“Grace and I grew up in the gang. Our father was President of the club. I have three brothers who are still in the club. We were raised rough and even though we tried to protect Grace, it was never enough. She started dating someone and wouldn’t tell us who it was. Then she started coming home less and less and each time she looked worse.” I poured myself another glass and threw it back. “She got hooked on the shit Stanovich was selling. Got pregnant by him. She came back when she was four months pregnant, trying to get clean.”
“I’m so sorry, Leon. That’s terrible.” Sitting down heavily in one of the office chairs, Sutton clutched her hands together in her lap. Quiet tears leaked down her cheeks. “That guy sounds like a monster.”
“He was.”
Her eyes shot to Theo. “Was?”
He cracked his neck and held her gaze. If the darkness radiating out of him scared her, she didn’t show it. She nodded a few times and then shrugged.
“Good riddance.”
A surprised laugh shocked me as it burst free. Normally talking about Grace made me feel like a million pounds had landed on my shoulders but hearing Sutton go dark, even for a moment, made me feel lighter. Telling the rest of Grace’s story was still sobering, however.
“We kept Grace clean until she had Lee and then barely two days later, she ran away. That was the last time we saw heralive. She ran straight back to Stanovich and was found dead a few weeks later. They called it an overdose but I always felt like Stanovich had a hand in it.”
“Then I’m glad he’s no longer a problem.” She adjusted her cardigan and sat up straighter. “I’m sorry for your loss, Leon. Grace deserved better.”
“In a strange twist of fate, Dominic and I both ended up outside of Stanovich’s compound looking for answers. We both went in half-cocked and didn’t know that Stanovich had already made an alliance with another big family. Since he was willing to do the dirty work, the money was good for whoever partnered with him.
“We got lucky that another family had contracted Theo to take out a lower-level guy from Stanovich’s gang, a rapist piece of shit. He was already lying in wait with a sniper rifle when we were ambushed. The rest is history, so they say. Stanovich maneuvered himself into a position which made it impossible for us to take him out without starting a war between the families.”
“Is there going to be a war now?” Sutton stood up and started pacing, her long skirt brushing against my leg when she swept past. “Oh, god. What am I even saying? War? This is crazy. I’m a kindergarten teacher, for god's sake. I am in so far over my head. Who do we even call after a war starts? The Pentagon? I don’t have their number!”
Theo snagged her around the waist and pulled her back into his chest.
“Breathe, Kitten.”
“There’s not going to be a war. We waited until Stanovich pissed off the right people and got the go ahead to handle him. Some of the other families that have also gone legal decided it was time to break up Stanovich’s party. They’re splitting up his tamer businesses and shutting down the trafficking and drugs.”I let the reality of that finally settle in and had to sit down. It was over. Stanovich had suffered before he died. Grace had her justice finally.
Sutton was there in an instant, sitting on my lap and holding me like I was one of the kids. I wanted to feel too big and old to be held like that but as soon as she had her arms around me and my head was buried between the almond fragrance of her hair and shoulder, I was humbled. Tears burned the back of my eyes and I clung to her like she was my last chance at life.
“It’s okay, Leon. You did good. It’s all okay now.” She stroked my head and whispered to me softly. “Everything’s okay. I’ve got you.”
“It’s all over now. We’re out. We did what we had to do and now it’s all over.” Dominic’s voice was quiet as he spoke. “Two bloody nights and we’re free.”
“Are you horrified by all of this?” Theo knelt in front of us and rested his hands on Sutton’s knees. “This isn’t exactly the kind of life you’re used to.”
“Actually…” She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I grew up in some really rough neighborhoods. My mom wasn’t exactly Susie Homemaker. Dad worked hard but my mom loved to take whatever she could get her hands on and go on days’ long benders. She had a good job on paper but only because her boss liked her more than he should’ve. More often than not, we were in some of the worst neighborhoods. I saw a shocking amount of bad stuff. Dad protected me the best he could but Mom just welcomed anyone and everyone into our house when he was at work.
“For a mafia boss, a motorcycle gang member, and an assassin, y’all are the best men I’ve ever known besides my dad.” I looked up and saw that the grin on her face was wide and her eyes were practically flashing hearts. She bit her lip andshrugged. “Beyond being freaked out by the idea of war, I think I’m handling this okay.”
“Is your mom still alive?” Theo said it casually but the other three of us in the room all knew him well enough to know better.
“Theo!” Sutton slipped out of my lap and slid into his. “Don’t even think about going back out for another round of vengeance. I think you need some time off.”
“You’ll slip up and tell me eventually. And then I’ll make a little trip.” He cupped her ass and rocked her hips against his. “But some time off sounds really nice, actually. And I know exactly what I want to spend it doing.”
I shot a look at Dom and he nodded back at me. Seeing Theo initiating sex and eagerly participating was still new. And fucking relieving.
Sutton suddenly pulled back and gasped.
“Wait. So let me get this straight. You three just happen to bump into each other while trying to kill some people and what? You just became besties?”
Dom shot his glass of whiskey and snorted.
“That’s a story for another day. We have business at the club tonight. We just wanted to make sure you knew everything was okay. Things are settled and put to bed. No one’s ever going to hurt you again.”
I reached down and stroked the fading bruises on her face. “Never again.”
