Page 125 of Forbidden Need

“You mean have I leveled your accusation at him? No. Because the first thing he’ll ask is who laid the charge at his door.”

“Listen, I’m not interested in making a case. You believe me or you don’t. I won’t try to persuade you either way. Your relationship with Dad is your relationship. I have this information; I shared this information. Done.”

“Why? Why tell me?”

“Because you’re my brother, I love you, and I don’t want you to be blindsided when this comes out. Which it will eventually.” Maybe another of them would die first. “And I was angry with you when I said it. I shouldn’t have blurted it out in the street like that. You don’t know how difficult it is to listen to how incredible Dad is when some part of me suspects he was aware of the attack before it happened.”

“The attack? What—” The surrounding air crackled. “You don’t mean…” His head shook shallow and slow. “No, shit, Ser, is this what Ire’s putting in your head?”

“This is the problem with honesty, right here. You’re so determined to hate him that you close off to everything I have to say. This is not coming from Conn, this is me.” Folding her arms, she rested them on the bar to lean closer. “The day you got me into Records, Dad came to me asking for information.”

“What information?”

“He wanted to know who I’d seen with the McDades. Who I’d seen with Conn.”

“While you were investigating your McDade story?”

“Right.” The precise truth didn’t make any difference to the story, why confuse things? “I wouldn’t tell him because I have professional integrity and would lose all my credibility to—it’s not a revelation, I never talk about my work.”

“How does that tie Dad to the attack?”

The gravity of what she had to say would incriminate more than their father. “It was what they wanted. The men who attacked me. They asked the same questions. They wanted the same information. The information Dad failed to get from me.” His lips thinned, but she could see his mind working. “Lach—”

“All this time, you knew what they wanted, who they were.” And judging by his tone, he deemed that a betrayal. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Looking at him now, she couldn’t remember. “What could you have done?”

“If you’d told me who wanted the information, it would help us track the assailants down.”

“At that point, the only person I knew for sure who wanted that information was Dad.”

“When did that change? Who do you think is paying him off?”

“Silvio Manzani.” An astounded scoff. “Look, this is pointless. You believe it or you don’t.”

“What proof do you have? Bank transactions? Surveillance pictures? An incriminating recording?”

“I’m not a cop. My evidentiary threshold is lower than yours. I haven’t printed anything in my paper, this is not a case. This is me, just me. I believe it’s true.”

“Because Ire McDade told you. He offer Dad a bribe?”

“Why would he?”

“Because he’s a businessman, right.” Frustration tightened his jaw. “You can’t ask me to take this on faith.”

“Okay, don’t. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. If this all comes out and I’m right—”

“I’ll get an ‘I told you so,’ is that it?”

“I take no pride in this, Lach. And I’m not interested in lording it over you. Lying to you hurts us both. Please, if you don’t believe me, that’s fine, just don’t forget I told you. Stay on alert. If he knew about the attack on me, I can’t trust him to have my back. That means I don’t trust him to have yours either.”

“I can take care of myself.”

She sensed he’d probably want to end that with some comment about trusting their father not to hurt him. If only she had that confidence.

Sweeping her hand over the bar, she caught his. “All my life, you’ve looked out for me. I know your love for me is real and genuine. You’ll always be my brother, I love you. Honesty is all I can give you.”

“It’s a lot to take in.”

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