Page 87 of Under Fire

Petrelli was a loose end Matt would have to tie up. He didn’t believe for one minute that Zach was ready to seek help for his addictions. That meant he’d be returning to Petrelli for more money in the near future. Only this time Delilah’s brother wouldn’t have a ready source of cash to repay the loan. The shark would go hunting to get his money and that was a danger Matt wouldn’t allow. He couldn’t deploy with Bravo if he was worried about her safety. No matter the cost to himself, Matt would end the threat to Delilah.

“Be careful, Dee.” Zach leaned closer. “Mom’s lottery money brings out the worst in people.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

Before climbing into the SUV, Delilah turned to Matt. “I don’t want Zach to be the one targeting me.” The idea that her brother might have tried to kill her more than once made her stomach knot. “Do you think he’s guilty?” Delilah willed him to say no. Matt would tell her the truth whether she wanted to hear it or not.

The medic cupped her cheek with his palm. “I don’t think he has the spine to hurt you.”

“That doesn’t exclude him from using someone else to do his dirty work.” She’d just lost her mother. Would she lose her brother, too?

“No, it doesn’t.” Matt’s thumb brushed across her cheekbone in a gentle caress. “I won’t rule him out until I have proof, Delilah, but I don’t think he’s responsible for the attacks.”

Some of her tension floated away. While she questioned her own judgment, Delilah trusted Matt’s. His goal was to keep her safe, not protect a relationship which may be more wishful thinking than fact. “Who should we talk to next?”

“Your cousin, Evan.” Matt keyed Evan’s address into his navigation system. “Tell me about your cousin.”

“He was a bully all through school, but since he was best friends with Pond Scum, no one dared call Evan down for his behavior. My aunt and uncle died in a car crash when my cousins were in middle school. Shane turned 11 and Evan 12 not long before their deaths.”

“How did your mother and Randy end up with them?”

“They were such terrors no other family members would take them. Since Mom didn’t want her nephews in the foster care system, she volunteered to take them. She was fragile, though, unable to care for herself or her family. Adding my cousins into the mix made the tension and stress in our household worse.”

“Randy was agreeable to your cousins moving in?”

“Mom didn’t give him a choice. The boys were family. As far as she was concerned, that was the end of the discussion.”

“Did your stepfather resent being forced to take them on?”

“I’m embarrassed to admit I was so consumed by my grief over losing Dad I didn’t pay attention to the rest of my family. My guess is Randy didn’t care. He never disciplined Zach or me. I don’t remember him correcting my cousins. Randy ignored us to pursue his own interests. He was good to Mom, though.” Delilah frowned. “Except for his cheating. I had no idea he’d been doing that.”

The knowledge made her heart ache for her mother. Had she known about the women? Maybe that’s why she forced Randy out of the house with only his belongings and the promise of money for five years.

“Did Evan work before your mother started bankrolling the family?”

“Mom mentioned Evan working at the auto repair shop. He has a knack for fixing things, especially vehicles. He kept the family’s fleet of cars running during the lean years.” She smiled. “He might be a bully, but Evan works magic with engines of any kind.”

“And now he doesn’t work anywhere.” Matt frowned. “Unemployment isn’t good for anyone.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Our self-worth is tied closely to our jobs. If we can’t find work, we spiral into depression and discouragement.”

“But Evan quit.”

He slid a glance her direction. “He needs a purpose in life, Delilah. A reason to get up in the mornings besides the vices people fall into when they’re bored or aimless. Volunteering counts as work and provides as much purpose as a paying job.”

“I can’t see Evan volunteering for anything except buying the next round of beer at one of the local watering holes. That was his favorite pastime from the day he earned his first dollar at the repair shop during high school. A philanthropist, he’s not.”

Matt turned right into a long, winding driveway and parked in front of a large Georgian home. “Nice.”

Delilah goggled at the picturesque home and grounds. She met Matt at the front of his vehicle. “I don’t know what to expect from Evan.”

“I have a good idea. When he learns why you’re here, he may settle down.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Matt didn’t know Evan like she did. He was belligerent and cruel, purposely hurting people if he could get by with it. Sad to say, he was better with engines than people.

“I’ll handle it. He’s a homegrown terrorist. I hunt terrorists for a living.”

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