Page 126 of On the Double
“It was brought to my attention that if anyone should be able to find out who was behind keeping The Syndicate running, it would be you.”
“And who enlightened you about that?”
“Senator Kavanaugh when I met with him to discuss the very subject.”
His jaw clenched and he shook his head at me. “No.”
“No, what?”
“Don’t fucking go there,” he snapped, shoving his fingers through his hair. “Leave it alone.”
“I can’t,” I argued. “They benefited from The Syndicate.Yourson gave his life for your daughter. And now you’re telling me to walk away?”
“Yes!” he shouted. “I’m telling you to walk away because I already buried one son,” he hissed. “I won’t bury another.”
I stepped back, shaking my head at the man. “You and Rafe…both of you had your secrets. You just couldn’t let anyone else in. And look at where that got you. He’s dead now. I had to fucking shoot him!” I shouted, banging my fist against my chest. “Do you know what that did to me? I still have fucking nightmares! I can’t sleep. I’m lying to my wife! I can’t stand to look at myself in the mirror. And you want me to walk away?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “For me. Walk away and don’t go near this. I promise you, it’s not something you can win.”
I could hear the terror in his voice as he pleaded with me, but if I didn’t see this through, I would never be able to live with myself. I could never look Eva in the eyes again and be the man she married. He was my brother. My fucking brother, and I shot him. This had to end, and I wouldn’t stop until every last fucker who crossed me was in the ground.
“I will win. I will end this with or without your help. What’s it going to be?”
He hung his head slightly, shaking it. “You won’t get far. I promise you, this will only end in more death.”
I turned for the door and yanked it open. “So be it.”
32
EDU
“Don’t get hurt,”Lock muttered. “I believe those were the words she said to you.”
I winced as he poured alcohol over the wound on my side, then took a pair of tweezers and dug into my body. I gritted my teeth, grabbing the alcohol to numb the pain as best I could. We were in a dirty shack in the middle of Mexico. I was bleeding out, and the rest of the team was hunkered down across the fucking field. What should have been an easy job was ruined when Fox got the brilliant idea to start dancing with Scottie. Yes, it was enjoyable to watch. It also pulled our focus for just long enough to get me stabbed with a fucking stick.
A very sharp, pointy stick. Splinters of wood filled the hole in my side, and that’s what Lock was currently trying to remove. I looked down, nearly puking when I saw blood dripping from my skin as he dug the tweezers in again.
On the plus side, we took out the last of the cartels that functioned as a part of The Syndicate. We went in to end this for Cash and succeeded. Down side? Yeah, I had a fucking hole in my body. It was a small price to pay.
“Actually,” I panted, “she told me to be safe and then reminded me not to stick my dick in anyone else.”
He snorted. “Well, I can see why she gave you that advice.”
“Hey, I’m not that much of an asshole that I would do something like that to her.”
He stopped digging and looked up at me with a cocked eyebrow. “Clearly, she feels the same way.”
Snarling, I took another swig of alcohol. “Fucking hell, just knock me out.”
“How would I get you out of here then? Lay back.”
I dropped to my back and stared up at the ceiling as he dug further into my side. The alcohol was doing shit to actually help the pain, but it was enough to make me seriously reevaluate my life choices.
“Do you think she loves me?”
“I think she’s stupidly making a choice to be with you when you keep telling her you don’t want more.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “But do you think she loves me?”