“Aye. He’ll think he’s the best ice-cream man in Tucson, Arizona. I’ll just need a couple of plane tickets.”
Wyatt licked his spoon. “What happens to all the riches after your buddy collects them?”
Viktor stroked his beard. “My friend will know how to disperse these items. I trust him. He understands the importance of secrecy and would not reveal this to his peers. But he will ensure the valuables are either returned to their rightful owners or sold for charity.”
“And the money?” Blue played with the wide sleeves of her dress, one she often wore late at night. “Wyatt moved a ton of cash.”
Wyatt finished his ice cream. “A mind-boggling amount. No one would know if I moved some of that over to our accounts.”
“Iwould know,” Viktor snapped. “I will not accept blood money. These men ruined my country, killed many, and drove my family out. That is not who we are.” Viktor finished his drink and set down his glass.
Wyatt got up from the armrest of the sofa. “It’s your call. Definitely no skin off my back. After looking at my pay cut, that’ll be enough to buy me a few arcade machines.”
“Spooky, where in the world are you going to put an arcade machine?” Gem asked.
“In the new game room,” he said matter-of-factly, strolling into the kitchen with his spoon and empty carton.
Viktor chuckled to himself. “I have agreed to run electricity in an additional room so Wyatt may install game machines. Wyatt needs his privacy and space in his office, and I thought Hunter would have fun with this since he is too young for pool.”
“No complaints here,” Shepherd chimed in. “I’d rather him play outside, but he can’t on days like these. It would be nice for him to do something fun inside where I can keep an eye on him.” He stroked Hunter’s messy black hair while he slept. “My little man’s getting bigger. Soon he’ll be growing out of all his toys.”
“Says who?” Wyatt returned to the room with a bag of Doritos. “I never grew out of my toys.”
Shepherd chortled. “Yeah, you’re driving one.”
Wyatt sat on the armrest. “And you sharpen yours at night. Every man has his own version of toys. Claude has his Porsche, Niko has his swords, and Christian has Raven.”
“While we’re on the subject of money,” Shepherd said, casting a curious look at Viktor. “Sorry if I’m outta line, but it’s gotta be said. You should start paying Kira for her services. Switch earns money, and while I get you’re taking care of her and giving her a secure place to stay, it ain’t right. Her doing all this work for no pay—it ain’t right.”
Niko stared intently at Shepherd and squinted as if reading his light. “I think you should hear Shepherd out. Kira may not wish to live here forever, and she won’t have a penny to her name.”
“Give her hope,” Shepherd continued. “Give her a future. It doesn’t have to be much—just pay her what she’s worth.”
Viktor quietly stroked his beard. “I have asked her once before, and she refused money.”
Shepherd scoffed. “Maybe she was afraid if she asked for too much, you wouldn’t have taken her in. Even if she doesn’t want it, set up an account in her name. What if something happens to us and she’s forced to start over on her own? She busts her ass day and night, and I know everyone here sees it. I sure as hell remember what a pain in the ass it was to clean out all the candles, do laundry, wash the floors, clear out the garden, put chemicals in the pool, oil all the squeaky doors, cook—”
“We get the point.” Wyatt wiped at a stain of ice cream on his shirt. “I could arrange all that. I would just need to know how much. Does that mean she gets a cut from all our jobs? Or do you want her pay coming directly from your account like Switch’s does?”
Viktor raised his hand to silence him. “We had a unique arrangement when she first arrived, but you make a valid point. She has proven herself loyal. But Kira has no desire to leave. She is adamant about staying.”
Shepherd touched the scars on his hand. “She might want to use that money for furniture, new clothes, or even a vacation. People change. Maybe she’ll want to buy a small house somewhere she can retreat to on her days off.” He glanced down at Hunter. “She looks after Hunter a lot when I’m on a job and Switch isn’t around. She cooks for him and makes sure he gets his bath every night. If you don’t pay her, I will.”
“Agreed, agreed,” Viktor said. “It is settled. It is time for change, but all this talk of people leaving has me unsettled. Is this what you want?” he asked Shepherd. “You have boy now.”
Shepherd shook his head. “I like where I am. It’s not the home I ever imagined for my kid, but it’s the best life I can give him. Maybe someday in the future I’ll leave or settle with a good woman who can accept all this. But it’s about timing, and now isn’t the right time. I need to figure my shit out, and Hunter just needs a stable life with people he can count on. And that’s you, knuckleheads. You’re the aunts and uncles he’ll remember when he’s older. This is the house that’ll fill his memories, and I don’t think I could give him a better life on my own. I sure as hell couldn’t afford Switch and the level of education he provides.”
Viktor looked at the sleeping boy with a tender gaze. Most of Switch’s pay came right out of Viktor’s pocket even though it was for Shepherd’s child. He did a lot for us beyond what any boss would do. Maybe in some small way, we were the pack he didn’t have.
Harley trotted into the room and stopped in the center. A dog his size commanded attention. His tail flapped back and forth as he sniffed the air. “Woof” was all he said before licking Hunter’s arm and then lying next to him.
I smiled, knowing my father must have let him come down here. He loved that dog, but he also loved kids and knew how much Hunter enjoyed Harley’s company. I also suspected he wanted Christian to take him out since he was going to bed and couldn’t leave the third floor.
Christian pulled a thread on his dark sweater. “Are you satisfied with everything we’ve done? What I mean to say is, are you ready for me to erase the eejit’s memories?”
I hadn’t given much thought about Ronald since coming back home. “Where is he?”
“Needn’t worry about him,” Niko said, stretching his back and arms. “I locked him in an empty room void of windows.”
