Page 101 of Entangled

“No,” Gian murmured.

“I heard you were having some issues on the streets, and with the police.”

“The police are expected, given what happened last year and before that. The streets, on the other hand … well, that’s just my bastard father-in-law trying to force my hand with my family and men. He’s been quiet the last month or so, surprisingly. And after everything he did, the issues he started, men he killed, and the threats … it’s concerning. He’s gone under the radar, too, making it harder to watch him. Even his men are out of sight for the moment. He wanted to make a point to me, or rather, make a point out of me. He didn’t succeed, but that does not mean he’s finished.”

“Why is that surprising? Maybe he finally came to the realization that you’re not going to give him what he wants.”

“You would have to know the man,” Gian said with a sigh. “Everyone always gives him what he wants, even if it takes a while. He simply has to find the right button to push with a man to get him to hand it over.”

“And so, the quietness and the disappearing act is a bad thing.”

“It is always bad when a man cannot see Gabriel coming, Tommas.”

Silence hung heavily between the two before Tommas spoke again.

“And all of this for what? Why is he causing these issues?”

“He believes I have a rat in my family, and he thinks forcing my hand to cull through my men indiscriminately will fix the issue,” Gian answered.

“Do you have a rat?”

“A big, fat one.”

Tommas grunted disgustedly. “But you’re not as concerned about the rat as you are—”

“Gabriel. Exactly.”

“And why is that, now?”

“He’s pushed every other button he thinks I have, Tommas,” Gian said, “and it earned him nothing. I only have one thing left for him to come after, to make his point loud and clear.”

“You’re talking about Cara.”

“Every part of me wishes I wasn’t.”

“But you’ve told me you keep her presence quiet, and that you’re quiet about coming and going from here. You said you were careful, Gian.”

“I can never be careful enough, I can only be mindful now.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means I have been watching and waiting for him to try and push that button with me, because he knows very well that it’s there. I do all I can to keep her safe, because I put her in this position, even if she doesn’t know it.”

“Why not just kill him?” Tommas demanded.

“It’s never that easy. Another person on my shit-list shows up murdered. I don’t need the fucking attention it’s likely to bring, unless he doesn’t give me a choice. I’ve managed Gabriel this long, when others wouldn’t have bothered at all, I can manage a little while longer. Surely. We’ve been entangled in this mess for years. I know his games.”

“So just kill him.”

“Tell me, why didn’t you just kill the person standing in your way, Tommas?”

Tommas cleared his throat. “It wasn’t that easy.”

“My point, merci.”

“And if he does go after Cara?”

“I’m doing everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”