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“No, that’s not it. She’s spooked easily, okay? I didn’t have anything to do with that.”
I grit my teeth so hard that it hurts. “Get her back.”
“I can’t. You know I can’t, dammit. I did the best I could with her before she ran off. I don’t work for you anymore, Carter. None of us do. They hired a new damn fleet of officers, too. They’re young, and they want to please the mayor like he’s some damn general in war. They won’t sway to your money. And I can’t do it, either. I’m sorry, okay? I have to fall back in line.”
I snort back a chuckle that he doesn’t appreciate. “You’re going tofall in line, huh? I gave these crooked cops mountains of money to do one damn thing. Look the other fucking way. And here you are now, telling me that it can’t be done. You have to clean up the city. Well, start with Killian Hughes. He’s the one trying to frame me for murder.”
“Not murder. We’re going to assume it’s self-defense at this time, okay? He had an unregistered gun in his coat. It was obvious that he broke in and was going to harm you or Isabella… or both. But we can’t spin shit in your favor again, okay? We’re going to let you go and keep this information under wraps. It might be used in the future against you, Carter. I’m trying to be helpful here.”
At last, I relax with a slight edge of ease. “Fine. No arrest. I won’t slit your throats today, then.”
His eyes widen. He knows I would do it, too.
Everyone in this city knows what I’m capable of by now.
I took out an entire crooked family for trying to lay a hand on Isabella.
“Let me out of these damn cuffs. I have to go find out where my girl went. No thanks to you.”
“We’re letting the other three guys free as well. You’ll be last, so just give me a minute to get everything in order, okay?” He stands but pauses, looking at the camera overhead. “But first, the only way I was allowed to have the camera skip on tape is I told them I was going to rough you up a little bit.”
I grit my teeth. “I’ll rip your tongue out of your mouth if you try.”
“I’m sorry, man. I’m trying to help you. Just remember that.”
Before I can threaten him further, his closed fist meets my cheek, and blood flies from my bottom lip. I feel it dripping down my neck, savagely crimson and hot. I’m searing in anger and fury, but I have to hold back. The camera light comes back on while the detective shakes his hand in pain and rushes out of the room.
I keep calm long enough to feel the blood finally stop flowing down my chin. My lip should start swelling soon, but I couldn’t care less about any of it if I tried. Right now, I’m focused on one thing that keeps my mind occupied. I count the minutes until the officer enters the room to undo my cuffs.
I jerk myself free and hurry out of the building, not needing a damn escort. I have to sign for the shit they confiscated from me, and thankfully Lorenzo has my gun when I get outside. I reposition my watch on my wrist and look at him, Nicolas, and Tristan.
“Where is Isabella?” Tristan asks.
I don’t know why he has to ask about her, out of everyone here. “She ran off from the detective. She’s with the Donahue bunch. I need to get a hold of them.”
Tristan pulls out his wallet, still taped as property of theNew York City Police Department. He hands me a crisp business card. “That’s his number. Give Rich a call. I bet he’s with her.”
“Why do you guess that exactly?”
He shrugs. “He knows her. It’s not like she’s met any other Donahues or Laceys since the fallout.”
I tend to my pulsing, bloody lip. “I don’t want to talk about them anymore. I’m fucking done with this Lacey shit. Once I get my dove back, I’m cutting ties with the Donahue prick, too.”
Lorenzo furrows his brows, edging into the conversation now. “Why? That docks property is what we need to operate, boss. It’s going to help shipments. We have property out there, but none of that size.”
“I know what we have.”
“Then why are you blowing this?” Nicolas bites, spitting his words out as he says them. “I’m so over this shit, Carter. You’re running this family business into the ground over trying to keep that woman as your sex toy. I’m over it.”
He throws his hands up and storms off.
I’m not done with him yet, not after that uncalled-for outburst.
Marching up behind him, I grab him by the collar and spin him around to face me. My blood is hot, hotter than hot, and I’m too damn furious to swallow the flames that lick the back of my tongue. I’m done trying to appease this cockroach of a cousin.
If he thinks I’m doing a shit job, then he can choke on my words once and for all and then promptly fuck off.
“I built the business, dammit. I am the reason we are here. The Blackthornes had money before me, sure, but never to this degree. If you want me to send you off like the others, then so be it, but you’ll be a rogue pony out there looking for a damn dime because if you turn your back on me, you’re turning your back on this empire.”
