Page 48 of Man of Honor

His mouth twitched in amusement, and although he didn't say it, I knew he was remembering the same thing I was. He never liked to give away too much of what he was thinking—him and Gideon both. They acted like being human was a weakness. The rest of us burned hot while they watched coldly from the shadows.

I sighed and cut to the chase.

"I need a favor."

His gaze sharpened. "Do you, now?"

"Not for me," I clarified, irritated by his smirk. I kept my gaze forward, watching his reflection in the mirror instead. "It's for Ivy."

"The girl you brought to Eden," he said, but it wasn't a question. "Paulie Tibbs’s handiwork, right?"

The hair on my arms prickled in warning. "How do you know that name?"

"When you refused to tell me what happened, I asked around." His gaze flicked over my body, like he'd memorized every injury the day he visited. "Tibbs is just a street thug, but he's useful to men far above his pay grade. He thinks he's protected, and that makes him dangerous."

"This fuckin' town," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "I forgot how fast news travels."

“Faster than you think.” He swirled his whiskey and took a quick sip, like he was trying to wash away a bad taste in his mouth. "You need to start thinking before you act. You've been lucky so far, but luck runs out fast in a town like this."

I ignored him. "That's why I'm here. Ivy knows that Tibbs thinks he's untouchable. She deserves to feel safe without worrying about looking over her shoulder all the time. I was hoping you could put some security on the house, just until she gets her footing."

"Why not ask your little boyfriend?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "It's complicated. Wyatt would do what he could, but you and I both know Tibbs would be out on bail before the ink on his fingerprints even dried."

Dominic drummed his fingers against the bar, pretending to think it over, but he couldn't fool me. I knew from the calculating gleam in his eyes that he'd already decided to help; he was just weighing the reward now. He never did anything without strings attached. Finally, he said, "You're asking me to cross a line. You realize that?"

“With Gideon, you mean?”

A muscle in his jaw flexed, and he gave a slow nod. “We have an agreement. I don’t interfere with the program at Eden, and he doesn’t interfere with… other business.”

"Who put both of you in charge of everything?"

He didn't blink. "Boone."

The darkness in his tone chilled me. Dom and Gideon had always been different, maybe even a little frightening, but I wasn't sure how they'd evolved from my big brothers into...whatever the hell they were now.

"We're family," I said flatly. "Figure it out. We're all on the board of directors, and we all have a stake in how those kids turn out."

His humorless laugh didn't even shake his shoulders. "Fine. But I want something in return."

"Name it."

"I want you to bring Wyatt to dinner tomorrow night. Mason called. He has news about Ben."

My stomach sank. "His last appeal was denied, wasn't it?"

Dominic's lips thinned, and something that looked an awful lot like frustration flickered across his sharp features. "I don't know all the details," he admitted—and oh, how that must have killed him to admit. "But Mason has been working on the state prosecutor's anti-corruption task force for almost a year now. He might have found some leverage that way."

"He hasn't said anything to me."

"Why would he?" Dominic finished his drink and set down the glass with a snap. "You're dangerous without the full picture—especially when it comes to Ben. But he must have big news, or he wouldn't have called a family dinner. Bring Wyatt."

That set me on edge. "Why?"

"Because he's a liability. Cops always are." His tone was casual, like we were discussing the weather, but the lack of all emotion iced the blood in my veins. "His whole department is crooked, and if he's not involved himself, he sure as hell doesn't lift a finger to stop it. I haven't decided what to do about him yet."

I had him by his shirt and up against the bar before he'd even finished speaking. He didn't fight me, not even when the empty Glencairn glass tumbled off the bar and shattered.

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