Page 124 of Cross & Crown

“That’s a very bad idea,” Hagan blurted.

Nick shrugged. “I’m open to better ones.”

“I’m sorry, who are you talking about?” JD asked.

Kelly cleared his throat, rubbing his hand across the

bridge of his nose. He had his eyes closed. “The Irish mob,” he guessed. “He’s talking about asking the Irish mob.”

JD’s mouth parted as he stared at Kelly, then looked to

Nick with wide eyes. “Thatdoessound like a bad idea.”

“You’re not going in there without backup,” Hagan

declared. “Not happening.”

“I’ve got backup,” Nick said with a jerk of his head toward

Julian and Kelly.

Hagan rubbed his palm over his mouth, resting his elbow

on the counter. It hit his fork and sent the utensil flying, but he didn’t even try to catch it. “Partner to partner, how safe can you be doing this?”

Nick shrugged and grinned crookedly. “Just as safe as we

were at lunch yesterday.”

125

Kelly couldn’t seem to stop pacing while Nick was on the

phone. He’d told them he was making a cal , then stepped out

onto the deck and closed the door behind him. They couldn’t

hear what he was saying, didn’t know who he was talking to,

and Kelly couldn’t even see him to try to read his lips.

Kelly knew enough about Nick’s past to know this was

a hugely stupid risk for him to take. Any interaction he had

with the Irish mob here in Boston made him wide-open after

the history he had with them.

They’d been drinking one night in Jacksonville while

stationed at Camp Lejeune, playing pool and throwing darts,

blowing off steam, when Nick had let slip why he’d joined the

Marines. “It was that or keep running jobs for the Irish mob,”

he’d said with a signature O’Flaherty grin before he’d downed

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