“I was eating. You ambushed me.”
Luka laughed, actually laughed, and I realized I'd never heard him do that before. It changed his whole face, made him look younger and less like he carried the weight of an entire criminal network on his shoulders.
“I like her,” he said to me.
“She's tolerable,” I agreed.
“I'm sitting right here,” Mara said.
“We know,” Declan and I said at the same time.
The gathering went on for another few hours. People ate and drank and talked shit and laughed too loud in that way that came from surviving and getting to be loud about it. I watched Declan relax incrementally with every minute that passed, watched the tension bleed out of his shoulders until he looked like someone who might actually be able to sleep tonight.
Eventually people started filtering out. Luka and Ash left first with promises to be in touch about logistics for London. Dmitri stayed longer, sprawled in a chair and telling increasingly ridiculous stories about jobs gone wrong that had everyone in tears.
Mara lingered the longest because of course she did.
She waited until everyone else was gone and then looked at me with that serious expression that meant she was about to say something I didn't want to hear.
“You look happy,” she said.
“I'm heavily medicated. That might be influencing things.”
“I'm serious.” She sat down in the chair across from me. “I've known Declan for years. Known you for a few weeks. But I've never seen either of you look at anyone the way you look at each other.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“Nowhere. Just making an observation.” She leaned back. “He's a good man, Troy. Better than most. Don't fuck it up.”
“Planning not to.”
“Your plans are historically terrible.”
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
“Because it's true.” Her expression softened slightly. “But for what it's worth, I think you're good for him too. He's been alone too long. Needed someone to shake things up.”
“I excel at shaking things up.”
“You excel at causing chaos. There's a difference.” She stood up and crossed to where I sat. “London's going to be good for both of you. Fresh start. No ghosts hanging around every corner.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. Chicago's got too much history for either of you. Go build something new.” She squeezed my shoulder. “And if he does anything stupid, you call me. I'll straighten him out.”
“Pretty sure that's supposed to work the other way around.”
“Have you met yourself? You're the one who needs constant supervision.” She looked toward the kitchen where Declan was cleaning. “But he'll do it. He's already doing it. Just let him.”
“I'm working on it.”
“Work harder.”
She hugged me before she left, quick and tight and over before I could make it weird. Then she cornered Declan in the kitchen and I heard her tell him to keep me alive.
Then she was gone and the house went quiet in that soft post-company way that felt like exhaling after holding your breath too long.
Declan started cleaning up the kitchen. I got up to help and he immediately tried to wave me off.
