Page 17

My brother is actually an amazing human being who has a knack for finding the stupid spot in the line, which, of course, makes him look stupid when he’s not. And what’s a sister for if not to tell him just that? Okay, I normally don’t say the good parts or admit he’s not stupid. I mean, I’m his sister. If not for me, his ego might be the size of my father’s, and that would not be acceptable.

And when you look at it that way, I’ve done him and the world a service by keeping him in line. I’ve certainly done his future wife a service, which reminds me…

I join him on the porch. “You still fucking Kane’s ex-bimbo?”

Raz, or Taz, or whatever his name is, is standing by the door behind Andrew and chokes on laughter. Andrew doesn’t notice, probably because he’s too busy scowling at me. “Really, Lilah?”

“Really, Andrew, and I take that as a yes. Are you getting regular medical screenings? Also, why don’t we hold a birthday party, and you can bring her? It’ll be fun.”

“Can we focus on the problems at hand?”

“She is a problem, Andrew. Wait and see.”

“ Lilah ?”

“What do you want to talk about, big brother? Mark is dead. Elsa and Ghost are missing. I’m going to Purgatory to work on finding them.”

“Dad. I want to talk about Dad.”

“Ghost doesn’t care about Dad right now. He cares about Elsa.”

Kane joins us on the porch, and there’s a subtle stiffening of Andrew’s spine that tells me he’s still not okay with my husband.

“Andrew,” Kane greets.

“If you’re afraid of him, Andrew,” I say, “why are you at his home?”

Andrew bristles. “Do you wake up and take a bitch pill?” He eyes Kane. “Can you not give her the damn pill?”

Kane laughs low and deep, failing miserably at remaining the grumpy, scary dude who’s supposed to scare off my brother. “She’s a piece of work today,” he claims, and he’s right. He better remember it, too, because he’s pushing his luck with me. The mob? Really? “I need a drink,” Kane says, and lifting a chin at my brother, adds, “You need a drink, Andrew?”

“Aren’t they clearing the house?”

“They did a wide sweep,” Kane confirms. “They can work the rest around us.” He sidesteps Andrew and saunters toward the door, disappearing inside with Kit and then Raz on his heels.

The minute we’re alone, my brother is back at it. “Should we be warning Dad right now?”

“Not yet.”

“Should we talk to Kane about it?”

“I already talked to Kane about it.”

“And he said?”

“So now you’ve officially gone from wanting to put Kane in jail to hanging by a thread for his opinion? I should have taken a photo of the fear in your eyes when he joined us.”

“I’m not afraid of Kane. And once you bury a body with a man, you trust him with the next one.”

And the body they buried was for me. Only I don’t feel one little bit guilty over it, either. It was Roger after all, and Roger was a serial killer, which reminds me of what the ME said about Mark’s murder. An assassin is not a serial killer. He’s hired to kill for a monetary reward. That’s a different beast. Even killing Mark was simply about protecting his status, which translates to his income.

“Lilah?”

At Andrew’s prodding, I snap back into the moment. “You know if Dad dies, you’ll need a job. Maybe you shouldn’t give yours away so fast.” He opens his mouth to speak, and I stop him with a raised hand. “I’m not sure Ghost intends to kill him at all.”

“Then why say it?”

“It’s a distraction. Go work the case. Who’s taking over for you, and why wasn’t that person present tonight?”

“Chief Taylor, coming in from Nassau County. He’s been here part-time. He starts full time Monday, but he’s on his way down now.” His phone buzzes with a text. “I need to get back to the crime scene. There’s press gathering around the gate. I need to decide if I’m talking to them.”

“We need Elsa to come to us. We need her distracted from her next hit. And I need her and Ghost in one place to end them. Talk to the press.”

“You want in on it?”

“Nope. I don’t want Elsa to be intimidated by my badge. You get some men to watch the place. I’ll have Kane get them backup.” He nods and heads down the stairs, pausing at the bottom and glancing back at me. “You really want a party?”

“Like I want a hole in my head.” I turn and head for the door.

He calls after me, “Okay, a party it is.”

I roll my eyes and offer him my back, making my way to the door. I know him. He’s going to throw me a party, and I’m going to have to kick his ass. As for how to celebrate my birthday—really celebrate—I’ll kick back, relax with a lemon drop martini, and watch Andrew dig a grave. I just haven’t decided who will go in it yet. Maybe he should dig two or three to be safe.