She scowled. “Is he planning to do something stupid, like go after this King guy all by himself?”

Another shrug. “Diesel’s gonna do what he’s gonna do.”

She exhaled carefully, working to keep her cool. Diesel might think he was going after Brewer’s killer by himself, but that was not going to happen. “You say he’s at his house? Where is that?”

“I’ll take you to him,” Stone said. “Not a suggestion,” he added when she opened her mouth to protest. “Big bald guy is out there and I’m not getting on Diesel’s shit list because I let you drive alone.”

Let me? Really? She was tempted to argue, but decided to leave it for later. Mainly because he was right. “Let me grab my coat.” She turned for the closet, but stopped. “I can’t leave the boys.”

Stone rolled his eyes. “They’ll be safe. Scarlett’s a cop, Marcus was a US Army Ranger, and Keith was a Marine. Kate, Decker, and Troy are Feds. Kate’s a goddamn sniper.”

“Okay. You’re right.”

He gave her one of those soft smiles that he normally reserved for Delores. “I’ll ask Marcus to stand guard outside the boys’ bedroom door. Nobody will touch them. I promise.”

She looked up into his face, seeing nothing but sincerity. “I know I’m overprotective, but . . . well, thank you.”

He patted her shoulder. “Get your coat. I’ll tell Delores where we’re going.”

Cincinnati, Ohio
Sunday, March 17, 11:30 p.m.

“I don’t like any of this, Grant,” Cora said after he’d described the scene at the riverboat casino that evening.

Grant sank into the buttery leather of Wesley’s living room sofa, so soft that he thought he’d fall asleep right away. “Me, either,” he said with a jaw-cracking yawn.

“If he’s gotten involved with something this bad, maybe you should get a hotel. What if those guys come looking for him?”

Grant tried to shake the sense of dread brought on by her words. What if they already have come looking? What if they’ve found him? “I’ll be fine. I’m so tired, hon, I don’t think I can move to find a hotel. If I don’t get any answers by tomorrow, I’ll consider it. How’s that?”

She blew out an aggravated sigh. “Probably the best I’m going to get, so I guess I have to take it. How much longer do you think you’ll be gone?”

“I don’t know. How’s MaryBeth’s niece working out? Is she the au pair extraordinaire that MaryBeth claimed?”

“Better. I got to sleep last night for the first time in weeks.”

Grant smiled. “You sound better. Maybe we can keep her for a while.”

“Can we afford a live-in au pair?”