Lucky sat at the kitchen table, watching Todd pop frozen waffles into the toaster.
Todd. Eighteen. Heading to college.
Eighteen-year-old Lucky stole cars and resold them.
Todd said please and thank you.
Lucky stole the wrong car and wound up working for a suave drug trafficker.
Todd saved his money for a car.
Lucky became the trafficker’s lover and drove a brand-new Mustang.
At twenty-five Todd would possess a college degree, would’ve likely found a decent job, and have a life of his own. Then his biggest worry would be paying off student loans for what little of his tuition wasn’t funded by the college account Victor set up years ago.
At twenty-five, Lucky testified against his lover, sealing the deal on the man’s life sentence.
And thought he’d been the reason Victor hanged himself.
Lucky’s downward spiral started when he’d been Todd’s age. Yet every time he looked at his nephews, all he saw were kids.
He’d die before he’d let them turn out like him, even if he had redeemed himself, worked off eight years of his ten-year sentence as a consultant to the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, putting guys like him in jail.
All because Victor made a few deals and faked his death.
The two boys pouring way too much syrup onto their plates would never look over their shoulders, waiting for the past to catch up. Would never know men like Victor Mangiardi, never worry each time someone they’d arrested got out of prison.
Would never live with regrets.
Like their Uncle Lucky.
Bo often said his Catholic mother had nothing on Southern Baptists when it came to guilt.
***
Rett showed up soon after the boys were fed.
“How’d you get through the security gate?” Lucky shouted over the dance club-level throbbing from the guestroom.
She grinned, eyes hidden behind ginormous mirrored shades. Her hair poufed out around her head, making her appear even taller than her six-plus feet. The sleeveless top and shorts she wore showed off her muscles and Celtic armband tattoo, a darker pattern against her dark skin. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yeah, I would, ‘cause if you can do it, some assh—.” Not that Lucky ever considered the gated community very safe.
Rett’s son peeked out from behind her.
Mouth still open, Lucky change “hole” to “Hi, Rone.”
She mouthed, “You gave me the code, remember?”
Oh yeah. He had.
Bo and Rett gave each other a slight nod.
They’d planned this.
She barged in without waiting to be invited, her son silently trailing in her wake. “I came to get the boys. See if they wanted to go to the movies.” Rett raised her shades to the top of her head and gave Lucky a wink. “Thought you and Bo might need some alone time.”
Lucky shifted his gaze in his partner’s direction.
