He didn’t expect an answer.
He kept spewing hideous words.
“Georgia nearly screwed everything after your dad ordered Gill to whack Nick and his Fed girlfriend…”
My lungs started burning.
“…and now she knows Sebring is biding his time for revenge. Fuck, we just found out he had bugs all over this fuckin’ warehouse and they been here a long time, Liv. Fuckin’ years he’s been listenin’ to everything that’s gone down here. Every-fuckin’-thing. Who knows the shit he’s got on us? We just know it could fuck us, all of us, including you.”
Nick had been listening.
For years.
Tommy didn’t see he was lacerating me with each word out of his mouth, he kept talking.
“Georgia doesn’t know he used you as an in to get to your dad and Gill. And it sucks we gotta tell her that part. She needs to have to deal with the Sebrings while axing your dad outta the business like she needs a hole in the head. But the guy’s a threat and he’s gotta be dealt with.”
“His Fed girlfriend?” I whispered.
“His Fed girlfriend,” Tommy confirmed. “Nick’s brother and his buds got him out before Gill did him. But now Gill’s got that hanging over his head. You kill a Fed, you’re fucked. He shoulda done Sebring first. He didn’t. He did her right in front of Sebring. A witness living and breathing and building an army right here in Denver. Sebring’s been holdin’ that card awhile. Georgia and Gill were gonna be done with livin’ under that cloud eventually. Maybe sooner is better than later.”
“Gill killed Nick Sebring’s girlfriend,” I stated and Tommy finally focused on me rather than vomiting words at me.
“Gill killed Nick Sebring’s Fed girlfriend,” he confirmed. “Man was an informant, Liv. A CI. You know how those brothers are about women. Human trafficking is not gonna happen in Denver if either of them can do shit about it. Nick went in. Got tight with this girl. Your dad was desperate. He had partners putting on pressure. The House of Shade needed something. He tried to pull that shit off, got wind Nick was a CI and the girl was undercover, he made the order. Sebring’s fucking you to get to your family. He even owns that club where Harry takes you to watch people go at each other. Silent partner, him and his brother. Harry needs money and I need information so I give him money and Harry finds out a lot of shit. He found that out when he caught Nick and a bunch of his boys on your ass, watching you. And Sebring’s been watchin’ you for years, Liv. Fuckin’ years. Since that shit went down with his girl. He bought that club, my guess, he was done watchin’, ready to roll, sole purpose of the buy to make an opening to get to the only weak link in the House of Shade. That weak link bein’ you.”
His face twisted with jealousy before he finished.
“And he got that right because he got you.”
Nick owned the club.
Nick had been watching me.
Nick had been watching me for years.
Nick had been listening for years.
Listening to everything.
Nick had been a confidential informant for the FBI.
Nick had a girlfriend that Gill had whacked.
Nick had a girlfriend that Gill had whacked on my father’s order.
Nick.
My Nick.
No.
Not my Nick.
He’d never been my Nick.
Not ever.
I looked away from Tommy, murmuring, “I need to get ice on my face.”