Everyone else seems to have forgotten what he did. Not me. Not—”
“Seraphina.” His voice was cold. “Do you have any idea how reckless you’re being?”
She waited for the order to come home, but it never came. Think about it later. Protect Bowen. “May ninth,” she rushed to say. “I don’t know what the date means, but something substantial is happening. Enough to warrant an increase in bodies around Hogan…put him on edge. I would increase surveillance of the usual locations in North Brooklyn.” A lump stuck in her throat. “South Brooklyn, too. I’d suggest putting out some feelers or tapping any low-level informants you have. I’m working on nailing down specifics.”
His anger crackled down the line.
“I’m just supposed to respond with ‘how high’ when you say ‘jump’? This department didn’t even approve this vigilante investigation.”
“Bowen Driscol is involved,” she added, before she could talk herself out of it.
“Really,” he answered slowly.
Again, not the reaction she’d been expecting. “Yes.”
A laughing couple spilled out onto the sidewalk, holding each other up. Sera walked a little farther away, ducking just inside the alleyway running alongside Marco’s. “Listen, I know it’s asking a lot under the circumstances, but I need a favor. Just agree to it without any questions. Can you do that?”
“That’s asking quite a lot from someone like me. I could have your badge for this stunt, young lady.”
Her shoulders tightened at the condescending endearment, but she had to let it slide. She needed Bowen taken off the street and arguing wouldn’t accomplish that outcome for her.
Furthermore, she’d known going into this her badge would be in jeopardy, but relating that to her uncle would only exacerbate his anger. “Just agree to it. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t extremely important.”
A long-suffering sigh greeted her.
“What is it?”
Relief rushed through her. “Pick up Bowen Driscol for something, anything, on the afternoon of the ninth. Whatever is going down, he can’t be there. They’re planning a hit. I only want him kept overnight. No longer.”
Silence. “Since when do you concern yourself
with
the
livelihood
of
criminals?”
Since I fell for one. “Isn’t it our job to protect people? Would you willingly send a man into a situation when you knew his life was in danger?”
He
scoffed.
“Sera,
you’re
too
idealistic for this job. Just like I’ve always said.” A loud slam reverberated down the line. “I should pull you out of there tonight. Find a safe house and keep you out of sight until the job can be done right.”
“You wouldn’t.” The hard edge to her voice surprised even her. “You want Hogan too badly and I’m close enough to get him. And we both know this job should have been done by now.” She reeled back her irritation. “Will you pick up Bowen on the ninth or not?”
“Yes,” he returned in a clipped tone.
“Get what we need, Sera, so we can have this done. This is completely unorthodox and I’m worried about you.”
“I’m a capable officer. Please treat me like one.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I have to go.”
“You have one more night, Sera. One.
No exceptions. I’ll wait for your call.”
She hung up, emotions warring inside her, the most annoying of which was the unwanted warmth she got knowing her uncle was worried. He’d taken her father’s place at such a young age, but had
never
shown
her
anything
resembling fatherly concern. Right now, when fear was creeping in, she wanted to bask in it. No time.
A car pulled up at the curb, interrupting her thoughts. One glance at the occupants of the vehicle had her turning on a heel, heading back toward Marco’s at a brisk clip. There were four men, none that she recognized. A single glance at them told her she needed to be inside before they exited the car. One of them tapped a baseball bat on the dashboard, his mouth stretching into a smile as he looked her over. A whisper of apprehension moved up her spine, intuition telling her they’d come to Marco’s to start trouble and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Before she could reach the entrance, two of them jumped out of the passenger side and lunged in front of her, blocking her progress. The first thing she noticed were their injuries. Swollen purple discoloration under one man’s eye.
Another’s arm wrapped in a plaster cast.
It set off warning bells. “Where you going so fast, cutie?”
“Excuse me.” A third man circled up behind her, so she pressed her back to the wall. “Let me by.”
The man holding the baseball bat ignored her. “You belong to one of the assholes inside? That’s bad luck for you.”