Page 16 of Mama & Pops

“Well, he named you well.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Just because you guys think you have me figured out doesn’t mean you do.”

“Oh, I think we do, Mama.” Taz sobered then. “You’re the most ruthless warrior I’ve ever met, but only when someone you love is threatened. In my case, it was my whole company.”

I sighed. “They were just kids.”

“They weren’t any younger than we were.”

“They weren’t as prepared as we were, Taz.” This was fucking exasperating. “I had a demon for a stepfather and you grew up on the streets. We were at least a decade older than those kids in life experiences.”

“Whatever. You took them all under your wing and when they were threatened, you did what you could to protect us all. Myself included.”

“Then my temper got me a dishonorable discharge.”

Taz just grunted. “Controlled yourself better’n me.”

“I heard you killed that fucking general.”

“Maybe.”

“Then you disappeared off the face of the fuckin’ planet. Until now.”

“It’s amazing what you can do when you’re willing to lie low.” He tried to give me a superior smirk, but I could see the underlying tension in the set of his jaw.

“I heard you had some help.” That wasn’t all I’d heard. If the rumors were to be believed, Taz was in deep shit. “An organization older than the fuckin’ country is what I heard.”

“Not a discussion I can have, Jo. If you’ve heard anything accurate, then you know I can’t talk about it.”

I nodded. That was exactly what I’d heard. “What are you gonna do?”

“Not much I can do. But there’s more than just me to think about.”

“Oh?”

Taz turned his gaze to the back of the room, to the shadows the sunlight couldn’t quite reach. “Liam. Come meet my friends.”

A skinny kid of about four or five moved into the room. His gaze was fixed on us like he was studying us, even though he was just a kid. His gaze moved from me to Mike, then to Gracie. When he finished, his gaze returned to me and he narrowed his eyes. He said nothing but stayed at Taz’s side.

“My son.”

That shocked me. “Your son?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, his mother was killed in Laos.”

As I’m sure Taz knew, my heart ached for the child. The kid tilted his head at me, like he knew I was the person he had to win over. Not Mike.

“Yes.” Taz grinned. “Liam has you figured out.”

The kid took a step forward. Then another. Then he walked straight toward me. When he stood in front of me, he looked up. There was weariness in his eyes. “You know my dad?”

“Yeah, kid. I do.”

“You gonna take me when my dad leaves?”

I glanced up sharply at Taz. “Leaves?”

He nodded. “I can’t take Liam with me where I’m going.”

---