“Gotta go.” Mike hung up the phone.
Luca glanced at Hammer. “That’s good that Jenkins is out of surgery.”
“If he dies, it would solve a lot of problems.”
Luca winced. There wasn’t a lot of love lost between the two men, considering the way Alden Jenkins had treated Hammer as an adolescent—using him as a punching bag. But the guy was Mack’s father, and no one wanted Hammer’s half brother to be torn up with grief or regret over what he might’ve done differently.
The bottom line was that Jenkins had treated Mack not so differently from Hammer in the end. But hope always longed for a better outcome. Like the restoration of a relationship, even when the worst kind of hurt had been dished out.
God was able to save people out of even the most wretched of situations.
After all, He offered salvation to everyone. Not just supposedly good people or those who cleaned themselves up before they came to Him.
Everyone.
“But he’s still Mack’s father,” Hammer said.
Luca was relieved to hear that. “If he does recover, maybe there’s still a chance he can repent and ask both of you for forgiveness.” Then he added, “I contacted Deputy Marshal Butler and asked him to transfer my brother to the Renegade Correctional Facility so that there’s at least someone in the prison who can look out for Jenkins and keep this from happening again.”
He turned a corner in Southwold, an area south of downtown that had some rough neighborhoods.
“Thanks.” Hammer shifted in his seat. “I appreciate you doing that. And I’d love to believe that Jenkins can change, but I’ll be waiting for some fruit before I trust that he’s become a different man.”
“No one’s asking you to do anything other than that.”
The car they were pursuing pulled over, sliding into a space at the curb in front of a row of storefront restaurants. The kind with awnings and tables outside. Where late at night, the lively evening crowd spilled onto the street. A place where the restaurants were authentic and never had enough seats for their customers.
“I didn’t know there was a Middle Eastern restaurant over here.”
Hammer said, “It’s good. I took Sierra there last week. She’s not a big fan of spicy food, but she gave a couple of things a try. You should take Kira when you guys get a night off.”
“Right now, that doesn’t seem like it will happen for a while. Both of us need sleep more than a night on the town.”
Hammer glanced at him.
“Separately, in our own beds.”
“Just checking.” Hammer grinned. “Anyway, I showed Sierra a picture of her, and she said that Kira goes to Redeemer Community Church over in North Eagle with us. She just goes to the early service, and we’re always at the later one. So I never saw her there.”
“That would’ve been a surprise.” Luca had been shocked enough to see her name on the email for that Marshals meeting in Judge Mullinax’s chambers.
Hammer chuckled. “I’d have probably thought she was there to assassinate us at church and freaked out.”
“Good thing you didn’t, then.” Again, the protectiveness he felt toward Kira welled up in him. Not that she couldn’t take care of herself. The point was that he wanted to be there as backup. A partner. Or someone to stand in front of her and take the hit on her behalf.
Not only that, but he needed the chance to prove to her that he was the kind of guy who would pitch in with dishes and laundry. Housecleaning and home repairs. Even getting a tall ladder to change the battery in the smoke alarm on the vaulted ceiling in her apartment.
To get her to take a chance on him, because he would always try to make it worth it. So she’d never regret choosing him.
“You’re gone for her.”
Luca didn’t need to tell Hammer that he was right. “Can we just do our jobs here?”
“You’re the one the Marshals asked for. I’m just here for the entertainment value.”
“And gas money.”
“If you make it worth my while, I could take my family to Florida in the winter. Get some sun.”