Roman-1(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(22)

Miah and I know each other too well. I know that even now, he’s putting it all together and coming up with answers I didn’t want him to find out this way.

“Are, are you telling me this has all been an op from the get-go? Are you seriously fucking telling me that you’ve been playing us all from the start?! It was you who took this op to my unit?” he yells, making me wince.

Miah isn’t a yeller, so I know he’s pissed and feels too betrayed.

“I’m telling you that I’ve been following this case for four years, and no matter what we did, we could never get a hint as to who was behind the shootings or bombings that we were investigating. Sheer dumb luck turned up one name, Dobson’s, and I took it from there. When I couldn’t get in, I asked Jim to call in a favor and have you put on it. I needed you and the boys shaking the apple tree, and I needed Lynn to make a move, even though at that point I only had a vague suspicion of her activities.”

At that point, the investigation had already been going on so long without progress that my superiors were threatening to shut us down. I had no choice and only really made my move once I heard Dobson’s name.

The rest of it was pure supposition that I was relieved to find was true. Otherwise I would have had nothing. Luckily for me, my brothers are tenacious assholes and they got the Patriots scrambling so hard and fast, we couldn’t miss the activity.

“You liar. You used us all to get into something you knew, know is likely going to get you killed. When did this all start?”

“Look—”

“Fuck. This started before… What about poor Wyatt? Did you manipulate his life, too, after everything him and Ellie have been through?”

“Poor Wyatt? He got to Ellie, thanks to me, and it all turned out really well in the end. As I see my move saved her.”

“What move?”

“I had Jerry put the idea into Lynn’s head that Ellie was a liability to her. The crazy idiot is so paranoid already, she ate it up and just barrelled ahead. When she got pinched and they all started scrambling to close the gap, I got Cleo.”

“Wait, this doesn’t make sense. How did you know it was Lynn in the first place?”

“Jerry. Jerry has always been my inside guy,” I admit, grinning when I hear him curse and start muttering obscenities.

“Christ, did it have to be him? I hate that guy.”

“Yeah? Well try having to figure out if the man is just crazy or spinning you a line. It took me months to trust him, and believe me, he’s not the easiest to work with on an op because he’s jumpy as hell,” I mutter.

I love the guy and thank God for him every day, but I won’t be sorry when this is over and we can part ways.

“Dammit, Roman. They all know who and what you are if what you’re telling me adds up.”

“Yea.”

“Get out. We can rework your plans. Cleo’s gone nuts since she woke up and couldn’t get to Paulie.”

I grin when I hear harsh voices exchanging unpleasant words, followed by the sounds of Miah and Jared scuffling.

“Hey, bro. You do your biggest little brother a favor and take that woman out before she makes a play for Paulie again.”

Oh, Jared, always the bloodthirsty one and yet the gentlest man I have ever met.

“Sorry, bro, no can do. I want the name of the top dog in this thing, and with Lynn unavailable it’s Cleo on the block.”

“Dammit, Miah, that hurt! Stop.”

I hear more cursing and then Miah is back, letting me know how unimpressed he still is with me.

“I’ll find Lynn. Case is still on her ass, and last I heard she was hiding somewhere in South America. You just do what you can quickly and get home before your woman starts getting nastier than she has been thus far.”

“Dude, keep your nuts covered if you know what’s good for you. Look, I gotta go.”

“And then what, Roman? You stop answering your phone and don’t call? Again. You have to be smarter about this. It’s no use getting the last name if you aren’t alive to tell anyone,” he says darkly.

“I won’t—”

“And she’s hurting. Mellie is hurting real bad right now, bro. Your woman needs you more than she’ll let anyone know, but I can’t miss her red-rimmed eyes or the way she keeps staring at Pop with her heart all over the place. She needs you, Roman.”

Fuck.

“I’ll get out for one night. That’s all I can promise. Is that break in the perimeter still there?”

“Yeah. Bronx wired it, though, so step lightly and do not walk in a straight line if you can help it. I’ll let him know you’ll be in sometime this week.”