Lucky Boys (Il Fortunato #1)

39. Brooks

CHAPTER 39

brOOKS

I patted the special holster that Luca had gotten me to make sure my favorite knife was there. It was, obviously, as it was the fourth time I’d checked it, and I was sure I’d check it at least four more before we left. But there was no way in fuck I was going to do this without my favorite blade.

It was two days after Diego had finally identified the little kid I’d seen in Damian Larsen’s home and it was finally go time. We were going to grab that bastard and get answers, hopefully. Well, Skye and Maverick were. I was in charge of locating Sawyer and getting him to safety, while Luca was looking for Matthew or any evidence we could find of him.

I’d been relieved when Maverick had asked me if I’d be comfortable talking to the kid. Apparently, I looked the least scary out of them and was the most likely to get the kid to come willingly. I’d jumped on the chance. I still got to be useful without dealing with Larsen directly. Maybe it made me a coward, but I also was well aware of my skill level. Besides, Skye was champing at the bit to go toe to toe with the dude, so who was I to stop him?

There was a knock on my bedroom door. I hadn’t slept in here, well, at all, but I still had most of my clothes here, so when we were getting ready, it was the easiest place to go.

“Come in!”

Luca popped his head in. “Hey, mind if I come in?”

For some reason, I found myself automatically adjusting my posture. I had no idea why. It wasn’t like we’d done anything that formal yet, but something about Luca always made me want to straighten up.

“Yeah, of course.”

He came and closed the door behind him, his eyes taking me in. “All ready to go?”

“Yup. I’m ready. I can do this,” I reassured him.

Luca closed the distance between us and cupped my face between both his hands. “I know, trouble. I never doubted it, not for a fucking second.”

I couldn’t help how squirmy that made me. “I just want to make you proud,” I told him, feeling really fucking vulnerable.

It seemed to take Luca by surprise and he staggered back, looking like he’d gotten shot. “Brooks, you do. You always make me so damn proud.”

I couldn’t help but scoff. I didn’t want to talk about any of this now. I understood why Luca hadn’t brought up everything going on between us. It just hadn’t been the time. The day after I’d had a complete mental breakdown after the best scene of my life, I just hadn’t been in the headspace for deep and serious conversations. I was feeling too subby and needy and vulnerable. It would’ve been hard for me to express everything that had been rolling around in my head. Hell, it was gonna be hard no matter when we talked about it and I wasn’t going to hash it out now. We were all about to go into a dangerous situation. I needed to be at the top of my game. I needed Luca at the top of his.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Luca asked, seeming genuinely confused at my doubt. Which, I guessed it wasn’t like he’d ever said he wasn’t proud of me, and it was a weird thing to want from your lover, but Luca had my head so fucking mixed up. I was feeling all sorts of ways.

“Nothing. It’s not a big deal.”

“Brooks . . .”

I turned away from him, squeezing my arms around myself. Fuck, I missed Diego. This would be about the time I’d bail on this conversation and lock myself in Diego’s office. Except he was in a whole different fucking country and I couldn’t run away. I had a little kid to save.

“Luca, you know this isn’t the time. Can you forget I said anything, please?”

I turned then, looking him right in the eyes so he knew I was serious. Luca sighed heavily. “Fine. You’re right. But as soon as this shit’s settled, you and me, we’re having a long talk and clearing the air about everything, understand?”

I nodded. “Yes, sir.” I was equally looking forward to it and dreading it.

Luca grabbed me again, pulling me close. “In the meantime, just know I love you, I am proud of you, and I’m in this for the long haul. I know I’ve been crap at showing it, but you’re mine, Brooks. I don’t plan on letting you go until you tell me to.”

Fuck, did I wish I could believe that. I wiped at my eyes angrily, refusing to cry now. “Okay.” It didn’t feel adequate, but I couldn’t bring myself to say any more than that.

“I didn’t mean to bring any of this up. I actually came in here to tell you that Sawyer’s mom called back about an hour ago. She remembered something.”

Wes’s conversation with Sawyer’s mom had gone well. At first, she’d been skeptical, but Wes had a way about him and she’d shared a lot. She’d always suspected that maybe the police were working with Larsen because they’d never looked at him or anyone very hard. They’d spent more time accusing her and her father and then it had dropped off. They barely heard anything from the police anymore. She had been doing her own research but kept hitting roadblocks.

“What was it?”

“She said about a month or so after Sawyer went missing, she got a call from a teenager. He told her he knew where Sawyer was, that he was safe, but he was afraid he wouldn’t be for long and wanted to help her get him back. But before she could get anymore information, the call was disconnected and the number was blocked, and she couldn’t trace it. The cops said it was probably just a sick prank, and when the kid never called back, she started to believe it was too. She said she had completely forgotten about it but remembered now that she was going over everything in her mind after Wes’s visit.”

“Holy shit, you think that was Matthew?”

“It feels like way too much of coincidence for it not to be.”

I thought about the timing. “Actually, that matches, doesn’t it? That was about the time Covington said he lost contact with Larsen, and it’s also around when Larsen moved houses.”

“If Covington is telling the truth, then yeah.”

“Fuck, so do you think Sawyer knows Matthew?”

Luca shrugged. “It’s possible. We won’t know until we talk to him.”

There was another knock on my door, and then Maverick and Skye were entering.

“Hey, sunshine.” Skye held up a fist to bump, which of course I returned. “Ready to tear shit up?”

That had me grinning. “Fuck yeah. You think that’s why they separated us?”

“Nah,” Skye said at the same time Maverick said, “Yes.”

Laughing, Skye turned toward Luca. “Everything’s ready to go, boss.”

Luca nodded, and we all left my room and migrated to the kitchen, where the rest of our supplies were. There were vests, just in case, body cams, gloves, and black balaclavas to cover our faces. Maverick picked up the tiny ear pieces that would connect us to each other and to D and Wes back home.

Once we put them in and tested that they worked, so not only could we all hear each other, but D and Wes too, we finished suiting up. I fit the balaclava over my head, but didn’t cover my face yet. No need to suffocate in that damn thing already.

Before we walked out, Maverick grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me so I was facing him. I just parted my lips to ask him what was wrong when he attacked my mouth with his. I didn’t have time to process or react. All I could do was stand there and hold his arms for balance.

When we finally separated, I was blinking rapidly, swaying on my feet, and Skye was fanning himself.

“Sir?” I asked, no other words coming out because I’d lost all my ability to talk or think after that kiss.

“I love you, Brooks. You got so fucking under my skin in such a short time, and I can’t even imagine you not being there. I wanted you to know before we did this.”

I . . . What? I’d known my feelings had been headed that way with Mav for a hot minute, and they’d completely solidified after the primal play scene. When I’d been feeling flayed alive, it’d been Maverick that had soothed me, both physically and mentally. He’d been the one I’d clung too when I’d been too afraid to count on Luca.

“I-I love you too.”

Maverick smiled, but before he could say something else, Skye jumped in by literally jumping on top of me. “Wait, if we’re making declarations, I don’t wanna be left out.” He kissed me loud and wet, right on the lips. “Love you, sunshine.”

I laughed. “I love you too, Skye.” It was different than the way I felt about Luca or Maverick or Diego, but not any less strong or important.

Once we were done, I was ready to go. “Are we good? All this love is making me nervous, like I’m about to die or some shit.”

“Brooks, the fuck?” Diego snapped, reminding me he had been listening in to all of that. “Can you not fucking joke like that?”

I flinched. “Sorry, D.”

He just sighed heavily. “Brooks is right though. Are you guys ready to move?”

“Yes,” Luca said, talking for the first time since this had all started.

Skye seemed to know he was tense so he walked up to him and wrapped his arm around Luca’s shoulders. I took Maverick’s hand, and we all left.

The plan was simple. Right before Diego disabled Larsen’s alarms, since he could do that after I infected his systems with that virus, he informed us that Larsen was in his office. There was no sign of the kid.

Maverick and Skye would go right to the office. Hopefully, they would take him by surprise and contain him before he was able to retaliate. We knew he kept a gun in there, but Skye and Maverick were also armed and had the advantage of surprise. I would go straight upstairs to the bedrooms and find Sawyer, assuming he was in one of those. Luca would start searching the rest of the house and also provide backup to make sure we were all clear.

“Wait for the signal,” Luca reminded me.

“Yes, sir.” I squatted right outside the back door, waiting with him. Maverick and Skye had already entered.

“Clear,” Mav’s deep voice came through.

I grinned at Luca. “See you on the other side.” Then I went through the already unlocked back door.

The house was dark. All the lights were out, and I could just make Skye and Maverick out in position by Larsen’s office door. I gave them a little wave they couldn’t see as I snuck past and up the stairs.

I didn’t make it up here last time so I wasn’t sure which door was Sawyer’s, so I would just have to go door by door. Luca had made me take a gun just in case, but I wasn’t taking it out unless I absolutely had to. I did keep one hand on the sheath with my knife as I carefully opened the first door.

It looked like a guest bedroom. There was a bed with solid navy-blue bedding, a dresser, and an empty desk. Nothing personal, nothing lived in. I closed the door.

The next room was a bathroom. I closed that just as I heard a slam and the sound of a door splintering from downstairs. I froze, crouched in the middle of the damn hallway.

“Keep going, Brooks.” Wes’s calm voice came through my earpiece. “They’re fine.”

There was shouting, but it was Maverick and he sounded in charge. Focus , I reprimanded myself. I got to the third door. It was locked. The fuck?

“It’s locked,” I whispered to anyone who cared to listen.

Maverick and Skye were both yelling now, and there was another voice, Larsen’s. I tried to block them out.

“Can you pick it?” That was Luca. He sounded distracted.

I rolled my eyes. “Obviously.”

D laughed. I made easy work of it, even with jumping every three seconds with all the commotion downstairs. Larsen wasn’t going down easily. At least it didn’t sound like anyone had gotten shot yet.

The door creaked open. A little boy sat in the middle of the bed, the blanket up to his chin as he stared at me with wide eyes. He had a little night-light that illuminated the room enough for me to see him.

I shoved my lock picking stuff in my pocket and stood, my hands in front of me, nonthreatening. “Sawyer?”

He pushed farther back into the headboard.

“Who are you?” The poor kid sounded terrified.

“My name is Brooks. I’m here to help you.”

He looked doubtful. Smart kid. I could only imagine how scary this was, especially since his mom had told us that Larsen had taken him in the middle of the night.

“W-what’s all that noise?”

“That’s my friends, Skye and Maverick. They are, um, they’re trying to make sure you’re safe.”

“Friend? I’m wounded,” Skye joked even as I heard the sound of a fist hitting flesh. “Don’t move, you fucking asshole. Mav, where’s the sedative?”

“I got it. Fucker knocked it out of my hand.” I focused back on the kid.

“Dad said I’m not supposed to talk to anyone.”

“Is that your dad, the man you live with?”

Sawyer nodded. “Yeah. I don’t wanna live with him, but he said Momma doesn’t want me anymore so I gotta.”

That fucking asshole. “Your mom does want you, Sawyer.”

He got suspicious again. I took a slow step toward him.

“How do you know?”

“Because my friend, Wes, he talked to her. And your grandpa.”

“Pop-Pop,” Wes interjected. “He calls him Pop-Pop.”

“Your Pop-Pop?” I added. Sawyer pushed the blanket down some.

“H-he talked to them?”

“Yeah, and they miss you a lot. They’ve been looking for you.”

“They have?”

“Every day, Sawyer. I can bring you to your mom.”

He looked like he was about to trust me but then stopped. “Dad said people might say that. That they’d try to trick me because I’m little and not very smart.”

“That piece of shit,” Skye muttered. “Can I hit him again, Mav?”

“He’s unconscious.”

“So?”

“You’re super smart, Sawyer. I might’ve just met you, but I can tell. And I promise you, I’m telling you the truth. You want me to prove it to you?”

“Yeah.” He looked so eager, I could only pray I’d get him out of here easily.

“Your momma has been sleeping with Scruffy every night. She said he was lonely in your bed without you.”

“Momma has Scruffy!” Wes had told me about his stuffed animal sheep, thinking it might get Sawyer to trust me.

“Yup. She’s waiting to give it back to you.”

Sawyer stood up. “I really don’t have to stay here with Dad? He scares me sometimes.”

“Nope. We’ll get you home to Momma and Pop-Pop, I promise.” I held out my hand and nearly screamed with joy when Sawyer took it.

“You got shoes, little man? I don’t want you to go outside barefoot. We’re gonna have to take you out of the house.”

“Then I can talk to Momma?”

“Yes.” I hoped.

“I’ll get her on the phone as soon as you’re out of there, Brooks,” Wes told me. Thank fuck for Wes.

Sawyer led me to the closet and got out a pair of Spider-Man slippers.

“Cool slippers, little man.” He beamed.

I helped him get them on then took his hand to leave the room.

“Things might look a little scary downstairs, but you’re safe, okay? I got you.”

Sawyer nodded putting his big-boy, brave face on.

“You guys got Larsen out?” I asked.

“Yup, he’s clear.”

“Brooks, ask Sawyer about Matthew. I don’t think he’s here.” Luca spoke up.

Fuck. “Hey, Sawyer?” He looked at me. “Was there another kid here? An older one, like a teenager?”

He cocked his head to the side. “You mean Matty?”

Holy shit! “Yeah, Matty. Is he here?”

Sawyer shook his head, looking really sad. Oh God . . . A lump formed in my throat.

“No, I don’t think so. Matty was my friend. He’d make me food from home, like mac and cheese, not the gross stuff Dad makes me eat, and he’d read me stories at night after Dad went down to work. He’d give me big hugs and make me laugh if Dad yelled at me. But then one day, he wasn’t here no more. I asked Dad, but he got mad. Do you know where Matty is?”

I squeezed Sawyer close and gave him a big hug. “No, little man, but we’re trying to find him.”

“Good. I miss Matty like I miss Mama.”

I managed not to break down crying at this sweet kid. Then, I finally led him out of his room. When we got downstairs, there was a door in splinters and remnants of the fight everywhere, so I ended up picking him up and telling him to close his eyes as we walked out. He held me tight.

I just got him to the van, where Skye and Mav were waiting, when Luca cursed on the line.

“I found something.”

“What is that?” Diego asked. “It’s too dark to tell.”

“It’s a fucking cage. But it’s empty.”