I sipped my drink. “Remember Arturo Rodriguez?”
Duke snarled. “Fucker.”
“He paid me a visit in Nashville. Said I should work for him. Of course, I declined. But then he called me again this morning. He’s having issues with the gangs in Boston. So he wants my help.”
Duke rubbed his temples. “Stay away, man. The Feds are all over him, which is why the gangs are probably lying low.”
“Good to know. But don’t worry. I told him no.”
“Arturo was always shady as fuck,” Duke said. “But he also doesn’t take no for an answer.”
I raised my glass. “Don’t I know it. But he has enforcers to do his dirty work.”
Duke ran a hand through his brown hair. “Not if they’re the ones causing the strife between the gangs and Arturo. His enforcers are as shady as he is.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “And how do you know that?”
“Word on the street is one or two of his enforcers have fucked over a couple of gangs. I have my ear to the ground. Just because we’re out doesn’t mean the danger is gone. I like to be prepared in case one of our past associates decides to fuck with us for some reason or other.”
“Which is why I hired a bodyguard for Fran,” I added. “Enough about Arturo. Talk to me about Grace. What exactly happened? She’s not herself.”
The Grace I knew wouldn’t be so bold as to tell me she liked me—and not in a friendship sort of way—or to ask me to dinner. Sure, she’d also mentioned she wanted my help, but I knew the signs that someone was flirting with me.
“I know she’s not. Fallyn says the same thing.” He scratched his chin then told me exactly what had led Grace to shoot the frat boy. “But I know Grace. She’s spooked over something other than the shooting. I hired a bodyguard for her. She already bit off my head in a text for hiring one. Am I wrong?”
I shrugged. “I know you’ve tortured yourself with guilt over what happened to her in sex trafficking, but talk to her. Fran doesn’t like bodyguards, either, but I let her know what I was doing and why.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I tried talking to her at the police station, but she broke down, and it gutted me. Whatever is going on with her is scaring her. Not only that, she could be going to jail. She shouldn’t have shot the college kid.”
I almost spat out my drink. “You know very well that you would’ve torn that boy to pieces. If she wanted to kill the frat boy, she would’ve.”
“You’re starting to sound like Grace.” He emptied his glass. “Matt, another.”
“Do you think that she’s in danger?”
“Yes,” he said without reservation.
Motherfucker.
Grace had lied to me.
“Is this a hunch or do you know for a fact?”
Duke’s hunches were always spot-on. “A little of both. She brought up Miguel Rivera to Ted. Asked if he was out of prison. She’s afraid of something or someone.”
I angled my head. “Miguel is still in prison, right?”
“Yes.” He glanced up at the TV.
Breaking news scrolled at the bottom of the screen.Another young girl found dead in South Boston.
“Grace was mumbling to Ted that she couldn’t save her. That it was Grace’s fault she died.” A muscle jumped in his jaw.
I pointed at the TV. “Do you think Grace was referring to the string of young girls around the city showing up dead? That she’s somehow responsible?”
He lifted a shoulder. “Not sure. You know she likes to save them from their pimps and bring them to the shelter.”
Duke wouldn’t survive if anything happened to his sister. None of the brothers would. Hell, I wouldn’t either. Grace wasn’t only my best friend’s sister. She was more to me than that.
