jarring that you can’t eat or think, work or sleep. You’re a shell. If you’re one of the lucky ones, you might come out of it, but that will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
As he picked up one of the pictures, I took a deep breath.
“I know that kind of love, Hunt. I know it very well. They were everything to me. Everything.”
“What happened?” I sensed he wanted to tell me.
“A drunk driver. I lost everything on a bright Saturday afternoon in the blink of an eye. I was supposed to go to the store, but my wife insisted and my little munchkin wanted to go along to pick out Daddy’s favorite ice cream. It happened in a split second. They were taken from me.”
I forced myself to look away.
“Your brother never got over Marissa’s death. He worked long hours but made certain he spent time with Lily. He loved that little girl more than you have any idea about. That was the only reason he didn’t put a bullet in his brain. He told me that more than once. Don’t judge him too harshly, Hunt. He suffered.”
As I took a deep breath, I knew what had to be done. However, in doing so, there was a distinct possibility that I’d place both Harlow’s and Lily’s lives in danger. I couldn’t judge my brother unless I became judge, jury, and executioner for myself. “I appreciate your time, Matt.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Make things right again. Lily will never suffer another loss as long as I’m alive.”
“Be careful, Hunt. I’m serious. They are bad people. A hell of a lot of men have disappeared from this town because of them. I don’t want you to be another casualty.”
As I headed for the door, I chuckled. “You underestimate me, Matt. I have no intention of allowing that to happen.” If they tried to fuck with me, they would face the kind of wrath that only true evil could bring.
CHAPTER12
Savage
“Ice cream!” Lily screamed from the backseat.
I was finally able to chuckle, trying my best to let go of the conversation with Matt. It had festered to the point I had the level of bloodlust I’d worried about, wanting nothing more than to drive a stake straight into the heart of the organization.
Michael Azzurri was a real pig, a slime bag out of Chicago who’d been gifted the playground of the two resorts by his Cosa Nostra father. I’d found out enough about him to realize he was also a crazy motherfucker, his penchant for violence more intense than mine had been.
“What kind of ice cream is your favorite?” Harlow asked.
Woof. Woof.
Lily had insisted we bring Princess. We seemed like a normal family. The thought struck me the moment we’d gotten into the truck.
“I like them all!” she squealed, instantly starting to sing in her high-pitched voice.
When I looked over at Harlow, she grinned, trying to be a good sport. I’d seen the look in her eyes the moment I’d opened the door. She was concerned but there was also some fear riding her expression as well, which added to the rage furrowing inside of me. Had my brother not understood what could happen? Or had he planned on the possibility, which is why he’d tracked me down? These were questions I wouldn’t get an answer to any time soon.
“Well, maybe we can convince your uncle to allow you to have two flavors, but you must choose carefully.” Harlow shifted in her seat, her smile bright as she glanced at Lily’s face.
“What’s an uncle?” she asked innocently, even though she’d been told before.
When I didn’t answer, Harlow took a deep breath. “Savage was your father’s brother. They were related. They had the same parents.”
“Oh. Okay.” I could sense she was thinking about the answer, her small brain trying to process what it meant. “Like the baby brother Mama was supposed to have?”
Harlow and I looked at each other.
