White Knight (Dirty Mafia Duet, #2)(43)

Are they the most likely candidates? Absolutely.

Am I going to make the streets run red with the blood of innocents like they did? Absolutely fucking not.

Benny rises from his chair, his magazine tucked under his arm. “I’ll help you figure out exactly who needs to pay for this. Get me back to Dom’s, and I’ll dig up my old Rolodex of contacts and start asking questions.”

“Thanks, Benny, but you don’t have to get involved. You’re retired.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, kid. You don’t ever retire in this business. You just get less active. I’m ready. Put me to use.”

From beside me, Memphis whispers, “I’m really good at digging. You could say it’s my special skill. If there’s a laptop I can use at his place, I can get to work. Plus, I have a friend who can pull the camera footage of every shop on the street and get us a video of everything. I should’ve thought of it sooner. I was just—”

I wrap my arm around her and squeeze tighter. “We’ve been busy. It’s okay. Call in whatever favors you can, safely. I’ll take all the help I can get.”

I look away from her face to the others in the room. It’s a strange mix of people, some who understand the situation we’re in, and some who just think they do.

“Whoever has connections—call them in. Discreetly.”

“What about the cop who was on the scene? Should we be asking him for help?” Greer brings up Clinton Cole’s presence right after the shooting happened, and I could kick myself for not thinking of him first.

I reach up and scratch the back of my neck. “I’ll talk to him. No matter what happens next, no one else connected to this family gets hurt.”





Memphis, Eden, Bishop, Greer, Cav, and Benny left with Warren and Tempo to head to the brownstone. With nothing else to do but wait for another update about Dom, I stand in the doorway to Creighton’s room.

Holly sits beside his bed, holding his hand.

“He’s out again?” I ask, even though the rhythmic rise and fall of Creighton’s chest signal he’s asleep once more.

“Yeah. He talked for a bit, but then they gave him some more pain meds and he said he wanted to rest his eyes for a minute. I take that as code for sleeping.” A hopeful note underpins Holly’s tone, and it bolsters the optimism I’m feeling.

“The doc have anything more to say?”

“Just that he needs to take it easy so his body can fully heal.” Her eyes turn glassy, so I pull up a chair beside her.

“He’s going to be fine, Holly. You know he’s a fighter. Stubborn as hell. He’d never leave you and Rose if he could fight against it.”

She reaches out to squeeze the hand on my right knee, and I cover hers with my left. “I know, but I still hate seeing him like this.”

Creighton’s dark hair resting on the white pillow makes the infamous man almost seem mortal. Almost.

“And I’m sure he hates you seeing him like this. He’ll be back to normal in no time at all.”

“I feel helpless. What am I going to do?” Holly looks up at me, and this time big tears well in her eyes and slip free.

I lean in, wrap an arm around her shoulders, and pull her against me. “You’re going to sit here and give him a reason to fight. There’s not a damn thing in this world that man wouldn’t do for you. If seeing him like this makes you cry even a single tear, he’ll be better so damn fast, your head’s going to spin.”

“I hope you’re right, because I don’t think I could stand it if . . .”

“He’s going to be fine. Better than ever. He’ll never leave you.”

If I didn’t absolutely believe what I was saying, I wouldn’t have said it. Thankfully, it does the trick and Holly’s shaking shoulders still.

“Thank you, Cannon. I’m sorry that things between you have gone this way. I know it kills him too . . . he’s just so damn stubborn and proud.”

“I know. We both are. But there’s not a thing I wouldn’t do to have my best friend back. I never even got to tell him that he’s my brother. Dom wouldn’t let me.” I don’t know why I’m confessing this to Holly, but I have to get it out.

“I’m so sorry, Cannon. So sorry you both got caught up in something that wasn’t your idea.”

Her lack of surprise is exactly as I expected. She’s probably known about our shared parentage since moments after Creighton found out.

“I’m not sorry,” I tell her, watching Creighton for any sign of waking, but I see nothing. “I wouldn’t take back a single thing I did. It might’ve been Dom’s twisted idea, but it was the most important assignment of my life. I wouldn’t be the man I am today, if not for Crey. I owe Dom a thank-you, even if your husband wants my head.”

“Not . . . your head . . . exactly.” The rough words come from between Creighton’s lips.

Holly pops out of her chair. “Oh my God, you’re awake again. Thank God.” She tangles her fingers with his, and Creighton watches me.

“You should’ve told me what he made you do. I only fucking cared because you didn’t tell me yourself.”

A lead weight settles in my stomach, and even though I just said I wouldn’t take any of it back, I was wrong. There’s one piece I’d take back, and that’s the deception.