"I understand that Benson's group is in custody?" the host asked.
"That's correct," Bill said. "And we're putting all our resources to locating and shutting down Deliverance."
"And the sooner the better," Jane added. "Before another child gets killed."
Dallas clicked the television off, and as he did, he realized that he'd left the connection to Liam open. He clicked the mouse to clear his screensaver, feeling raw. Feeling numb.
"You were watching, too?"
"Yeah," Liam said. "Bill's going to be a problem for us."
Dallas pressed his fingertips against his temple. As if his marriage to Jane wasn't enough, now Dallas had one more reason to put Bill Martin on his shit list. "I'm guessing that one of those resources he's mentioned will be Darcy. They're going to question him six ways from Sunday."
"Won't come back on us," Liam said.
"No, but I want to talk to him anyway," Dallas said. "I'm throwing a party next week. He's coming. We'll chat." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Right now, though, it's not Bill or Darcy that concerns me."
"I know."
"I have to tell her." He knew that--and at the same time, he was terrified that it would shatter everything between them. "I have to tell her about Deliverance. What I do. What we do. And I need her to understand that we're not like Benson. She'd never believe that either of us is only about chasing a dollar."
"Tell her even part of that, and you're putting us all at risk."
He ran his fingers through his hair. "Do you really think so?"
His friend sighed heavily. "Are we talking about what I believe? Or what I know? I believe that Jane would never put either of us in danger. But I don't know that for a fact. What I do know is that you're the one who put rules in place for Deliverance, and those rules were to protect all of us."
"I either tell her or I leave her. I can keep a secret from my sister. I can't keep it from my lover."
"So that really is where you two are."
"Yeah," Dallas said. "That's where we are." He tensed, unsure how Liam would react to that bit of news.
" 'Bout damn time," Liam said, and Dallas relaxed. "Just think it through before you tell her. I'm not saying don't--I'm just saying think."
"I know," Dallas said. "I will." He'd also talk it over with the team. Liam was right--the rules were to protect all of them. He could put himself at risk. But he couldn't do that to the others.
Liam and Quince would understand and roll with whatever he decided, but Noah and Tony were different. They had their own reasons for being part of Deliverance, and Dallas could never break their trust or put them at risk. Not unless they gave the okay. Not unless they understood exactly what might happen if he breathed a word, even to Jane.
Fuck.
Just when he and Jane were finding their way and truly trying to work out this weird, fucked-up relationship, they had to deal with this. As if they didn't already have enough to deal with between family and secrets and the demons each of them lived with. Not to mention his own particular proclivities--and limitations--where sex was concerned. Now they had to toss social justice and criminology into the mix.
Not that he had expected their differing philosophies to be swept under the rug forever. Frankly, he hadn't thought much about it at all. But in the back of his mind he'd assumed it would only be an issue if WORR started to get close to Deliverance, something he hadn't believed was possible.
But this?
Christ, the timing just fucking sucked.
He spent the next half hour trying to take his mind off it. He couldn't talk with her about it tonight--he had to speak to the team first--which meant that he needed to genuinely congratulate her for doing a great job on television...and then casually shift the conversation away from conversation all together.
They'd deal with it--they had to deal with it. Just not tonight.
She'd ordered him back at nine--the memory of her smacking his ass still made him smile, and still conjured all sorts of glorious ideas for retaliation--and he left with five minutes to spare just in case he got held up.
He was turning the corner onto her block when he saw her on the front stoop. There was a man with her--tall, muscular, a little bit familiar--and when Jane raised her cheek to accept a kiss that was accompanied by a quick squeeze to her rear, Dallas just about lost his shit.
He picked up his pace, not sure what he intended to do except possibly smash the asshole's face in, when said asshole hopped on a Harley and roared past him, his head turning toward Dallas as he did, and his mouth curving into an easy smile.