His head shook slightly. “I have no intention of hurting Zay or Doran,” Score said, opening a hand toward the computer. “Did you see anything that incriminated either of them?”
Whisper wasn’t stupid and had made that observation without his prompting. Still, she wasn’t naïve and was surprised to learn Score was. “They live in that house with Burl and Parker. They can’t claim ignorance.”
“Sure they can. I didn’t always tell Shyla the complete truth. She lived with me and knew nothing about this club or what I was doing with Burl.”
Burl adored his son. He knew of the animosity between Score and Parker, which was why he didn’t force the former to return to his place in the family. But Burl still wanted his input, wanted his opinion and guidance. Whisper had been told that Burl was in regular contact with Score, always conscious of including his perspective in decision making. The Chronology document provided further evidence of that.
When the feds did swoop in to take Burl down, it would be a sight to see. Whisper wouldn’t be there to witness the moment he learned of Score’s betrayal. Imagining it wouldn’t do the spectacle justice. Seeing that would almost make the treachery worth it.
“Shyla doesn’t share our background,” Whisper said.
“No, but she’s not stupid either,” Score said. “If Zay and Doran plead ignorance, the feds won’t be able to prove anything in court.”
“Burl and Parker will incriminate them.”
“I’d be surprised if either say a word,” he said. “That’s the advantage of arrogance. They will always believe they’ll get off, that they’ll be set free on appeal even if there’s an initial conviction. Both will assume that they’ll be running the business again one day.”
True. If Burl could screw his son’s wife in the house they all shared and still believe he’d get away with it, the man was capable of convincing himself of anything.
“They’d sacrifice anyone for their own freedom.”
“Not like they have the best credibility,” Score said. “Though there is an alternative.”
An alternative to working with the feds? When Score looked to Beeks, Whisper followed his line of sight.
The lawyer licked his lips before speaking. “We have contacts. People we’ve been working with for some time… Agents who know what’s going on… who trust us.”
That point was debatable. How anyone in law enforcement could trust Score McDade was beyond her. Maybe he hadn’t committed the murder he’d done time for, but he had committed others. Whisper didn’t need details to be sure of the veracity of that.
“What do I care about your buddies?”
“You probably don’t,” Beeks said.
“Because she’s not thinking past her anger,” Score said. “What he’s saying is, the case gets stronger the more of us there are.”
She frowned. “Us?”
“Brothers.”
The McDade brothers. The more of them… Incredulous didn’t begin to describe her shock. “You want Zay to join you? You think there’s even the slightest chance—”
“Would you use your head?” Score snapped. “You’re so fucking determined to be angry that you can’t see how this works for you.”
“For me?”
Planting his hands on the desk, he pushed up out of the chair. “You’re a target. For the Dohertys and for the McDades. Whatever the hell you think Zay is going to say to Burl doesn’t matter a goddamn. Do you think there’s any chance Burl will just let you walk away? With Zay? You think he’ll let you take Zay from him? Burl needs people to control. He needs people to do his dirty work. You might think Zay choosing you is some big romantic whatever when the truth is, if he even tries to walk away, Burl will do everything in his power to pull him back. That means the end of you, Doherty. Burl erases you, Zay has no reason to leave.”
“If Burl lays a finger on me, Zay would never forgive him.”
Shoving his hands from the desk, he straightened up and folded his arms. “My brother always did go for beauty over brains.” He spat out a sound of disgust. “Burl won’t do it himself. Fuck, look how Parker set me up; no one knew for fucking years it was orchestrated by him. Putting you in prison would be too much effort. They don’t care about you that much. So they take you out. Make it look like an accident, maybe even get it done by your own side. That would make Zay real mad. Mad enough to go back to his family and dedicate himself to ending every Doherty. Burl would be thrilled to help him out.”
Gritting her teeth, Whisper listened to her breathing. She couldn’t object. Couldn’t argue that Zay would keep her safe or that Burl wouldn’t be that conniving. Of course he would. Even if the McDades did let her go, there was no way Cyrus would. Zay intended to confront his father. To tell him that he planned to be with her, even against the patriarch’s wishes.
The other part of the plan involved revealing the affair to Parker. Either Parker would accept it or he’d join Zay and Doran in spurning the family. Doubtful. Whisper wouldn’t be able to trust him. Parker would probably have notions of ousting his father in that scenario. He wasn’t going to retire to the beach and live happily ever after with the cheating Nicole.
If Parker took over, either by killing or incriminating Burl, he might expect Zay and Doran to help him maintain the McDade empire. He may still want Doran to marry Madison. If the youngest McDade was dead against that, maybe they’d find another way. However it panned out, Whisper had no place in the McDade house. Zay could choose to stay loyal to Parker. But after what he’d done to Score, how could any of them trust the eldest McDade brother not to sacrifice them if it pleased him?
“Cooperating with authorities takes them out at the knees. In the worst possible way,” Score said. “They’ll never see it coming.” She wouldn’t have. “And it ties them up for years… To strengthen the case, we’d be best to have as many allies from the inside as possible. Allies with firsthand knowledge of the most recent goings on.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You can’t have been intending to recruit Zay and Doran this whole time.”
“No,” he said, descending into the chair again. “I hadn’t made the decision to consider it until you interfered.” But her interference had apparently strengthened Score’s hand. “You’re not going back there. There’s nothing for you. Your loyalty to the McDades is limited to your husband.” Whisper wasn’t all that sure her brother-in-law believed her fidelity. “You’d be better staying far away from the Dohertys.”
His pitch wasn’t practiced; it couldn’t be if he’d meant what he said about her interference. His intelligence worked fast. He didn’t hurry her or race through a speech meant to sway her. The facts were there and she couldn’t argue he was wrong. The only way she and Zay would ever have the freedom to be together and not in danger was to get rid of Burl and Parker, who may blame her for revealing the truth of the affair to her husband.
Killing them wasn’t an option. It would be easier and much quicker. But it would lead to too many questions, especially if Score’s fed buddies were watching. Prison would keep her in-laws out of the way. It wouldn’t eliminate the chance of them trying to retaliate, but their options would be limited; especially if Score, Zay, and Doran fostered their own connections on the streets.
Lost in her thoughts and trying to figure out every possible eventuality, Whisper sank down onto the couch. “He’s been closing accounts,” she murmured. “Bosco will have the details, but Zay has been… He’s been letting people go.” Something Score understood the significance of if she read him right. “Whoever those people are, they might think they owe him a favor.”
Not all of them, but some would be grateful for their freedom from the McDade yoke.
“Maybe they’d want to tell their story.”
She shrugged, though it had been more of a statement than a question. “Zay won’t go for it,” Whisper said, second guessing herself. “I don’t even know how you would… How you would raise it with him.”
“I wouldn’
t,” he said, which seemed like a contradiction. “But you could.”
Her smile was slow though her mind connected the dots in a second. “So if he doesn’t go for it, he thinks I’m disloyal?” Whisper shook her head. “No. No way.”
Half a minute went by before Score took a breath. “Do you remember what Shyla said today?”
“If she asked you to do something, you’d do it.”
“I haven’t seen you and Zay together. I didn’t know he had feelings for you, I still don’t know it. But if he does, if you believe he does, he’ll do the same for you.”
In just the short time she’d been a McDade, Whisper had gotten embroiled in the deepest mire of the family’s politics. Her first thought wasn’t for Zay’s counsel, it was for Bosco’s. Her husband would have an emotional reaction to the topic, either fury or agreement. Hashing out the details, figuring out if it was best for her husband, Whisper needed Bosco for that.
“I have to talk to Bosco,” she said.
Score and Beeks made brief eye contact. “You open your mouth to him, you can’t put it back in the bottle,” Score said. “It will be out there.”
Whisper stood up, inhaling through her nose. “I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”
It wasn’t until Bosco started to yell that Whisper realized she’d never heard him raise his voice. Her belief that he was mild-mannered and any kind of pacifist were brought into question when he went on a rant about her sneaking out and snooping on Score’s computer.
She guessed that he fixated on that because her suggestion of recruiting Zay and Doran to Score’s cause didn’t go over too well.
Bosco wasn’t the only one revealing hidden qualities. Whisper’s ability to remain calm and be diplomatic surprised even her.
Score didn’t trust her, but since she’d discovered his intention, he had no other option. Killing her or casting her out would lead to too many other problems.
Score, Beeks, and Whisper all stayed at the club until closing. She’d have returned to the apartment earlier, except Score kept her in the office. He wasn’t forceful about it, not physically, but any time she mentioned going home, he rejected the idea. That was how she knew he still didn’t trust her.
Shyla had been waiting up for them to return. Well, her and Score anyway… probably more likely Score. Beeks went back to his own place, wherever that was, after assuring them he’d return to Score’s apartment later that day.
While Shyla and Score stood toe-to-toe in the foyer of the apartment murmuring to each other, Shyla removed his jacket. Despite their serious expressions, probably related to Score’s revelations of the night’s events, there was something charged about the moment that made Whisper feel like she was intruding.
So instead of hanging around perving on them, she’d gone to the third bedroom, where Bosco had been sent to sleep. She’d considered waking him and having the conversation there and then, but after lying down next to Bosco’s slumbering form, Whisper had drifted off to sleep. He was more like a brother than a boyfriend, so her lifelong streak of never sleeping with a guy was safe.
Bosco’s exclamation of surprise had woken her. He’d been going on about how she was supposed to stay where Score put her and how unhappy Zay would be to learn she was sleeping with other men. That made her tale of the night seem all the more dramatic. As her friend had slept, Whisper’s discoveries had changed all of their paths.
After she recounted the story of the previous night, he read her the riot act. It took some time to calm him down and fill him in. Her ability to handle his objections and convey Score’s perspective also gave her a chance to think the situation through.
Neither of them could guarantee how the situation would play out. Even Bosco wasn’t sure how Zay would react to the suggestion. Her gut reaction had been angry and accusatory. Bosco dealt with the news by focusing on aspects that did make sense to him—like her not doing as told.
After a good couple of hours of arguments and discussion, she and Bosco were still at an impasse.
“Think they’ve got coffee in this place?” Whisper asked.
Bosco shrugged and pushed his shoulders from the window he’d been leaning on. “Let’s go find out.”
As she stood from her seat on the bed, he put a heavy arm around her shoulders and they left the bedroom. Shyla was in the kitchen, Score and Fish were seated at the kitchen island, much like the pair had been when they’d arrived.
Shyla and Fish stopped to watch her and Bosco’s progress down the living area. Score wasn’t as interested.
“Coffee?” Shyla asked.
“Thanks,” Bosco said and relayed how they both took it.
Whisper went to the window beyond the dining table. Staring out into the sunshine, she wished life could be so simple. Simple as the sun and the sea. Everything looked so happy from that perspective. Inside, she was anything but.
“Reach any conclusions?”
Shyla’s voice came from right next to her. Whisper glanced her way and took the proffered coffee. Bosco was seated at the dining table. As she took a sip from the steaming mug, he answered Shyla’s question.
“Too many,” he said. “Sounds like a great plan in theory.”
“It’s more than that,” Score said, though he still didn’t bother to turn around.
He had coffee in front of him and his phone in hand. Didn’t seem like he was dealing with the same turmoil they were, which angered her.
“We didn’t ask to be pulled into this crap,” Whisper said. “This is your crap, McDade. Not our crap.”
“If you love your husband, it is your crap,” he said like he wasn’t so wild about that.
In her conversation with Bosco, something had become clear. It wasn’t something she’d voiced to anyone, but Whisper was certain. She didn’t want to influence her husband’s decision.
Something like this could thrust him back into line with Burl and Parker. If he despised Score for his collusion with authorities, Zay could realign with the patriarch to rebel against it, to hold the empire up while Score tried to tear it down.
The alternative was that he cooperated. That he went along with his brother’s plan, gave the feds what they needed, maybe even stood up in court against his own blood. Any ideas from the previous night about that scenario offering them relief had become dark. Wanting freedom from the McDades was selfish. Whisper didn’t like Burl. Simple as that. Maybe because the man was too like her own father. He personified everything she despised about the life they all led. Driven by his own selfish needs and desires, the man deserved to be brought down.
Score’s beef with Parker was his own. Whisper wouldn’t lose any sleep over whatever happened to him. But she did care about what happened to her husband. What life could they hope to lead if, in a few years, he came to regret what he’d done? Being free was one thing, but what would come after? Where would they live? What would they do for money? She didn’t know the details of Zay’s financial solvency. If it was anything like hers, it relied on her father’s whims. The feds would probably tie up the McDades cash, freezing it pending investigation at least. Then what? Were they to live with Score forever? The man might tolerate his brother. He wouldn’t tolerate her.
Then there was Doran. He’d be in the same position as them. All of them. Bosco lived in the McDade house. He relied on them for an income, he had to.
“This will never work,” she murmured, interrupting the discussion that had been going on between Score and Bosco. Turning around, her eyes met each of theirs in turn. “It won’t work.” She exhaled and put her cup on the table. “We should get out of here, Bos.”
Nicole wasn’t around, Whisper had no idea where the other McDade wife was. Score wouldn’t have let her go far.
“Where are we going?” Bosco asked when she started around the dining table.
That was a valid question. Didn’t mean she had an answer. “We’ll go to the airport and get a flight.” To anywhere. She paused at the mouth of the hallway. �
��I’ll need my blade back.”
Because she wouldn’t go anywhere without it. Their cases were still stacked in the laundry room. Whisper pulled hers out and crouched to root around for clothes. If Score would allow them to shower, she’d use what could be their last opportunity for a while to clean up.
“I can’t imagine what you must be going through.”
Twisting to look up at the female who’d spoken, Whisper didn’t so much as smile at Shyla. “Yeah, right,” she said, returning to her rooting. “This the part where we have a heart to heart and become best of friends?”
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Shyla said. “Shouldn’t really matter whether you like me or not. We’ve both made our positions clear.”
Whisper exhaled a laugh and zipped her case after scooping her clothes onto her lap. “You were in a pretty damn fine position when I left last night,” she said, standing up, her clothes bunched in her arms. “Couldn’t tell if Score was fucking you or murdering you.”
Shyla’s shoulders moved a fraction. “You must miss Zay.”
Breathing in, she shrugged. “We’ll catch up with each other eventually.”
“You’re amazing,” Shyla said, her eyes narrowing. “No matter what you just… everything just rolls off you.”
Best she could do was show exaggerated sympathy for the naïve woman. “You’re sorta sweet. Like a cartoon. You’ve never lived in the real world at all, have you?”
“Just because our worlds were different growing up doesn’t mean we can’t identify with each other.”
It was beginning to bug Whisper that the woman was in the doorway, blocking the exit. Wasn’t that she couldn’t shift her if she wanted to, but her brother-in-law wouldn’t like her threatening the brunette beauty again. Twice in two days was maybe a little much.
“Look, Shyla,” Whisper said on an impatient sigh. “I need to take a shower. You want to say things at me so you can tell Score you gave it a shot, go for it. But can I shower while you do it? It would really help me out if we could multitask.”
Only Yours (A McDade Brothers Novel Book 2) Page 27