“Seven years,” Mace put in and Brody turned wide eyes to him. “Go back seven years.”
Hank tensed and so did Lee.
“Mace,” Lee’s voice held a warning.
“Got nothin’ to hide,” Mace replied.
“You do,” Lee returned bluntly.
“Not from him,” Mace went on.
Lee was silent.
“He knows I know,” Mace said, his voice fil ed with soft menace. When Lee didn’t reply, Mace went on, “I got the upper hand, Lee. He knows it. He wants it back. Or, at least, he wants my silence.”
“What are we talkin’ about here?” Hank asked.
“Caitlin,” Lee replied and both Hank and Brody pul ed in breath.
Mace never talked about his sister.
“I know who took her, I know why,” Mace told them both, straight out. “My f**kin’ father was involved in some bad shit, f**ked over the wrong people and Caitlin paid the price. He doesn’t want that out and he doesn’t like that I got it to hold over him. He’s playin’ me and he’s usin’ Stel a to do it. He’s demonstratin’ his power, his reach. He wants to ensure my silence. He wants me to know he can control me. He wants me to know, I talk, he can make it hurt.” Lee looked at Brody. “Find Preston Mason’s weakness.”
“I got his weakness,” Mace reminded Lee.
Lee’s gaze cut to Mace. “I want more.”
Mace and Lee locked eyes. Mace nodded and turned to Brody. “What’l it take to bring the mortgage current?”
“Around six K,” Brody replied.
“I’l get you my bank details, you do the transfer to bring it current and I want details on their other debt,” Mace demanded.
Brody’s eyes bugged out. “I have the details and you can’t have that kind of money. Nobody has that kind of money.”
Hank hitched a leg and settled on the desk, one foot on the floor, one foot swinging.
“Col ection,” Hank said.
“No f**kin’ way.” Mace’s voice was terse.
“I’m in. I’l talk to the boys,” Lee added.
“This is my problem,” Mace clipped.
“It’s not your problem. It’s Stel a’s problem,” Lee returned.
“Like I said, it’s my problem,” Mace shot back.
Lee nor Hank nor even Brody could answer that. It was just the flat out truth.
“Dudes, even if everyone puts in, it isn’t gonna touch it.
When I say they got debt, I mean they got debt, ” Brody informed them.
“Get Kim on the phone again, talkin’ to friends and neighbors, the local church,” Hank ordered Brody.
“Holy crap,” Brody said.