Great. Another punch to the gut of how Flynn had fucked up.
Again.
Flynn looked up and down the street. Then he nudged Kellan into the nook created by the garage door and the brick wall. “Youreducation—every red cent—was paid for by me and Rafe.”
“You didn’t let McGinty pay?”
Kellan still looked skeptical. Probably because the amount of trust they’d rebuilt with him wasn’t strong enough to hold upbelly button lint. “We never let McGinty near anything to do with you. That was always the deal. Rafe and I were in it tothe end, but only as long as he kept the hell away from you.”
“Guess you two were worth it to him.”
“Maybe. Honestly? We were worried that once you got your law degree, he’d find a way to drag you in.” Lawyers on the mob payrollwere handy. Rafe and Flynn spent way too many nights sitting on the roof deck of the North Avenue beach house arguing aboutit. About if they should tell Kellan, warn him that McGinty might try to use him. Or if he’d be so disgusted by the choiceshis brothers had made that he’d turn away from them forever.
Guess they knew the answer to that, now.
“How’d you afford it, even with the loans?”
Still skeptical. Looked like he’d have to spill another secret that he and Rafe had sworn to keep. “Well, we used the life insurancemoney from Mom and Dad. We saved it all for you.”
“Oh. Shit.” Kellan’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe you saved it all for me. That’s . . . that was solid of you guys. Thanks.”He clasped Flynn’s forearm.
They hadn’t done it expecting thanks. In fact, they’d hidden it from Kellan so he wouldn’t feel guilty about taking all ofwhat, legally, was split between them evenly. But he’d sure as hell make sure to tell Rafe how much Kellan appreciated thegesture.
Gulping hard past the lump in his throat, Flynn said, “Hey, the bright side of disappearing? All our debts got wiped out.That includes what was still one hell of a hefty balance due on your schooling.”
“Get what you pay for, huh? Seeing as how Northwestern doesn’t get their money and I didn’t get my degree. Some would callthat a karmic balance.”
That comment, right there? Made Flynn want to drive his fist so hard into McGinty’s face that the crushed nasal bones wouldtrickle down his spine. For two seconds, he clenched his fist, tempted to bash it into the bricks. “Some would call that purebullshit.”
“Maybe I just need to get laid.” With a jerk of his shoulder, Kellan led the way over to the smaller door to the office ofWick’s Garage. “It’s sure worked wonders for you.” He barely got the door open before Flynn slammed it shut again, then kepthis hand braced on the peeling red paint of the wood.
Leaning in, he growled, “Don’t talk about Sierra like that.”
“Like what?” Kellan shrugged, palms up at his waist. “Like I’m thrilled that she’s turned you from a snarling zombie backinto a fair-to-middling copy of my brother?”
Shit. He’d overreacted to what turned out to be a compliment. Kellan really was the best of them. Bighearted and cheerfuland . . . well . . . nice. In a way he and Rafe often didn’t take the time to be.
Still, Flynn had a point to make. “Like this thing with her is just about sex.”
The knowing smirk formed on Kellan’s face at a glacial pace. “Oh, reaaaaally? What is it about, then?”
“It’s about time we got on with the day. I’ve got a mobster to tail, remember?” Flynn opened the door with a flourish anda half bow that hopefully would smooth over the flare-up of bad temper.
Rafe looked up from the pile of receipts in his hands. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” For now. Which was a fucking relief. Every moment that the status quo stayed normal was another weight on the sideof their theory that O’Connor wasn’t here to carry out a hit on them. “I brought K up to speed. He’s cool.”
Rafe’s gaze ping-ponged slowly between Flynn and Kellan. Then back again, skewering Kellan with a suspicious glare. “Thenwhy aren’t you at your shift at the cranberry plant?”
Kellan toed out the crooked wooden chair and lounged into it, hands crossed behind his neck. “Can’t brothers just hang out?”He appeared unfazed by the man whose menacing scowl had made grown men all over Chicago pee in their pants. He just angledsideways to prop his feet on the corner of the desk. Yeah, he was baiting Rafe for the shits and giggles of it, no doubt.
Flynn leaned against the file cabinet. “It was my idea for him to call in sick. Told him I needed his help.” Which had beenan idea that hit in the middle of his drive back from Sierra’s. This whole car sharing thing needed to end. And asking forhis brother’s help with that was the perfect excuse to yank him out of work for the morning. “I didn’t want K to feel rushedas we talked through the O’Connor situation.”
“Oh. Okay.” Rafe pushed Kellan’s feet to the floor as he sat back down. “So now that you know, you’re hanging out with Flynnbecause . . . you don’t feel comfortable by yourself? Scared of O’Connor?”
“What?” Kellan surged to his feet. He paced the ten steps to the connecting door to the service bay. “Christ, Rafe, I’m notthe little kid who used to wake you up when I had nightmares. I may not be able to dropkick a superhero like Flynn here, butI can defend myself. And I’m not going looking for trouble, either. I came along with Flynn because he asked for my help andI thought it’d be fun.”
“Tailing a dangerous criminal?”
“Nah.” Flynn poured himself a cup of coffee. This day would require a nonstop stream of caffeine. “I did that before Kellaneven woke up. Pat got off the boat just after sunrise. He was green and sweating and clutching a puke bag. Guess he neverfound his sea legs.” It didn’t suck one bit, thinking of the miserable
