Fray (VLG #14)

Chapter Five

Len openly gaped at the underground space she’d never known existed beneath the home she’d lived in from the age of nine to nineteen. It more resembled a bunker instead of a basement. It was bigger than the first floor above where the house sat. She took a seat on a folding chair in the far corner, watching as more people crowded into the spacious room. Dozens of familiar faces surrounded her.

“How are you holding up?”

Fray’s husky voice had her turning to stare up at him. He’d kept close to her since they’d left Kevin’s house. “I have no idea. I’m still kind of in shock.”

“This is where pack meetings are held. It’s private—there’s a few tunnels that lead into it from various locations, and no one outside of the pack knows about it.”

“Why different locations and tunnels?”

“To avoid a mass of people heading toward Moe’s place every time the pack gets together. That would have been a giveaway that something was going on here.”

It hurt Len’s feelings. Her mother and Moe should have told her the truth. She’d once lived in the house overhead and been oblivious to so much.

Fray stepped closer, crouched next to her chair, and put his hand on her lower back, gently rubbing her. “They were trying to keep your life normal.”

She blinked back tears. “But it wasn’t. Most of it was a lie.”

“They love you. That’s the bottom line.”

“I feel left out. They say I’m considered pack, but how can I be a part of something if I didn’t even know about it? Then I feel like an asshole for feeling hurt right now. Everyone is in danger, and I’m selfish to feel this way when we all could die.”

Fray pulled his hand away and leaned in closer until their faces were just inches apart. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Len. Trust in that. I’m going to kill these bastards. You’ve just found out a lot of information was kept from you after a traumatic ordeal. You’re not an asshole or selfish for being hurt by that. It’s a normal reaction.”

“Thank you.” She appreciated Fray trying to make her feel better.

He cocked his head. “The meeting is about to start. Stay put.” He rose to his full height and turned, making his way through bodies toward the far corner. He was tall enough for her to track him over the heads of the people in the room, but then Kevin climbed up onto the mini stage.

“Quiet.”

Everyone immediately stopped talking. It became so silent it seemed eerie to Len. Kevin glanced around, and his nostrils flared. “I know you’re frightened right now. This isn’t the kind of trouble we ever expected to face. I just got off the phone with our emergency shelters. Every pup is accounted for.”

There were relieved murmurs.

Kevin nodded. “They are safe and protected. Our children won’t be fodder in this war.”

Gail Harrison raised her hand.

“What?” Kevin looked at her.

Gail lowered her hand. “How do we know these Gargoyles won’t find our shelters?”

Kevin motioned to someone.

Fray stepped up next to him on the stage. “We can’t detect structures underground. Moe made your shelters Lycan, Gargoyle, Vampire, and human proof. Unlike Vamps, we can’t tear into your minds to steal information or control you. All of your children, pregnant females, and elders are safe.”

Kevin nodded. “That’s right. The shelters are well stocked, and our vulnerable are going to be fine where they are until this is over.”

“What if we lose?” That was Brian Puller.

“We won’t.” Fray’s voice deepened. Some of the people in the room flinched. Fray must have noticed, too, because when he spoke, his tone had softened a little. “I know it makes it worse since Moe isn’t here, but Kevin has this handled. Have faith in your pack. You’re strong. I’m here, and Chaz is on his way, too. Even our father is coming. We’ll take out this colony.”

There was silence.

“We have the advantage.” Kevin gave a cold smile. “We’re aware of them and have an expert on Gargoyles. Fray is going to tell us how to kill them.”

Benny Trout raised his hand. He didn’t wait for Kevin to call on him, though. “They are your kind, Fray. Are you sure you didn’t bring them here?”

That accusation shocked Len, and she jerked to a standing position, ready to defend Fray. She even took a few steps toward the man who worked for her stepdad, but Kevin beat her to him. He snarled and leaped off the stage, and people moved out of his way fast. Kevin grabbed Benny and slammed him up against the nearest surface, which ended up being a support beam.

“Fray is pack too. How dare you!”

Benny lowered his head, his shoulders slumping. “Some are worried,” he said so low Len had a hard time hearing him.

Kevin let him go, strode into the center of the room, and turned in a slow circle, making eye contact with everyone, her included. “Fray and Chaz are pack. Moe trusts them. I trust them. They’d never harm us. I realize you’re afraid, but it’s no excuse for stupidity or paranoia. The twins are honorable, the sons of your alpha’s sister, who have sworn to never harm us. Shame on anyone who even thinks that way. Some of you are related to the Folson pack by blood. If they attack us, will you point fingers of suspicion at them, too? We’re a fucking pack. Act like it, or get the hell out of our territory right now.”

No one moved toward an exit.

Kevin seemed to calm. “We’re here to put a plan together on how to take out our enemies. They are all staying in the Morter mines.”

“We could hope for rain and that more of that mine collapses,” Bertha muttered.

Kevin snorted and turned, facing Fray. “Would that kill a Gargoyle if they dropped into a sinkhole and were buried?”

Fray remained on the stage. “It would depend on if they had time to shell their bodies, how much sheer weight landed on top of them, and how deep they were buried.” He paused. “I wouldn’t count on nature taking them out. Plus, they have human hostages. I’d really like to save the lives of the women they have stolen.”

“Me too.” Kevin made his way back to the stage and stepped up on it. “If the Gargoyles want to avoid being seen, they won’t fly in our skies until after dark. That’s when it’s going to become the most dangerous. Do you think they’ll risk exposure with a daylight attack?” He glanced at Fray.

“Highly doubtful. I can’t say for certain, though. These Gargoyles obviously are rogues.” Fray let his gaze roam the room. “They must be aware of the risk of every race coming after them if someone were to capture any kind of footage of them flying and post it to the internet. Even Gargoyle clans on other continents would want them dead. It’s an unbreakable law for all of us to keep off the radar of humans. The Gargoyle rogues seem cold and cruel, but hopefully they aren’t suicidal.”

“Can we just lock in at night then?” It was Gail Harrison again.

“No.” Kevin shook his head. “Imagine living in fear every night, locking ourselves in the cages our shelters would become. This is our territory, and we’re holding onto it.”

Fray cleared his throat. “We need to stop them before the stolen females give birth to scavengers. Those younglings will be savage, and the Gargoyles plan to create a bunch of them. This needs to end before they are able to better defend their colony.”

“But how can we beat them? How do we kill them?”

Fray answered Nelly’s questions. “Gargoyles do have weaknesses.” He motioned to Kevin, and the other man jumped off the small stage.

Len’s mouth opened when Fray stripped off his shirt, baring his chest for everyone to see. She glanced at some of the women and didn’t like how a few of them were ogling Fray as if he were beefcake material. He was very attractive and had a lot of muscle tone. She frowned, putting her full attention back on Fray.

“I’m going to show you light battle mode shelling for a Gargoyle.” His skin changed, the tan, golden color fading to be replaced by a pale gray. “I can move easily in this form. Fluidly.” He twisted his arms, flexing his muscles. “I could be shot with a bullet, and depending on the caliber, it’s possible to hurt me. I can be cut through with sharp, thick steel.”

There were some murmurs in the room.

Fray raised his short sword to show the room. “I know none of you were taught to fight with swords, but you aim for the throat to decapitate one with this, and he’s dead. Same rule applies to Gargoyles as all other species. Head off, game over.” He lowered it. “Not those cheap, thin swords either, if any of you bought from some collector sets online. A standard steak knife would break if it hit my skin right now but not one of those large hunting knives I’ve seen some of you carry. Thick but sharp blades are best. It won’t kill me unless you took my head, but it would hurt and incapacitate me long enough for you to get away. You also need to watch the wings of a Gargoyle shelled. We don’t have a lot of room in here for me to extend my wings to show you how hard they become, but I could kill with them.”

“By crushing an opponent?” One of the males called out that question.

Fray looked at him. “I could cut a person in half with my shelled wings. Avoid being hit by them, and yes, the enemy will use them in a fight. Each side has about a six-foot reach. The good news is, the darker my skin turns, the thicker the shelling becomes.”

“Why is that good news? That sounds bad.”

Len had to agree with Cora, the woman who ran a bakery.

Fray smiled at her. “The thicker our shelling becomes, the tougher it is for us to move. Our skin density not only grows thicker but heavier. It slows us down and limits our mobility. They’ll want to stay in a battle mode, which means they’ll be fast and fluid but also the most vulnerable to what can hurt them.”

“We’re not asking anyone to take on one of these Gargoyles in combat.” Kevin climbed back up on stage. “Fray has a plan. Listen to him.”

Fray unshelled, his skin returning to a normal color. He put his shirt back on. “There are six Gargoyles. Chaz will arrive today, hopefully by nightfall. He and I will take them on, but we need to split them up first. That’s where some of you will come in. We need to divide and conquer. Tonight, they’ll be hunting for me and Len. They’ll also be on the lookout to capture more human breeders. They chose the motel to attack last night. We’ve since learned they burned it down to hide their crime. The humans they didn’t choose were left in the rubble. That means they are brazen, willing to murder innocents, and have no honor.”

“A woman disappeared last night in a park. One second, she was there with her friends, the next, they couldn’t find her. We’re certain the Gargoyles grabbed her,” Kevin stated.

“They’ll still be looking for opportunities to snatch women,” Fray added. “They might want to go to buildings where they can get their hands on more than one woman at a time but in an area that doesn’t have a lot of traffic at night. Think of locations they might choose. I had Kevin gather you all now because there are preventative measures you can take to protect humans you care about.”

“How?” Kevin pulled out his phone, probably to take notes.

“These bastards want healthy women who are of breeding age. That would be anyone who looks between the ages of eighteen and thirty. Take away and add a few years to that to be sure. I doubt these assholes care about the age of consent, to be blunt. They won’t want women who do drugs or are sick in any way that can be seen or smelled. They also will want to make sure any children she conceives are theirs and that she isn’t already pregnant or might be. Today, I want all of you men to go hug every human female acquaintance fitting that description. Rub your scent on them. The Gargoyles won’t want a woman who could have had recent sex. It will probably protect them from becoming targets. If anyone here is dating a human woman, have sex with her. The stronger your scent, the safer they are. Also, make sure they stay home at night and away from any place where more than one woman might gather or that is secluded. Got human male friends? Do your best to manipulate them into having sex with their girlfriends and wives. Tell them to stay in at night.”

Mitch laughed. “How do we go about doing that?”

Fray frowned. “Tell them it’s national sex day or something. Maybe bet them they can’t get their woman to have sex in some weird position. Just do your best. They are your friends. Figure it out. It could save the woman they love from being taken to becoming a breeder. Chaz and I will go in after the women they’ve already captured once we kill all of them.”

“Won’t these women you rescue tell other humans about what they’ve seen?” That was Corky Moth. He ran a shooting range.

Fray shook his head. “We’ll bring in a VampLycan to erase memories of the victims. We’ll have to determine if any of the women are pregnant first.” He held up a hand when people began to ask questions, and he cut them off. “I don’t know what we’ll do with the women who are. I’ll leave that decision up to Lord Aveoth. He’ll probably want them to be transferred to our home to keep them protected. That’s my best guess, anyway. We’ll deal with that later. Killing these bastards is the priority.”

Kevin nodded. “We’re still working on a plan, but tonight we go to war. I want everyone back here by dusk. Go do what Fray said. Get friendly with the humans. We’re a pack that hugs and touches people right now. Encourage everyone to stay inside after dark. Move out! Enforcers stay.”

Len stayed put. Most of the people left fast, talking softly amongst themselves. Fray jumped off the stage and began to walk toward her, but Tina Smith blocked his path. He stopped, talking softly to her. Len approached since she couldn’t hear their conversation.

“The answer is always no,” Fray rasped.

“I’m pack to you,” Tina whispered.

Fray lifted his gaze, staring at Len. He glanced back at the woman between them. “Find someone else if you’re looking for comfort.” He stepped around Tina, moving toward Len.

“You just ordered our men to share their scent with humans.” Tina wrapped her fingers around his arm, halting Fray. “To have sex with their human girlfriends. My mate died two years ago. Fuck me so I smell like you.”

Fray pulled his arm out of her hold. “The Gargoyles want human-only breeders. They don’t believe in mixing with Lycan bloodlines. You’ll be safe here in this shelter at night.”

Tina sniffed. “I want you.”

Len was shocked that the normally quiet woman who taught first graders at the elementary school could become so brazen. She also didn’t like watching or hearing someone throw themselves at Fray. It pissed her off, too, because she felt jealousy rear its ugly head. It would be a bad idea to go rip the woman away from Fray and bitch slap her, though. Tina being there meant she wasn’t human.

“I’m flattered but not interested. I have someone in my life. I have to talk to Moe’s daughter now.” Fray made his way to Len, put his arm around her waist, and maneuvered them toward one of the rooms in the basement.

He closed them both inside a small storage area after flipping on the lights.

Len put a little space between them. “Does that kind of thing happen often?”

“That I address a Lycan pack? No.”

She hated his sunglasses, wishing she could see his eyes. “Are you purposely being obtuse?”

He smiled. “Yes.”

“I’m serious. Do women come onto you like that often?”

“I think she was so aggressive because I shelled my body. Some women find that sexy.” He shrugged. “I don’t want her. It doesn’t matter.”

“Fine.” Len knew she was feeling jealous and didn’t want to flaunt it by arguing with him more. “What did you want to talk about?”

“You’re to stay down here until this is over.”

She wanted to argue but wasn’t stupid. “You said those bad Gargoyles know my scent, some of them have seen me, and they’ll be hunting for me.”

“Exactly. Those males believe you’re my vessel and carrying my child. They’ll be extremely motivated to find you to use against me. That means you stay in lockdown. It’s not just for your own sake but mine. If they capture you, they have me as well.”

“But that’s not true.”

He reached up and removed his glasses, his silver eyes molten liquid. “I’d surrender to them to save you. They’d execute me on the spot.”

That stunned her. “Don’t do that. It would be pointless. They’d kill me right after you.”

“No. Those males think you’re carrying a Gargoyle baby inside you, and once they realized that you’re not pregnant, you’d be turned into a vessel for one of them. If Chaz and I fail to kill this colony, Lord Aveoth will send dozens of our clan here to take them out. They didn’t have his permission to be in the States. I’m telling you so you know that help will come, and you’ll be rescued if you’re ever captured. I don’t want to risk you getting hurt. I need your promise to stay here, Len.”

She nodded. “I swear. I’m not a moron who thinks I could fight people who can fly and shell their bodies like you did out there. I’m way out of my league and willing to admit it. I won’t pull some idiot stunt that only leaves us both in danger. Seen that movie and read that book way too many times.”

He smiled and put his sunglasses back on. “Good.” He turned his head, glancing around. “This will be your room. I’ll go upstairs to bring you down one of the twin mattresses from the guestroom. It’s going to get crowded out there. This will allow you privacy.”

“Is everyone bunkering down in the basement?”

“Not all because I’m going to need help tonight, as I said. We’ll split the Gargoyles apart and attack them if Chaz arrives before dark. Some of the enforcers are being prepared to draw their attention. Most of the pack will be on lockdown with you at night until the threat is over.”

“Even with your brother and father coming, you’re going to be outnumbered.” It scared the shit out of Len thinking that Fray might die.

“I got a text. My father is making his way here and bringing another clan member. We also have some VampLycans heading in, but they won’t arrive until late tomorrow. Chaz should be here before nightfall. That means four against six if we’re not able to kill any tonight. We’ve got this. Then we’ll need to go after the human women they kidnapped as soon as possible. You said those mines aren’t safe. The longer their victims remain there, the higher the chances of them dying.”

“Swear to me that you’ll be careful.”

“I give you my word of honor. We have plans, remember?”

Did she ever. “Yes. I guess I won’t be getting on the pill today, though, since I can’t leave this basement.”

“We’ll work it out later.”

“You’re related to Moe. His sister was your mom, right?”

He scowled. “Yes. Is that a problem?”

“We’re not blood-related.”

“No, we aren’t. Moe won’t be happy when he learns that there’s something between us. I’m willing to deal with that. Are you?”

She didn’t have to think about it. “Moe hated my ex-boyfriend, but he’s still teaching at the college. He didn’t have him killed.”

“That male was human. I have to be honest with you, Len.”

She waited, staring up at him. Long seconds ticked by. “Just tell me.”

“I don’t know what our future holds, but if things grow serious between us, I live with my clan in Alaska. Moe would never forgive me for taking you away from his territory to become my mate.”

Her heart pounded. Mate? She read books and knew what it meant. At least, she thought she did, but she wanted to verify the true definition. “As in mates, meaning you and I are totally committed to each other for life? Babies and all that?”

He gave a sharp nod. “Yes.”

“Are you saying we can’t have that? Are you warning me off?” It made her feel a stabbing pain in her chest. She wasn’t in love with Fray, but after all the years she’d had a major crush on him, despite everything she’d learned about him, she still wanted to attempt a relationship to see where it led. She did have strong feelings for him. The fact that Fray wasn’t even human didn’t make her want to run away. That spoke volumes.

“It’s a warning, but no, I’d take you for a mate if this attraction between us becomes something deeper. I live in Alaska with my clan. That’s what I’m warning you about. It would change your life in ways that you can’t begin to imagine, but location would be the start of it. I can’t live here with the pack full-time. I’m committed to being a part of my clan first, pack second. It’s a discussion for later, but before we end up in bed, I want you to know that’s a possible future. I have a feeling I won’t want to let you go.”

“Okay.” She nodded. Alaska was supposed to be beautiful. Cold, too, but she was pretty sure Fray could keep her warm with his big, sexy body in bed. “I’ll consider myself warned. I’m not bolting, though.”

He grinned. “I want to kiss you.”

She stepped closer.

He backed up. “Now isn’t the time. Lycans smell everything.”

She remembered and took a step back. “Right.”

“I’ll return with a bed for you to sleep on. I just wish I was sharing it with you. It might be a while before I return. Kevin was talking to the enforcers about what he expects them to do tonight. I’m certain they have questions I’ll need to address.”

She watched him leave, closing the door behind him. Len leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. There were a lot of things to consider after their brief talk. Thinking about becoming Fray’s mate, moving to Alaska to live with non-humans, and having little babies with wings with him beat obsessing over the danger he’d face when he took on the Gargoyles staying in the Morter mines.

* * * * *

Fray set the mattress against the wall and opened the door. He smiled when he saw Len curled into a ball on the floor asleep. He lifted the mattress, carried it inside, and set it down. Mitch followed with the bedding and pillows. Fray shot him a warning look. The enforcer nodded. They quickly made the bed. Len didn’t stir when Fray gently lifted her and placed her on the mattress.

They both left, closing the door behind them. Mitch met his gaze, not looking happy. “You have feelings for her. I’d be fucking blind not to have noticed the way you look at her or the way you just touched her. You even stroked her hair when you laid her down.”

There was no reason to deny it. “I do.”

“Moe isn’t going to allow it. It would break his mate’s heart if you took Len away from the pack. Especially now that she knows everything. They’ll worry about her even more. Some humans don’t take it well when they learn that they aren’t all that is out there. They’ll want to keep a close eye on her.”

“Len is highly intelligent and an amazing woman.”

“She is human, though, and has had her world flipped.” Mitch jerked his head toward the door. “She’s sleeping right now. That could be a sign of depression.”

“We spent the night with hostile Gargoyles inside a place she knows is deadly after we were taken from my motel room. She’s sleeping because she’s exhausted.” The Lycan was pissing him off. “Len is strong and reliant. Don’t underestimate her.”

“You don’t know Len well. I do. I think you should stay away from her. I’ll take care of her from now on.”

Fray got into the Lycan’s face. “Not happening, Mitch. She doesn’t need us fighting or you treating her like she’s mentally fragile. You know her? Prove it. Len is fucking strong. You should have seen the courage she showed last night and this morning. You care about her? Then don’t be a dick. She’s got enough on her plate to deal with right now.”

“You’re not good for her, Fray. I like you, but you’re not really a member of our pack.”

“What does that mean?” Fray instantly felt insulted. “Just because I don’t live here year-round doesn’t mean I’m not devoted to protecting this pack.”

“She deserves to find a more affectionate mate. That would be a Werewolf.”

“You know it’s bullshit that Gargoyles don’t have emotions, right? Trust me. I feel lots of things. I’m resisting the urge to break your jaw because you’re pissing me off, Mitch.”

Fray fought harder to keep in control. “My father and mother were mated. When she died, it destroyed him inside. He didn’t want to live without her. I watched him drop to his knees, cradling her body in his arms, and throw his head back to expose his neck. He fucking begged us to take his head. Chaz knocked him out, and we had to chain him for weeks to keep him alive. We did the begging then. To eat. To breathe. To stay with us. We are capable of love, Mitch. Just as much as you are. Gargoyles are taught to hide it. Behind closed doors, away from the clan, my parents were extremely affectionate. Especially to each other.”

“He survived her death, though, didn’t he? He’s fine now, isn’t he?”

Fray curled his hands into tight fists but didn’t punch the Lycan. “My father’s never been the same since he lost his mate, but he carries on for us. Your kind does the same when they have children after losing a mate.”

Mitch tried another angle. “Being with you means Len loses her pack. Her family.”

Fray had always been drawn to Len. It was possible she could be his mate. Now that they’d spent time together, he’d touched her, knew how good she scented aroused, and he’d held her while she slept…he wasn’t willing to just walk away until he knew for certain. “I’m testing a mating bond with Len.”

Mitch’s jaw clenched, clearly not liking that last statement.

Fray leaned in closer. “Do you think she is your true mate, Mitch? Be honest.”

“I don’t know. I’m attracted to her.”

“Is she attracted to you?” He held the Lycan’s gaze.

Mitch looked away.

“She is drawn to me.” Fray knew it was cruel to point that out but refused to permit Mitch to sabotage his fragile relationship with Len. “Back off.”

Mitch held his gaze again. “Moe won’t like it.”

“Moe can talk to me about it when he returns. Consider Len officially under my protection.”

Mitch paled.

Fray retreated a step. He’d just basically claimed her to the Lycan. It meant he’d kick Mitch’s ass if he tried to get between them in any way. Fray walked away, joining Kevin across the room. The lead enforcer was alone, staring at a map on the wall.

Kevin turned his head, not looking happy. “I heard that.”

“Good. I won’t have to repeat myself.”

The Lycan sighed. “Do you think Len is yours?”

“I wanted to rip Mitch’s head off.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Fray hesitated. “I think so. I plan to find out for certain.”

“I don’t blame you. Mates are everything, and to find her is a gift only an idiot would ignore. It’s going to hurt Moe, though, if she is when you take her away.”

Fray didn’t want to think about that. He lifted his hand, pointing to the map. “How many homes would you say are around the property line of the mines? I saw a few. I stole the dirt bike from one near the fence after we escaped.”

“Not a lot of people were brave enough to buy land and build homes around the mines. Let’s just say that a few sinkholes have opened over the years where mine shafts shouldn’t have extended. The company that owned it was shit at keeping records. Maybe a dozen homes in all. Does it matter?”

“I’m worried about what they’ll see at night.”

“Flying Gargoyles.”

“Yes.”

“It’s not an area that has streetlights or is well-lit, and your wings are black. I’m more worried about these Gargoyles flying around town. That motel was risky. I know most of the buildings near it are commercial and only open during the day, but those damn Gargoyles probably didn’t know that.”

“Agreed. They are too arrogant to care.”

“Dangerous assholes always are.”

Fray couldn’t argue with that. “I take it that the enforcers didn’t have questions for me?”

“They wanted to spend a little time with their families and mates before tonight. I sent them to do that. We’ll go over everything again before we leave to distract those assholes.”

“Did you get a list of target locations?”

Kevin nodded. “Three bars, four restaurants, and a dance club are on the edges of town. I used the motel as a model. It’s not directly in town and provides some privacy for an attack.” He pointed out each location. “The missing woman was taken from a park here. It’s close to the woods and hiking trails. Not many homes or streetlights are in that part of town.”

Fray studied the map. “Dance club?”

“Strip joint.”

“They’d find women there for sure, but only dancers, right?”

Kevin nodded.

“Take it off the list.”

Kevin scowled.

“They are looking for women who aren’t having sex to assure they are the ones who get them pregnant, and they’ll assume strippers have men in their lives.”

“That’s not always true. I’ve had to go in there a few times to pick up drunk pack members. I can think of two dancers who aren’t married, and I didn’t catch a hint of them being sexually active.”

“Fine. What about gas stations with those mini stores?”

Kevin growled low. “You think that’s a good spot?”

“Women travel in cars alone, and they need to get out of their cars to gas them or run inside to buy whatever. All they’d have to do is get close enough to scent a woman, snatch her, and they’d be gone in seconds by flying away.”

“Fuck.”

“This isn’t going to be easy, but we’ll take the bastards down. Divide and conquer.”

“I hope so. I’m worried. Of all the times for Moe to leave.”

Fray grasped Kevin’s shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “You’re not going to fuck this up. Moe put his trust in you to be his lead enforcer for excellent reasons. We’ve got this.”

Kevin nodded.