In the Shadow of Vengeance Read Free Page B

there all afternoon holding up your truck, or are you coming in?” Raúl Ibarra yelled from the doorway of his flower shop.
    Noah couldn’t help smiling at one of his best friends. Raúl Ibarra had semi-retired from the FBI three years ago and bought Jennie’s landlord’s brownstone, turning it into a flower shop. He had spent years working undercover as one of Mendoza’s top lieutenants. When Danny disappeared, he broke cover and tried to protect the kid. His sacrifice failed. He was captured and tortured. Even from where Noah stood, he could make out the deep facial scar carved into Raúl’s skin. There were others beneath his T-shirt, the same scars Jared carried with him.
    Noah relaxed his fisted hands and strolled across the street. “I was trying to figure out something.”
    “Yeah, what’s that?” Raúl asked, shaking Noah’s hand.
    “Whether I wanted to grab a pizza pie from Firenze’s or beg one of your wife’s fabulous dinners.”
    “Ah, but Anita is going to a PTA meeting up at the school tonight. We’re ordering pizza. You’re welcome to stay.”
    Before he could acknowledge the invitation, his attention was drawn to the boys heading down the street. “I thought TJ walked home with Danny Merlot.”
    “So that’s why you have graced my neighborhood with your presence this fine afternoon. Jennie has you doing surveillance on Danny.” Raúl let out a deep laugh. “Just don’t let Elizabeth Merlot catch you. She can be one scary, protective mom when it comes to Danny and Erin.”
    Noah chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not her favorite person. Maybe it’s my mug,” he said, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his jaw.
    “I always wondered why you never asked her out. I figured it was a natural progression since you were spending time with her son.”
    “I hung out with Danny because he seemed to want me around. Since we both had the pleasure of Mendoza’s company, we formed a bond. I like the kid. To hit on his mom would make me a first-class ass.”
    “Yeah, but his mom is smokin’ hot. Her legs go on forever and that face! Gorgeous, doe-like cocoa eyes, lips that beg to be kissed. She’s not my Anita, but man oh man …”
    “If your wife ever heard you call Elizabeth Merlot anything but a great mother, she would have your balls in a vise grip.” Noah nudged his friend out of his path and picked up a small vase of tiny roses. “Elizabeth hated me on sight. Every time I go anywhere with Danny, she eyes me like I’m on a most-wanted poster.”
    “No woman on this planet hates you,
amigo
. All you have to do is wiggle your brow and they line up around the block.”
    Noah let out a laugh and shook his head. “Not Elizabeth. Maybe she hates all things McNeil. She has even stopped talking to Jennie. They used to be great friends.” Noah shoved his hands into his pockets. “I guess I don’t blame her after what happened to Danny. Maybe life is just busy and they have gone their separate ways. But Jennie’s hurting and that pisses me off. She blames herself for Mendoza using Danny to get to her. Stupid logic. Mendoza’s sins are his own. The bastard’s been locked away, but neither Jennie nor Danny can heal.”
    “We all want Danny to be his old self. We don’t see much of him these days.”
    “Jennie mentioned he has cut himself off from most of his friends. Does TJ still hang out with him?”
    “Not much. He quit the soccer team, which he was damn good at. As his coach, I did what I could, but he won’t open up to me. TJ says he spends most of his time in his room playing video games or up at the gym taking Jim Hoe’s martial arts classes. He’s in there five times a week.”
    Noah’s spine stiffened. “At thirteen? Why? Is someone picking on him?”
    “No. Danny watched Mendoza put a bullet between his enforcer’s eyes. It’s hard to get over that kind of violence. I think he’s still dealing with his kidnapping by trying to learn to fight.”
    “The enforcer is roasting in