Page 53 of The Forbidden

“She’ll be there when I bring the bourbon?” I ask to clarify the terms.

“Yes. We’ll switch out, easy as pie. You walk one way, I’ll walk the other, then we forget this happened. I don’t think I have to impress upon you how driven I can be when I set my mind on something, so if you think to involve the police or try to fuck this up in any way, I will ensure the people you love suffer. And just so we’re clear, I’m not talking about your parents but rather a cute little girl who looks an awful lot like your girlfriend.”

Not my girlfriend and at this moment, I regret ever reconnecting with Kat. Had I kept my hands to myself, kept far away from her, this douchebag wouldn’t know she means anything to me. He’s clearly connected and has done his research—my best guess is I’ve been followed from the moment they first approached me and they’ve had plenty of opportunity the last two weeks to see the time Kat and I have spent together. Hell, Kravitz probably saw me kiss her at the gala.

Fuck, I hate myself for putting her in danger, but it never crossed my mind that she would be targeted. Hell, I didn’t take this Rafferty prick seriously anyway because who does shit like this for a case of rare bourbon?

Regardless, it’s his liquor now and I’m going to bring it to him. I’m also not going to involve the police because he’s now threatening Sylvie and if paying my dad’s debt makes everyone safe, I’ll do it without a backward glance.

“Where do I make the delivery?”

“Louisville,” he replies. “I’ll text the exact address.”

“I’ll need two hours but if you hurt her, I will destroy you.”

“Relax, Mr. Mardraggon. She’s perfectly safe and will remain that way as long as you bring the bourbon.”

“You have a fucking gun pointed at her head,” I growl in rage at the bastard. “I don’t call that perfectly safe.”

“Time’s a ticking, Mr. Mardraggon. I’ll text the address.”

The line goes dead and I don’t waste a single moment. I blow out the candles I’d lit and I’m out the door, taking my G Wagon because I need more room than what the Ferrari offers.

It’s not to collect the bourbon first though.

I head out to Blackburn Farms.

♦

Knocking on the front door, I glance at my watch. It’s almost nine thirty, about fifteen minutes since I hung up with Rafferty. The lights are ablaze in the Blackburn ancestral home but I’ve never darkened this doorstep before.

I hear the sound of laughter from inside and then the door opens. Ethan has a wide smile on his face, clearly leftover from the laughter still echoing in a nearby room but it melts off the second he sees me.

Or rather, my expression, because he immediately asks, “What’s wrong?”

“Is Sylvie here?”

“Yeah… she’s sleeping.” He throws his thumb over his shoulder. “We’ve been hanging out with Marcie, my parents and my brothers playing cards.”

I grimace because the thought of having to deal with all the Blackburn brothers is not appealing but there’s no time to worry about that. I’m just glad Sylvie’s not around to hear this.

“Gabe,” Ethan barks, no trace of humor left from his family card night. “What’s wrong? Is Sylvie in danger?”

“No, it’s not Sylvie. It’s Kat.”

“What?” Ethan exclaims, and he starts to step out onto the porch.

“Your entire family better hear this,” I say, holding up a hand. Ethan halts but doesn’t invite me in. His indecision irritates the hell out of me. “It’s fucking urgent, Ethan.”

That seems to jar him and he scrambles back from the door. I push past him, following the sound of voices with Ethan hot on my heels. I find myself stepping into the kitchen where I find Fi, Tommy, Wade, Trey and Marcie sitting around the table with playing cards scattered about.

They freeze when they see me, Wade’s mouth actually hanging open.

It’s Trey who breaks the silence, his gaze going to Ethan who comes to stand beside me. “What’s this knucklehead doing here?”

“He’s here about Kat,” Ethan says.

“She’s at a meeting in Lexington,” Fi says in her Irish lilt. “Then she was going out with friends after.”

---