She shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“Score’s set up base, far from here, he’s doing okay.”
“And you really think he wants what he left behind to follow him?”
“He thought the marriage was a bad idea, your marriage. He told Burl he wasn’t going to weigh in, but once he got the news…”
Whisper hated it when people didn’t finish their sentences. Sure, she was guilty of doing it too, but getting fragments and hints wasn’t the best way to learn about the family.
“What? When Score heard the news, what?”
“He hasn’t been taking Zay’s calls. Never used to dodge him like that… Doran thought he would come straight home.”
“Doran thought me and Zay getting married would bring Score home? Do you think that’s what Zay hoped?”
Bosco flashed her a smile. “You and I both know why Zay married you and it was nothing to do with Score.”
“He wanted in my pants,” she said because it was easier to be glib than dwell on what her husband really hoped to get from her. “Why didn’t Score come back? If Doran thought it was a sure thing?”
Opening his mouth to take a deep breath, Bosco rested his weight on the end wall. “I figured it was ‘cause he knew coming back would mean never leaving. It’s not an easy place to walk away from, especially if Burl gets his hooks in. Far as I know, Burl’s stopped short of actually ordering Score back, but he seeks his advice on everything. Just like he always has.”
Which was probably one of the reasons Parker had felt threatened by his younger brother.
“So maybe Score knows about the affair?”
Bosco shrugged. “Maybe, but I doubt it. Burl wants Score’s input because he’s smart and measured. He’s just better at this… at everything. But if Score actually came back, I don’t think any of us doubt there would be a showdown.”
“Between Parker and Score,” she said, thinking how interesting it would be to see that play out. “Burl would be stuck in the middle.”
“He wants Score to be involved, but bringing him back would be risky. If Score takes Parker out and leaves…”
“All he’s left with is Zay and Doran.”
“Yeah, and Zay’s been less and less involved, at least he tries to be. Parker’s starting to think he’s too big to do the dirty work. Zay doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, but what he does for the family is a risk. And when you think the family doesn’t have your back…”
“It’s not a risk worth taking,” she said, resting both hands on her thighs. “I can understand that. Score went to prison and I don’t remember there being any kind of big effort to get him out.”
“So Zay goes to prison for his father and brother… a brother who has a track record of throwing others to the wolves.”
“Why should he take the risk,” she muttered, reaching the same conclusion.
The McDades didn’t have each other’s backs. Throwing himself on his sword wouldn’t earn him any gratitude or recognition. Every day Zay went out there to do Burl’s bidding could be a day closer to him losing his liberty. If that happened, he’d be abandoned like Score had been. Any sane person would question their loyalty to the disloyal in the same scenario.
She sighed. Since they were having a heart to heart, figuring things out, Whisper decided to ask a question of her own. “The first day I was here, you were talking about Zay staying out all night. Doran said he thought it was over, where was he?”
“Zay was closing accounts. Burl wasn’t a fan of him cutting ties with people he thought might be useful, but Zay got the bit in his teeth about their younger recruits.”
She frowned. “What does that mean?”
“He took some of the younger recruits with him while he cut ties. People who borrowed money, people who had a running tab, he was putting pressure on them to settle up and then telling them it was over. Once the account was settled, he told them it wouldn’t be opened again.”
“And he took the younger recruits because…”
“He wanted them to see what it was about, what they were getting into. He didn’t settle those accounts overnight, some of them took weeks or months.”
And knowing how the Dohertys exerted pressure gave her a good idea of what the McDades would do to get their money. Except Whisper looked beyond the bloodshed and the threats to understand the true outcome of Zay’s actions. Cutting those people off freed them from their obligation. Sure, they could go to the Dohertys or the Byrnes if they wanted money or to keep using, but Zay at least gave them a chance to stop and think.
Most of the time, the rule was to keep people on the hook as long as possible. To increase interest, increase addiction, and keep them squirming. That ensured a steady supply of patsies they’d happily sacrifice. Often the debts got so big that there was no chance of ever paying them off, short of a lotto win. That meant pressure could be exerted in different ways. Victims took the blame for crimes they didn’t commit when the McDades, Byrnes, Dohertys, needed a fall guy. Or the families—whose names were interchangeable in the setup—promised to clear or reduce a debt if a crime was done for them. Sometimes it was stealing or fraud, but it could go all the way up to murder.
Zay cut people off for their own good, even if they couldn’t see that.
“And Burl let him do that? He let him cut those people loose?”
“Burl saw the returns; he was pleased with that. Zay let the clients know it was time to pay up. Most of them did… eventually. Since the, you know, Dohertys and Byrnes lost so many of their guys…” at the bloodbath, “Burl figured there were going to be a whole bunch of new desperate people out there.”
Those who got their fixes or their loans from the Dohertys and Byrnes. They’d find themselves wanting with the families scrambling to protect their own interests.
She wondered about her husband and his reasons. Could it be as basic as compassion? Maybe he wanted to ruin his family from the inside, or it could just be spite that drove him to liberate others from the web.
Something he’d said earlier replayed in her thoughts. “He hasn’t been happy here for years.”
“No,” Bosco said. “And if he loses you to this life, he’ll go nuclear.”
Meaning he’d create the maximum amount of damage to his family. Whisper knew what it was to feel that way. Her own resentment toward her father had been growing for years. After losing so many members of the family, her perspective had shifted. The bonds that once held her to the Doherty name were gone. Loosened and free, Whisper wasn’t a Doherty anymore.
Knowing what her father would do to her when he found out the alliance was over, she accepted being disposable. Some part of her had always accepted that. Yet, there, at Zay’s side, she wasn’t disposable anymore.
Leaping from the central bench, she got dressed and began to think about what they would need. “Can you get me suitcases?”
“What?”
“I need suitcases, luggage, bags.”
“For?”
They needed to be able to move fast. “Whichever way this plays out, whatever Doran believes or Zay plans…” Whisper pulled her own clothes from the rails, then went to open Zay’s side. “We won’t be staying here for long. We need to get all the official stuff together. Do you know where Zay’s birth certificate is? His passport? Our marriage certificate?”
All of her important documentation was in the lower drawer of the vanity.
“Yeah,” Bosco said. “It’s in the office downstairs.”
“Get it,” she said, opening a drawer. “Bring me something to put our stuff in and then go pack your own.”
“Me?”
Whisper stopped pulling things out to look at him. “If you and me support each other, Zay won’t think twice. We can’t pull against each other, we can’t do that to him.”
Bosco’s eyes lit. “You’re sticking with him.”
“We are sticking with him,” she said. “Don’t disturb him with Doran, let them talk as l
ong as they have to. But you and me are going to make sure we’re ready to move the second that we have to.”
Bosco nodded once and disappeared out of the closet. She’d fold and pack as much as she could and go give Nicole something to drink. The woman could wait for food.
Doran could decide to call his father and Parker. If that happened, her time in the McDade house would be limited. She’d flee alone if it came to it, but Whisper was beginning to accept that marriage meant more than she’d first thought.
Zay wasn’t going to let her go anywhere alone and Bosco came as part of the deal. They’d have to watch each other’s asses and be careful of who they trusted. All of their lives were going to change and there was no guarantee where the pieces would lay once the dust settled.
By the time Whisper was done with the packing, it was dark outside. She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her husband since he’d left her in the nanny’s room. Bosco had been in and out, helping her with things as he packed his own possessions. About twenty minutes ago, they’d been talking about what to do with Nicole when he got a message on his phone.
He hadn’t said it. He hadn’t said anything. He just read the message and made eye contact with her. Zay needed him. So Whisper nodded once and Bosco turned to leave her alone.
Doran would be more likely to trust Bosco to get involved. If she walked into the conversation, her own mouth would get her into trouble. Whisper wasn’t naïve to the fact that Doran would blame her, just as Nicki and Burl would too. Maybe even Parker would focus his anger her way. Sure, she hadn’t exactly told Zay about the affair, but her actions were what led him to confront Nicki.
Thinking about their options and how the situation could play out, Whisper couldn’t reach any optimistic conclusions. That her husband stuck with her was a positive, though it might not mean much if they were all executed.
The length of time he’d been talking to Doran gave her some hope. If the youngest McDade was going to dismiss his brother out of hand, he’d have done it sooner. Every once in a while, the voices of the brothers had been raised. Curious as she was, Whisper resisted the urge to get close enough to eavesdrop. Keeping busy had helped, and knowing Bosco was around prevented her from worrying.
No one had been in to see Nicole for some time. Whisper didn’t care much about the woman being by herself, but she was on the hunt for things to do. Part of her unacknowledged self was aware that if she eavesdropped on the brothers’ conversation, restraining herself would be impossible.
Getting Doran on side would take skill. Maybe her husband had it, he knew his own brother. Whisper didn’t have it. Tact and diplomacy were not virtues she’d ever honed. Recognizing her own hotheaded nature was a sign of growth. At least that’s what she told herself as she ascended the stairs, bowl of fruit salad in hand.
With the men occupied, Whisper decided it was her responsibility to take care of their captive. That was how she ended up entering the bathroom where Nicki was still attached to the rail above the shower.
Wearing a smile, Whisper stabbed a piece of fruit and took it between her teeth to pull it from the fork.
Nicki sneered. “I’m not hungry.”
“No one asked,” Whisper said, eating another piece of fruit as she moseyed closer. “Enjoying yourself?”
“You’re disgusting. You’re enjoying this.”
“The fruit?” Whisper asked, raising the bowl in her hand. “Yeah, it’s great.”
Nicki wasn’t amused. “Parker’s going to rip you apart.”
“Me? I think he’ll be too busy filing divorce papers… If you’re lucky.”
“If I’m lucky? I’m not the one set on destroying the family.”
“Uh…” Whisper ate some more fruit and propped a hip against the end of the shower stall. “I’m not the one screwing my father-in-law. McDade men don’t like their women to cheat. I’m sure someone said that to me once.”
That someone was Nicki, which made saying it all the more satisfying.
“Zay will blame you for this,” Nicki said, full of venom. “Maybe you’ve got him under some spell now, but when you destroy everything his family has, he’ll know there’s only one person to blame.”
Whisper responded as though she was on a game show. “Who is Burl McDade?” she said, eating the fruit, unaffected by the woman’s poison. “Let’s be honest, Nicki, you’re just an idiot.” The captive blinked in surprise. “If you’d thought this through, you’d have realized there’s only one link the McDades will be willing to sacrifice. If someone is going to be blamed for tempting the old man, it will be you. He won’t admit to seducing you. He’ll play it down and you’ll be tarred as the temptress.” She ate another piece of fruit while giving her sister-in-law a few seconds to process. “You thought you were doing the right thing. Thought you were doing what was best for the whole family.” Maybe that was true, maybe not, but it wouldn’t hurt to give the poor fool some clarity. “You’re not from this world. Sure, you’ve been a part of it for a while. But if this life was in your blood, you’d have figured out women are expendable long ago. You need to be smart, Nicki.”
“Parker will understand. He will.” Though her vehemence wasn’t as potent as before. “Doran will talk to Zay, he’ll make him understand… Parker doesn’t need to know.”
Pushing away from the shower, Whisper stepped closer. “Which is it? Parker will understand or he doesn’t need to know?”
It was sad really. Feeling sorry for the confused woman, Whisper stabbed another piece of fruit. She offered it to Nicki and after a few seconds, the woman drifted from her thoughts enough to take it into her mouth.
“Burl said it would be okay,” Nicki said into the silence that followed. “He said he’d take care of everything.”
People in the family, and even those in the street, would think Burl McDade was a larger than life almost invincible character. But when it came down to the basics, he was a man, just like any other. Feeding the naïve Nicki false promises and assurances he’d never have to follow through on was just like any guy at a bar giving a woman a line.
Burl wanted sex. Obviously he’d been attracted to Nicki. Whether it was from early on in her relationship with Parker or the patriarch just took advantage of an opportunity, he’d thought more about his own needs than his son’s.
The door opened. Whisper turned to see who was there and was surprised to discover Doran in front of Zay. The younger McDade didn’t look at her though, his solemn attention was on their prisoner.
“Let’s give them a minute,” Zay said, tipping his head to the side.
Figuring her husband knew what he was doing, she headed for the door. Doran stepped out of her way, still focused on Nicki. Whisper slid the fruit salad onto the vanity, then went into the bedroom. Bosco was by the bed, his expression as somber as Doran’s had been.
Zay closed the door at the same time she stopped, halfway toward the bed. Turning to the side, Whisper looked at one man and then the other, waiting for some kind of explanation.
“Well?” she asked when no one said anything. “What happened? What does he want to do?”
“Talk to Nicki,” Zay said, focusing in the direction of the closet doors. “What’s going on in there?”
Whisper had to turn all the way around to notice their suitcases were visible through the open door. “I packed.”
His frown flashed to her. “What the hell did I say about—”
“Us,” she said, approaching him. “I packed our things. Bosco packed too, he didn’t tell you?”
Bosco was somewhere behind her. Whisper figured out it was harder for Zay to ignore her when she put herself right in front of him.
“Where are we going?”
“Don’t know yet,” she said. “But I figured if things didn’t go well with Doran and he decided to call your father, it would be easier to run than to restrain him.”
They couldn’t indefinitely keep on imprisoning anyone who happened upon them in the midst of the uncerta
in time.
“Call Score,” Bosco said, choosing that moment to contribute.
“You’ve said that already,” Zay said, his focus sticking over her head. Somehow, Whisper could tell he was staring out the window rather than at his friend. “It’s a bad idea.”
“Doran didn’t think so.”
“Because Doran thinks the sun shines out Score’s ass,” Zay said, his brow strengthening. “You know what happens when we tell Score Nicki’s stepping out on Parker?”
The man had put Score in prison, so it was unlikely he’d have much sympathy. Whisper would bet on crowing and ridicule. Though she didn’t know Score. Maybe he could be the bigger man. From what she’d been told already that was doubtful.
“You keep on this path, you need allies,” Bosco said. “You need someone to rally for you.”
“You think I wanna call that asshole?” Zay asked, fixating on Bosco with such opposition that Whisper stepped in to lay her hands on his waist. “The guy who shunned my marriage?”
“Plenty of people don’t like me,” Whisper said, providing a buffer and an ally to Bosco. “You think I can’t handle that?”
“Doran will stand with Score,” Bosco said. “You know he will.”
“What did Doran say?” Whisper asked, in need of more information. “Does he want to marry Madison?”
“Doesn’t believe Burl really thinks that’s a legit plan.”
So Doran didn’t believe her or doubted what she’d heard. That was fine. Burl would confirm it if his youngest son decided to call. Whisper could handle not being the most trusted member of the McDade clan. That wasn’t the most apparent thing to her in Bosco’s answer.
“He didn’t say no,” she murmured, her attention snagging on Zay’s chest. For all the time the brothers had spent discussing the day’s developments, one crucial decision hadn’t been made. “Madison is beautiful. Maybe he thinks—”
Only Yours (A McDade Brothers Novel Book 2) Page 20
