Page 71 of Mob Saint

Her gaze jumps over my shoulder to the house, and she’s livid. She thinks I’m betraying what we just talked about. I’m not.

I lean in to whisper to her. “They will talk if it’s just me. They’ll think I’m less threatening alone. They’ll say more without you being there because you’re a woman and because it’ll be about you. I need you to go with Todd. Please.”

“I don’t like this, Shay. It doesn’t feel right.”

“I know. But there’s something else I need to talk to Gareth about. I was going to come down here before I knew you needed to. I wasn’t sure if I’d get the chance, and I was willing to make another trip here if I needed to. But this is the right time. Please, little one.”

“I will. Please be careful, Daddy.” She leans far enough forward for her lips to brush my ear. It’s erotic as hell. Unfortunately, I can’t stay to enjoy it.

I wait outside until I see Tiera get in the car. Todd holds up the fob, and I hear the car lock. I turn back and glower at the guards. They do nothing to stop me going back inside. I follow the voices to the living room. As I step in, I’m tempted to shoot a photo or something on the mantle to make my point.

Gareth only allows upper-level men to carry guns in his house. If he’s alone, he allows one guard. Otherwise, everyone checks their guns at the door. There are men besides Keith, Brant, and Vince here, but I know they don’t have guns. I didn’t want anyone confiscating mine, so I didn’t bring it in. I took two while in the office, so I’m even more armed than when I arrived.

But my silence is menacing enough. It actually makes more of a statement than if I came in guns ablaze. It shows them I don’t believe I need a weapon to intimidate them. I look around at the lower-level guys who must be here to give a daily or weekly report. I jerk my chin toward the front door. All of them dash their gazes to Gareth. Now I raise my gun. It’s the one I took from Jimmy. He’s who I’m aiming at. None of them look at Gareth this time. They file out in a hurry.

Once I’m alone with Gareth, Brant, Vince, and Keith, I step all the way in. I sit on the sofa in here, my legs crossed the same way as in the office. Except now I have both guns resting on my lap. I’m as good a shot lefthanded as I am righthanded. They all know because they’ve all seen me in action. Not at a range. Nope. They’ve seen me shoot to kill. They’ve seen my accuracy.

“Keith, who’re you paying to extort Gareth, so he intimidates Tiernan?”

“What? Fuck you, dude.”

“I know some unnamed fucker is intimidating Gareth, which includes forcing Tiernan to do things she doesn’t want to at work. I know you’re involved. You’ve tried to have Gareth killed at least five times since he turned eighteen and posed a threat to you. It’s always pissed you off that he’s smarter than you, so Darren never questioned handing the mantle over to him. But you are pettier, which makes you more deceptive. So, who’re you paying?”

“I’m not paying anyone, you piece of shit.”

“Really?”

I let go of the gun resting on my left thigh to reach into the inside right breast pocket of my suit jacket and pull out papers folded in half. I put down the other gun and quickly fold them into an airplane. I launch it at Gareth. It flies smoothly to him, hitting him in the chest. I was always good at making them.

I rest my hands on the guns as he opens and skims what I just gave him. His brow furrows, and I can see the anger building in him. We all can. Mount Gareth is ready to blow. He has a bit of a temper. My family might have the red hair, and he might have the Welsh name, but his temper is legendary. Tantrums most of the time, but this should be good.

“What the fuck, Keith?”

He must have been practicing sounding like my cousin Finn. It’s way more intimidating than he used to sound.

“He’s lying.” Keith sounds like a little bitch. Boo-hoo-hoo, fuck nut.

Gareth holds up the papers and flaps them in the air. “Bullshit. These bank statements and phone bills don’t lie.”

I hadn’t lied to Tiera either when I said Gareth doesn’t have as tight a hold on the reins as he thinks. This proves it like a slap across the face. I genuinely don’t know who’s pulling the strings. That’s why I asked Gareth. I gave him a chance to confess, in case he set Keith up or tasked him with this. Now, I’m certain he didn’t know. We’ve suspected for a while that someone’s been forcing Gareth’s hand, but we hadn’t known until just after the trial concluded. When I found out Tiera needed to come down here, I decided it was a good time to confront him.

But that was weeks ago. I could have come down here without her, and I could have come back with her. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t. It would have spared her, but as agonizing as it must be for her—it’s agonizing watching—she needs to learn all of this. I’m glad I’m here to support her. I hate thinking what it would have been like for her to discover all of this alone. Even a regular friend would be better than nobody. The juries out on whether her father would be useful.

Keith pointing a finger at me pulls my attention back.

“You’re going to believe this pathological liar over me? What the fuck, Gareth? How do you know he didn’t forge all this? Fabricate these lies out of nothing? He’s doing this to fuck with us, and you’re buying into it.”

“Nope.”

I don’t need to defend myself. I don’t need to convince Gareth to believe me. Through our spies, we know Gareth’s had his doubts about Keith for a while. That’s why we decided to bring it to his attention. Of course, we’re sowing the seeds of doubt. Of course, we’re butting in. Of course, we’re doing it to fuck them over. They’re still on probation for getting involved with shite that hurt Finn’s wife and her family. This started as just a test, but now it’s my personal retribution for what they’ve done and are still doing to Tiera.

“What the fuck do you mean ‘nope’?” Vince can’t stay out of shite. He always has to be up to his brown eyes in it. The only part not in the shite is his blond hair.

I shoot him a dismissive glance and focus back on Keith and Gareth. That makes Vince livid. He’s the one to listen to, but not yet.

“Vince, shut up. You’re pissing me off, and you remember the last time you did that.”

We all do. Vince’s still limping even with the knee replacement.

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