Page 142 of With Us

“Gattina, I promise. I need to get some answers so I can keep you safe.” Theo’s eyes were soft and intense. “I’ll be home soon.”

Without another look, I got into the SUV.

Niall walked around to his side and climbed in. “He’ll be fine,” he said, pulling away.

“I hope so.”

Theo

I looked down at the bloodied man, his face unrecognizable.

Gabe unwrapped his hands, opening and closing his fists. Blood was splattered all over the front of him.

Luc and me, too, but not as much as what stained Gabe.

People had the tendency to underestimate him.

After Dahlia had left with Niall, the unknown man took a ride with us to one of my unoccupied buildings where Gabe was waiting. Luc released his hold on the man, and the fucking idiot had smirked.

Lifting his fist, he’d started to swing, but it’d been too late.

Gabe was fast, agile, and brutal. Stopping only for one of us to question the moron, he was merciless in dealing with every lack of answer or snide comment.

When we finally got him to spill his name, Luc brought out his laptop to handle his side of things.

“One more hit, and he won’t be able to answer even if he wanted to, boss,” Gabe muttered. “Hate wasting my time. I’d suggest we bury the fucker alive, but the risk…”

“Timmy is a bad, and stupid, boy,” Luc called from the folding table he’d set up in the corner. “Long list of petty busts for shoplifting, possession, follower shit. Ohhh, soliciting. Naughty, naughty.”

“He run with anyone specific?” I asked. “What about with the other guy?”

“No, but same lack of pattern. Looks like he works with whoever has money. He’s loyal, though. His last stint was double the time it had to be because he wouldn’t give up his crew.”

“Wonder if it’s worth giving up his life?”

When the man looked up at me through already swelling eyes, his nod was nearly imperceptible.

Gabe pulled his gun out. “End it or keep at him?”

“We’re not getting anything from him. You good for clean up?”

He grinned. “It’s my favorite part of the job.”

He wasn’t kidding, either.

I just shook my head at him as I went to check on Luc. “Anything?”

“Not yet. I’ll keep,” he paused as a single shot went off behind me, the noise echoing despite the suppressor, “digging. Davis is running the plates on the van.”

“Any info on the other guy?”

“Fucking nothing. They’re no-name punks, but they’re loyal. Gabe, Ben, and I all worked at him, but he didn’t break.”

As much as it’d fucking killed me to send Dahlia home without me, it hadn’t been about seeking vengeance.

It was about protecting her.

My first night at the hospital with Dahlia had been interrupted by someone with a gurney coming in and saying she needed to head for an x-ray. Since he wasn’t wearing an ID or the correct color scrubs, he didn’t get far.

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