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“I’m owed pancakes for finding and dropping those clown-faced fucks.”
As ridiculous as the arrogant statement was, my reaction to hearing his voice was so strong that I nearly dropped to my knees when I saw Diggs slip through the front door before slamming it shut behind him.
Pulling his bandana down to hang around his neck, covered in tactical gear and weapons, and oozing that cocky swagger I knew came so easily to him. And then his gray eyes met mine, and the smirk curling at his mouth fell as his stare shifted back to Dare.
But I’d seen the relief, just as great as mine.
I’d seen the longing and love.
I felt them reaching out to me as he started toward his boss.
“Right, that,” Diggs said, then cleared his throat and gestured to the bodies Dare was knelt beside. “So, those are ours. Clearly. There were more outside—Holloways too.”
“Wait, what?” Jessica asked from behind me, but I didn’t look at her to see the expression that went with the surprise and confusion in her tone. I couldn’t look away from Diggs and the way his eyes lingered on me a little longer each time they drifted my way.
He was there.
He was okay.
“Haven’t checked everyone,” Kieran began, voice that gruff irritation he seemed to always speak in, “but the ones we did were all ex-Holloway or Borello.”
“The only Borellos in Keane Street were the Guerras,” Dare whispered as if struggling to wrap his head around it all. “There weren’t any Holloways.”
“Vinny said something to Kieran earlier,” Diggs said, gesturing behind me as he did. “Something about the Holloways getting theirs. Figured it was because he thought he’d killed Lily, and it probably was,” he added quickly before gesturing to the room we were standing in. “But this had to be part of it too. He was letting us know they were coming for us here and that it wasn’t only personal to Borellos.”
“Agreed,” Kieran murmured. “From the size of the ambush and lack of Keane Street bodies so far, this was retaliation on all of us from our old families. The Guerras were just at the head of it, calling the shots.”
“And Keane Street’s been helping because the Guerras had joined them,” Dare said in understanding, nodding to himself when Diggs spoke again from a noticeably closer distance to me than before.
“From things said and done, I have a feeling the Guerras and James Keane started having different ideas about how this retaliation should go. So, if Keane Street even knew about tonight, I doubt they knew a shit ton of ex-Borellos and Holloways came here with their signature look.” Slanting his head in consideration, Diggs added, “If Keane Street did, if they allowed it, the ambush had nothing to do with getting Lily back or trading for her because she was never supposed to be taken.”
“Speaking of my wife, she’s still there, and we’re not. We need to get her,” Dare said unquestionably. “So, if you’re sure we’re clear here, then we need to regroup and head out.”
“There’s no—”
“Kieran was shot,” Jessica’s brother said, cutting Kieran off.
“What?” Jessica snapped, already turning to inspect her husband as a barking laugh burst from Diggs.
“So was Diggs,” Kieran tossed back nonchalantly, clearly not wanting to be the only one who got hurt.
Just as my stomach began dropping at the news, Diggs snapped, “The fuck I was! That was Mav.”
“Grazed,” Maverick added on an annoyed sigh. “Barely. I’m fine.”
“How did you get shot?” Dare asked Kieran, his tone giving away his amusement at the idea of it.
Kieran glowered at Jentry reproachfully. “Knocking this asshole out of the way.”
“I was following you,” Jentry said, drawing out the words as if they’d already had this exact argument outside.
And I couldn’t figure out how this was a conversation I was present for—one where there was amusement and unconcerned accusations.
There was no rushing around. No panicking over the fact that Kieran had been shot and Maverick had been grazed. They were just talking about it like it was nothing more than a minor annoyance in their night.
And there were two dead men just feet away and countless more outside.
“Twins, gear up.”
