I fought rolling my eyes and saying, Duh.
“You gotta keep this guy, or guys, occupied for five minutes, ten tops. Mug shots we got on them are years old so don’t rely on those pictures I showed you, and even the police in New Mexico don’t know the extent of their crew so keep alert. Brian and Tex will be casing inside, seein’ if they’re alone or if they come with sentries. My crew will be workin’ outside. You will get no go sign. If inside and outside are clear, Willie will come in and he and Brian will do the takedown. They’re not, we’ll neutralize the threat outside. You’ll see Ike, Bobby and Matt inside workin’ with Willie. You sit at a booth opposite the bar. Brody’s in the van and he’ll have eyes on that row. You have two jobs. Keep them occupied while we clock who’s in play and then gettin’ the f**k outta the way when the takedown begins. You got that?” he asked.
“Yes, kemosabe,” I answered and his eyes narrowed.
“This isn’t a joke, Ally,” he gritted out.
“No shit, Lee.”
His face got dark and after hours of planning this crap, he got down to what was really bugging him.
“You should not have taken the meet.”
“And wait for however long it is for this situation to be dealt with?” I asked. “Luke and Ava are getting married in two days. I don’t want to have to take the time to call the bomb squad to ask them to do a sweep. I take the meet, this is done and all I have to do is wonder with everyone else if Luke’s gonna dance with Ava at the reception.”
His lips got tight.
Although I knew that meant he was going to give me no further shit, which was usually an opening for me to give him some (or some more), I passed on that opportunity in order to get this done.
“Is there anything else before we move out?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he answered. “They give you any indication they got a weapon trained on you in a way we can’t see, like under the table, you run your hand through your hair startin’ at the top and going back. Yeah?”
I nodded, not liking that part, but knowing, seeing as they blew up my apartment, they could come in carrying and have no problem switching from negotiation to threats—and other much less fun possibilities—to get what they wanted.
Lee got a lot less intense and moved a few inches away from me.
But he did this saying, “Dad wants a family meeting tonight.”
At that, I shook my head. “Ren and I have a date.”
His chin jerked back. “You had a date two days ago.”
“That didn’t happen seeing as we got sidetracked,” I shared and this time, Lee shook his head.
“Go no further,” he ordered.
I wasn’t going to so I complied.
“We get this done, Willie and Brian get whoever we take down to the station, they’re interrogated, processed, Hank gets briefed, he’s free, the family sits down,” Lee decreed.
“I just said I couldn’t do it tonight because Ren and I have a date,” I reminded him of something he couldn’t have forgotten in the three seconds since I said it.
He got close again. “Ally, it’s not gonna surprise you that Dad—and Mom, I’ll add—are upset and worried. They need a sit down with you and you need to show them the respect of givin’ them that time and listening.”
He was right about that so I had no choice but to nod again but queried, “Can I ask why this meeting is being called through you and Hank?”
“Because by upset and worried I meant hurt and pissed.”
Oh man.
That was not good.
I loved my mom and dad. They were the shit.
Malcolm and Kitty Sue Nightingale weren’t perfect human beings or parents.
But they came really, really close.