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Frankly, I didn’t care who we had to kill to make it happen.
CHAPTER41
DOC
“Just remember,” I told Milo. “The guys are going to be waiting for you out at the old Forty-Two Saloon in Lisbon. Just head there. They’ve already picked the location for the two of you to hunker down. We debated having them come in, but the more distance we put between the car swaps, the better.”
“I got it,” he said, shaking his head. “Feels all James Bond. Leave here in one car, change it for another before we’re actually out of the city. Then stop at a place on Route 61 to pick up another car.”
“Well, it’s only paranoid if someone isn’t out to get us.” No matter how light I kept it, there was no way to ease the sting of the upcoming separation from Little Bit or the stress of knowing we were sending them into hiding.
It had been a discussion point for days. Little Bit wanted to fight. She didn’t want to be sent away, but she was our most vulnerable. That vulnerability put Milo at risk too. Especially after discovering Jeff’s latest maneuvers. I couldn’t believe that son of a bitch.
I hadn’t even thought of that asshole in over a decade, and he was working an angle that landed his son in jail. Soon as we fucked up the uncle and took that trash out, we’d deal with Jeff.
No more shit from the past coming to touch them—any of them.
“Not sure that makes me feel better,” Milo said with a wry shake of his head.
“But it doesn’t make you feel worse.” I glanced over to where Little Bit was saying goodbye to the guys. We'd been in a flurry of activity in the three days since making the decision. Moira Sharpe had been relocated with a security team to watch her back.
The place Liam secured put her four states away. We’d gotten confirmation earlier in the day that she had arrived on schedule. The relief on Little Bit’s face that her mom was safe had only been matched by her relief when her mother had been driven out by Liam’s security people.
Julius King had been silent. Through a mutual decision, we were keepinghisidentity under wraps for now. I’d rather call him on his shit right now, but we had enough to deal with in the immediate. So, I put a sock in itfor the moment.Steph would be proud. Every day I missed her more and, at the same time, I heard her even more clearly.
“You can only be responsible for yourself, Mickey. Helping others to carry their burdens doesn’t mean they get to put them down. It means you lessen the weight but can’t take it all on yourself.”
At the time, it had amazed me, because I knew just how much she carried for everyone else. When I called her on it, all she’d done was pat my cheek.
“Knowing when you can’t carry it all is the most difficult part. You have to trust them to help themselves. Although, a little judicious boot to the ass never hurt anyone.”
“You and Little Bit go and pretend this is some kind of vacation. Teach her how to play poker…”
Milo snorted, and I grinned. “Yeah, my little sister is a card shark. I already figured that out.”
“Yeah, it was fun when the guys discovered it too.”
That earned me a genuine laugh, and I clapped him on the shoulder.
“Let her look after you. She needs to fuss, and she’s worried about you.”
“I’m worried about her.”
That, I got. “We all are…that’s why you need to let her fuss.”
“She’s on her way,” Milo warned, and I glanced back to find her strolling toward me. We hadn’t had much time to talk since—
“Give me a minute.”
His noncommittal sound was answer enough. I met her halfway. When she slid her arms around me, I dragged her closer and kissed the top of her head. “Can I ask you to be good for me and stick close to Milo?” I kept the comment low.
Her laugh was the antidote to the fist in my chest. “You can ask,” she said. “Can I ask you to take care of yourself? And to let the guys look after you too?”
I didn’t snort or smirk, but the temptation was there. We hadn’t discussed what had happened. “I need to apologize to you…”
She pressed her fingers to my lips. “Later,” she whispered. “We can talk about all of that later. I’m fine. Even the bruises are mostly gone.”
I scraped my teeth over her fingertips as I captured her hand. “Don’t make light of this,” I asked carefully. “I never want to be someone who hurts you.”
