Page 2 of Cohesion

“For you. We can’t work out where Mulhall isnow, but we’ve had a few hits on where he’s been,” Six said. “And it looks like you and your lawyer boyfriend are target numero uno. Well, you as Warren. Which is still you. Technically.”

“There can only be one number-one target,” Jericho pointed out. One of them would have to be second.

“Nah, they seem to have an equal hard-on for both of you.”

“You shouldn’t be allowed to talk when you’re half asleep,” Greer said clearly.

“Open your mouth again and I’ll stick something in it.”

Jericho stroked his short beard. That complicated things. “We aren’t the only ones left on the list we found. So what makes you think we’re the focus?”

“A few things. He broke into the prison records and downloaded every person that visitedyou. He was caught on CCTV near the apartment you rented as Warren, as well. I’d say he was checking it out, or what’s left of it.”

“He’s been too careful for that to be an accident.” He was goading them, the motherfucker. Jericho gritted his teeth. “Where else?” There had to be more.

“The car we left behind at Warren’s apartment the night of the fire is still impounded. They haven’t closed the investigation into it yet, so it hasn’t been sent to auction. It was broken into and ransacked.”

“He ate my fucking Snickers, the piece of shit!” Greer growled.

Six sighed heavily. “I give you so many chances to be good for me. Right now you aren’t listening properly, and I’m disappointed in you. Take out my dick and put it in your mouth. If I hear one sound coming from your throat, I’m going to fuck it until you can’t speak at all, understand?” He made a cooing sound and then bit back a groan. His voice came from furtheraway when he said, “Yeah. Good, just like that. If you’re good, I’ll even reward you.” It was clearer when he said, “Jericho, we haven’t found anything to suggest that he’s hiring someone like Jack Sweeney did, but he’s getting his information somewhere. If no one is doing it for him, he’s one hell of a hacker and none of our intel says he’s some computer genius.”

Mulhall was certainly being thorough. And too clever. Definitely getting help somewhere. But how? “He’s retracing steps,” Jericho theorised out loud. “If he keeps going back further, he’s going to have a lot of people in his crosshairs.” Too many of them people that Jericho cared about.

“Errol and Dane weren’t keeping under the radar, and they weren’t subtle about going after your guys, or you. Considering Mulhall is the one that sicced Sweeney on you, he knows enough about the situation to be dangerous.”

There were plenty of news articles and police information to outline the situation for anyone who knew where to look. If Mulhall was finding ways into the inner databases, then it would be like the easy maze they used to have on the back of placemats for kids in McDonald’s restaurants.

Too easy to find information about the home invasion with Sebastian and Peyton, which also happened to be the last place Errol and Dane were ever seen alive. The shooting outside of Sebastian’s office, with him and Will. Mason Delgrade’s body being dropped at Will and Peyton’sapartment. Quinn and his partner being the assigned officers for the case.

The list would end up including every person sleeping upstairs, and more.

Jericho needed to give Mulhall something else to focus on and keep his eyes away from the men he’d left in bed. “I need to call Hunter. Give Greer my regards.”

“He can’t come to the phone right now,” Six said in a sing-song voice.

Jericho snorted and hung up. He doubted they’d get back to sleep any time soon. If both of them looked like they were hungover from lack of sleep tomorrow, he wasn’t taking the blame.

He scanned the area as he dialled the next number. The waves were loud, the moon was bright, and there were no figures on the horizon. Persephone was curled up under the outdoor table, fast asleep.

“You could have told me I was the target,” Jericho said as soon as Hunter picked up. He twisted, turning his back to the view.

“You’ve been a target from the start,” Hunter replied easily. “It’s not as though this is news.”

“A heads-up would still have been nice.”

“Heads up: you’re a target,” Hunter said, deadpan. “Can I go back to sleep now?”

“No. Send Spence and Ken to me first thing in the morning: they’re on Seb duty now.”

“That’s not what I called them back for.”

“I’m commandeering them.” Sebastian belonged tohimnow, not Hunter, and he was making the calls here. “Visible guards will deter Mulhall, making a single target look that much more appealing.”

“You’re going to make yourself bait,” Hunter said flatly.

“No.” Hell fucking yes he was. If Mulhall was looking at him, he wasn’t looking at them. And that’s what mattered. “It’s personal now, Hunter. I want it finished. I want them safe.”

“I told you that getting involved with them was a bad idea.”

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