Page 21 of Pieces of You

“Um.” He fidgeted with the notebook. “I was wondering if you could ask the others to maybe write down memories and messages—something Shay can read when he comes home again?”

Oh, that was very sweet of him. “That’s a wonderful idea,” I answered. “I could leave it in the club area, and people can use it as a guest book, but for memories and well-wishes.”

He smiled timidly and nodded once. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Ty came up on the porch too.

“Are you sticking around, or…?” I asked Lane.

He glanced up at Ty, then shook his head. “I gotta get some work done for Corey, and I’ll focus better in Ty’s office.”

So he was going with Ty and Colt to MadCo. I was glad he wouldn’t be alone.

“But we’re gonna try to come out for dinner later,” Ty said. “Walker’s promised us that Macklin ain’t cookin’ again till Shay’s home.”

I exhaled a laugh, and Lane smirked ruefully.

“You’re in luck,” I said. “Santiago and Nora are making their version of spaghetti Bolognese for dinner. Tate wanted to make his ham and cheese pie, so we’ll be having that tomorrow.”

“Damn.” Ty draped an arm around Lane’s shoulders. “That sounds like somethin’ we want in on, doesn’t it?”

Lane nodded. “I guess I gotta eat anyway.”

“You sure do,” Ty replied.

Greer Finlay

After placing the bowl in the microwave, I set it for two minutes and pulled out my phone. It was the last of the leftovers from Santiago and Nora’s dinner a couple of days ago, and it was fucking mine. I’d hidden a container in the back of the freezer. I had a piece of ham and cheese pie stashed for a rainy day too.

Safe to say, I didn’t lose my hunger in a crisis.

While I waited, I pulled out my phone and reread Cullen’s last text.

No update yet, but keep an eye on news coming outta Europe.

I had read something this morning, but if this was connected…? Christ, shit was about to be global news.

I’d only told a select few that my nephew was in Italy—and that several of his colleagues were in Spain.

Spain, where they’d had an explosion yesterday. At the port of Valencia, to boot. Valencia came up frequently in my search for European drug routes, so for every hour that passed, I became more convinced it was connected. Somehow.

Meanwhile, River and Reese were still in California, so I hoped that meant Shay hadn’t been smuggled out of the country.

Once my food was ready, I brought it outside to the patio. A handful of brats were hanging out in the pool, and I needed to be around smiles for a minute. Chasing news stories was fucking exhausting, and the world was a dark place.

Cam and Lucian sat at a table with an umbrella, so I joined them. Fuck the sun when it was this hot.

Cam looked up from his phone as I sat down across from them.

“Pizza’s gonna be here in half an hour, Sir.”

Well, I was hungry now. “There will be room for a couple slices, but I’m kinda tired of pizza.”

Even Lucian glanced up from his iPad at that. “Are you allowed to say that as a New Yorker?”

“Who’s gonna tell on me?” I retorted. I mixed the pasta and the Bolognese with my fork before I tucked in. Santiago and Nora’s sauce was creamier than what I was used to.

Fucking delicious.