Page 119 of Broken

“Figured if you want to tell me, you will.”

He checks his son, then indicates for me to go into the dining area. I walk away and look over the backyard. There is a kids swing set on the manicured lawn, together with patio furniture and a grill. Have I walked into the twilight zone?

I wait while Nero deals with the kid, setting him up with the TV, a box of juice and some tiny sliced up grapes. Nero, a dad. He’s one of the hardest men I’ve ever met. Most people I’ve come across are terrified of him. I’ve seen him beat the shit out of two men at the same time.

Yet here he is making sure this tiny person is warm enough and has a bear close by.

The TV is loud enough to keep the kid occupied. He’s forgotten we’re here. We head to the furthest end of the table from the kid.

Nero sits back in the chair opposite me. The family man is gone. The Prez of the Blackhawk Disciples is back. It’s only the whiney sound of the cartoon playing behind us that reminds me there is an innocent kid in the room.

“Why don’t you tell me what you wanted to see me about?”

It seems a hell of a lot easier to tell him my issue is to do with a woman. Now that I know he has issues in that regard too. And a kid.

“Get over that,” Nero tells me. “Forget he’s here.”

“Kind of hard.”

He cracks a rare grin. “Yeah, well, try listening to that shit for hours on end. My ears are immune to it. What is it you want, Ghost?”

Now we are down to business. I came here for one reason. At this point I don’t even care about what he needs me to do forhim. He is quiet as I tell him what’s been going on and that the man he had me follow after Caleb Dexter, showed up at the apartment building a few days ago.

Nero doesn’t speak. Every few minutes he glances at his son but he’s listening to me, taking it all in. When I’m done, he leans his elbow on the arm rest and strokes his jaw.

Something about the way he is looking at me changes. It’s subtle, but I read people, and he is trying not to let on he’s troubled by this.

“You serious about this woman?” he asks.

I go to speak, then pause. Am I? Keeping her safe is the most important thing to me. That doesn’t mean it’s serious.

“You don’t need to answer that, it’s written all over your face.”

“It’s not like that.”

Nero glances out of the back window, then over to his son. “Yeah, I’m familiar withthat.”

What the hell doesthatmean? He has a thing for his kid’s mom? Not the time for me to be thinking about his problems. Hell, a month ago, that wouldn’t have entered my fucking head.

“You want to know about Dutton, and if he poses a threat to her?”

I nod my head once, terse.

“That would involve telling you what is going on inside the club. And based on the terms of our deal, that means it’s not possible for me to divulge anything to you. Unless you want your status to change?”

Our eyes hold for a moment, then Nero huffs out a laugh.

“I know what youdon’twant. I’m not about to change the terms.”

“We both know I can find out what I want to know without asking.”

“I’m aware. You followed the hierarchy, and that’s good.” He inhales deeply and sits forward, resting his elbows on the table.“There are things I can’t tell you. But,” he holds up one hand before I can get my words out. “Caleb isn’t a threat, he’s a dumb ass who needed money and got involved with the wrong people. He’s not even a small part of it. He was only ever a way in. The real focus is Dutton and where he can take us,” he rubs his chin again and pauses. “And that is where I draw the line with telling you anything else about our issue with him.”

There is no point arguing. Nero has done what I asked, explained just enough, and assured me Caleb isn’t a threat. It still doesn’t feel resolved. I don’t feel better about it.

After a long drawn out silence he leans back in his chair.

“While we were figuring shit out, something came up. It’s why I needed to see you.”

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