“Got it,” he agreed, though he wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Rowe. Well, there wasn’t much to tell other than he was thinking that he’d protect Abe, but it still came down to the fact that he should have told Rowe from the start.
A strong hand landed against his lower back and Dom shivered. Abe. What the hell was Abe going to say when they were finally alone?Chapter FourteenCity lights and bright green trees passed in a blur as Garrett drove them to Royce’s old house in a company SUV. Dom shut his eyes and rested his head on the seat—which caused him to wince. Feeling around the tender spot on the back of his head, he was glad he didn’t have a worse concussion but pissed at his brother all over again. Exhaustion crashed through him, making him feel like it should be far later than the current eight in the evening.
He ran his fingers down the bandage on his cheek, the horror over watching James deliberately disfiguring himself coming back. Today, he’d looked into the face of pure madness, and it had chilled him to the soul. The young man who had looked at all they’d been forced to do by their father as a game was gone.
What the hell had happened to James after he left California? He’d been pushing boundaries they’d always operated under before, but this…this just felt so much more extreme. More frantic and desperate. Dom wouldn’t have called his brother crazy when they were children. Would James have turned out this way whether he’d left or not? Would he have been able to save his brother if he’d stayed?
Dom’s mind immediately skittered away from the thought the second it formed. There was no going back. No promises that he would’ve been able to change the course of James’s life if he’d have stayed. Leaving had been his only option for survival, and James had forced him to take it.
Garrett, who’d arrived at Ward Security as they were leaving, kept shooting worried glances at Dom in the rearview mirror, but didn’t say anything.
“You okay?” Abe asked.
Dom realized Abe was watching him from where he sat next to him. He sat up and despite the sting in his cheek, gave Abe his sauciest grin. “If you’re worried I’m not up for some fun, don’t be.”
“I wasn’t worried about that, Dom. I’m concerned about you.”
“I’m okay. Promise. I really am up for some fun.”
“Ew.” Garrett said it so matter-of-factly, both Dom and Abe laughed. He pulled into Royce’s driveway, which looked like every other driveway in the new neighborhood. “I’m going to wish I brought earplugs, aren’t I? Just let me check the house before you two come in.”
“I know the drill, G,” Dom muttered. “And I’m pretty sure I can watch out for Abe just fine. I’ve got a few bruises and a cut—I’m fine. Had a doctor look me over before you got there.”
“I’m well aware. Rowe filled me in. So let me do this without any griping from the peanut gallery. You can owe me.” Garrett took the keys and got out of the car. He soon disappeared inside the house.
Royce had lived in a nondescript, unbelievably boring townhouse in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Dom had been there, but each time, he was always surprised by the genuine lack of personality when its owner had more than his fair share. The exterior of the two-story was a nice middle-class place with a neatly manicured lawn and little ornamental shrubs. Like Royce gave a damn about shrubbery. Dom glanced up at the house and a little smirk formed. But then, if you were related to a notorious mob family and wanted to just blend in and disappear, this quiet neighborhood with its perfect lawns and cookie-cutter houses was a great start. Maybe he should have taken more lessons from Royce on hiding. James might never have found him.
“He a good friend of yours?” Abe asked.
He stared at the closed door, then watched the windows, knowing that when a light came on, all was clear. He’d watched Garrett move through an empty place before—the man glided through silently, like a cat. “Yeah, he’s probably my best friend out of everyone at work. We’re all close, but Garrett and I hang out the most.”
“Ever played each other’s wingmen?”
“Of course.” Dom draped his arm over the seat, then laid his temple on Abe’s shoulder. The energy he’d managed to scrape together just minutes ago was already draining out of him. “This was a shitty, shitty day, Abraham.”
Abe turned and pressed his lips to the top of Dom’s head. God, the man was just so affectionate. Dom was ready for a lot more of that attention. He didn’t feel like talking anymore, hashing out anything else. He wanted a shower, food, and sleep.