Nick focused on his brother.

“Want you to take a chance on finding someone, bein’ happy. Not real thrilled you picked the way you picked, not your girl, a tough road you both gotta travel. But I’ve already found what I need. I know how it feels. You find what you need, I’m happy for you and I’ve got your back. But is that all you wanted with askin’ me here? To tell me you found a woman you wanna try to make happy, your neck’s on the line and the woman you’re claimin’s neck’s on the line? Or do you want somethin’ from me?”

“I called you here because I wanted you to know my decision about Olivia. I called you here because you need to know that’s the path I’m on and it’s gonna be bumpy. And I called you here because, along that path, I might need you and I needed to give you that heads-up.”

“To launch this operation, you pulled in your buddy Turner, a fuckin’ Fed, and every other marker you got out there and you asked nothin’ from me.” Knight smiled. “I was feelin’ left out.”

“Think, over the years, I’ve asked enough of you.”

His brother stopped smiling and stated, “You don’t got much left to learn. You set about learning it and you didn’t fuck around doin’ it right. But one thing you do still gotta learn is, when it’s family, Nick, there’s a limit to the shit I’ll eat. But there is no limit to the love I’ll give.”

Nick kept his mouth shut but he did it to swallow against the lump that was all of a sudden blocking his throat.

Knight let that go and pushed up from his seat.

Nick pushed up with him.

“Want her ass at Anya’s and my place for a steak, soon’s you can,” Knight demanded.

“They watch her, brother,” Nick told him.

Dark flashed in his brother’s eyes before he said, “Clear her of a tail and get her ass to Anya’s and my place for a steak, Nick. Soon’s you fuckin’ can.”

“Right. It isn’t just that. You need to give me time. She’s closed up tight. Face value, she’s cool to ice-cold, man. You don’t know the warm under that surface, she isn’t easy to like.”

“Kat and Kasha’ll break that down. They don’t, you know to dump her.”

“I’m bein’ serious, Knight.”