A Dirty Business (Kings of New York #1)(115)

“The 411 Network has them.”

His eyes widened, and he went still.

“Kelly reached out to me, said they were scared for their lives. She did not go into detail, and I didn’t ask, but considering she came to me, I’m thinking they weren’t running for their lives from Trace’s family.”

“You’re lying,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I’m not. And you know as well as I do that when the 411 Network gets involved, those people are smoke. Your brother and my best friend are gone.”

Worthing sucked in a breath, making a hissing sound.

“They’re alive, but they’re gone.”

His gaze was heated, but he didn’t move for a moment. Then, slowly, he raised his head up, almost looking down his nose at me, but he was conflicted. That made me feel a bit better about Detective Worthing.

He didn’t say another word, but he stared long and hard. “You know. Bear didn’t know you were staying at your mother’s. Ever think about that?”

I went still. Stock still.

No.

What Worthing was implying—no.

I shook my head, the words spilling out because he was wrong. He was guessing and making a go at me. It wasn’t working. It wouldn’t work. “You’re lying. What you just said. You’re lying.”

His eyes flashed. “You sure about that?”

Leo was sent to kill me. Bear was . . . he was wrong. “We got into his phone. Leo was at his bar earlier, and he overheard Leo’s conversation. He was there to stop him. That’s why he was fully masked, because he was trying to get the drop on Leo. And he thought I was back in Manhattan. That’s why he didn’t notify me. He didn’t have enough time. It’s all on his phone, in case something happened to him.”

Worthing blinked once. “Right. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Montell, but you know he would’ve had time to send you a text. Or dial 911. You know he had time.”

What a dick. How dare he say this to me about Bear, in his bar.

But—no. Bear was good, and I’d killed him, and I’d have to carry that cross from here on out. I growled, “Get the fuck away from me.”

After sliding out of the booth, he stood at the end of the table. He was still studying me.

Val was coming back, about to slide in where he had vacated. She paused in midsquat, taking in the silent perusal between us until she moved in. Reyo was behind her, coming in with a beer for himself and a beer for me. He slid in, also taking in the stare-off before he slowly placed the drinks on the table.

He cleared his throat. “What’s going on, guys?”

Worthing’s eyes narrowed to slits, right before he turned, and I watched him make his way right back outside Bear’s Pub.

“Do we need to know?” That was Val’s quiet question.

I was still watching the door. “You don’t want to know.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Her seriousness filtered through to me, and I turned to see her watching me back, just as serious.

“I’ll ask it again. Do we need to know what that was about?”

I’d not made my decision if I was coming back to work. Val knew. She knew everything at this point, but there was something nagging me. A little voice whispering in the back of my head, but I couldn’t make out what it was. The feeling of something coming, something more happening, was in my stomach, and it was growing along with those whispers.

Maybe it was because of that feeling that I hadn’t said when I was coming back or if I wasn’t.

Leo’s betrayal had rocked me, to the point where I couldn’t talk about it.

I would have to. I knew that day was coming, but not yet. Leo had been like my father, and all the revelations from that one call—I was off balance.

The foundation under my feet was cracked.

I didn’t know where to tread anymore, but hearing Val’s question, I couldn’t tell her about Justin and Kelly. When I told her, it hit me when I was leaving.

In a way, Kelly and Justin were the true innocents here.





CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN


JESS


My phone was ringing when I left Bear’s.

I answered as I got into my own car. “You tracking me again?”

Trace chuckled, but the warmth of his voice slid over me, and I welcomed it. I needed it. He’d been a rock for me in the midst of everything. “I got a notice that you were leaving. How was it?”

I reached to start the engine but paused and sat back. Maybe I’d just take this time and enjoy a phone call with him. Felt nice. Felt like a momentary sanctuary.

I knew it wouldn’t last because we were both in this weird place.

Ashton had offered to take over Trace’s family business. The fallout from that night had hit everyone, including Trace, Ashton, and me.

All of Ashton’s uncles had been killed. Trace’s father had disappeared, and his uncle Steph had been gunned down by one of his own men, Bobby. I didn’t know who that was, but Trace said his name with such derision that I knew that betrayal hurt.

Bobby worked for Dominic. Bobby had also lied about Trace’s mom, telling him that she was still alive. It’d been a whole ruse to distract Trace even more, but it hadn’t worked. I knew it wouldn’t have. Trace didn’t operate like that. He researched. He took his time. He had the capabilities to be a mastermind, which his father so clearly wasn’t.