“Don’t do—”
“He loved you, Drew,” Clint cut in. “He was adamant I made sure you knew that.”
“I know.” I had to grind my teeth to stop myself from letting the emotion tear free enough to make me sink again when I’d only just come up for air. “I loved him, too. I’m glad you were there to… help him.”
“I’d do it all again tomorrow if I had to. I’d offer today, but…” He glanced down at his arms and his broken body and smirked. “I’m a bit tied up.”
I studied him. He was the closest thing to Harry’s last days alive that I had. “What can we do to repay you? What can we do to thank you for your loyalty?”
“I have family. They’re north of Dallas. I’d sleep better at night knowing they were safe… knowing that the prison guards or any other of the corrupt fuckers hadn’t got to them.”
“They won’t get to them.”
“Corruption runs deep in Texas, boy. You be careful with the promises you make. You Hounds don’t even know where the thread of deceit starts and where it ends. No one does. Be careful who you make enemies of.”
“I’ll kill them all,” I assured him. I meant it. I would.
“Harry said you say that.” He shook his head and sighed. “He told me to tell you to stop being an idiot and start being smart. Smart! He told me to spell it out for you, too. S. M. A. R. T with no ass on the end.” Clint smirked. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
“Tempting,” I muttered, my lips twitching.
“Anyone can start a war, Drew. Cleaning up that war ain’t so easy. Neither is living with the aftermath. He died so youcould live. Remember that.”
Eric coughed lightly behind me, and Clint’s eyes drifted his way. Mine followed, too. Dad was standing with his legs apart, his hands together and hanging in front of him like he was a trained, yet silent soldier. A bodyguard. A man with so much to say but too much control to say it.
“Eric, I assume?” Clint asked.
I saw the brief flash of confusion that pulled Dad’s brows in for just a second before he straightened his features and gave a nod. “Honor to meet you, Clint.”
“I heard a lot about you, too.”
“All good, I hope.”
Clint smirked and huffed out a humorless, pain-filled laugh. “Opinions varied in that cell.”
“That old fool.” Eric smirked.
“Wasn’t he younger than you?”
“Be careful what things you believe that a dying man tells you.”
“All of it,” Clint hit back without hesitation.
I glanced between the two of them and frowned.
“Surely we’re down to six minutes now?” Clint asked, turning his attention back to me.
“Right.” I exhaled heavily. “Did Harry tell you anything? Say anything? Give you any intel? Want you to pass on any messages to the club?” I asked in a rush, suddenly wishing I was smart enough to figure out a way to get Clint out of there and take him back to the club with us.
“He had one message for you, Drew. Just one.”
“Hit me.” I inhaled, leaning back and straightening my shoulders.
“He told you not to fuck this up.”
“This?”
“I believe she’s also referred to as Ayda Hanagan.”