Page 18 of Forbidden Need

She nodded. “Call the people you call.” He nodded, and she switched to Imogen. “I doubt you have chips at the precinct these days.”

“Not many,” Imogen said. “But I can try…”

“I know a couple of people who’ll talk to me too,” she said. “If you don’t mind asking Jagg to call anyone who might know what’s going on out there.”

“Yeah.”

“You think this was related to… something else?”

“Maybe,” she said, licking her dry lips. “What I do know is this wasn’t random. My grandfather was protected whenever he was anywhere.”

“News is reporting he was found at home,” Imogen said. “Steeple’s calling in favors. He texted me.”

“Home is a good start,” she said. “A limited number of people could get past security. Either it was someone he was happy to let in or we’re talking a real professional job. Top of the stack level.”

“Scamp, you’re the closest to—”

“I know,” she said. “The families in this city…”

They kept just looking at each other.

Imogen obviously sensed the unsaid and backed off. “I’ll go into the bedroom and start making calls.”

The moment they were alone, Strat closed in on her. “The Manzanis and McDades—”

“I can’t even remember the last time I called Evander,” she said, retrieving her phone from her purse, which she put next to Imogen’s. “But he’ll meet me.”

“We both know that,” Strat said. “Sure it’ll be uncomfortable, but you have to call Ire too. Ask for his help.”

“I don’t need to,” she said, scrolling through the names in her contacts until she found Evander’s.

“Why not? Whatever happened between you, he—”

“—is already on it,” she said, raising her phone to her ear. “I don’t need to ask for his help. Without talking to him, I know he’s doing everything he can.”

If he didn’t want to help her, he wouldn’t help her. Talking to him wouldn’t change that. Knowing him like she did, it was obvious he’d be decisive. Going there, talking to him, it would be too easy to give into grief if he was there to hold her up. He’d offer oblivion. Safety. Sex. And she couldn’t surrender to that until she had the truth.

EIGHT

“I CAN WAIT outside,” Strat said when he turned off the engine after parking much later that night.

“Don’t be so ridiculous,” Imogen said. “Both of your children live here.”

“Yeah?” Strat said. “So does the guy you’re sleeping with.”

“Uh huh, he owns the building. Where else should he sleep?”

“Anywhere but next to you.”

Imogen twisted to look over the shoulder of her chair. “Jagg’s inside, my brother too. We’ll be fine.”

“I’m not afraid of Evander Manzani,” she said, freeing her seatbelt. “If you want to stay out here, Strat, stay out here… Though if whoever’s out there is taking potshots at patriarchs…”

“Shit,” Strat muttered, loosening his seatbelt.

“You’ll come in for your sake, but not for mine?” Imogen wasn’t amused. “Want me to ask Jagg to protect you?”

“No,” Strat said and got out to yank open the back door for her. “You might want to protect him from me.”

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