bets—and man, there were a lot of bets—and the takes and losses for each one.
“You keep a spreadsheet?” I asked, hoping my tone conveyed my distaste for keeping proof of illegal activities.
“I typed Fantasy Bets.” He pointed at the large title at the top of the page.
I pulled my palms over my face. He never used to be this careless.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway.” He closed the laptop and stood. “As soon as Tex and I are square, I’m dumping the computer. I’ll… I’ll burn it. I’ll run it over with the car or something.”
Hands in prayer pose over my lips, I watched him for a moment before saying, “And Sonny.”
“Huh?”
“As soon as you and Tex and Sonny are square.”
“Yeah.” He offered a twitchy shrug. “Of course.”
“Five hundred before I leave. Don’t make me call Nat.” I stood, too. He knew Nat. All three hundred pounds of him.
“Dev—”
“No more free passes, Paul.” I didn’t yell. I didn’t need to. I took one step closer to him and he lifted his palms. “Five hundred in the next sixty seconds,” I said, “or I leave, tell Sonny what really happened to my face, and send Nat back for a thousand.”
“A thousand! Now listen—”
“No, you listen!” I poked his chest. “Don’t even think of trying to pull this bullshit again. You know as well as I do—”
“What the fuck, Devlin?” a loud voice came from behind me.
I snapped my head to the side to see Paul’s son, Caden, barreling through the house, a gym bag over one shoulder.
He didn’t slow when he saw me, practically dropping the bag on my shoes.
“Cade,” Paul said, waving both hands in front of him. “Everything’s fine.”
Cade narrowed his eyes and held his arms out to make himself look bigger. Granted, it did. Must have been arm day at the gym.
“Like hell,” he told Paul, but his eyes were on me. “After all we’ve done for you, Dev, you threaten my dad?”
Shit. I ignored Paul to deal with Cade. “Look—”
Cade shoved both hands against my chest, sending me back half a step since I wasn’t ready for him. I stood my ground, my fists balled. I wasn’t tussling with him. Cade was old enough to take a punch—just two years younger than me—but out of respect for Paul, I didn’t want to hit his son.
Also, Cade was about my size, and I knew we’d go a few rounds before I finally kicked his ass. I didn’t care to spend any more time in the back of my restaurant than I had to. If he got a hit or two in and busted my lip—and, much as I hated to admit it, that was a possibility—I’d be stuck in the kitchen for another few weeks.
Keep it together. Beating the shit out of Paul’s bratty son wouldn’t serve me in the long run. I had to focus on the goal: Sonny’s cash.
“We gave you a home,” Cade continued indignantly.
“We?” I let out a dry laugh. “I didn’t see you footing any bills back then. And I heard you don’t do much beyond draining your father’s savings now.”
“Boys…” Paul warned.
I ignored him. Cade didn’t.
“Devlin owes you, Dad.” Cade shoved me again. That was really starting to piss me off. “Remember back when he stole Mom’s jewelry?”
I wedged my teeth together. Every part of me wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t. It was true. I’d stolen a necklace and three rings and gambled with them. I was able to win back one of the rings, but the others were lost in a risky all-or-nothing.
“Cade, that’s neither here nor there,” Paul said.
“Bullshit it’s not here. Devlin Calvary is right fucking here.” Cade, his voice eerily calm stood nose-to-nose with me. His brown hair fell over his lighter brown eyes—eyes that burned with fury. I understood. If he’d been the one who’d ripped off my mom, I’d have beat the hell out of him a long time ago. My mom took off when I was a toddler, though. Who knew where she was now?
“How much was her jewelry worth, Dev?” Cade asked, still too close.
“Back off,” I warned.
“How much do you think you not living on the street was worth, Dev?”
He shoved me again, and I jerked my shoulders to straighten my jacket. “Do it again, kid, and I won’t hold back.”
Paul called our names again. Cade didn’t listen, and I’d stopped listening years ago. By the time Cade lifted his hands to shove me again, I dodged to the side, palmed the back