Page 9 of Filthy Liar

“Is he alive?”

“He’s currently serving twenty in Fairview Prison for second degree murder. Looks like a bar fight went wrong, and with his history of gang activity and violence, they made an example out of him,” she offered, her voice softening. “It happened six months after your brother’s murder, so he’s almost served half his sentence already.”

“Do you think he learned his lesson?” I asked weakly, making her snort.

“Doubtful. Our connections in there have heard rumors of him trying to get the gang back together. He’s got a list of people he’s going after too, but no one’s heard him say your name, so I don’t think he’s worried about some girl he traumatized years ago. I tried to convince the Reapers to move to the Heights to claim the territory, but they shut that down fast. They have too many businesses around the docks and Ashburn, so it makes sense for them to stay here.”

“Why hasn’t someone claimed the Heights already? The Hell’s Demons had it before our time, but no one’s made a move to claim it since,” Logan asked as he moved to stand next to me for silent comfort. “Cops turn a blind eye and pray everyone takes themselves out most of the time, so it’s the perfect place to open dodgy businesses.”

“Too much work,” Beckett said with a shrug, moving to sit on Maddox’s lap now that he was done playing with his guns. “We control the streets, and it’s too hard to clean up the Heights. Not to mention there’s no money there. Sure, the drug trade could have some clients, but a lot of people exchange favors and stolen goods for it there. Crews aren’t interested in that shit, we like money.”

“So nothing is stopping some thug from getting out of prison and claiming it?” he asked dryly, and Rory grinned.

“Oh, trust me. I’ll stop it. The last thing we need is some idiot trying to make waves around here. Team players only, and pricks like that don’t play well with others.”

“Could you have a meeting with him to find out?” I asked weakly, and Beckett rolled her eyes.

“Men like that will only lie and think of themselves, a meeting would be pointless. Speaking of liars, can we discuss Lavaro now and talk about how right I was?”

“I want to hear about it, yes,” Rory said, putting her hand up to silence Beckett when she opened her mouth to answer. “Not from you, from Raven.”

Beckett’s mouth shut as she glared at her mother, but she didn’t argue.

Rory listened intently as I explained everything in detail from Reid leaving the house until we got here, and I was a little bit surprised when she didn’t fly off the handle and threaten to go after Ander herself.

She hadn’t even spoken before Beckett scoffed. “You’re going to let the bastard live, aren’t you?”

“Right now, yes. We need facts.”

“Who told you to say that?”

Rory muttered under her breath for a moment before speaking loud enough for us to hear her. “Slash and Diesel. They think he might be of value to us.”

“Or he’s the reason we all get killed!”

“If you think Ander Lavaro is capable of that, then you might as well take that Psychos jacket off and go find a desk job,” Rory snapped, smacking her hand down on the table. “If there’s a chance that Ander can get us important information that helps us take down Stefano, then we need to utilize that.”

“I called you because I thought you’d be on my side,” Beckett bit out, but I could tell she was feeling a little emotionally bruised from being scolded.

“We wait,” Rory replied firmly. “Right now, I have two kids in the hospital that need my attention. Unless there’s an immediate threat?—”

“Raven got kidnapped!”

“And the guy you want me to go and murder helped rescue her. Lopez,” she said as she turned to face Zavier, her eyes narrowed. “Do you think Ander’s acting and he’s a threat right now?”

He seemed surprised by her question, but he shook his head. “No. He freaked when Dante said he had a surprise for him. Had a bad feeling that Raven was in trouble when she didn’t answer the phone and he tore off to make sure she was okay. Waved a gun in Dante’s face for hurting her too. They could’ve killed me and Raven right there or handed us over to Stefano, but Ander gave Raven his keys so we could leave. He never lets anyone drive his car.”

“I doubt he’s kicking doors in to mass murder you all then,” she shrugged, pointing at me. “We’ll talk about your little murderer issue later since right now he’s not going anywhere. Frank and Lara won’t be coming home until tomorrow, and Frank has asked if you’ll be there. Think it’s his way of asking you to be, so feel free to stay tomorrow night if you want.”

“They’re okay?” I asked hopefully, her mouth twisting into a scowl.

“Frank’s black and blue under his clothes and claims he hasn’t eaten in days. Lara has a broken arm and a concussion. We’ve put them in a private room together, which has calmed Frank down. The kid was a mess when they took his sister away for x-rays.”

“They can definitely stay with you?” Reid asked with relief.

“Yes. Paperwork is all handled. You did the right thing, even if you feel guilty about it,” she promised, pulling her phone out to send a text before looking at me again. “Rest tonight and we’ll talk tomorrow once Frank and Lara go to bed, okay?”

I nodded, worried that once she left that Beckett would flip out and go on a solo mission of murder, but she acted like the conversation never even happened as she excused herself to call someone the second her mom was gone.

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