Page 128 of Forbidden Wish

“If you don’t get involved and help, the options get riskier the deeper we go.”

“Scamp—”

Another knock on the door. Who would that be? Lachlan wouldn’t knock. Her dad leaned back to open the door and her brother came inside.

“Ford?”

“How the fuck did you let this happen?” her dad asked, pushing his son. “You let your little sister—”

“I didn’t let anything.”

“Dad, did you really call Ford to back you up on this?” Pathetic and galling. “What do you think I’ll do? Agree to break up with Jagg because you two say so? Forget it.”

“Okay, we’re not focused,” Sersha said. “Ludlow. And he didn’t call your brother, I did.” What? “I texted him actually.”

“Why?”

“Because you two need a mediator and he knows you better than I do.”

“Ludlow?” Ford asked. “You still on this?”

“We need evidence this goes beyond Bryan.”

“The cops will pick him up eventually,” Sersha said.

“Yes,” she said, “and Bryan could flip. He could testify to—”

“Is he made?”

“Not a fuck like him,” Strat said. “Ludlow’s not made either.”

“He’s not Italian.”

“Yeah, that’s the reason. And ‘Bryan’ is a real authentic name.”

“They picked Bryan precisely because he knew nothing,” Sersha said. “He might name names or tell tales, but where’s the proof?”

“Went up in flames.”

“Or underground,” Ford said. “Silvio Manzani knows how to cover his ass.”

“So what good does it do to speak to Ludlow?”

“What have we got to lose?” she asked. “According to everyone, I’m already on the Manzanis radar for poking around.”

“Least if she talks to Ludlow, Manzani will be worried about what his guy might’ve said to a reporter,” her brother said. “Splits his focus.”

“You’re into this? You think your sister should—”

“I think my sister should take up knitting,” Ford said. “But that’s as likely as you and me joining the church. I want to protect her. But I don’t want to push her away either. She’s supported us. All the crap we’ve done and she’s never judged us or turned her back on us.”

As Sersha smiled, a warmth spread behind her eyes. Her brother had never articulated their relationships like that before.

A phone rang. Sersha grabbed for her purse to pull it out and answered. “Yeah. Hi… Okay… Wow, uh… Are you sure… Is there—”

Strat got closer. Maybe her father read something in Sersha’s countenance, but he closed in on his friend. “Scamp?”

Sersha raised a finger and… “Thanks. Honestly. I owe you.”

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