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“Caleb is our son, yes Well, one of our sons, biologically speaking” Biology didn’t matter in their case A si of importance This was their son It didn’tin their lives, it was shared and identical Caleb was theirs
“How the fuck did the investigatorreports for a year, and he didn’t think to us was her husband? Can’t the idiot tell the difference between awith this all alone”
Burke totally understood his brother’s fury He felt it hi birth without either of them to hold her hand made his heart clench and his stoo”
Cole nodded Burke could feel the anxiety co off his brother in waves, but there was no tih of relief when Cole acquiesced, getting into the back of the SUV and shutting the door with a hard thud
Burke hopped in, his heart twisting at Cole’s words God, his brother was right Jessa had been alone They hadn’t even known she needed them, despite all of the money and effort they’d put forth to have a PI keep tabs on her How the hell had this happened?
He started the car The night around them was quiet The baby cooed The cat meowed But the tension between the huunned the car, and it flen the road
“Which way to the police station? I’d rather not be sitting ducks here waiting for theood, safe place to stash Jessa and Caleb while he and Cole figured out which of Delgado’s hench for a little revenge
“When you get to the road, take a left” Jessa’s hands treh he could sense her fear and was trying to soothe her “Why are you two here? Who was thatthe brushes after working on a painting, and he just walked in”
That explained the turpentine “What did you hit him with?”
“I was using some ashes from the fireplace to mix with the paint It was kind of a metaphor I’d put them in a bucket and used a poker to stir theht those to the basement to clean, too So that’s what I hit him with”
Their Jessa fought tough when she had to “You did the right thing, sweetheart”
“Who was he? What does he ith me?”
Burke opened histhrough the air cut off his reply A loud booht, and the rearview e and red as Jessa’s pretty house went up in a ball of hot orange flaht to maintain control of the car as the earth shook All around him pieces of the house rained down They hit the top of the SUV like pellets striking tin
“Oh, aze out the backto gawk at the devastation that used to be her hoasped, and tears coursed down her cheeks
Burke was about to reach for her hand when his cell rang Goddamn it He didn’t need to deal with his secretary or a client now Jessa was far nored it
“Answer it, Burke,” Cole said gravely His own cell was in his hand as he held it up so Burke could see it in the rearview ado wants to talk to you”
Marco Delgado The bastard Ricardo’s son At least he kneho they were dealing with now But it wasn’t good—at all
“Who are you talking about?” Jessa asked, panic rising in her tone “Who is Marco? Is he the bastard who just blew up my house?”
Burke was glad to see Cole’s hand on her shoulder His brother whispered to Jessa, atte to soothe her Burke dealt with the proble under the tires, and answered “This is Burke”
“Welcoone for so long I trust your flight ell” There was a silky satisfaction to Marco’s voice
“You’re the one who sent us the text” There was no doubt Jessa hadn’t called thenant She hadn’t texted yesterday In fact, she’d never ain He compartmentalized that realization to deal with at a better time
“I thought it was time we talked You killed my father”
“No,” Burke corrected, his jaw tight with tension “I put your father in jail for selling young wo life shanked his ass”
A fitting end, in Burke’s opinion It had saved them all the effort of a trial He and Cole had seen what happened to the woado had sold to his friends in South America He could still see their haunted eyes Some had died Others had lost their souls He didn’t feel abastard’s fate
“You ht not have thrust the blade in, but youto ht pause on Marco’s end “Since your parents are gone, I went after the next best thing”
It took everything he had to keep his hands on the wheel He knehat Marco meant Jessa
“How the fuck did you know about her?” Burke held the phone in one hand, his other tightening on the steering wheel He didn’t want Jessa to hear this conversation, but he didn’t see a way around it He had to figure sos out and quickly
“You have several people on your payroll, Mr Lennox Employees are not family I learned that the hard way It’s quite easy to bribe soot to my father By the way, I already killed Michael He died squealing like a pig”
Michael The young anization when he’d had an attack of conscience Michael had been willing to push thewomen into prostitution He’d becootten hi I took the case I’ll take the blame”
A disbelieving snort ripped across the line “It’s never just you, Lennox It’s you and that brother of yours I thought long and hard about killing one of you, but that lets one of you off too easy I wanted both of you to suffer as I have, grieving Then I remembered the delectable Miss Wade Unfortunately, by the tinant I believe in karma Nor am I completely cruel I don’t intend to harm the boy”
“You don’t think killing his mother would harm him?”
Beside hi sound full of fear Burke tried to block her out and focus Almost as soon as he wished for Cole to coain Burke listened to Marco again
“I’ a deal here, Burke I’ this gain soon”
God, this fucker was insane But se of the road Once he had Jessa secured by the police, he would call in the feds He began to turn left
“Do you really want to go that direction, Mr Lennox?”
Burke stopped, pressing his foot on the brake The asshole was still watching them? Of course He must have eyes on the entire road that led up to Jessa’s property