“All I’ll say is I’m honored to fight shoulder-to-shoulder with you menaces. And don’t get me killed. ‘Cause I have no intention of dying until he’s bleeding out himself. Let’s go.”
The second he releases the button, a chant rings out around us.
“No prison no more!”
“Fuck yea.” Velle smirks.
Sucking in a breath, I take Lex’s hand, gripping it tight. We’re all just standing around, comforting one another while we panic and try to act like we’re not.
Angel offers Alex a kind smile, before wandering over to Velle.
Sighing, I turn to Alex one last time. “What ever happened to Mickey, anyway?”
“They left him locked up with Carlos Zaza and those other cartel assholes.” He grins.
“Gotta love karma,” I hum.
He winks at me, sauntering off to be with his man.
For the next three and a half minutes…
And then the fight’s on.
“I love you,” I take Lex’s face in my hands. “You know that, right?”
“Don’t,” he grunts. “Don’t say that like you aren’t sure what’s gonna happen. I need you to be confident enough for the both of us, like you always are.”
Fuck me, I just love this kid. More than food, water, oxygen.
I love him more than life.
Dropping a soft kiss on his worried lips, I pull back just enough to whisper, “Just remember, baby… No matter what happens, you and me areindestructible.”
Then…
Our summer was like a party scene from an 80’s movie.
I know that probably sounds insane, given where we live and what we do…
But fuck it. It was a good ass time.
Not like the good ass times we used to have in the mansion, numbing ourselves like he wanted us to because we were easier to control that way.No, for the first time in a decade, I was actually enjoying myself. We all were.
Taking the yacht out, jet skiing, flying into Manhattan for the night—not topurge, but to breathe, and laugh. Eat good food and smile.
And yes, fuck each other silly in fancy hotel rooms.
We went to Boston to visit my family, and Rook’s family came out to visit us. They stayed in the mansion, and get this…Nothingbad happened.
Truthfully, I think we all knew it wouldn’t last. It had to be smoke in mirrors. A performance put on by the most evil, calculating, conniving son of a bitch this side of the equator.
Maybe that’s why we were living our best lives up until now. Because we knew deep down, there wasno waythis was the new normal.It’s just not possible…
Not on this motherfucking rock.
Sure enough, the other shoe has definitely dropped. It’s fallen with a clunk that cannot be ignored. And now, it’s back to living each day on edge. Sleeping with one eye open.
Granted, I don’t think Velle’s ever had a peaceful night’s sleep, even before he came here.If I had a genie with a lamp granting me wishes, I think that’d be the first one. For enough peace that my partner can finally get some decent shut-eye.
