man on his computer screen. “Really, it’s been days since I told
Gabe to tell you to call me.”
The man now known as Rafe Soto-Ashby lifted his shoulder in a careless shrug. “I
was busy.”
“Uh-huh.” Rafe did freelance architectural work out of the couple’s home in North
Carolina, nothing major to bring attention to himself and Gabe, just enough to keep him
out of Gabe’s hair and to keep Rafe busy and engaged in something he liked doing.
“What are you working on?”
“Community center for at-risk teens.” Rafe’s face broke out in a grin. “Good stuff.” With a spark in his eyes like that, Kane could understand how his brother fell in
love with the former gunrunner. Now Kane only felt slightly guilty for wanting to shoot
Rafe when he found the man in his brother’s kitchen naked except for a pair of tight
black briefs. He was Angelo Pagan then and his body was nuts. Kane may have peeked
a little.
Okay a lot, but he was entitled.
“What’s up?” Rafe asked.
Kane leaned forward on his elbow as he stared into the laptop he’d placed on the
island in his kitchen. “In your former life you had dealings with a guy named Faro,
right?”
For his part, Rafe didn’t so much as blink. “Is this an official question, Marshal?” Kane glowered. “Of course not. This is me, your brother-in-law, asking you
something I really hope you answer.”
Rafe crossed his arms. “Personal then?”
“Which response gets me an honest answer from you?” He took a sip from his
coffee cup, watching over the top as Rafe leaned forward.
“You tell me what’s got you asking about Faro and I’ll tell you what I can.” Kane sighed. “I know who he is because he told me. What I want to know is why he
knows who I am. He helped me find a runner in New Orleans and he’s been, uh, calling
me.” He looked away from the computer when he spoke the last part.
“Calling you, how? Threatening?”
He shook his head at Rafe’s sharp words. “No, nothing like that. The opposite
really.” His face heated and he really didn’t want to talk about Faro anymore. “He says
I intrigue him.” God, he embarrassed himself saying those words.
Rafe cocked his head to the side, his mouth open. “Intriguing, huh?” He barked a
laugh. “Good one.”
Kane waved his words away. “I need to know how to make him go away. I don’t
need a criminal calling me and compromising my job. I’m sure you have something I
can use.”
Rafe’s eyebrow shot up. “Blackmail, Marshal?”
“He’s a smug little brat with too much time on his hands,” Kane said fiercely. “I
want him gone.”
“Uh-huh. I hear you.” Rafe didn’t sound convinced. Not at all.
“Do you have anything I can use?” Pretty please.
“I have a lot of information on Faro. He trusts me and I trust him.” Rafe came in
real close on the screen. “He was the one who helped me get out of Brooklyn. He was
the one who watched out for your brother when I was locked up. He knows my secrets
and I know…some of his.”
Kane stared at him. “What?”
“I’m not telling you shit to use against him, Kane. You can forget that.” Rafe got the
saddest smile on his face. “I can tell you this. Faro is a man with many faces who wears
a lot of hats. He’s a great number of things to a great number of people, none of them
real. None of them true.”
“Talking riddles now, are we?” Kane gripped his coffee cup tighter. “Can’t you just
tell me if I should stay away from him or not?”
“Do you want to stay away from him?” Rafe didn’t wait for a reply. “Faro is a lot
like many men I know, he’s not all good nor is he all bad.”
“God, you’re no help at all.”
Rafe barked a laugh. “I think you like him, Marshal. Despite thinking you know who he is. Eerily familiar.”
“Yeah, whatever. Do you keep in contact with him?”
Rafe’s face morphed into a blank slate. “We speak. Do you want me to give him a message, warn him off?”
Hell no. “No, I’ll do
Gabe to tell you to call me.”
The man now known as Rafe Soto-Ashby lifted his shoulder in a careless shrug. “I
was busy.”
“Uh-huh.” Rafe did freelance architectural work out of the couple’s home in North
Carolina, nothing major to bring attention to himself and Gabe, just enough to keep him
out of Gabe’s hair and to keep Rafe busy and engaged in something he liked doing.
“What are you working on?”
“Community center for at-risk teens.” Rafe’s face broke out in a grin. “Good stuff.” With a spark in his eyes like that, Kane could understand how his brother fell in
love with the former gunrunner. Now Kane only felt slightly guilty for wanting to shoot
Rafe when he found the man in his brother’s kitchen naked except for a pair of tight
black briefs. He was Angelo Pagan then and his body was nuts. Kane may have peeked
a little.
Okay a lot, but he was entitled.
“What’s up?” Rafe asked.
Kane leaned forward on his elbow as he stared into the laptop he’d placed on the
island in his kitchen. “In your former life you had dealings with a guy named Faro,
right?”
For his part, Rafe didn’t so much as blink. “Is this an official question, Marshal?” Kane glowered. “Of course not. This is me, your brother-in-law, asking you
something I really hope you answer.”
Rafe crossed his arms. “Personal then?”
“Which response gets me an honest answer from you?” He took a sip from his
coffee cup, watching over the top as Rafe leaned forward.
“You tell me what’s got you asking about Faro and I’ll tell you what I can.” Kane sighed. “I know who he is because he told me. What I want to know is why he
knows who I am. He helped me find a runner in New Orleans and he’s been, uh, calling
me.” He looked away from the computer when he spoke the last part.
“Calling you, how? Threatening?”
He shook his head at Rafe’s sharp words. “No, nothing like that. The opposite
really.” His face heated and he really didn’t want to talk about Faro anymore. “He says
I intrigue him.” God, he embarrassed himself saying those words.
Rafe cocked his head to the side, his mouth open. “Intriguing, huh?” He barked a
laugh. “Good one.”
Kane waved his words away. “I need to know how to make him go away. I don’t
need a criminal calling me and compromising my job. I’m sure you have something I
can use.”
Rafe’s eyebrow shot up. “Blackmail, Marshal?”
“He’s a smug little brat with too much time on his hands,” Kane said fiercely. “I
want him gone.”
“Uh-huh. I hear you.” Rafe didn’t sound convinced. Not at all.
“Do you have anything I can use?” Pretty please.
“I have a lot of information on Faro. He trusts me and I trust him.” Rafe came in
real close on the screen. “He was the one who helped me get out of Brooklyn. He was
the one who watched out for your brother when I was locked up. He knows my secrets
and I know…some of his.”
Kane stared at him. “What?”
“I’m not telling you shit to use against him, Kane. You can forget that.” Rafe got the
saddest smile on his face. “I can tell you this. Faro is a man with many faces who wears
a lot of hats. He’s a great number of things to a great number of people, none of them
real. None of them true.”
“Talking riddles now, are we?” Kane gripped his coffee cup tighter. “Can’t you just
tell me if I should stay away from him or not?”
“Do you want to stay away from him?” Rafe didn’t wait for a reply. “Faro is a lot
like many men I know, he’s not all good nor is he all bad.”
“God, you’re no help at all.”
Rafe barked a laugh. “I think you like him, Marshal. Despite thinking you know who he is. Eerily familiar.”
“Yeah, whatever. Do you keep in contact with him?”
Rafe’s face morphed into a blank slate. “We speak. Do you want me to give him a message, warn him off?”
Hell no. “No, I’ll do
Similar Books
