Page 18 of After 5

Toches huffed, confirming my notion he didn’t know all the rules of the pact made with the Mafusos, and I played it to my advantage.

“I’ll put in a good word for you. Saving the girl and all. I’ll also tell them you saved Marco and me by alerting us of the angry mob.”

“That was nice of me, wasn’t it?”

I turned and headed for the door. “Have it your way.”

He spoke before I raised my fist to knock and alert the guard. “I’m surprised your Scot has really switched sides. I didn’t believe it at first. I even warned Mahlia not to trust him, but now…”

“Now what?” I turned toward him.

He cocked his head in my direction.

“If he was keeping your sheets warm, you wouldn’t be here asking all these annoying questions.”

“What are the Mafusos doing with Caiyan?”

“Your Scottish boyfriend is in danger.”

“What kind of danger?” My heart skipped a beat.

“I’m not at liberty to say, but I can tell you, I don’t mind if he gets dumped in the past and forgotten.”

“They’re going to leave him in the past?” My voice raised an octave. “Don’t you care he’s going to be left without a key?”

“No.”

“Toecheese, I saw you rescue that girl. I know you have a heart in there somewhere, and you know how miserable it is to be stuck in the past.”

When I first met Kishin Toches, he was stranded in 1945 at the height of World War II. His key had been stolen from his ancestor, and it was as if he never received it, leaving him with no way to get home.

He grimaced. Either because he recalled the horror of remaining in the past, or because I used the nickname he hated.

“Let’s just say he’s going to get something I want, and I don’t want him to have it. If he gets lost in the past well…” he shrugged, “makes it easier for me.”

“I thought Gian-Carlo wanted Caiyan to join the Mafusos? You told me in Salem he was going to induct him into the family.”

“Yeah, Gian-Carlo wants your boy in the gang, but Mortas doesn’t, and he’s calling the shots. Oh, the old man has the upper hand, but Mortas has seen to it that once Caiyan finds the key, the Scot will be lost forever, and the Mafusos won’t have to worry about him changing sides again.”

“What key?”

“Oops, now I’ve gone and given the game away.” A devious smile pulled at his upper lip.

His chains clinked as he scooted back on his bunk. Leaning against the wall, he stared at me. “You still care about him even though he’s going to…” he paused leaving his words dangling in the air.

“Even though he’s going to what?” Toches was probing me. I was familiar with the technique of leaving a question dangling to see if the other party knew the answer.

When he was certain I was in the dark, he continued “I can’t say, but I have the only transporter key, and if you don’t release me, Mortas will probably have McGregor killed. His mission is based on dropping him in the past, and only a transporter can carry him there.”

A confident smile crossed his lips.

“Did you plan this with Mahlia?” When I said her name, his face softened. “Is that why you have her key?”

“I have her key because Mortas wanted to mix things up. Lead you fools on a wild goose chase. When the time comes you won’t know where the Scot is or who is with him.”

“Don’t you think Mortas will give him a key to get whatever Gian-Carlo wants?” I asked, knowing Mortas wanted to please his grandfather more than life itself.

“They’re not that crazy. Even the old man knows the crafty Scot can use his gift to get away. If McGregor gets the key, then he can exchange it for his own key. If not…then he can live out his days singing Dixie.”

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