Page 61 of Bit's Bliss

“Are you okay?” Snapper, who was sitting beside me, asked.

I shook my head and looked up at Zin. “Malcolm doesn’t control her money.”

“The question then is, does Burke still believe she does, or has he somehow found out it’s my dad?”

“I’ll send an update to Decker with our theory,” Brix offered. “Is there anything else we need to address tonight?”

“There’s got to be a connection between this guy and Grogan. As Ashford says, there are no coincidences. The similarity in their eye color is too significant to ignore,” I said.

“Makes sense,” Snapper commented. “If there is one, Burke would probably have insight into the Killeens income streams.”

“And their street-level crews,” Kick added.

I knew both my younger brothers had been doing contract work for people like Decker Ashford, but until now, I hadn’t realized how immersed they’d gotten. For years, they’d been ranked team ropers on the rodeo circuit who were typically in the top five annual earners.

“You guys goin’ to National Finals Rodeo this year?” I asked. The week-long event took place in Las Vegas in December, but in order to attend, individuals and teams had to qualify.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Snapper muttered, studying something on his phone.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“We’ve been monitoring various CCTV footage?—”

“No one calls it that anymore,” Kickinterrupted.

Snapper glared at him. “Fuck off.”

“Knock it off, boys…” Brix sounded so much like our father. It was eerie. “Snapper, go ahead with whatever you were about to say.”

“Hughie Havers, Eberly Winery’s vineyard manager, met up with Burke yesterday.”

“Where?” I asked.

“The Grill.” He handed his phone to me, and I replayed the video that showed the two walking into the local hangout. The next one showed them leaving within a couple minutes of each other about an hour later.

“Keep your eye on the motherfucker,” I seethed, hating that someone who worked for her family was connected to a person we believed had ties to an organized crime syndicate. However, I also understood the importance of keeping him around for the time being.

“Anything else?” Brix repeated.

I understood his impatience. Addison, his wife, was pregnant and, from what he’d said, was expected to go into labor any minute.

When no one indicated there was more to discuss, he adjourned the meeting.

“I’ll walk out with you,” I said when I saw him heading toward the door. “Listen, I’ll send the update to Decker.”

“Sure. Of course. Sorry, Bit.”

“For?”

“Turning into Dad.”

I chuckled. “You channeled him pretty damn well when Snapper and Kick got into it.”

He laughed too. “You’re a good brother, Trevino, and a good man. I feel like I’m just now getting to know you, and I can’t tell how bad that makes me feel.”

“Don’t waste your energy.”

He glanced over at me.