Page 31 of Risk
“Which is one of the reasons I didn’t come to you, Mom,” McKenna counters. “You were out of Marshall’s sights whichmeant you were out of his mind. The guys and Phoenix aren’t the only people that had me taking the risks that I did.”
Croatia leans forward and levels her daughter with a scrutinous look. “You are important too, McKenna!”
“But not the most important,” McKenna voices. “I did weigh the pros and cons, and in the end, it all summed up to keeping Phoenix safe… no matter what. You were his best hope for that. I let everyone, including you, think I was unstable so that he was left in your custody. You keep him homebound outside of his time in daycare so he’s basically untraceable.”
“Out of sight, out of mind,” I repeat Kenna’s earlier words.
“Precisely,” she exclaims. “Other than the doctor, and the court case, there’s no record of him anywhere. Sure, if someone dug deep enough, they’d unearth his relationship to me, but when they read all of the reports and how easily I gave him up, they wouldn’t believe he’s as valuable to me as he is.”
“He can’t be used against you if he isn’t perceived as your weakness,” Kodiak mumbles, dragging Luna and their newborn son closer to his chest. “I can’t even imagine being in your position, Kenna. I don’t know if I could be as selfless as you’ve been.”
Demi, who’s sitting in Conan’s lap, combing her hands through his hair, says, “No matter how self-sacrificing as she’s been, at the end of the day, she’s a hero. No doubt about that. How many mothers out there would give up their baby willingly? Not me, that’s for damn sure. If I were in her shoes, I’d think I’d be able to keep him safe because that’s what moms do. I find what you did commendable, McKenna. Even if it meant others were hurt by your sacrifices.”
“I agree with what Demi said,” Luna spouts. “What you’ve been through are things that we read about in the paper or see on the news stations, but we never in a million years think that those sorts of things could hit close to home. You have to be one of the strongest women, outside of my best friend, that I’ve ever met. I’m sorry that you’ve had to do and make the decisions that you have, but you have us now and we arenotgoing to let you do this alone, anymore.”
“Damn straight we’re not,” I growl.
Auto steps forward and clears his throat. “I’ve been doing some investigating into Marshall Pierce. By the way, I think you’ll all find it funny that his middle name is Dick.”
“Dick,” Conan snorts, “it’s fitting.”
“What have you uncovered, Auto?” I ask, steering us back on course.
Auto stares me in the eyes and tells us, “He’s always been shady but has been able to slip out of every sticky situation he’s found himself in. Legally, he doesn’t have a record, but that doesn’t mean that his charges have been wiped clean.”
“In other words, he was never convicted but charges were pressed. What has he gotten away with?” I ask, slinging my arm over McKenna’s shoulders and dragging her closer to me. I have a feeling we’re both going to need the other to process what we’re about to be told.
Auto starts ticking off a list that has all of us picking our jaws up off the ground. “Human trafficking as well as pimping prostitutes. Gang activity back when he was a juvenile, and not just as a member, but as a leader. Drugs, selling not soliciting.Assault with a deadly weapon. Abduction. Blackmail. And those are only the worst of his offenses.”
“Seeing as those are top of the tier in criminal enterprises, I can’t see how anything else is essential,” Demi announces.
“It’s not,” Auto agrees. “Everything else is small in comparison.”
“Like what, jaywalking?” Conan smarts off.
Auto bobs his head and tacks on, “As well as robbery.”
“Robbery doesn’t sound as important as gang activity and assault to you?” Luna asks, dumbfounded.
“No,” Auto answers, then adds, “because it was a damn Snickers bar he stole.”
“Candy? He stole candy, not money or weapons?” I ask. Now I’m the one who sounds dazed. “How old was he, five?”
“Sixteen,” Auto corrects me.
“The man couldn’t rub some coins together and make a few dollars out of them to buy one instead of stealing it?” Luna inquires.
“That’s the thing. He did it for the thrill, not because he didn’t have funds in his wallet to purchase it,” Auto informs all of us.
“He always was a pansy,” Croatia admits. “I thought he was soft, not a master criminal.”
“That’s the demeanor that eventually gained my trust,” McKenna acknowledges. “He was soft spoken and was always on my side.”
“He antagonized you, Vixen. He reeled you in like you were a minnow, and since you were still at an impressionable age, it wasn’t hard for a grown man to hook you,” I tell her.
“He’s narcissistic,” Demi spits.
“He has psychopathy I’d bet,” Luna concludes.
