Page 127 of Jensen

“Jesus, you quit acting up,” he says.

She rolls her eyes subtly, but I can tell she loves egging him on. “Anyway, Brothers is going to see if they can meet in the gorge on Monday. Can’t do Sunday like I wanted.”

“Why?” I ask, realizing the answer as I do.

“Brothers doesn’t do cage fighting on Sundays,” she says. “That’s the Lord’s Day.”

“Oh, obviously,” I say. “How could I forget?”

“Still got a little sass to you,” Brothers drawls.

“Hush and go get yourself a new drink, honey,” she says. “This is my plan. You’re just here to look pretty.”

His arm moves, and she jumps like he pinched her under the table. I look between them, people as different as night and day, and hope I threw my lot in with the right ones.

“Why in the gorge?” I ask.

Brothers sighs, tongue flicking the inside of his cheek. “Because the Caudills still run the pit fights in the gorge. That’s the only place to get him face to face and make sure he’s staying put.”

“Then I’m gonna go in and grab Della and Landis,” Kayleigh says.

“Is it…that simple?” I press.

Brothers shrugs. “Yes and no. The gorge is the place where he’s least protected because it’s remote, so he brings all his men. That leaves the house relatively unguarded. At least, the most unguarded it’ll ever be.”

I think it over. “Alright. So how are we getting him there?”

“I propose a cage fight,” says Brothers. “One of my men, one of his.”

“Have you done that before?”

“Sometimes.”

They’re both sitting there, looking like this is a foolproof plan. “So…what do you do? Send him a text?” I ask.

“No,”Brothers says. “I’ll send him an email.”

Kayleigh giggles. “Isn’t he funny?”

I release a slow sigh. There’s something in my face that sobers them both. Brothers leans forward, pushing his ruined drink aside. “We send a paper invitation for the fight,” he says. “It’s all sport, but serious. If he accepts, he’ll send back the name of his fighter. I accept. We go about it like gentlemen.”

I’m quiet.

“What do you say?” Kayleigh asks.

I turn my eyes on her. “Can you get Della out?”

She takes a second to answer. “I’ll have to iron out the details, but I’m confident I can get her as far as Byway. After that, you have to be there to pick her and Landis up.”

“I will be,” I say firmly.

Her face softens. “I always hoped she’d end up with someone like you.”

“We’re not really together, not yet.”

“Oh, but you love her. I can tell.”

I’m silent. Brothers watches me, face unreadable. I finish the last bit of bourbon and push my glass aside.