Eye of the Falcon (Psychic Visions #12)(100)

“And, if I were to approach Danny’s mother and tell her of all you have done—or Danny’s grandmother and tell her of all you have done—what do you think they would say?”

He closed his eyes in pain. “They would say it could not be true. That the man they knew would never have done something like this.”

Just then Liam interrupted. “Oh, isn’t this lovely. Dylan’s been killing for me for years. There’s no way out of this for him. Or for me. I need the gold. I can make a life for myself and have the surgery I need to walk again.”

“What kind of surgery will let you walk again?” she asked quietly. “And I don’t know what happened to the gold. I never saw any of it. Just like when you tortured me, I had no answers then, and I have none now. I doubt Hadrid is alive today. Even if he’d survived that night, he’d have died from old age.”

“He was happy with you,” Liam said bitterly. “He’d have done anything for you. You told him to hide the gold.”

“He did do everything for me. I’m pretty damn sure he gave his life for me. Do you think that being outside that house alone at night as a little girl was safe? Did you see my old scars when you had me tortured? The scar from the bullet I took a long time ago?” She felt Eagle’s shocked gaze. “I figure you must’ve done that. As you ordered Dylan to give me a matching one on the other side.” But she didn’t dare pull her gaze away from the snake in front of her.

*

Eagle noted the tension in the room was thick with angry murmurings. Outside a storm brewed to match the atmosphere brewing inside.

It was hard to tell if that communal anger was directed at Issa or her brother. So many lies, so much deceit had fallen on this small community.

She turned to look at him. “Is there enough?”

He took a moment to figure out what she meant, and then he knew.

She turned to the others who had spoken earlier. “How much do you think you were owed?”

One man finally spoke up. “Each two thousand.”

She looked thoughtful for a long moment, then turned to Hawk and Eagle and said, “Please hand it out.”

Eagle sat for a long moment, his arms crossed as he studied her. “You sure?”

She nodded. “My family always pays their debts. My dad wouldn’t have wanted the villagers to suffer. I’ll pay what was owed them, and, when I walk away from here, the five of us are free and clear.”

Eagle shrugged. He wasn’t sure how this would go down, but he knew exactly how much money was in his bag. He wasn’t sure how many men she intended on paying though. He glanced at the window, not surprised to see the sky darkening with birds. Was that her doing? And was she creating the storm gathering out there too?

She turned to the first man who’d spoken up about the payment. “Line up all the men who are owed. Not one extra. My dad pays his debts even from the grave.”

Of the twenty men in the room, seventeen lined up. The last two were the men who’d been guarding Panther and Tiger.

Eagle studied both of his friends’ faces, catching the grins and the wicked glint in their eyes. And he realized neither were seriously hurt. They’d probably given as good as they got. He brought out two handfuls of cash, bundled in one thousand amounts, and handed them to her. Then he brought out four more handfuls.

When everyone but the last two men had been given their money, Issa asked, “Were you the ones who hurt Tiger and Panther?” One still bore the hot coffee stains on his shirt.

The men exchanged glances, then looked at the money in Eagle’s hands. One shrugged. “So what if we were?”

“My dad paid his debts. But he always gave a good beating when it was needed. But he never gave a beating when it wasn’t. I’m in no position to give you what you deserve. But you will forfeit half of the money you are owed.”

Both men started to protest. She took the money from Hawk, split it in half and gave each man half of that. Then she took two more bundles, walked over to Panther and Tiger and said, “I’m sorry. This does not in any way make up for what was done to you. But, on behalf of my dad, it would shame him from his grave to not offer you compensation.”

Knowing the men would argue, she placed the money in front of them on the table and turned back to the other two who had beaten her friends. “If you ever lay a hand on any of us again, I will let them kill you.”

The two men puffed up with a bluster. She waved her hand and said, “Stop. Any of these four men could cut you down in an instant. Even without guns. They are soldiers who fought for their country, for our country, and for anyone else who needed them. That you would treat them as you did is disgusting. That you did it on behalf of my twisted brother for his ill-gotten gains in his vengeful mind is beyond that. My dad would turn over in his grave if he had any idea.”

She waved them over to the chairs in the far corner. “Now return what you took from Panther and Tiger, and go sit in the corner where you belong.” The two men glared at her. She fisted her hands on her hips and said, “Now.”

Both men handed over guns and a cell phone, then went to the far corner, and she turned to Barney. “Where is your son?”

One man stood. “That’s me.” His tone softened when he asked, “How are you doing, Issa?”

Her first natural smile broke free. She walked over and gave him a hug.