The cycle of grief, if that was what I was going through, truly was one messy, tangled blob. Not a straight line, that was for damn sure. More like up and down and all the fuck around.

“Just tell me you have something on those two men who tried to take Colin.” I finally strode over to them, catching sight of a bottle of Legacy Ridge at my father’s bar. He’d always kept it on hand for me. The fact he hadn’t hesitated to anonymously save that company all those years ago without ever knowing why I gave such a damn about it⁠—

“We did get a hit.” Izzy’s words saved me from walking back into the past for the hundredth time in two days. “The two men are, well, were, mercenaries for hire. Boston natives. Both have warrants for crimes that’ll make you want to raise the dead so you can kill them again and run them over with your car this time.” She looked up at me over the laptop screen. “Yeah, I saw you be sweet and move their bodies before I erased the CCTV footage.”

“That wasn’t to be kind to the dead.” I shook my head, coming around the desk to see her screen. “Any connection to the Sicilians? Irish?”

“No. From what I can tell, they don’t have allegiance to just one group, only to whoever pays the best,” she answered. “I haven’t been able to determine who hired them to abduct Colin yet, but I don’t think the Sicilians would dare cross you, not even by outsourcing for help.”

“I agree.” I linked my hands behind my neck, thinking. “There has to be more of these guys here. Whoever hired them wouldn’t just bring in two men, not if they know our family.”

“I was working on that when Sean texted. I started broadening my search to make a list of their possible associates, assuming they’ll try and come after him again.” She glanced back at me. “By the way, you couldn’t have anticipated what would happen at the mall today any more than I could have. So, please tell me you don’t plan to beat yourself up about it.”

“I considered it,” I said under my breath, letting my arms fall to my sides. “But I’ve been too sidetracked for the guilt to sink in.” I lifted my chin in a silent request to distract me before I began kicking myself for going out today. For having one of the best days of my life before those assholes ruined it.

“If Jamie’s the one behind this,” Hudson began, and I nodded my thanks for picking up on my silent cue, “why go after Colin today?”