Page 78 of Wildflower and Whiskey
I rubbed the back of my neck. “He’s losing control, Dad. That’s why he wants her close. It sounds like he wants to protect her. If these men see her as his weak link, then she may be in trouble.”
“That’s why we need to keep our eyes open,” Dad said. “This isn’t just about Riley anymore. This is about outside sharks moving in on our town.”
“Elyna said Nico Mercier texted her too and warned her that her dad is laying low,” I added. “Her and Nico were dating in . . .”
“I remember,” he sighed. “Then she started dating Eric.” I heard the hurt in Dad’s tone. I remembered when Eric started to date Harmony, the daughter of the head of a criminal ring in our hometown where our dad was responsible for laying down the law.
Footsteps creaked outside my office, putting me on guard. Becket came in without knocking, a folder under his arm, his expression grim but composed. I blew out a breath.
“Got a minute?”
“Yeah.” I ended the call with Dad, promising to check in again after the patrol update.
Becket set the folder on the desk and flipped it open. Photos. Printouts. Snapshots of two men leaning against a car outside a gas station, hoodies up. A third man at the back door of a bar in town, cigarette glowing between his fingers. “All the plates are registered under Montreal addresses. They’re asking around the poker games,” Becket said. “And Marcel Bellerose is pissed about it. His guys are edgy. That’s when people make mistakes.”
I stared at the photos; my jaw tight. “So we’ve got a Montreal gang sniffing at the edges, and Bellerose’s crew bristling on the inside.”
“Exactly.” Becket’s tone was flat. “And Riley’s the idiot who opened the door.”
I shoved a hand through my hair. “If these guys think they can use Harmony as a bargaining chip . . .”
“We’ll keep an eye on her from our end. I’ve already pinged a friend in the Montreal precinct to swing by her building at random hours. Unmarked car. She won’t even know.”
Some of the tension in my shoulders eased, but not much. “Good. Do we tell Eric about Harmony?” he asked.
My gaze locked on his. “That’s a terrible idea. Don’t mention her name around him.”
Eric and Harmony dated in high school for a brief amount of time. The whole family had been up in arms with a police director’s son dating the local gangster’s daughter. Eric took off for a while after high school like I had done. Harmony left Val-Du-Lys about the same time. He never spoke of her again and it was better that way.
“You’re right,” Becket agreed. “That’s the last thing Eric needs,” he said then paused, watching me in that scrutinizing Becket way like he was trying to get inside my head. “You’re not just worried about Harmony.”
“No,” I admitted. “I’m worried about Elyna. About Braden. About this town.”
He nodded, like he’d expected that answer. “Then we do what we always do. We tighten the perimeter, we watch the roads, and we don’t blink first.”
I thought about Elyna upstairs, her head on my shoulder, whisperingThis town was supposed to be safe.
“This isn’t going to touch them,” I said quietly.
Becket’s eyes softened a fraction. “Then you’re going to have to trust us to do our job.”
I didn’t answer. Trust had never been my problem. Sitting was.
Becket closed the folder and straightened. “We’ll know more after tonight. Montreal crew’s making noise at The Frosted Mug. Our guys will blend in, listen. You should stay put.”
“I’m not leaving them alone,” I said.
“Didn’t think you would.” He reached for the door, then paused. “And, Phoenix?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re doing right by her.”
I swallowed hard, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. “Trying.”
He gave me a short nod and left, his footsteps fading down the hall.
I sat back at the desk, staring at the photos one more time. My phone buzzed with another motion alert from the loft camera. Just Elyna shifting in her sleep, Braden turning over in his crib.
