Damian’s tired eyes look at me. I feel like he’s looking through me. “I want to say this is done, but I honestly don’t know, Luca. With Briggs now gone, who will keep it going? We cut off the head of the beast. The fraternity has been burned to the ground. The new and upcoming players are dead, so maybe it is,” he says hopefully.
I want to think so too, but with people like them, you never know. “We’ll monitor the situation. I want Brigg’s house to be gone—nothing but rubble and ash. Our guards aren’t going down because once they do, that’s when shit happens. I pat his leg. “I love you, brother,” I say before exiting the room.
Pulling out my cell phone, I text Matteo.
*Meet me in the kitchen.
He doesn’t respond, but I head there anyway.
Entering, Thomas is still at the table with a big plate of food in front of him.
I can’t help but shake my head. He looks like he’s scared I’m going to steal it from him.
“Hey, it’s all yours.” I hold out my hand as I sit in the chair across from him.
He purses his lips up at me and continues to eat. We sit in silence. Thomas and I don’t need conversation. We’re comfortable in each other’s silence. There is no need to fill it up with voided words. That’s one thing that drew me to Thomas. Becoming his coach at Hard Knocks, I saw something more in him than just the fighter. He had a heart of gold and was always there to help. I didn’t initially tell him what I did for a living besides Hard Knocks. You have to be careful about who you let into your circle. So, it took me over a year. I expected he would freak the fuck out, but his reaction was the total opposite. And that day, I hired Thomas as an employee, and he’s become one of my best friends.
Matteo’s entrance pulls me out of my thoughts as he saunters in.
Now, Matteo, you need someone like him on your side. Perfect ally for someone who needs to get rid of bodies.
Matteo is more closed off and keeps everything close to his chest. An Italian whose family immigrated from Italy, he takes his business and family seriously.
He stands with his back to the counter, crossing his ankles, waiting for me to speak.
“We need to burn the house down that they were at.”
I look at both Matteo and Thomas, and they just nod their heads.
“Okay, when?” Matteo silkily asks.
“I’m ready whenever you two are.”
Pushing off the counter, I say, “It’ll be dark soon, let's get set up and head out.” I watch as a small smile comes to his face, but I don’t ask him what’s up.
“Meet in thirty,” he throws over his shoulder.
“Ahh, man,” Thomas groans.
Scrunching up my face, I ask, “What?”
“I wanted to have dessert too.”
I can’t help but laugh. I know he’s trying to make everything seem normal. “Shut the fuck up. I’ll buy you a sundae; I know how much you like those.”
“With gummy bears.” He raises his eyebrows up and down.
One of my favorite memories will always be Rowan bringing all these men to our table, and each of us making our own sundaes. It was so normal, so needed. Such a pivotal moment for all of us in different ways. Grown men forgetting about what lay outside of that house, just for a short time.
“Yes, with gummy bears.” I pat him on his back, heading out of the kitchen to tell Rowan our plans.
It takes me a while to find her. And she’s in the last place I would have expected.
In the quiet room of the Hall of Remembrance, I spot Rowan sitting in the front pew of the empty room.
I don’t want to startle her, because no matter what she says, Rowan is still healing from her trauma. I am unsure if she will ever heal, but regardless, I will always be by her side.
The dome light above bounces off her dark hair. I slowly walk to her, my hands touching each of the pews, before I get to her. Clearing my throat. “Baby?”
