Lucas
Asking for help outside of the family was a dangerous game but necessary when trust had dwindled down to nothing. If it went wrong, then we were marching Angelo to the gallows with us. But if we succeeded, then he walked away with heavy pockets and we got what we had been after for months.
We’d been so close that I could taste it. The heady rush of not having to answer to anyone and being the person, people sought to pass judgement, had been in our grasp and then it had been ripped away. If Gabe was meant to deter us, then it was a poor ploy. I still clung onto the dreams by my fingertips and it would take more than a disappearing act to steer me from them. Even Mia being shot at hadn’t managed to change my mind. I waited for her to tell me that she was done, that she’d had enough and was ready to settle for a quieter life with our family. As safe a life as this world could afford her. If she said the word, I’d step back. I wouldn’t stop, I was too far gone for that, but I’d take my foot off the gas and allow her time to recover.
It never came. In the quiet moments where business was left at the doorstep and we were secured inside our home, Mia didn’t utter a word of concern. Instead of protests and hesitation, Mia was working through her own list of tasks to secure our position. Much to my dismay that had included a visit to Franco and Chastity, but she was relentless in her efforts and I eventually conceded defeat. Our image remained an important factor and she wasn’t about to watch all of her efforts go to waste. She had planned and preened and played nice with people who had been vicious about her. No. Mia wasn’t going to just let it all be for nothing.
I’d known when I met her that she had something more about her than the timid bookworm that she portrayed to the world. There was a spark and a bite that she hid deep inside herself, and time with me had her baring her teeth in the midst of an inferno. In the same way that Mia made herself my moral compass, I’d helped her to muddy up her ledger. A beautiful balance only we understood.
“I’m assuming you’ll draw up a contract.”
“You’re an idiot,” Dante chipped in.
The man in the seat opposite me turned his head. “I’m the idiot that you both need so I’d think about being a little respectful.” Angelo had arrived earlier in the day, and the better half of my morning had been spent at Dante’s home working through the finer details in a bid to get him to agree to work with us.
“We’d rather not leave a trail that can be traced back,” I cut across them, hoping to avoid an argument. Dante had been in a piss-poor mood since his breakup, and Angelo’s extensive bargaining had not helped it improve.
“So, I’m meant to take your word that I’ll be paid for my work?” Angelo asked me, raising an eyebrow.
“In the same way I’m taking your word that you’ll be able to carry out the job.”
He pursed his lips, unhappy with having his skills questioned. Angelo worked in security, more specifically as an ethical hacker, helping businesses ensure their framework was secure and improving it when it wasn’t. Dante said his ambition had been more than that, but he lacked the drive, the killer instinct to push for what he wanted and expected it to land in his lap.Dumb fuck always thought too highly of himself,Dante had told me. A God complex was only acceptable in our line of work because we could back up the claim. Arrogance was seldom appreciated in anyone else.
“Half up front,” Angelo said, looking me dead in the eye.
Dante hissed a breath through his teeth. “Forget it,” he said, getting up from his seat. “We’ll find someone else.”
“Be my guest.” Angelo mimicked Dante’s action.
“Enough,” I told them firmly. Dante looked at me, jaw set but he didn’t fight me on the matter. I hadn’t expected to play referee between the cousins but that had been an oversight on my behalf. Usually, I was happy to let Dante run a little rogue but not with this.
There was another reason for requesting Angelo aside from having the desired skills to track Xavier down without raising alarm bells. He was easily accessible through Dante and desperate for money. My question had never been if Angelo would work for us, but at what price.
Three years ago, Angelo had gotten in touch with Dante out of the blue. No middleman or messenger. I’d been with Dante at the time when he answered the call. An unfortunate sporting injury had seen Angelo require extensive surgery and left him with a hefty medical bill and an unsightly limp. For all of the ignorance his family showed towards Dante’s existence, they knew that he made more than enough money to keep him comfortable, and then some. A fact that was proven time and again, thanks to the way his mother now lived in the lap of luxury. So, of course, finding himself in a bind, Angelo had turned to the only family he knew could get him out of trouble fast.
Dante had zero interest in helping Angelo and the care went into negative values when Angelo mentioned repairing his relationship with his family. Angelo had been left to rot, and Dante slept soundly at night. Only, Angelo did not rot like we expected him to. There were vague whispers about shady business at high prices. He’d gotten creative. Good for him but nothing we wanted to invest in. Until now.
“You’ll have it by the end of the day,” I said. Business was all about striking a compromise and we didn’t have time to keep ironing out the details. If money was his main motivator, which we knew it was, then he could have it. “Half now, and half when you finish the job.”
There was a brief pause before he said, “I guess I should make myself at home.”
“What?” Dante looked ready to burst a blood vessel.
“Flights are expensive, cousin,” Angelo said with a smirk.
“If you think—”
I swooped in, “We expect a quick turnaround for the price you’ve negotiated, Angelo. It’s a matter of urgency.”
I almost admired Angelo’s ability to seize an opportunity. Whether it was to ease up the costs at home or looking for a more permanent position with us, he was about to settle here. I wouldn’t argue with him. It’d be easier to keep an eye on him at home and Mia would be more than happy to let Dante move in if it came down to that. He was at the house more often than not since Link had been born.
“Keep out of my way,” Dante told him through gritted teeth.
“You’ll only hear from me if it’s to do with work,” Angelo replied. I owed Dante big time for this.
The front door closed, and we paused as a dog barked and it was shushed. A few moments later, Cerb padded into the room, leash trailing along behind him, and assessed us all before deciding we weren’t worth the effort and returned to his usual position by Mia’s legs.
“I called at work to ask if you wanted to grab some lunch together, but Theo said neither of you had shown up this morning,” she said, yet to look up as she adjusted Link to a more comfortable position. Dom was directly behind Mia and his eyes instantly flicked to the unfamiliar face in the room. Our son wriggled in her arms and I caught sight of his chubby fist clocking her on the chin. “Lincoln Charles, you are a whole load of trouble in a tiny bundle of cuteness,” Mia told him, taking his hand and pretending to devour it.
