Page 99 of His Sinful Need

I should have told him the truth about Fabi from the start. But how could I? How do you tell someone that their father was once your partner in crime? Thatyou’rethe reason they’re locked up?

Get out of here before I kill you myself.

I clutch my shirt tight for a moment, then ball it up, throw it in the hamper, and force myself tothink. I slept badly, but it’s a new day now, despite the miserable weather.

And I might have lost Bricker’s trust, but I don’t plan to let him down. Not again. Even if he doesn’t want me, even if he can’t forgive me, I’ll do what I can to find this mole and make sure he’s safe. I settle on the sofa with a coffee and a pen and paper, and I write down my thoughts as they come in. Possible motives. Possible suspects. Information we’ve been given and things I noticed myself. Hours pass as I note down every scrap of information I can remember, but with each note I make, in the back of my mind I replay Bricker’s laughter, his teasing smile, the way he looked at me in bed…

Because in the end, for me, finding the mole isn’t about loyalty or duty or even honor.

It’s about love.

CHAPTER39

MAX

I don’t hearfrom Bricker for several days, and I don’t expect to—even though I hope for it. At one point, I get a call from Jack, telling me—predictably—that the parley at Redwood between the Bernardi factions, led respectively by AJ and Gino Bernardi, has gone belly-up.

“Do you need me there?” I ask bluntly, not because I want to go, but because I know I should.

He hesitates a minute. “Truth is, Pedretti, even if we wanted you there, you couldn’t come in. Sandro instituted a lockdown.”

“What?”

“It’s a long story. One that we’re keeping real quiet, if you know what I mean. But I’m sure it’ll all pass over soon. Leo and I are looking into things.”

If the Castellani Underboss and the new Enforcer can’t figure things out, I’m not sure what I could do different. But I know Jack is also throwing me a lifeline. “You’re sure?” I ask, praying that he won’t change his mind.

“Like I said,” he tells me, “nothing you can do, Pedretti. You take care of business with the Espositos, and Leo and I will take care of business with the Bernardis. I’ll tell you the whole story over a drink when it’s done.”

I’m too relieved to argue any longer. And I know where at least one of my targets for today will be. I pick an early time, since Bricker isn’t much of a morning person in my experience with him, and I head to the hospital just as visiting hours commence.

Tank is there just like I thought, watching over his brother, who’s still asleep. I nod from the open doorway instead of walking in.

Tank comes out readily enough. “Pedretti. What brings you here?”

I guess he hasn’t heard from Bricker about me, or I’d be backing away at gunpoint. “I need to ask you a question.”

He shrugs. “Shoot.”

“You don’t have to answer if—”

“I don’t wanna answer, I won’t answer. What is it?”

“Who suggested First National? For the job, I mean.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, chin going down as he thinks, frowning at the floor. “It was a while back, now. I always assumed it was Anna-Vittoria, but…”

I nod. He’s putting it together now, same as I did. First National is a good target for PacSyn. But there are better ones. Better ones that would have required less specialized skills. Their part of the Port, for example, is always unsecured and sloppily managed. Hitting them there would’ve been just as effective, too.

“I guess it could’ve been Van,” Tank says at last. “He was the man with the plan.”

“You’re sure?”

“Hell, no, I’m not sure. Maybe it was Bricker. Maybe itwasthe Maestra, I don’t know. I wasn’t involved in the planning. You need something more than a guess, you should ask Bricker.”

That’s not possible right now. But I don’t say that to Tank. “Has Van been by to see Giddy again?”

“Most days he drops by.” Tank’s jaw clenches. “If you’re trying to paint Van as the mole—”

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