His Reluctant Savior (The District #3)

29. Chapter 29

I sat on the couch next to Luca, watching a nature show played on the TV as Owen slept on my lap.

When I heard talking behind me, I looked back to see Sid step out into the lounge area, alive and well, and I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding. All that crushing weight just slid off me.

Thank god, he was still alive. They had been in Malik’s office for too long, and I kept imagining all the pain he was doling out on my Sid.

He gave me a wink, and I rolled my eyes. Fucking typical of him to make light of such a dramatic moment, not appreciating my near-panicked worry. But it also filled me with hope everything was going according to plan.

“Everyone, gather around. I would like to talk to you all,” Malik announced.

All the men entered the lounge area. As soon as Dante sat down in a leather club chair, Luca climbed onto his lap, playing with a strand of Dante’s hair. Then Sid came to stand behind me, placing protective hands on my shoulder, letting his family know I was not to be touched.

Shortly after, a petite woman with brown hair in a pixie cut, wearing wide glasses that made her eyes appear larger, entered the room. That must have been Layla.

“It’s good to see you, Pookybear ,” Sid said with a smile in his tone.

Layla raised a brow. “You still alive, Sid? I’m surprised they let you live,” she clapped back, but a small smile played on her lips.

“As you can see, I’m still breathing. So how did you come about that name?”

“If I tell you, I’ll definitely have to kill you.”

Sid’s laugh was thunderous. No doubt things went well for him to feel good enough to make jokes. Then again, he made jokes when we were near death, too.

Layla pointed at everyone. “If anyone calls me that again, I’ll gut you. Remember, I know more about each of you better than you know yourselves.”

“Can we get to business now?” Malik huffed .

When it was quiet, he nodded. “As you can see, Sid has… not been punished. He has convinced me of why he chose his path.”

“Psht… You’re just as compromised as Sid is,” Sully said much too calmly while eyeing Sid, giving him a death glare.

“As are you, Sully,” Malik retorted. “All your decisions revolve around me, as mine revolve around you. Dante also went against orders and saved Luca. Let us all be honest with ourselves and admit we have made personal choices in life that went against business and family. Had we not, we would not be here today as a family of The District.”

Sully leaned against a wall with folded arms, not hiding his irritation.

“Sid made a decision to protect someone instead of killing them and has chosen to come back to us. But he also did not trust us… me, specifically, not to…” Malik glanced at me, then at a sleeping Owen. “Not to take him off the job and give it to someone else. Dalton Reed and Sid have an important background together. Knowing the full story, I have chosen to forgive him, as will you. And that goes for you, too, Sully. You would have done the same were it me instead of Dalton.”

Luca clapped. “I’m so happy Sid gets to live! I knew he wouldn’t hurt us on purpose.” His eyes suddenly went wide, and buried his face in Dante’s throat, a blush creeping around to the back of his neck. Poor thing. He probably wasn’t used to being so outspoken. He was a prime example of why we needed to fight the evil of the world. You could see the residual effects of his pain that would never fully heal.

“Anything else?” Maverick said, standing like a sentry.

“Yes. Dalton is coming on board. ”

“What?!” Sully screeched. He was the only one who was the most outspoken, which was strange for a psychopath. But the rest of the men either glared at me or eyed me with mistrust, except for Layla and Luca. No doubt Layla understood the full extent of my life by now.

Malik raised a hand. “Sid has convinced me Dalton will be a valuable asset of someone who has knowledge on the inside of the FBI.”

“We cannot trust him,” said Khai, who hadn’t said a word until now.

“You can,” I finally said. “I’m not going back to my old life. They stabbed me in the back. These powerful men have helped cover up the abduction, rape, and murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. These people run our damn country. When they learned I had video evidence, they forced me to run. Do you truly believe I will ever be able to trust them again?”

“So you’ll trust us?” Maverick asked dubiously.

“Hell, no. I don’t trust you at all, but I trust Sid. I didn’t at first, and Easton is growing on me because he, too, helped save Owen’s and my life.”

Maverick nodded. “Works for me.”

“What?!” Sully exclaimed again. “You cannot tell me you’re falling for this bullshit!”

Maverick and Khai both shrugged.

“There is one more thing,” Malik said, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “Sid and I agreed that The District will no longer take any job. The people we kill will have to deserve it. ”

Sully tossed his arms in the air. “What’s next? Are we going door-to-door selling fucking Bibles now? How about we walk little grannies across the street? We’re killers , Mal!”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Sid said. “You’ll still get to do all your killing. Nothing changes.”

Sully scoffed. “So, we’re suddenly moral now? Puh-lease . We’ve committed way too many sins to go back, not that I would.”

“What purpose does it serve to kill just anyone?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “Fun.”

“No one is taking your fun , Sully,” Sid explained.

“Says you.”

“At the end of the day, Mal and I created this business. And I just so happen to agree with Dalton. He can give us a way inside we hadn’t had before. We can start delving deeply into our clients, which also protects this family. And killing in the name of something that matters… it gives us more of a purpose.”

Malik nodded. “No one truly knows this about me, but when I made my first kill, it was for a good cause. I lived in a war-torn country, and innocent people were being slaughtered in the name of ‘ protection ,’ including my sister. I was dragged into this life with little choice once I reached the United States. Sid was dragged into this life with little choice. Yes, we have grown to be hardened men. We brought others into this family who were also thrown into this world, the same world that shunned us all for who we are. At the end of the day, our jobs do not change. Only those we take out do.”

Malik, while not as large as Sid, Sully, or Maverick, was an imposing man who held everyone’s attention. “Are we understood?”

“I’m with Sid,” Dante said, which I had expected .

“Me too!” Luca announced, raising his hand as if he were in school.

Layla shrugged. “Just give me the data.”

Sully scowled. “Well, I’m not fucking happy.”

Khai lifted his sword and stared into the gleaming metal. “Just point me at who to take out.”

“I agree with Khai,” Maverick said.

“Easton?” Malik asked.

The young man shrugged. “I go where Sid goes.”

“Are we seriously going to allow Mr. G-Man to dictate to us? He’s not family,” Sully insisted.

Malik surprisingly rolled his eyes. Unexpected for such a man of refinement. “While I gave you a say, this is not a democracy. What I say goes, but your… multiple objections are noted.”

“Well, note this. You don’t get any sex tonight.” With that, Sully sauntered off, and Malik rolled his eyes again.

Sid laughed and patted Malik’s back. “Hey, you helped create him.”

Malik sighed. “Much to my dismay, most of the time.”

“Aw, you love him.”

“I do. Lord knows why.”

The older man looked at me. “Welcome to the family… on a trial basis.”

I gave him a nod. “Thank you for this.”

He said nothing, looking at his family as they got ready to disperse. “Everyone, get rested and put aside all jobs. We have been… hired, so to speak, by Sid and Dalton. We are going to put a stop to these politicians, and we need to formulate a plan. This is going to be big. ”

When everyone left, he clapped Sid on the shoulder. “And welcome home. Now I am off to calm Sully down.”

I shifted Owen and laid him on the couch. I swear that kid could sleep through anything. Then again, he had a rough time lately.

Sid squatted in front of me and rested a hand on my knee. “This isn’t going to be easy. Just because most agreed to this decision doesn’t mean they’re going to trust you. Only proving yourself will do that.”

I sighed. “I’m aware.”

“And Sully will never like you.”

“I don’t need him to.”

“Let’s take you and Owen to my place here in the city. I’ve got a condo nearby. You need to rest, Boy Scout. How’s that head?”

“Throbbing.”

“Hopefully, by the time we’re ready to hit these men, you’ll be good.”

“I’m going, regardless. Do not leave me out of this.”

Sid nodded. “You got it.”

I lay on Sid’s comfortable couch, resting my head on the armrest with my eyes closed. He kept the lights dim for me since I’d been too stimulated today.

He had a nice place, but I never got a chance to look around because my head was pounding too hard.

Owen was awake, watching a video on his tablet with his headphones on and being the saint child that he was… so much like his father. Fuck, I felt like the worst parent despite doing all I could to save his life, but he would never know… hopefully.

“I’ll get some fun things for him to play with,” Sid said, lifting my legs from the couch and sitting down. He lowered my legs onto his lap and rubbed them. “I feel all domesticated and shit.”

I gave him a tired smile. “It’s a good look on you.”

“I’m glad we got things sorted out at The District. That went… smoother than expected.”

“Because they care about you, Sid. You can see it on their faces despite trying to hide it. Especially Malik.”

“Not Sully.”

“God, he’s… intense, isn’t he?”

“What’s intense about someone who toys with his victims, loves blood, and kills while listening to disco music?”

“Oh, well, I stand corrected, then.” I would’ve rolled my eyes, but it hurt too much.

Sid lifted my legs again, stood, and hovered over me before he lowered himself to kiss me. It wasn’t long. Just enough to claim me and remind me I was his.

“I’m going to miss sex, dammit,” he whispered in case Owen could hear.

“You’ll have it again. Just let my poor brain rest for a bit.”

Sid rested his heavy body on mine, comforting and protective. I ran my hands through his hair as he laid his head on my chest—such a sweet thing to do for a killer… my killer .

That was my last thought before I fell asleep.