Watch Me Fall (Ross Siblings, #5)(61)
Ghost shrugged. “I don’t know, man, I’m just saying. They hate him enough to try to ruin him. Enough to completely trash his business a couple of years back. We had her brother to thank for that. Now Brian nearly gets whacked in the parking lot? Smells rotten to me.”
“Yeah, maybe.” A little too rotten. Though it would be nice to know Starla didn’t need this guilt she was carrying around. Still, he was reluctant to believe it. “It seems too angry. Too malicious to be something like that.”
“It might seem that way, but whoever it was, the dickhole was too chickenshit to stick around and finish the job. If Max wanted someone dead, f*cker’d probably be dead. That dude’s crazy.”
“Maybe something happened and he got scared.”
“Brian’s right hook happened. His knuckles are cut and bruised. He got a good hit in before he went down.”
Good for Brian. “Do you know where Max lives? It’d be interesting to see if he has a busted lip or a black eye.”
“I don’t know where he lives.” He gave Jared a long stare with dark, suspicious eyes. “What, you looking to do some detective work? Why the f*ck would you bother?”
“If it’s Max and he’s targeting people close to Starla…be careful, all right? Make sure Macy’s careful too.”
Just like that, those suspicious eyes went cold. “Ah, so it all comes clear,” Ghost said. “Macy’s covered, don’t you worry.”
“I’m not trying to start trouble with you.”
“See that you don’t.”
“But you shouldn’t have trouble with me being concerned for a friend. I’ve known Macy since we were kids.”
“You think I don’t realize that?”
“All of you should be on your guard. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Duly noted.”
Jared supposed it was a start. At least he’d planted the seed. But seconds ticked by and Ghost wasn’t going anywhere. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, staring at the door through which Candace and Starla had left. “That’s my best friend lying in there,” he said at last. “My brother. Someone tried to kill him, and I want to know why.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“And you’re right. If Starla feels that strongly about this, it’s worth looking into. Any leads are better than none. Shouldn’t be too hard to find Max.”
“Unless he’s on the run.”
“That would tell the story too, wouldn’t it? He’s always around somewhere. He’s like fungus, he flourishes where it’s dark and dirty. If he can’t be found at any of the usual locations, then something’s up with him.”
“Think we could check out any of those locations?”
Ghost’s dark eyebrows, always with a bit of a sardonic arch, arched higher. “You and me?”
Jared didn’t know what he was thinking; he was sort of flying on autopilot here. The cops should be left to do their job. He damn sure didn’t want to do it for them with this guy, of all people. But police officers were overworked, and this wasn’t their only case. Who knew how long it would take them to locate a person of interest if that person of interest was lying low? The sooner they could find this creep and get him off the streets, the sooner everyone’s lives could go back to normal. The sooner Starla wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore. But then she’ll probably be gone.
He knocked that thought aside. “Yeah. If you’re thinking of going to look for him, then I want in.”
“I don’t need backup.”
“Did I say you do? I want to see for myself. No way am I gonna sit back and let him terrorize someone I care about.”
“Hey, I told you—”
“I’m not talking about Macy. You tell me she’s covered. All right, I believe you. I’m talking about Starla.”
Ghost fidgeted. He rubbed a hand over his bald head. Looked helplessly at the doors again, blew out a breath, looked back at Jared. In those mannerisms, Jared saw a guy itching to get shit done, maybe even to work out some pent-up aggression. “I can’t do anything tonight. We have baby duty. If you’re right—and I’m not saying you are—but if there’s even a chance, then f*ck if I’m leaving Lyric and the girls alone.”
“Good.” That was what he’d wanted to hear. He dug his cell phone out of his back pocket. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you mine. When you’re ready to move on this, let me know.”
“This is some shit I can’t believe,” Ghost muttered, then recited the digits as Jared typed them in.
Jared’s chuckle deserved the award for least amused sound ever to be formed with human vocal chords. As soon as this was all over, the guy didn’t have to worry about Jared contacting him ever again. He’d wipe that number from his contacts like a filthy secret. But right now, allies weren’t a bad thing to have—the more, the better.
The enemy of your enemy was your friend. “You and me both, man.”
***
Starla sat in silence on the way home. Jared stared straight ahead at the road between glances at her, letting her brood in the peace he knew she so desperately needed. Whatever turmoil was going on behind her soulful brown eyes, it was hers, and she would think he could never understand it.