Chapter 6

Grant stares at Rafe's hand on my waist.

“Your wife?”

Rafe's expression doesn't change.

“You having trouble with the word?”

“You barely know her.”

“I know enough.”

Grant laughs, but it comes out thin.

“Mara spent nine years in my house. I know exactly what kind of woman she is.”

Rafe looks at him.

“That explains why you lost her.”

Grant's jaw tightens.

“You think because you're Rafael Romano, you can just—”

“Yes.”

Grant stops.

So do I.

Rafe glances at my wrist.

The marks from Grant's fingers are still red.

His voice goes quieter.

“Apologize.”

Grant actually laughs.

Rafe doesn't.

“You've got three major developments moving through Red Hook this quarter,” he says. “Two need port access. One needs union labor.”

Grant's face changes.

Rafe continues.

“Your concrete comes through a supplier that owes me money. Your private security contract is with a company I own through three other companies you’ve never heard of.”

Grant goes pale.

“And that's just the legal shit.”

Silence.

Rafe steps closer.

“So when I tell you to apologize to her, Grant, I'm not asking.”

Grant looks at me.

For the first time in nine years, he looks small.

“I'm sorry.”

I feel almost nothing.

“Don't be sorry.”

His eyes lift.

“Just don't touch me again.”

Rafe takes the grocery bag from my hand.

“Good talk.”

We're halfway home when I finally look at him.

“You didn't have to call me your wife.”

“I know.”

“That’s it?”

He glances over.

“You preferred I let him keep talking?”

“No.”

“Then it worked.”

I fold my arms.

“You're very annoying.”

“I've been called worse.”

“By Nico?”

“Frequently.”

That almost makes me laugh.

Rafe's phone rings before I can.

He answers.

His face changes.

“What happened?”

A pause.

Then,

“How many?”

Whatever comes through the phone erases the last trace of humor from his face.

“I'm on my way.”

By the time we reach the townhouse, the front doors are already open.

Two men are carrying someone inside.

Blood soaks through his shirt.

Leo goes still beside me.

Rafe sees it instantly.

“Upstairs.”

I take Leo's hand.

Then Nico comes through the doorway.

His black shirt is open low across his chest, but this time the blood on his collarbone is definitely his.

A cut runs along his ribs.

He looks furious.

“Morelli.”

Rafe stops.

“How bad?”

“Two hit. One's not making it.”

From somewhere behind us, a man groans.

Another doesn't make a sound at all.

Nico wipes blood from his mouth.

“We hit them back tonight.”

Rafe looks at him.

“With what intel?”

“They hit our fucking dock.”

“And I'm not starting a war blind.”

“They already started it.”

Rafe's voice drops.

“Then we'll finish it properly.”

Every man in the hall goes quiet.

Rafe turns.

“Lock down the house. Double the men at Leo's school. Nobody moves Mara without telling me first.”

Nico's eyes flick to me.

Then back to Rafe.

Something almost amused crosses his face.

Rafe sees it.

“Don't.”

Nico smiles through the blood.

“Didn't say a word.”

He doesn't need to.

Neither do I.