Reckoning (Wolfes of Manhattan 5)

“I wouldn’t provoke my brother,” I advised. “He’s got a hot temper. Now start from the beginning. Nieves came to you with a credit card problem.”

“Attorney-client privilege.”

Rock landed a kick to the side of Hoss’s head. “That ship has left the harbor. It’s so far out that it can’t be seen by the naked eye.”

Hoss cried. Literally. Tears fell from both eyes. Very visible in the shine from the starlight.

“Just level with them, Hoss. Maybe we can make a deal.”

I laughed then. Really laughed. “You think you hold any cards here?”

“Of course we do,” Manny said. “Hoss here knows where Nieves is, don’t you, bro?”

Hoss didn’t answer.

“Do you, asshole?” Rock demanded. “Here’s the deal, then. You tell me, and I don’t beat you bloody.”

Hoss looked up at me, pleading.

“Seriously?” I said. “Whose side do you think I’m on here? I may not be a brawling biker like my older brother, but I’m just as strong and just as mean. So don’t even think you can gain my sympathy. Right now we’re all suspects in our father’s murder. All of us, and Rock’s wife has been arrested. All because of you four manipulative cunts.”

“Fuck, Manny. You told them everything?”

Manny didn’t reply. Just looked sheepish. Though the swelling of his jaw spoke volumes.

“Doesn’t prove anything,” Hoss said, his voice cracking.

“It proves plenty,” I said. “We can trace this to your call to the NYPD. They were tipped off, and someone who wanted my father dead for real took advantage of it.”

“Why would anyone on the NYPD want him dead?” Hoss asked.

Rock kicked his gut. “You really want to go there? You want us to believe you’re that naïve?”

Hoss didn’t reply. He was too busy gasping for air.

“You may want to take it easy,” I said to Rock. “He’s half the man his pal is. Literally.”

“Fuck it.” Rock ripped off his ball cap, smoothed his hair, and then replaced the hat. “Where the fuck is she, Hoss?”

“I don’t know,” he gasped.

“And I don’t believe you. Manny already intimated that you know. Hmm, let’s see. What would make you talk? How fond are you of your balls?”

Hoss sucked in a breath while Manny visibly trembled next to me. Whatever Rock had in mind, I wanted no part of it.

“I’d talk if I were you,” I said.

“I don’t know where she is,” Hoss rasped. “She disappeared.”

“Nice try. She also faked a phone call from her sister from her phone.” Rock slapped Hoss’s bald head.

“How’s her sister doing?”

Rock laughed. “So you know that much. Your partner here claims that was a surprise.”

“Jesus Christ, Manny.” Hoss shook his head.

“Hey, don’t blame me,” the other man said. “I didn’t know what I was supposed to tell them.”

“Everything,” I said. “You tell us everything, or I’m going to let my big brother there remove your balls one by one.”

Manny let out a squeak and a shudder.

“How much did you tell them, Manny?” Hoss demanded.

“About the deal with the NYPD, and how it didn’t work.”

“Your stupid-ass phone call cost my family—specifically my wife—everything,” Rock said. “You’ll never be able to make it up to us. I could finish you both off now, and I swear to God, no one would ever find the bodies.”

Easy, Rock. I didn’t say the words, but the last thing we needed was his threat recorded anywhere. This yard was most likely safe, but my big brother sure had a mouth on him. I didn’t doubt for a second the truth of his words.

“Can you blame us for wanting to make a buck?” Hoss asked.

“You unethical son of a bitch. Preaching ethics to me at that meeting in New York, when the whole time this was all your fucking fault. That call you made to the NYPD let some corrupt officer in on my father’s plan to fake his death. Gave him an easy way to make it a reality.”

“Why would the NYPD want to off your father?” Hoss demanded.

“How the fuck should I know? Everyone wanted to off my father. He was a psycho prick.” Rock stomped in the grass. “He had enemies everywhere.”

“Find the guy at the NYPD, then,” Hoss said. “None of us did it. We were all here in Helena.”

“Can you prove that?” I asked, holding my temper in check.

“Of course we can,” Manny said.

“Can you really?” I asked. “I imagine it wouldn’t take much to forge some evidence placing all four of you in Manhattan at the time. Throw in the phone call that Nieves intercepted at Rock’s place, and you’ll look even guiltier.”

“You can’t do that,” Hoss said. “It’s not legal.”

I chucked softly, shaking my head. “You really don’t want to play that card, asshole.”

Hoss looked at his feet. No, he didn’t want to play that hand at all.

“Tell us where Nieves is,” I said. “And you can keep your balls.”