Breathless (Steel Brothers Saga #10)(39)

“Then why call me? I don’t have anything.”

“Maybe he got wind of our offer.”

“How would he be able to do that?”

“I have no idea, but I think I’ll have those PIs, Mills and Johnson, check out our houses just in case. They’re expensive but worth every penny. They can check your place too.”

“You don’t need to. Especially if we’re moving.”

“Why don’t you just meet with him?” Melanie asked.

“Because he’s just looking for cash,” Joe said.

“You’re most likely right,” she said, “but what if he actually has some information? Couldn’t he ask for cash over the phone?”

“Good point,” Bryce said, “and he’s got to know I don’t have any money.”

“I don’t buy it,” Joe said. “He’s up to something.”

“If he is,” Melanie said, “don’t you think it’s better that we know exactly what he’s up to? You and Bryce could meet him together. Take Rosie with you.”

I laughed. Rosie was Joe’s Glock 23 that was almost always strapped to his ankle.

“Not a bad idea, actually,” I said. “My first instinct was to ignore him, but I have to admit I’m curious.”

“I don’t trust the man,” Joe said.

“I know that. With good reason.” I took a sip of my bourbon. “I don’t trust him either, but if he’s right, and the Feds are still watching all of us, we need to know why.”

“He’s bluffing,” Joe said.

“Then let’s call him on it,” I said.

Before Joe could answer, the server popped by to take our dessert and coffee orders. Once we’d ordered, I said, “Excuse me for a minute. I’ll go out into the lobby and return his call. I’ll see if I can get anything out of him.”

“You sure?” Joe asked.

“Yeah. Your lovely wife convinced me.” I smiled and stood.

Once I found a quiet corner in the lobby, I returned the call.

“Ted Morse.”

“Bryce Simpson returning your call,” I said curtly.

“Change your mind about meeting me?”

“I did. Tell me where and when, and I’ll be there.”

“Let’s get one thing straight. I’ll be talking to you and only you. Don’t bring any brawn with you.”

I was a little offended. He didn’t consider me brawn? I could take him out with a look. “Brawn? You mean the Steels?”

“Those three are animals.”

“Jonah Steel is an animal who could have had you arrested for extortion,” I reminded him.

“You think that scares me? I have the best attorneys in the business.”

“And you think the Steels don’t?” This guy was a trip. He might be worth millions, but the Steels had passed a billion.

No response.

“You’re well off. Why you thought it was a good idea to try to blackmail the Steels is beyond me.”

“They hurt my son.”

“Talon gave him an ass whooping.”

“For trying to see his fiancée.”

“His ex-fiancée,” I reminded Ted. Words lodged in my throat. That was nothing compared to what my father did to him. I didn’t say it. I couldn’t. But it was true. So very true.

“You know what I think, Ted?” I said. “I think you blame me for what my father did to Colin. I can almost understand that, being a father myself. So why are you helping me? Why do you want to give me information? Something here stinks big-time.”

He paused a few seconds. Then, “This isn’t over. The Feds are asking questions. Asking me questions because I won’t allow them to talk to my son.”

“Your son is an adult. You have no say in who talks to him.”

“I’ve held them off so far, but the bust on the island wasn’t completely successful. My son isn’t safe. You’re not safe, Simpson. And neither are the Steels.”





Chapter Twenty–Five





Marjorie





Jade was feeling better, so after getting the boys off to school, I drove to Grand Junction to visit my mother. I tried my best to get to the center once a week, but with Jade and the boys needing me, I didn’t always make it.

My mother, with a wrinkle-free face and only a few strands of silver in her nearly black hair, looked beautiful as always. Also, as always, she carried around her realistic infant doll—a doll she was convinced was actually me.

“Hi, Mom,” I said as cheerfully as I could.

“Shh,” she said, rocking the doll. “I need to get Angela down for her nap.”

I nodded. What did she think when I called her Mom? I had no idea, but she never argued the point. Since Dale and Donny had appeared in our lives, they had become young Joe and Talon to her. Ryan no longer existed in her mind, as he wasn’t a child of her body.

Ryan had come to see her once. After all, she’d been his mother for the first seven years of his life.

He’d never returned.

It was too painful for him.

It was painful for all of us. We’d all thought her dead until recently.