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“Never,” I responded seriously. It was always a worry when we did the kind of work we did, mingling with the underworld crowd. We always had to be careful. “Let me know if his head isn’t in the game. He’ll end up dead.” In more ways than one.
“I’ll handle it, Terry.”
“Don’t be defensive, Em. I know you can do your fucking job, but you have a problem giving people news they don’t want to hear. Except me, then you have no problem at all.”
He nodded, saying nothing, but the quirk of a smile on his lips said everything. “This fight is a big deal for me too, Terry. I’ll do what needs to be done.”
“You always do, little brother.”
He shook his head. “I’m bigger than you, asshole.”
“I’m still more badass, though.”
We laughed at the old joke that never failed to get a rise out of us. Emmett was younger and big as fuck, but I made up for my wiry frame by being what Jasper called a crazy motherfucker.
“Heard you scared off some asshole messin’ with Kat.”
I nodded, still angry that asshole had the nerve to get so close and on Ashby property, no less. “Anything show up on camera?”
“Nope. You can see it if you want, but he was really careful about hiding his face from the cameras. Like he’d been here before and knew where they all were.”
“Any newbies here that set off alarms?” I asked, filing away more bad news.
Emmett shook his head and raked a hand through his thick brown hair. “Plenty of people are in and out of here, mostly fighters and trainers, medical crew. Nobody who caused concern, at least not if you don’t count all the agents and managers looking to poach fighters.”
Shit. Poaching was part of the business; we all knew that. But still it shocked me how many were willing to risk certain death by crossing Sadie or Jasper. Boxing was a money maker and the Ashbys would do anything to stay on top.
“All right. I’ll get security to get me the last two weeks of footage. See what we can find.”
Emmett’s brows dipped low. “Kat is family. I already pulled the past four weeks. I’m sending it now.”
“Thanks.” I’d hit up Cal with what I could remember of the man’s description once I went through the footage.
“Anything for Kat. Right?”
My lips twitched, and I shook my head. “You relentless little shit,” I laughed. “Save that for Rob.”
“But it’s so much more fun to give you shit. Especially about this.” Emmett just laughed when I flipped him off. “Any news on the Kat front?”
“Nothing at all and there won’t be. You know that.” Jasper and Virgil had never reacted well to any of the men Kat had brought home and as Jasper’s best friend, she was strictly one hundred percent off limits.
“That’s some bullshit high school posturing and you know it. I mean, I’d rather have my sister with someone who’d take a bullet for me than anyone else.”
“Good thing you don’t have a sister, huh?” I nodded, taking his point. It always bothered me too. “Anyway, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Until there is,” he said with a satisfied smile just as Jasper knocked and interrupted.
“Things are looking good, Em. Keep up the good work.”
Jasper stepped inside, confident that his interruption wasn’t unwelcome.
“Thanks. Everyone is working hard.”
“Any problems?” Jasper’s tone was even but I knew him better than that. He was fishing for something he already knew about.
“Nothing I can’t handle.” Emmett was tougher than he looked, and I pitied the men who learned that lesson the hard way. My big-little brother was a nice guy. A good guy. He didn’t seem like the vet and pro brawler that he was, which had served him well. In many ways.
“If that changes, I’m a phone call away.”
Emmett nodded but kept quiet. Jasper gave a sharp nod to my brother before he turned and walked out.
“Later,” I told Emmett and caught up with Jasper. “How’d it go?”
“Could’ve gone better, but I hope I made my point. Clearly.” Because if he hadn’t, it would be made crystal clear. After the fight.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kat
Thanks to the information I’d gotten from Madison, I was able to find out more about the couple staying in the Mueller Suites with a credit card and a basic internet search.
Dennis and Deborah Smith were actually Stephen and Donna McLaughlin. He was a forensic accountant and she was a publicist, owners and operators of two small practices, both with just one client. The Las Vegas Diocese.
That couldn’t be a coincidence, and I was eager to share my news with the family and see what else Cal could find. But it would have to wait until Sunday dinner since there was too much to do to prepare for the upcoming fight. But that also gave me three more days to dig on my own, before Sadie ordered me to stop. Which she would as soon as I told the family.
