Golden Binds

“You can’t do that without asking me, Sawyer.”

“I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you safe. It saved your life.”

Well, she couldn’t argue with that.

“You still should have told me.”

“And you would have argued with me and refused to let me do it. Not telling you was quicker and easier.”

“Jesus,” she muttered. Then something else occurred to her, pushing aside her concerns over his high-handedness.

“You said you got to me via the tunnels, but how did you find the tunnel that led to Gio’s house? And how did you come to be working with Carlin?”

“We went to your brother to get your mother’s diaries,” Joe told her.

Her heart stopped beating. “You did what? Are you insane? How the hell did you get out alive?”

Sawyer scowled. “You underestimate our abilities if you think your brother could harm us.”

Well, she figured she’d underestimated something. Their intelligence.

“After a bit of convincing he helped us search for the diaries,” Garret told her.

“They were hidden.”

“Your

pet rat helped us.” Sawyer grimaced.

“Roger did? Clever rat.”

“We decided to work with your brother. He was supposed to give us time to get out before he made his move.”

“His move?”

“He already had plans to move in on Gio’s territory,” Sawyer told her. “He moved those plans up to give us a diversion so we could get you out. I’ve heard that he was successful. Once Gio was taken out, his people put up little fight.”

“He’s okay then?” Relief filled her. “He killed Gio?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“But you said Gio was taken out. One of his men did it?”

“No. I did.” Joe’s face displayed no emotion.

What? Joe killed Gio? How?

“You killed Gio?”

“And I’d do it again. He died too quickly. I wanted him to suffer, but we needed to get you out of there.”

She frowned, trying to remember. “I remember the room rocking, like an earthquake.”

“That was your brother’s diversion,” Sawyer confirmed. “I’m going to have to have words with him about timing. And risking your safety.”

Yeah, that talk would go down well with Carlin.

“I remember something else.” She stared at Joe. “No, it had to be a dream.”