Gypsy king

Bryce opened her mouth but took one look at my gaze and clamped it shut again. There would be no debating this with Dad. She didn’t know him well enough to hear the conviction in his voice.

“So where are we?” Emmett asked, taking his hair in his hands to tie it up.

“We’re in the same place we were.” Dad sighed. “Whoever did this has me dead to rights. The cops know I was there. They have my fingerprints on my weapon. There’s nothing we can do but wait and hope someone gets stupid and starts talking.”

“That’s not happening.” I fisted my hands. “No one is talking. Whoever did this is patient. Really fucking patient. They’ve made no move against the rest of us.”

“They probably won’t,” Emmett said. “At least not yet. They’re waiting to see what happens with Draven.”

“Exactly,” Leo muttered. “Meanwhile, we’re stuck. And we all gotta keep looking over our shoulders until we can make some headway.”

“Or,” Bryce said quietly, “we use the one lead we have. We make sure this boyfriend didn’t start dating Amina to get to Draven. If the killer knew there was a co

“Agreed,” I said. “We need to track this guy down.”

“How?” Leo asked.

“We could ask her daughter,” Bryce suggested.

“No.” Dad’s bark echoed off the walls.

“Why not?” I pushed off the wall. Was Dad really that set on life in prison? “She might know who her mother was seeing.”

“No.” He pointed at my face. “The daughter is off-limits. She just lost her mother. She doesn’t need to be bothered by a goddamn reporter and the son of the man who is suspected of killing her mom. Leave her alone. That’s an order.”

It had been a long time since he’d issued an order. Not since the days when he’d worn the president patch for the Gypsies rather than me.

“Am I understood?” Dad asked Emmett and Leo.

“Understood,” they answered in unison.

Dad looked to me, his gaze hard and unwavering. “Dash?”

Fuck. Bryce was seething but I was pi

“We’re with you, Prez,” Emmett said as Leo’s head bobbed in agreement.

“Good,” Dad said. “And that goes for her too. She bothers the daughter, I’ll see to it that she’ll never write another story again. Hard to write when you’re missing your hands.”

Hell. Did he have to keep making it worse? That was over the top. If his intent was to scare Bryce, he had failed. She was livid. I could feel the heat of her anger from across the room. She’d probably melt the paint on the Mustang.

But I didn’t say a word as Dad marched out the door.

“Guess this meeting is over.” Leo hopped down from the bench as Dad rode away from the garage. He jerked his chin up at Bryce as he walked backward toward his bike. “Change your mind about that ride—”

“I’ll call Dash.”

Leo looked between us, realization dawning, then laughed. “Ah. Good luck, brother.”

Emmett followed him out, waving as he walked to his bike. “I’ll keep an ear open.”

“Do that,” I said. “Have a good weekend.”

“I will.” He gri

When the noise from their bikes was gone and the garage was quiet, I turned to Bryce.

“He threatened me.”

“Yes, he did.”

She lifted her chin. “Will you take his side?”

My immediate response was yes. I’d always support Dad and he’d made it clear where he stood. But if it came down to that, to hurting her, I knew the answer was no. “No. But it doesn’t matter because you’re not going to bother the daughter. You’re more compassionate than that.”

“We have to talk to the daughter,” she said immediately. “Maybe the boyfriend is nothing, but it’s the only new information we have.”

“Dad has a point. She just lost her mother. If she’s living in Denver, the chances that she even knows her mom’s weekend hookup are small anyway. It’s not worth stirring up a bunch of hurt.”

“Even if it means your dad spends the rest of his life in prison? Do you still think he’s i

I raked a hand through my hair. “He wouldn’t do it.” Maybe he would have years ago, but not now. “He’s just trying to scare you. And yes, he’s i

“It doesn’t have to be.”

No, it didn’t. Why won’t Dad fight? What is he hiding?

Draven Slater’s secrets were going to land him in the state penitentiary for the rest of his life. Son of a bitch. I clenched my teeth, resisting the urge to pick up a wrench and throw it across the shop. Why was he backing down? That wasn’t like him.

And why should I fight for his freedom when he wasn’t fighting himself?

“Don’t know what to do here, babe,” I confessed, shaking my head. “I’m pissed, for sure. But Dad’s right. I honestly don’t think the daughter is going to give us any information. And I’m at a dead end until Dad decides how hard he wants to push. All I can do is respect my father’s wishes while defending him because I know he’s i

“I don’t know.” Bryce’s anger vanished. Her voice softened. She crossed the room and put her delicate hand on my arm. “We both want the truth, but I have a story. I can print exactly what happens with his trial. With his conviction. We both know it will come down to that. And I can accept that he’s the killer. That justice is served. I can accept that as the truth. Can you?”

“He’s my dad,” I whispered. “It’s his choice.”

“Okay. Then I guess we’re done here.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

She dropped her hand and stepped away. “See you around, King.”

“Take care, Bryce.” My heart twisted. I was losing on both sides. Emmett had gotten one thing right: she was more than just under my skin. She was in there. Deeper than I wanted to admit to myself.

Her heels clipped on the floor as she made her way outside. But before disappearing, she paused and looked over her shoulder. “How about di

One last time.

“I’ll bring the beer.”