‘Sorry,’ she muttered. ‘But he’s an asshole.’
‘Yes, he is,’ Thorne agreed, as if they were the only two people in the room. ‘But he’s trying to make me mad. You need to keep me calm. Okay?’
Gwyn visibly reined in her temper. ‘Okay.’
He squeezed her hand again before turning back to Hyatt and Joseph. ‘No one has made any explicit threats, and implicit threats happen every damn day.’
Joseph’s gaze was . . . unsettling. Like he knew something that Thorne didn’t. ‘Tell me about the implicit threats, Thorne. Give me something to work with.’
Thorne stilled. ‘Why are you even here, Joseph? I thought you and JD had recused yourselves because we have . . . a not-unfriendly relationship.’
Still standing behind Stevie, Clay laughed out loud. ‘Not-unfriendly. That’s priceless. But I was wondering the same thing. What gives, Joseph?’
Joseph’s lips had twitched at Thorne’s words, but he sobered quickly. ‘I would have thought you’d have asked me that question when you first walked in.’
‘He was a little preoccupied at the time,’ Phil said, leaping to Thorne’s defense with just the right amount of paternal outrage.
‘I could see that.’ Joseph was very serious. ‘And I understand, believe me.’
‘Then answer his question,’ Gwyn said quietly. ‘Please.’
‘All right.’ Joseph slid a single sheet of paper across the table to Thorne. ‘I did some research of my own this morning. Did you know that Cesar Tavilla’s son is dead?’
Startled, Thorne grabbed the paper and scanned it quickly. Colin Tavilla had been killed in a fight in the prison exercise yard. Two weeks ago.
That was impossible. I’d have known. Ramirez would have told me.
‘I didn’t know,’ he said tightly, wiping his expression clean. But if it was true? This was going to get really, really bad.
Hunt Valley, Maryland,
Monday 13 June, 2.35 P.M.
Frederick didn’t draw an easy breath until he and Julie were safely in Clay and Stevie’s house. Taylor was waiting for them with a huge smile.
‘Julie, look at you!’ Delighted, she stroked a hand over her sister’s hair. ‘Your haircut is super-cute!’
Frederick blinked. Julie’s hair was shorter. He hadn’t even noticed.
Taylor chuckled. ‘It’s okay, Dad. It’s kind of a girl thing, right, Jules?’
Julie beamed. ‘The hair cutters came to the center. I like it!’
‘Hello, gorgeous.’ Taylor’s fiancé came up and brushed a gentle kiss on Julie’s cheek. ‘Long time no see.’
Julie giggled. ‘Hi, Ford.’
Frederick frowned, mentally checking the day. ‘It’s Monday, right? Why aren’t you at work?’
Ford straightened, shooting Frederick a cautious look. ‘I took some vacation days.’ He glanced at Julie. ‘You know, to help Clay and Stevie get ready for the christening.’
Which was in less than a week. Shit.
Taylor continued smiling at Julie, fussing with her hair. ‘We’re watching all the kids. Just so everyone can get their jobs done.’
It was then that Frederick saw the telltale gun-shaped bulge at Taylor’s side, covered by the loose-fitting jersey she wore. She was carrying. In the house. While watching children. His gaze quickly flew to hers and then to Ford’s.
Ford looked positively grim for a brief moment before schooling his features back into a smile for Julie. ‘I’ve got all kinds of fun stuff to do downstairs, and Cordelia’s picked out some DVDs she said you’re going to love.’
Julie clapped her hands. She loved Stevie’s ten-year-old daughter, and the feeling was mutual. I was right to bring her here. One thing done right, at least.
Frederick kissed Julie’s forehead. ‘Have fun, baby girl.’ He looked at Ford. ‘Can you carry her down the stairs?’
‘Daddy,’ Julie said, frowning. ‘They have an elevator. I can do it myself.’ She waved, maneuvering her chair toward the elevator to the basement, Ford at her side.
‘She knows the way,’ Frederick murmured.
‘She does,’ Taylor said wisely. ‘And Ford knows to let her do it herself. But he’ll be there if she needs him.’
Frederick met his daughter’s dark eyes, so like Clay’s. ‘When did they install an elevator?’
Taylor’s lips curved, watching her fiancé laughing with Julie. ‘A few months ago. Stevie was having trouble getting up and down the stairs to the basement with her cane, and one day she tripped. The next day Clay had the elevator company here.’ Her eyes softened. ‘Stevie was mad about the expense, but then Clay pointed out that if they got an elevator, Julie could play with Cordy. Stevie was on board after that.’
Frederick’s heart squeezed painfully, overcome with gratitude for the man who’d opened his arms and his home to their family, when very few would have been so forgiving.
‘Yeah,’ Taylor murmured, as if reading his mind. ‘He’s pretty special.’ She cleared her throat. ‘We’ve had a situation.’
Frederick’s shoulders sagged. ‘More than someone trying to get to Julie?’
Taylor looked as grim as Ford had. ‘Yes. Stevie was shot at.’
He gaped. ‘What? When?’
‘As they were leaving lunch. She’s fine, but Gwyn got shot at too.’
‘Clay never mentioned it when I called him.’
‘He said you sounded freaked out enough. That I should let you get here before I told you.’
That made Frederick feel both grateful and annoyed at the same time. ‘I guess that explains the gun you’re carrying.’
‘Nobody is going to hurt my family,’ Taylor said fiercely. ‘Come on.’
He followed her to Clay’s study, where Sam, Clay’s PI, was staring at a large monitor on the desk. Alec Vaughn, his IT whizz-kid, sat on the floor, a computer on his lap and stacks of paper arranged in a semicircle around him.
Both men looked up, expressions also grim. ‘You get your daughter settled?’ Sam asked.
‘Ford’s with her,’ Frederick said. ‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m viewing video from the bar where Thorne got attacked,’ Sam said, ‘and from one of the businesses down the road from the bar.’
‘Anything yet?’ Alec asked, but Sam shook his head.
‘No. But when I find what I’m looking for, I’ll send it to you.’
Alec nodded. ‘In the meantime, I’ve been checking into that phone number that called Bernice Brown’s friend and tried to contact your daughter. So far, all I know is that it’s a throwaway.’
‘I’d have been shocked if it weren’t,’ Frederick muttered.
Taylor leaned up and kissed his cheek. ‘Julie’s safe with us. I’m going downstairs to help Ford.’
‘He took vacation to help out,’ Frederick said quietly, again overwhelmed by the way these people pitched in to support each other.
Her lips twitched. ‘I keep telling you that he’s a nice guy.’
‘I believed you the first time. I’m . . . glad.’
She nodded, understanding. ‘We were self-reliant for too long, Dad. Hard to get used to having so many people willing to help. Are you going to stay here today?’
‘No. Whoever contacted Julie knew that Sally Brewster had contacted her first. Miss Brewster could be in on this. If she’s truly honest, then we were overheard. If that’s the case, I need to know where it happened.’
Taylor looked like she wanted to protest, but she nodded. ‘Keep yourself safe, got it?’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ he said.
‘She told you about Stevie and Gwyn?’ Sam asked brusquely.
‘Just that they were shot at.’
‘Only them. Both Thorne and Clay made themselves targets by throwing themselves over them, but they weren’t shot at.’
Frederick better understood the tight set of the younger man’s jaw. Someone was looking to pick off Thorne’s friends, but was, for some reason, being choosy. ‘Where is Ruby?’
‘She and my mother were going shopping for baby things. I told them to go straight back to my mom’s house. I’m going to get Ruby now.’ Sam shut down his computer, and when he stood, Frederick saw that he too was wearing a weapon.