Hank closed his eyes. He knew about Luke too. It would be a long shot; Luke’s past associations were buried in a lot of folders where black marker was undoubtedly used heavily. Stil , you had enough money, you could find out anything. And Preston Mason had more than enough money.
Hank opened his eyes again when Lee started talking.
“Anything, Brody, anyone, any member of the team, any one of the Rock Chicks. This is your mission. You sleep it, you eat it, you fuckin’ breathe it. Find out if Preston Mason has uncovered anything or tied himself to any of us. Even you,” Lee demanded.
“Me?” Brody asked.
“You,” Lee replied. “And while you’re diggin’, you’re buryin’. Anything you can find, they can find. They haven’t found it yet, you bury it so deep it’l never be found.”
“Seven years,” Mace put in and Brody turned wide eyes to him. “Go back seven years.”
Hank tensed and so did Lee.
“Mace,” Lee’s voice held a warning.
“Got nothin’ to hide,” Mace replied.
“You do,” Lee returned bluntly.
“Not from him,” Mace went on.
Lee was silent.
“He knows I know,” Mace said, his voice fil ed with soft menace. When Lee didn’t reply, Mace went on, “I got the upper hand, Lee. He knows it. He wants it back. Or, at least, he wants my silence.”
“What are we talkin’ about here?” Hank asked.
“Caitlin,” Lee replied and both Hank and Brody pul ed in breath.
Mace never talked about his sister.
“I know who took her, I know why,” Mace told them both, straight out. “My fuckin’ father was involved in some bad shit, fucked over the wrong people and Caitlin paid the price. He doesn’t want that out and he doesn’t like that I got it to hold over him. He’s playin’ me and he’s usin’ Stel a to do it. He’s demonstratin’ his power, his reach. He wants to ensure my silence. He wants me to know he can control me. He wants me to know, I talk, he can make it hurt.” Lee looked at Brody. “Find Preston Mason’s weakness.”
“I got his weakness,” Mace reminded Lee.
Lee’s gaze cut to Mace. “I want more.”
Mace and Lee locked eyes. Mace nodded and turned to Brody. “What’l it take to bring the mortgage current?”
“Around six K,” Brody replied.
“I’l get you my bank details, you do the transfer to bring it current and I want details on their other debt,” Mace demanded.
Brody’s eyes bugged out. “I have the details and you can’t have that kind of money. Nobody has that kind of money.”
Hank hitched a leg and settled on the desk, one foot on the floor, one foot swinging.
“Col ection,” Hank said.
“No fuckin’ way.” Mace’s voice was terse.
“I’m in. I’l talk to the boys,” Lee added.
“This is my problem,” Mace clipped.
“It’s not your problem. It’s Stel a’s problem,” Lee returned.
“Like I said, it’s my problem,” Mace shot back.
Lee nor Hank nor even Brody could answer that. It was just the flat out truth.
“Dudes, even if everyone puts in, it isn’t gonna touch it.
When I say they got debt, I mean they got debt, ” Brody informed them.
“Get Kim on the phone again, talkin’ to friends and neighbors, the local church,” Hank ordered Brody.
“Holy crap,” Brody said.
Mace did not like the turn of the conversation.
“Don’t piss me off,” Mace warned.
“We’re not tryin’ to piss you off, Mace,” Lee bit out, his voice hard. “I’m guessin’ Stel a sat, alone and unprotected, in the back of that limo and Preston Mason threatened her and that pisses me off. She’s yours and you’re a member of my team which makes her mine. Anyone messes with you, or her, they mess with me. No one fuckin’ messes with me. We got enough on our plates with Carter; we don’t need your Dad havin’ a way in. I’m cuttin’ off al his routes.
That costs money, fuck it. Bottom line, a woman’s dyin’ and that woman is Stel a’s mother and your father is leanin’ on them. Suck it up, we’re al steppin’ in.” Without waiting for a response, Lee turned to Brody. “Find me something on Preston Mason and if he’s got in anywhere, I want to know.” When Brody sat staring at Lee and not moving, Lee leaned forward. “Do it, Brody. Now.”
Brody nodded, jumped up and actual y ran out of the room.
“I don’t like this,” Mace was back to sitting, apparently relaxed but anything but. His eyes were sharp and angry and they were trained on Lee.
“I know you don’t. I was in your spot, I wouldn’t either. I’m sorry, Mace, but you got no choice,” Lee replied.
“Don’t like that either,” Mace told Lee.
“We gonna have a problem about this?” Lee asked.
“Yeah,” Mace responded instantly.
Hank intervened. “Mace, you know Luke took a bul et for Roxie.”
Mace knew immediately where Hank was heading and shot back, “Flesh wound.”
“Lucky chance, it could have been worse,” Hank returned and Mace pressed his lips together because he knew Hank was right.