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“Oh, shit. I told Galen that he needed to talk to a professional about his grief. I wish he’d taken me up on my advice.”
“Too late now,” I snarled.
“What are you going to do?”
I thought about his question. At least this answer was easy as fuck. “Both Marissa and Galen were murdered, and I have every intention of becoming judge, jury, and executioner for the responsible party.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, Hunt. You don’t know these people and what they’re capable of. They’re more ruthless than your father could ever be.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Matt. I have firsthand experience exactly who and what they are. Make certain that trust fund is established for Lily, and I emailed you two different files. Both are important.”
“Yeah, I got them. Where did you get the shit on the resorts?”
“Galen.”
“That’s what he was doing,” he said quietly. “He was trying to frame Azzurri.”
“Possible. You’re telling me you had no idea?” I wasn’t placing trust in the man, just the opposite. I was testing his loyalty. Following my gut had always been a strong suit. Now wasn’t the time to ignore it.
“I swear to God I didn’t. As far as the other document, I hope what you emailed me is all about putting everything in order and nothing else.”
“Don’t worry, Matt. I’m as organized and detailed as my brother.” Just in an entirely different way. I’d picked apart every aspect of being in the army. Orders. Plans. Details. Summations. That had carried over into spending time with the Silent Kings. My meticulousness had prevented Cage’s house from being blown to bits several months before. Planning in every business was vital. What I was doing was baiting the shark-infested waters. Risky as fuck.
“Okay. That little girl needs stability and from what I know, you need a life,” he told me.
“I’ll keep that in mind. If anything happens to me, you’ll know what to do.”
“I don’t like this,” he insisted.
“Neither do I.” I ended the call, laughing as I shot another look into the rearview mirror. The fucker was gonna keep watching me, eh? Fine. Two could play at this game. I noticed the same ice cream stand I’d taken the girls to and pulled in, immediately jumping out and heading toward the counter as I shoved my phone into my back pocket. I leaned on the small surface as I waited in line, facing the road. As the police car pulled by, heading into the parking lot of the fast-food joint next door, I laughed under my breath.
Then I ordered a plain vanilla cone, taking long strides toward the same picnic table we’d used. As I sat on top facing them, I kept my eyes locked on their windshield. I hope I was making them very uncomfortable.
I hated games, especially cat and mouse. I wasn’t that kind of dude. But in this case, there was too much up in the air to come at this with brute force.
And so, I bided my time, dragging my tongue across the cold cream. After a couple of minutes, my thoughts returned to Harlow, laughing at the way she’d licked around her spoonful before consuming the bite every single time. The glee in her eyes had been similar to Lily’s, which had made the trip special. I’d never known something damn simple could bring so much pleasure.
Yeah, and you fucked it up.
Harlow deserved to know what I was now versus in a few weeks or months. I was a merciless asshole, but I didn’t want to see her hurt.
The sharp ring of my phone drew my attention. Cage had returned my call. He was the single man I could trust without question. While getting him involved hadn’t been my first choice, it was the only logical one. “Cage.”
“Got your message. You’re in Vegas?”
“Sitting in the broiling sun.”
He chuckled. “I was going to ring your phone anyway. I don’t want to rain on your new parade, but you might have an issue.”
“Tell me something new and different.” I continued to study the officers, convinced Officer Cambridge had already placed a call to Azzurri’s office. Maybe I’d make a friendly visit before heading to the office. What the hell.
“You find trouble wherever you go, don’t ya? Look, the people Rivera worked for are none too happy their prized enforcer was cut down. One of the boys heard through the grapevine there’s a contract on your life.”
I snorted. “Let ‘em join in the party.”
“You should watch your back,” Cage suggested. I hadn’t told him anything other than my brother had died, leaving me several responsibilities in Vegas, including his daughter. I’d left very few details on my message as well.
“Currently doing that.”
