Hard to Stop by Wendy Byrne Read Free Book Online

knew a whole lot more than he was saying. "I don't believe you killed my friend, but I'm pretty sure you know who did. Does any of this have to do with your sister?" He knew a whole lot about protecting siblings, and he was definitely getting that vibe despite the fact she was much older than Mick.
    "Nothing. My sister…well…she knows nothing. Best keep it that way."
    The hairs on Max's neck prickled. "Is somebody threatening you? Threatening her? She's a cop. You need to tell her if that's what's going on."
    The kid bit off a cynical laugh like he was a fifty-year-old man instead of a young kid. "Not from these people."
    Bingo. Max was definitely on the right track. "Enlighten me. I'm not without my own set of connections."
    He looked Max up and down for about thirty seconds, then shook his head. "Nope, you're way too pretty boy to know what you're up against."
    "Believe me, I can hold my own."
    He took in Max with a sweep of his gaze. It didn't take a genius to figure out the kid was sizing him up to see if he should be forthcoming. The kid was teetering on the edge. "You need to leave me alone."
    "Or else?" Max let the question hang in the air, anxious to hear what the boy might say.
    "You might end up dead too."
    Mick sprinted away and rushed up the steps outside the school, taking them two at a time seconds before the bell rang.
    What the hell just happened?
     
    *   *   *
     
    Gia watched as Mick arrived for his interview at the police station after school. At least he had the good grace to look anxious. That tough-guy persona he'd adopted was wearing mighty thin about now. Her brother hadn't been forthcoming with her, which was just as well given the precariousness of her involvement. At the same time, she wanted him protected, so she called Doug—an old boyfriend and excellent criminal attorney—to represent him. It was going to cost her a small fortune, but she had no choice.
    All she could do was pace outside the interview room until Doug came out, followed by Mick. Doug looked pissed, and Mick looked scared.
    "Let's go outside so we can talk." Without waiting for her response, Doug grabbed her arm and ushered her outside.
    "What's going on?" The three of them stood on the sidewalk outside.
    "Your brother's not telling me what he knows, and that's only going to cause trouble in the long run. They have a guy who saw them in the area, and I'll be honest, it doesn't look good. I might be able to manage a plea deal if you tell me what you know." Doug put his hand on his hips and glowered at Mick.
    Mick's eyes got wide when he glanced back and forth between her and Doug. His lip trembled, but he held it in check. "I told you, I was by myself when Joey and Frank showed up. And I know nothing about a murder. We ran because…this is New York. Who stops because some old guy yells at you?" She saw the lie in the way his gaze was anywhere but on the two of them. Spotting his tell gave her little solace.
    "Why would you go into Manhattan on a lark? That doesn't make sense to me, and I'm blood. You need to be honest with Doug so he can protect you."
    "Nobody can do that anymore." He shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and shuffled away.
    Gia trailed after him, but he brushed her off. "I want to help you, Mick."
    "You can't always help. Some things you can't stop from happening." He yanked up his hood, tucked his hands in his pockets, and walked away.
    When she charged after him, Doug stopped her with a hand on her arm. "He needs some space. You smothering him is not going to help."
    She yanked her arm away. "I'm not smothering him. I love him. And he's all…" She drew in a ragged breath, unable to complete the remainder of her thought. They had each other. If something were to happen to him, she wasn't sure what she would do.
    "You know those two guys he was with are bad news."
    "That's nothing new. I told him never to hang around with them after the last time he got in trouble. He was lucky they were stealing