Page 136 of Forbidden Need

Not a chance with that guy. He was a weapon all on his own.

“Backing up Whisper,” she said. “She’s going to the prison.”

“For father or son?”

“Son,” she said. “Conn and Raze met about it late last night. I went in to say goodnight and they clammed up.”

“You wanted to hear the details?”

“He would’ve told me if we’d been alone.” Or she’d asked. “With Whisper not there either it…”

“Was guy time. They’re McDades. Blood. Score should be pulling his weight. Kinda got everyone into this mess.”

“Biz started it,” she said, oddly defensive. “What was he trying to accomplish setting Score up for murder?”

“Exactly what he wants to achieve now. Biz wants to be head of the family, even from inside prison walls. Not impossible, it’s been done before. Anyone mention Clancy?”

Burl’s brother. The cousins’ uncle.

“Conn sent Score that way. Clancy has a network, but the guy’s not… Losing his daughter took his appetite for power.” From the way Conn told it anyway. “Doesn’t mean he’d turn his back on his family.”

“Smart move. Score’s traveling with a wife, a kid, and his brother’s best friend. And a lawyer. He can’t keep them all safe alone. Though it’s not like the McDades are safe on the west coast.”

“Shit, Strat…” Her elbow landed on the table at the same time she scooped a hand around her forehead. “This is coming at him from all angles. I’m overwhelmed and I don’t have to do a damn thing.”

“Yes, you do.” Trust her friend to be so stoic in his support. “You have to keep him sane. No one else is gonna look after the guy. No one else would dare try right now with the mood he’s in. From what I hear, he’s earning his name and a helluva lot more.”

“He has Niall. This is the first time we’ve—there’s always trouble, but this is huge and… I don’t want to overstep my bounds.”

“Oh,” he said, pushing down the seat slightly. “Then, man, did I get your relationship wrong. Go upstairs and pack a bag—better actually, do you have stuff at the loft?”

“Stuff?”

“Clothes, passport, money, enough to get you through a few days. If Whisper and Raze aren’t there, we can be in and out of the loft without anyone knowing. Gives us a head start.”

“Why would I need—” Horror blocked her throat for a few seconds. “You want me to run?”

“Fuck, yeah,” he said without shame. “Your family aren’t laying out the red carpet for you these days. If this Ire guy’s a lay, why the fuck should you deal with the bullshit in his life? You’re not in it for the long haul—”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I’ll get you somewhere safe. We’ve hit this bump before, Ire did his thing, whatever, the past’s the past. You can’t stick around waiting for Vex to bail you out. We have to get you outta the city.”

Vex. Seemed there was always a balance somewhere. As she revealed one secret to Conn, there was another to be hidden from Strat or Lachlan.

“No. I’m not leaving. I would never leave Conn. Why would you…” His slight smile killed her words. He didn’t expect her to leave, he was making a point. “My job is to support him.”

“Yes, it is. Babe, if you’re scared of him, what chance do the rest of us have?”

“I’m not scared of him. Right now, he doesn’t need to be worrying about his relationship on top of everything else. We’re fine. And when he needs me, I’ll be waiting for him.”

“Okay,” he said, unconvinced. “Don’t forget who your friends are, Scamp.”

“You’ll be my first call if I need to run for my life.”

“And if he splits…”

“He wouldn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s about pride.”

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