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“Tell her the truth,” Everett said. “If I can help these people stop the Brotherhoods from succeeding with the massacre they have planned, then I’m gonna. I think she’ll understand.”
Esta’s expression was unreadable as she studied Everett. Then her gaze lifted to North, and when her eyes met his, North put everything he could into the silent plea he sent her. Leave me my son.
“Your father’s right,” Esta said gently. “I can’t ask you to risk your life. Your parents have done too much for us already for me to let you get caught up in this.”
“I’m already caught up in it,” Everett said, his jaw going tight. Then the boy turned to North. “I was born caught up in this. You can leave if you want. I wouldn’t blame you, but I’m staying.”
“Like hell you are,” North growled, fear finally snapping his temper in two. “You’re going to get your ass moving so I can get you back to your mother in one piece. One way or another we’re pulling out of this city within the hour. If that means leaving all those books you brought with you behind, so be it.”
“I’d like to see you make me go,” Everett said. He squared his shoulders, like he wanted to remind North that soft as he might be, he was still already grown.
“You heard what I said,” North ordered, ignoring his son’s posturing. “Bring that contraption along if you’d like, but you’re not staying here. You’re coming back to the ranch with me. Tonight.”
Everett met North’s stare, and he didn’t back down. “I am not going to leave every Mageus in this city to die because you’re afraid.”
The accusation rankled, but North saw that it wasn’t the stubborn petulance of a child shining in his son’s eyes. Everett looked every inch the man North had hoped his son would one day become, and he was struck suddenly with the irony of it all. He’d thought to toughen his son up, to transform him somehow, but the boy was already there. And North hadn’t been smart enough to see it.
“Every Mageus in the city isn’t your concern,” North told him, but he knew already that this was a battle he was destined to lose.
“Of course they are,” Everett said. “Isn’t that what you and Ma have been going on about since I can remember? Helping others. Protecting those who can’t protect themselves.”
As much as the boy took after Maggie, he had too much of North’s own stubbornness. How had North missed that before? Had he never really seen his own son? “I’m sure these two can take care of it well enough,” North said, but there wasn’t any real conviction in his words now. The truth was, he would have done the same years ago, back before he discovered what losing something really meant.
“You don’t think I know why you brought me along this week?” his son asked. The Adam’s apple in Everett’s throat bobbed as he swallowed down the emotion that was swimming in his eyes. “You don’t think I understand that you want me to be a little rougher and a little tougher—a little more like you?”
The look on Everett’s face had North’s heart clenching. “Son—”
Everett held up a hand to stop his father’s protest. “Well, I’m not like you. I’m probably always going to choose a book over a horse and learning over brute strength, but there are times when a little book learning can come in handy, and this might be one of them.”
Esta had been listening to everything Everett said, but her eyes were on North. In them was a question that North understood—it was up to him to answer.
“You know you’re as bad as your mother sometimes, don’t you?” he said, shaking his head at his son. “Always trying to save the world instead of your own tail.”
Everett’s smile was immediate and nearly incandescent in its hopefulness.
North chucked his arm around his boy, his heart aching with the helplessness he felt. He couldn’t protect his child without destroying him in the process, and North wouldn’t be the one to do that. “Your mother’s going to murder me.”
“I hate to interrupt such a lovely family moment…” Dom was back, and who knew how long the slippery old man had been listening. “But I’d like to get on with my night. If you’re ready to sell, I’ll take the lot. Nine fifty a case work for you?”
“Nine fifty?” That price was less than a third of what they usually took, but it would be enough to pay his men and send some back to Maggie and the kids as well. “That’s basically robbery.”
“If you have another buyer…” Dom shrugged with a knowing look, and North understood that there wouldn’t be any other buyers—not if Dom had his way. He’d put word out that the goods were tainted, or worse, he’d tell people where they’d come from.
“Make it ten, and you have a deal,” North threw back, because he knew that taking the first offer would only serve to make Dom suspicious. But his heart wasn’t really in the negotiation.
“Done.” Dom pulled out a thick stack of cash and counted out the amount before handing it over.
North tucked the money away without looking twice. Being shortchanged was the least of his worries.
“I’ll have some of my guys come by to pick up the goods by the end of the week,” Dom said, offering North his hand.
“I won’t be here,” North told him as they shook, and he hoped it was because he was home with Maggie instead of dead and gone. “But I’ll make sure the crates are waiting for you.”
“Then I guess this is good-bye for now,” Dom said. “It was an informative evening, Northwood.” He eyed Harte and Esta, who had managed to keep quiet through the conversation. “I’ll say one thing: You certainly do keep some interesting company.”
“You’re welcome to them,” North grumbled.
Esta had come over by that time. “I’m hoping you can keep our little meeting between us,” she said.
