Barbarian (Jericho’s Boys #3)

15. Mal

Mal winced when Nico’s alarm went off at seven, the grating noise loud enough to bother not just their roommates but probably several neighbors, too. He heard Nico make a beleaguered little sound, jostling Mal as he blindly searched for his phone on the side table. The alarm fell silent as Nico gave another irritated whine, dropping the device onto the mattress beside him.

Mal smiled as Nico burrowed closer, pressing his nose to the skin on Mal’s neck, inhaling deeply, then sighing wistfully.

“You always smell so nice,” he mumbled before drifting back to sleep.

Mal huffed out a laugh but let sleep drag him back under as well. Fifteen minutes later, another alarm sounded, with Nico slapping at the phone until it was quiet. It happened again at 7:30, then at 7:45.

When it happened again just after eight, Mal snatched the phone from Nico, turning the alarm off for good before chucking the device over the side of the mattress without thought. Nico gave what sounded like a sigh of relief, as if Mal had disarmed a bomb and not simply turned off the alarm instead of snoozing it as Nico had.

Nico fell back to sleep easily, softly snoring against Mal’s chest, his hand on his lower back. Mal’s brain refused to be tricked again. Instead, he used the time to stare at Nico’s face, puffy from sleep, hair tangled and lips slightly chapped.

This was Mal’s favorite time. When it was just him and Nico, living in their little bubble of solitude. If Mal was a better person, he would have prodded Nico until he woke up and went to school. But he wasn’t. He wanted to keep him home with him, even though it was selfish.

Nico really didn’t have the grades necessary to get away with skipping classes. Not because he wasn’t smart, but because sitting for hours on end with his aggressive form of ADHD just wasn’t how Nico learned best. Not even the best medication could tame Nico’s wild, beautiful brain. And with his barely passing grades, he needed that participation percentage to keep from failing entirely. Even if it was only worth ten percent.

Still, Mal didn’t push. He wasn’t really sure why Nico was even in school. He seemed to enjoy working with Jericho and Arsen at the garage. He liked the complexity of engines and the chaos of the job, but it was like he was trying to prove something to himself. He’d had a dozen other jobs that never quite panned out. He just couldn’t adhere to a schedule like most neurotypicals.

Mal understood that better than most.

If he hadn’t found a job teaching dance, he would have probably taken up Thomas’s offer to freelance. With his sons’ ever expanding families, it wasn’t as easy to coordinate taking out the trash as it used to be. Thomas had left an open offer to all of Jericho’s boys, Mal included.

He’d rejected the offer, but not because he was morally opposed to killing. He truly had very little empathy for those outside his circle. He wasn’t really sure why he’d said no. Maybe because the others had as well? It was easy money, and the hours were great. If Nico chose to drop out of school, Mal would take the offer. If he worked for Thomas, Nico could do anything or nothing. He could be a house husband or work at the garage. Whatever he wanted.

Mal didn’t realize he’d fallen back to sleep until he woke to teeth softly clamping down on his nose. He swatted at Nori without opening his eyes, wondering when and how she’d gotten in their room. Maybe she’d snuck in when Nico had gotten up to go to the bathroom. She was crafty that way. But it wasn’t fur he found when he batted at his assailant but skin.

He cracked his eyelids open, finding not Nori but Nico. He stared at him, his blue gaze shining, even though the dark circles under his eyes told Mal he didn’t sleep well. He stared at Mal with a dreamy expression that made Mal’s stomach swoop like he was doing five Gs in a fighter jet.

“You hungry?” Mal asked, voice sleep-soaked.

He traced the planes of Nico’s face with his fingertip as he stared at him. He couldn’t believe he was finally his.

Nico gave him his prettiest pout. “You think I woke you up ‘cause I want you to cook for me?”

Mal gazed at him fondly. Yes, you manipulative little brat.

Mal shrugged. “Nori bites my nose when she wants to be fed. I’m just going by your context clues, Fidget. Why else would you wake me up? Are you lonely?”

Nico sighed, then flopped onto his back like a rag doll. “No, I’m hungry.”

Mal rolled his eyes with another soft laugh. He tried to sit up, but grunted as his muscles protested, the sharp pain stealing his breath for a moment or two.

Nico’s eyes went wide. “Never mind,” he said quickly, face twisting with concern. “I’ll go. I can do it myself.”

This time, Mal couldn’t stop his laugh. “You can’t cook, Fidget. I’ve seen you burn water. You’ll set the house on fire.”

Once more, Nico’s face became comically sullen. “Hey, I’ll have you know, I survived just fine before you and Shiloh came into our lives.”

Lie.

“You survived on cup ramen and frozen dinners, neither of which we have in the house at the moment.”

“Ugh, fine, whatever,” Nico sulked. “Still, I’ll…improvise.”

Nico’s improvisation was a bag of knock-off Lucky Charms cereal placed between them as they sat in bed in their underwear playing This or That.

Nico sat beside him, face scrunched, pondering his next question. “Cotton candy or caramel popcorn?”

Mal wrinkled his nose. “Neither. They’re both sticky. Trying to eat them would stress me out.”

“But if you had to choose?” Nico pressed, leaning into his space.

Mal shuddered at the idea of touching either substance. “Gun to my head, I guess I would choose cotton candy.”

“Why?” Nico asked with a grin.

Mal shrugged. “‘Cause it either comes on a stick or in a bag, so it’s the least likely to touch my skin.”

Nico made a face that said fair enough then moved onto his next food related question. “Waffles or pancakes?”

“Well, if I have to choose,” he said, exaggerating his words, “pancakes over waffles, but I eat your leftovers, so I can’t truly afford to be too picky.”

Nico narrowed his eyes at him. “Keep being mean and I will poke you in the ribs again.”

Mal arched a brow at him. “And I’ll put you over my knee and spank you ‘til you cry…again.”

Nico’s pupils blew, his breath punched from his lungs. “No fair,” he managed. “You can’t just say things that make me horny every time you want to win a fight.”

Mal shrugged. “Why? Seems like an excellent strategy from where I’m sitting.” He looked down at the outline of Nico’s now half-hard cock, watching a wet spot appear on his tight little boxer briefs. “It’s clearly working.”

“You’re mean,” Nico pouted.

Mal gave him a dark look before purring, “You have no idea, Fidget.”

Nico made a whiny little noise that made Mal’s own dick take notice. Nico’s gaze dropped to his lap, a slow smirk forming as he climbed over the cereal bag to sit on Mal’s thighs. One of Nico’s favorite places to perch.

“Am I hurting you?” Nico asked anxiously.

“No,” Mal murmured, running his thumb over Nico’s bottom lip. “Whatcha doing over here?”

Nico shrugged. “These questions are boring. Let’s spice it up a little. Give me your phone.”

Mal handed it over without a fuss. Nico pointed it at him to unlock it, then typed something into the search engine, his eyes lighting up when he found what he was looking for.

“ This is more like it,” he said, giving Mal an exaggerated, sultry look. “This or that. French kissing or neck kisses?”

Mal arched his brow. “I mean, I wouldn’t say no to either but…french kissing. You?”

Nico beamed at him. “Same. But I like smelling you, so kissing your neck is nice, too.”

Mal grinned. “This is supposed to be what you like someone doing to you, not what you like doing to others.”

“Says who? Did you invent this game? No,” he said before sticking out his tongue, retracting it when Mal tried to snatch it.

He glanced down at Mal’s phone again. “Being bitten or being scratched?”

“Being scratched. You?” he asked.

“Bitten, but I like when you scratch me up, too,” Nico said dreamily. He shifted restlessly at the next question. “Hair grabbed or wrists held?”

“Hair grabbed,” Mal said, obsessed with the blush creeping up Nico’s neck. “You?”

“Both,” he said breathlessly. “Definitely both.”

Mal took the phone from him. “My turn.”

Mal scrolled down the list, grinning when he found there was a kink section. That sounded promising.

“Safe word or traffic light system?” Mal asked.

Nico swallowed audibly, then chewed on his lip for a moment.

“Traffic light,” he finally said. “I feel silly shouting out penguin or pineapple when we’re both naked. It feels weird.”

Mal nodded. “Denied orgasm or ruined orgasm?”

Nico’s breath hitched, his fingertips running lightly up Mal’s forearms, like he just had to be touching more of him.

“Um…” The stain in Nico’s cheeks grew darker. “I’ve never had either, but…denied, I think.”

“Yeah? Why?” Mal asked, genuinely curious.

“Denied means I might get it eventually. Ruined means I got it but it sucked,” he said, voice deliciously put-out, as if it had already happened.

“Ah,” Mal said, smirking at the next question. “Praise kink or degradation kink?”

Nico chewed on the inside of his lower lip, subtly shifting higher up Mal’s thighs. “Uh, both. But more so the praise kink, I think.”

“So, no degradation?” he asked. “I want you to be clear about this.” Nico groaned, covering his face. Mal tugged his hands down. “This is important if we’re going to play together the way you want. Besides, it’s just me. You know I won’t judge you.”

Nico sighed, gaze drifting to something over Mal’s shoulder. “So…I don’t want you to be mean to me or, like…humiliate me. Like, if you’re going to call me a slut or a whore, say something nice, too. I still need to feel like you like me. You know?”

Fuck. “Example?” Mal asked.

Nico looked like he wanted a sinkhole to form and swallow him up. “Like I’m pretty or good, too.”

Mal bit back a groan, taking Nico’s face in his palms, forcing him to meet his gaze. “Yeah? You wanna be my pretty little slut, Fidget?”

Nico shivered, then nodded slowly. “And I—” He cut himself off. Mal waited him out. “I like when you call me dumb, but only in a cute way, a sexy way; not a mean way. And only in bed.”

That was good to know. The first time they’d been together, he was pretty sure he’d teased him that way. That night was a bit of a blur.

“Noted.” Mal cleared his throat, dropping his gaze to the list. “Overstimulation or denied stimulation?”

“Over,” Nico said quickly, then flushed. “I think I’d feel really bad about myself if you wouldn’t touch me.”

Mal’s heartbeat went haywire in his chest. “I don’t know if I could ever go without touching you, but if I did, it wouldn’t be because I didn’t want you.”

Nico’s gaze flicked to his then down again like he was…shy. Was he shy about this? He’d all but challenged Mal to hurt him. He’d gone on and on about wanting rough, kinky sex, wanting to be controlled and owned. Now they were there, just discussing it and he was a blushing mess.

Cute.

Mal scanned the list until he found another one he liked. “Worshipped or used?”

Nico squirmed a bit, picking at his fingernails until Mal took his hands and held them in his own. “Used,” Nico whispered.

His answer shot through Mal like electricity. “Fuck,” he muttered. “You’re so fucking hot. You want me to just use you to get off like my own personal fleshlight, Fidget?”

“Stop,” Nico whined, wiggling around a bit more. “And yes.”

Mal giggled, but moved on. “Role play or primal play?”

“I think I’d be too embarrassed to role play. And while I don’t necessarily like the idea of running through the woods, the idea of you chasing me down and fucking me does get me pretty hot.”

Mal growled, curling a hand around the back of his neck and tugging him forward, capturing Nico’s mouth greedily. Nico kissed back with the same level of enthusiasm, whimpering into Mal’s mouth just like he did when Mal was inside him.

When he finally broke the kiss, Nico chased his lips with a whine. Mal kissed his pouting mouth chastely. “We have to get through this, baby. It’s important to know your limits.”

“But there are so many things,” Nico whined. “Some of them I’ve never even heard of.”

Mal leaned forward and kissed his forehead, then returned to the list. “Giving a performance or given instructions?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “You know the answer to that.”

“Given instructions. You love being told what to do. My Fidget is an excellent listener.” He gave Nico a soft look. “So good for me.”

Nico whined again. “That. I like that so much. I like when you…talk to me, when you tell me how much you like it, like me … When you tell me I’m good for you.”

“Oh, I know.” Mal teased. “I’m gonna have to step up my dirty talk.”

Nico took Mal’s hand, this time playing with his fingers. “It’s…it’s not so much what you say, but how you say it.”

He still refused to look at Mal.

“And how do I say it?” Mal murmured.

Nico shivered. “Like I’m your whole world.”

Mal scoffed, forcing his chin up so he could look him in the eye. “You are my whole world.”

Nico’s breath hitched. “You can’t say stuff like that when I’m not ready.”

Mal shook his head, stifling a smile. “Leashed and collared or cuffed and shackled?”

Mal watched Nico’s chest rise and fall. It was obvious he was getting turned on. It was hard not to. Mal was struggling as well. “Uh, I’m definitely into the cuffed and shackled thing. I could maybe be leashed and collared every once in a while. But only when we’re alone. I definitely don’t have a humiliation kink and that sounds pretty humiliating.”

Mal kissed Nico’s frowning mouth. “I would never let anyone see you like that. But it’s not exactly one of my kinks either as far as I know. But we’ll put that as a soft limit with an asterisk beside it just in case you change your mind later.”

“We’ll put it where ?” Nico teased, squeezing Mal’s fingers. “You’re not writing any of this down.”

“It’s all up here,” Mal said, tapping his temple with his free hand. “Trust me. I won’t forget.”

“You won’t, but what about me?” Nico countered.

Mal shrugged. “What do you need to remember when you have me? I thought you said you didn’t want to have to think about things?”

“It’s just that easy, huh?” Nico asked, looking a little dazed.

“Yes. Forget this or that. Tell me your hard limits. What are your definite nos?” Once more, that pinched expression returned. Mal could feel Nico’s anxiety like an itch under his skin. “It’s not a quiz. There’s no wrong answer. You can say no to anything.”

Nico gnawed on his bottom lip until it was red and swollen before finally saying, “I mean, no bathroom stuff…no illegal things…no weird porn, unless it’s, like, cartoon stuff. Hentai is okay as long as it’s not super degrading. I…kind of like the idea of being permanently marked by you, but not like how Felix carved up Avi. No knives. And no, like…branding or anything. Burns hurt too much.”

Mal’s breath left him in a rush, his hand coming up to circle Nico’s throat loosely, pulling him closer. “You want to be marked by me, Fidget?”

Nico gave a stilted nod, cheeks flushing. “Is—Is that weird?”

Mal huffed out a breath through his nose at the absurdity of Nico’s question. “No. It’s hot. What kind of mark? A tattoo?”

The stain on his cheeks grew darker. “You know how Zane has that scar on his shoulder?”

“The bite mark?” Mal asked.

Nico nodded. “I think it’s sexy.”

So did Mal. The placement, the ownership, all of it was hot as fuck. “Asa had to bite Zane in the same place again and again—for years—for that scar to become permanent. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Nico said softly. “That’s why it’s so hot.”

Mal closed his eyes, trying not to lose it at the thought of biting Nico’s shoulder every time he was inside him.

“I’d have to draw blood,” Mal said, trying to hold back his excitement, even as saliva pooled in his mouth.

Nico gave another jerky nod. “I know,” he said, breathless.

Mal shifted beneath him. “Repeatedly.”

Nico choked on a needy little noise at the back of his throat. “I know.”

“Fuck,” Mal muttered, trying to get himself under control.

“You think it's weird?” Nico asked, voice small.

Mal snorted. “No, Fidget. I think it’s fucking hot. I think you’re so fucking hot. You know that.”

He dragged him in for another kiss, this one far filthier than the last. By the time he pulled back, they were both panting and a little dazed.

“Is that it for hard limits?” Mal finally asked.

“I’m not sure. Can’t we just talk about it as things come up? I’m not a walking encyclopedia of kinks,” Nico said. “My mind keeps going blank whenever you ask me an open-ended question.”

That was fair. It was hard for Nico’s mind to focus when he wasn’t given very specific parameters. He always did better with multiple choice versus essay style. But there was something Mal had been thinking about for a long time. Probably longer than was healthy. Something he thought both he and Nico might really enjoy. But he didn’t want to spook him.

“Almost done, I promise.”

“Okay,” Nico said hesitantly.

“Did you like being spanked?”

Once more, Nico’s head dropped like he couldn’t look at Mal as he answered. “Yes,” he whispered softly.

“You sure? You cried really hard.”

Nico nodded. “I like—I like the way it makes me feel.”

Mal’s dick was hard enough to shatter glass.

“How does it make you feel?” he asked, pushing Nico’s curls from his face.

Nico swallowed loudly. “It hurts at first. A lot. But then my head gets all swimmy, and then this…hazy feeling settles over me. When it’s over, I feel so…calm…relaxed. And there’s tangible proof it happened. I can see how red my skin is. I can feel how hot it is. I can feel the ache. Every time I sat, I remembered it, thought about you, and it made me feel…proud…like I did a good job, like I pleased you. Is that dumb?”

Something tightened in Mal’s chest. “Of course not.”

“I also liked—” He cut himself off again, looking away.

“Liked…” Mal prompted gently, guiding his gaze back to him.

“I liked how you took care of me afterwards.”

Mal might actually come untouched if this conversation kept going. “I’ll always take care of you, regardless of how we play. That’s my job. I love taking care of you.”

Nico let out a breath that broke in the middle, then leaned forward until their foreheads pressed together. “I know. You take the best care of me. Better than anyone.”

Nico rubbed his nose over Mal’s a couple of times before their lips met again, their mouths gliding together smoothly, hands clutching at each other.

When they broke apart, Mal figured there was no better time to bring up the idea that had been at the back of his mind for days. “I want to ask you about something, but I don’t know if it’s too early.”

“Okay?”

“We can research it more before you decide so don’t think you have to make any decisions right now, but I think it might be something you’d be into,” Mal hedged.

Nico frowned, studying him. “What is it? Why do you sound so sketchy? Is it something you’re into?”

“If you’d asked me this before I met you, I would have said no. But now…yeah, I’m into it.”

Nico ran his top teeth over his bottom lip, then asked, “What is it?”

Mal studied him for a moment before saying, “Domestic discipline.”

Nico stared at him blankly for a moment before finally asking, “What’s that?”

How did Mal go about explaining this without sounding like a total creep?

“Well, people go about it in different ways, but, essentially, it’s creating a list of rules for you, rules that will get you punished when you violate them and rewarded when you behave. It’s a very strict dom/sub relationship. A lot of times, it also involves what they call maintenance spankings.”

Nico’s pupils were so blown his blue eyes looked black. “What are maintenance spankings?”

“Daily spankings, just as a reminder of who you belong to, of who’s in charge. Not a lot, just ten to twenty is enough. When you misbehave, the punishments are worse, and not always spankings, but never less. The rewards would be at my discretion when I think you’ve earned them.”

“Is that it?” Nico asked, rocking his hips forward, both of them groaning at the sudden pressure on their neglected cocks.

Mal shrugged. “Some submissives are required to thank their doms afterwards, but that’s entirely up to you.”

“Thank them how?” Nico moaned, grinding down on Mal once more.

Mal took Nico’s hand. “Handjobs.” He kissed his knuckles. “Blowjobs.” Nico’s tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. Mal tugged him close to whisper into his ear, “Bending over like a good boy and letting me rail you into the mattress.”

Nico wrapped his arms around Mal’s neck, tucking his face just below his chin. “What kind of rules would I have?”

Mal’s hands roamed Nico’s back. “Whatever we decide. We’d make your rules together. It can be as simple as you remembering to take your meds on your own or maintaining a certain GPA. Or it could be something much more sexually explicit like you being unable to deny me sex without punishment. Most rules revolve around the four Ds.”

“The four Ds?”

“The sub agrees that they’ll do nothing that’s dangerous, disobedient, disrespectful, or dishonest.”

“And if I do…you’ll punish me?” Nico asked, tongue darting out to lick over the tendon in Mal’s throat.

“Correct.”

“Is…Is it like sexual slavery?” Mal’s eyelids fluttered as Nico sucked a bruise on his neck. “Like…you’d control my entire life?”

“I’m sure some couples do it that way. But it could be anything we both want. I already control so many aspects of your life. There would just be consequences now.”

Nico whimpered, still slowly rocking his hips as his lips moved to suck another hickey into Mal’s skin. He clearly wasn’t opposed to the idea of it given his reaction. But fantasizing about it and living it were two different things. Mal cupped his ass, dragging him against him until they both groaned.

When Nico pulled back, he looked dazed, his lips swollen and spit-slick. “You know a lot about this.”

Mal gave him a gentle smile. “I know a lot about everything, Fidget. I have a photographic memory. I like this kind of pain. I like this kind of control. I’ve done my research.”

“I see that,” he said, giving a soft laugh.

Now, it was Mal who felt nervous. “Is that a bad thing?”

Nico shook his head, a slight tremor in his voice as he said, “Tell me more.” Before Mal could comply with his order, Nico plunged his hand into Mal’s underwear, wrapping a hand around his cock. “Touch me.”

Mal did as Nico asked, taking him in hand, both of them stroking each other slowly, practically panting into each other's mouths.

“Talk,” Nico said. “Would you spank me every single day, whether I was good or bad?”

Mal nodded. “That’s why they’re called maintenance spankings. To remind you that you belong to me. You can always opt out if there’s a day you don’t feel up to it. We can decide—together—if those spankings would roll over to the next day’s spankings or not.”

“When would it happen?” Nico asked, gasping as Mal twisted his fist around his wet cock.

“I’ll let you choose whether you want them in the morning so you feel me all day or whether you want them at night so you can fall asleep all hazy and wrung out.”

Nico made a half-bitten sound. “Do you like it? The idea of owning me? Controlling me? Punishing me?”

Mal groaned, sparks of pleasure dancing over his spine. He was already close to tipping over the edge. Nico seemed to instinctively know just the right speed and pressure to drive him crazy. “You know I fucking do, Fidget. If it were socially acceptable, I’d keep you locked up forever, just mine to play with whenever I want.”

“Faster,” Nico breathed against his lips. “I’m so close.”

Mal worked him with little finesse, too lost in his own ideas about all the things he could do to him. “We can talk about it more if you like the idea. If you want to explore it further. I’m fine with us playing just every now and again, too. I don’t know how far down the rabbit hole you want to go.”

“All the way,” Nico whined, hips bucking up into Mal’s fist. “I’m gonna come.”

“Do it,” Mal said, plunging his tongue into his mouth, swallowing Nico’s cry as he spilled over Mal’s fist.

Nico’s fucked-out expression had him biting down on his own lip as he came hard, coating not only Nico’s fist but his stomach, too. Nico tucked his face against his throat again, both of them trying to catch their breath.

Mal figured the topic was closed for the moment until Nico asked, “Can we start talking about my rules?”

Before Mal could answer, his phone began to vibrate beside his leg. They both looked down at the screen, noting Jericho’s photo. Mal picked it up with his clean hand, then swiped to answer. “Hello?”

“You up?” Jericho asked by way of greeting.

Mal nodded, even though Jericho couldn’t see it. Nico brought his hand to his mouth and started licking his fingers clean as Mal tried to formulate any type of rational thought. “Yeah, we’re just…eating breakfast.”

Nico looked down at the bag of dry cereal and then his cum-covered hand, snorting with amusement.

“We?” Jericho asked, tone sharp. “Did Nico skip school again?”

Nico’s cheeks flushed even darker.

“Someone had to take care of Mal,” he cried defensively.

“Right. I’m sure he’s knocking on death’s door.”

“ Anyway ,” Nico emphasized, reaching for the wet wipes they stashed under the bed. “What’s up? Why are you calling at the ass crack of ten in the morning?”

“Thomas called. The Dai Lo is on his way here. He asked for a meeting tonight at midnight. Thomas wants you both there.”

Mal and Nico exchanged looks, the silence stretching for a bit too long before Nico managed to gather the brain cells needed to ask, “The Dai Lo is coming here? To us?”

“How else did you think we would talk to him?” Jericho asked.

Nico shrugged. “I don’t know. Do gangsters not know how to use Zoom or FaceTime? Do they lose cool points or something?” Mal snorted, but Nico kept talking. “Why does Thomas want us there? Are we, like…bait? Human shields or something?”

“No, he wants you there because you know more about what’s going on than anyone. You won’t be alone,” Jericho assured him.

“Who all will be there?” Nico asked.

“Thomas, Freckles, me, you, Seven, and Mal.”

Nico frowned. “Why Seven?”

“Enzo will be there is my guess,” Jericho said.

“Shouldn’t that be a reason to not bring Seven? Those two are like oil and water,” Nico said. “Ever since they started working in the same office, they’re at each other’s throats twenty-four seven.”

Jericho snorted. “That’s ‘cause Seven’s being a brat. Trying to have a relationship with someone where there’s a massive power imbalance is unwise, but Seven doesn’t want to hear that. Enzo is trying to do the right thing.”

“Why a power imbalance? He’s not Seven’s boss. Not really,” Nico said. “Whatever. Why not just bring Levi?”

Jericho hesitated, then said, “He didn’t tell you?”

“Tell us what?” Mal and Nico asked at the same time.

Jericho sighed. “They found his mother. She’s back in the hospital in critical condition. They called him last night. They don’t think she has much time left. She’s been…living on the streets. Shiloh made him go visit her before it was too late.”

“Fuck,” Nico whispered. “I need to call him.”

Mal wasn’t that broken up over Levi’s mother. He was almost positive Levi wouldn’t be either. In the end, it would be Nico and Shiloh who bore the brunt of the emotions. Mal preferred to focus on the task at hand. “Where are we meeting?”

“Mama Conti’s,” Jericho said.

Nico and Mal exchanged confused looks. “Mama Conti’s? Why?”

“She’s used to hosting these types of dinner guests. Her restaurant is considered neutral territory. Just be there. Midnight. You don’t have to dust off a suit jacket but try to at least look clean. The triad has very specific rules about respecting elders. Don’t embarrass me,” Jericho said.

“Yeah, sure, Dad ,” Nico said. “See you there.”