He growls something foul at me, motions for Blue to take his spot, and jerks his head toward the front door. “The fuck you doing here?” he asks when we’re outside.

“Wanted to check on things. Talk to Dex for a minute. Never expected to see you here.”

“Dex is out. We’re short, so here I am. Wrath’s taking over for me when Furious closes.”

“Fuck, I better get out of here before he shows up. He’s liable to kill me.”

He chuckles. “Hope is supposed to stop by and have dinner with me later.”

“She mad?”

“Nah.” His mouth twitches into a smile. “She knows I’d rather be home, elbows deep in diapers, than dealing with this nonsense.”

“Some nights that can be arranged here, Prez.”

He slaps my chest. “What’s on your mind?”

“How’d you know?”

“You look like you’re thinking too hard.” He taps the side of my head. “Smoke’s billowing out of your ears.”

“Har, har. Went to visit Grinder. It left me with a shitty feeling, ya know?”

He’s slow in answering. “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It’s not easy seeing him in there.”

Actually, it’s probably harder on Rock. He and Grinder went inside together. Rock got out after a few years. Grinder stayed behind. Rock almost never talks about that period of his life.

“Made the mistake of telling him about Chance. Thought it might cheer him up. Knowing there’s new blood in the family or whatever, but I think it bummed him out.”

He nods slowly. “He held onto the hope that Rosie’d be waiting for him when he got out a lot longer than most would’ve.”

“Fuck. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Anything would bum him out right now. He’s been getting jerked around by the parole board for a couple years.”

“Nothing we can do?”

“Glassman’s at his wit’s end. There’s not much we can do to move them along. A charming quirk of the criminal justice system Hope tells me.”

“Something we can look into? Maybe crack some skulls?”

“With all our free time?”

“Come on, Rock.”

“I’ve tried. I haven’t brought it to the table every time because it’s depressing as fuck. But believe me, I’ve tried. I don’t want to make things worse for him, though either.”

“I hear you.” I cock my head and study him for a minute before asking my next question. “Did he know about you and, you know, your relationship to Teller?”

The question seems to throw Rock. “No.” He stops. considers the question more thoroughly. “I don’t think so. How could…who the fuck knows? Lately, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that even the impossible is possible.”

“Amen to that.”

“You didn’t tell him, did you?”