Never Say Never (Vitale Brothers Book 4)

Chapter 20

I pulledout my phone to check on the girls. They had been on my mind all day.

Paul: You two need anything?

Navy: Ice cream and hugs

Nyra: Can you come over?

Nyra: Pls

Their lack of emojis scared me. Both girls were so shaken up that morning, and rightfully so. I’d be there with them if their idiot father didn’t demand I come to work.

Paul: I’ll do my best. If I can”t make it, don’t worry, I’m going to watch over both of you.

Paul: I’ll have ice cream delivered.

Navy: And daddy?

Paul: Of course. I’m watching him now.

I snuck a quick photo of York and sent it to the girls. They both hearted it.

Nyra: You like dad?

Navy: Like a lot a lot?

I looked over at the man who became my whole obsession in what felt like a single night. He was pouring over files, his brows furrowed as he continued to work. I know shock had to be settling in, but my boss, being the hardass he was, continued pushing through it all.

Paul: Yeah. Is that okay with you two?

They’d asked me if we were boyfriends while at the hospital and I’d said yes. I wasn’t too sure if York had ever corrected it. The girls never said anything, and they still texted me all the time. There were multiple random pictures of dogs or their latest routine on my phone.

Navy: Yeah you’re cool or whatever

Nyra: Yes i wish u would come over more

Me too, kiddos.

There was no explaining to them that me and their dad were having issues.

Paul: Work is crazy. I”ll come as soon as I have time.

Navy: kk????

Nyra: ??

I pocketed my phone and stared at York.

”Paul, I”m fine.”

”You aren”t.”

I leaned against the wall in my boss”s office, watching his every move. He”d tried multiple times to kick me out, but after the incident this morning, he should be at home with the girls. The higher-ups even suggested it. York had turned down witness protection and even denied taking a step back from the case. He did hire a private security firm to stake out his place and two men to stay near his daughters at all times.

”You standing there won”t change anything. Unless you know something I don”t.”

The jab was heard and it wouldn”t have bothered me if I did know something. I ground my molars, wanting to go out in the streets of New York and hunt down every single threat to him and the girls.

”It gives me peace of mind.” I would much rather be back at his place and have him and the girls close by where I could see them. “Why won’t you stop this shit? Is working more important than Navy and Nyra?”

York’s fist slammed against his desk. “Don’t you ever say that again. I am doing all of this”—he gestured wildly—“for them.”

“How is this for them? You should be at home.”

“Yeah? You want to know what being home got me? A dead fucking wife! My best friend, gone, like that.” He snapped his fingers.

“What?”

York blew out a shaky breath. “Dawn wasn’t supposed to be the one going to the ATM that day. I was, after work. But I missed them, and I just wanted to get home, spend some time with my family. We were going to go on an outing, but we needed to grab cash. Dawn said she’d do it, that I should play with the girls. And that was the last time I saw her. Leaning on the door, smiling, saying that she loved me.”

My throat tightened. “York…”

“Don’t you get it? If I had been at work, where I was supposed to be, she would never be dead. The girls wouldn’t have lost the most amazing person in their lives only to be stuck with me. I had the next day off, but I just couldn’t wait.” He sank deeper into his chair. “Not working killed my wife, Paul. I should have been the one picking up that money. It should have been me.” He buried his face in his hands. “So no, I can’t stop,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “But I still think you’re shaken up. You’re in no condition to be here.”

“Please, leave me alone.”

”Is it wrong for me to be worried about you?”

York had already set up, wiped the tears from his face, and was back to work. He froze for a second, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. Still, he didn”t look up at me, as if he needed to busy himself in order to avoid what had happened. ”I”m your boss.”

”Fuck.” I was across the room and at his desk in seconds. I swiped everything to the side, satisfying the destructive part of me. ”Is that all I am to you, York?” I grabbed his tie, still smudged with dirt. Yanking him close, our noses nearly touched. ”You”re not just my boss. You stopped being that a while ago.”

York stared at me, his dark eyes fixed on my face. Emotions moved too quickly for me to place any of them. ”I”m just a conquest.”

I pressed our lips together and our teeth clinked. Pain flared but it was nothing compared to the ache in the middle of my chest. ”Idiot, do you think I chase after a conquest like this?”

York shrugged. ”There is so much between us unsaid. I don”t know if I can—” York stopped and looked away. ”Paul, let me go.”

”No.” Why couldn”t he see that I didn”t want to? ”If I could, I”d chain myself to you.” I kissed him one more time, groaning at the sparks that ignited from such a simple touch.

York stared at me as I finally let him go. His mouth opened just as a resounding knock at the door echoed in the room. The thought of killing the person on the other side took over. I balled my fists at my sides, holding onto what little restraint I had.

”We can”t do this at work,” York whispered. ”I”m fine. I need you to do your job, so I can do mine.”

It was like talking to a brick wall. ”Fine, you do what you need to and I”ll do what I need to.”

”What does that mean?”

The person knocked again, and I strode over to the door. I yanked it open, staring Hunter in the face. I didn”t have the fortitude to play Paul”s cheerfulness or even be nice. ”Fuck off, now.”

Hunter blinked at me with surprise written all over his face. He was lucky I had any restraint left at all. If it had been teenage me, I would have shot first and gave no fucks. I slammed the door, not giving him another second of my time.

”You called me. Out of everyone in our department, I was the first one you reached out to.” I strode back over to York, needing to be as close as possible.

”That was?—”

I wasn”t listening to his bullshit. ”You knew at the end of the day that I”m the one you want, just like you”re the one I want.”

”Life isn”t that simple.”

Who the fuck was he telling? ”Thanks for the heads up, but I warned you when I want something, I will get it at all costs.” I was too engrossed in York to leave him be. Getting that call with his voice shaking and the girls crying in the background cemented in my brain, he was mine. ”I”m taking some leave.”

”For what?” York asked.

To kill every single person who put you and the girls in danger. ”Personal matter.” I looked him up and down knowing the answer before I even asked it. ”Are you going to take some time off? Maybe comfort the girls?”

York was already shaking his head before I could get the question out fully. Punching my boss wasn”t a good idea, but punching the dumbass who I cared about was a different story.

”I can”t promise them everything will be okay without taking these bastards down and guaranteeing their safety.” He frowned, sadness in his eyes. “I—I don’t know how to comfort them. Not without reassuring them that the person who tried to hurt them is put away.”

The conversation felt like it was in an endless cycle. No matter what I said, York was going to do what he thought was best. My shoulders dropped and I nodded before opening the door again. In some ways, I got it. He didn’t know what to say to them, especially now that he felt like he’d failed them. On some level, I didn’t know what to say either.

”Paul, wait,” York called out.

If he said come back and stay by my side, I would. I was a fucking sucker when it came to this man.

”Where are you going?”

Disappointment was something I was quickly learning to swallow. ”To do some fieldwork.”

York”s gaze bore into me. ”Take?—”

”I”m good on my own.” I let the door close behind me. Out of all the places in the city, York was safest at FBI headquarters. It didn”t mean I trusted anyone here. I eyed every single person I walked past. Ai’s words came back to me from the other night. I wasn”t the only mole who”d infiltrated the FBI. I gave a cursory glance at York”s office. Telling him would be smart, but then I”d have to come up with another lie to feed him on how I knew.

I”m exhausted. I don”t want to lie to him anymore.

Three daysof the same routine. I followed York around whenever he left the penthouse. Every step he took, I wasn”t too far behind him. Everything felt too quiet, putting me on edge even more.

I thought about calling Benito, but what was I going to say? I need help watching over my boss and his kids? Yeah, the same boss who wants you and our entire family to rot in jail.

Fuck, I was on my own.

I”d been on my own a long time, but there had always been the small inclination that my brothers would be there when the time came or even the other agents I”d built a fake relationship with. None of that was true.

My phone dinged next to me. Before I could pick it up and check it, a call came through. The ringing echoed through the otherwise empty apartment. I snatched it up and smiled instinctively.

”Hello, Navy and Nyra.”

”How did you know it”s both of us?” Navy asked.

I found them in the middle of the living room. The cameras York installed picked up on everything. Together, they stood there with a phone in their hand, their heads pressed together.

”A hunch. What”s wrong?”

They were quiet for a second, and I wanted to go there and comfort them.

”Is Dad coming home soon?”

My laptop out, I checked the tracker I put on York. He was on his way home. Another twenty minutes, maybe. My boss was too damn skilled for me to slip the tracker onto his person, but the rental car he had was easy enough to bug.

”Yes, he”s on his way.”

Their collective sighs did little to comfort me.

”How are you two holding up?”

”When are you coming over?” Navy asked.

”Yeah, we keep asking Dad but he never tells us,” Nyra added.

”Can you come over now?” Navy asked.

They weren”t giving me a single second. My answer was, yes, of course I wanted to come over. I”d missed them.

”I—” A small flicker on the screen caught my attention, stealing my focus. There was movement two floors down from them. I’d thought I was being paranoid about setting up cameras on the other floors.

The girls kept talking, but I was focused on the small black dots. I checked the front of their door where the security firm guys should have been. Nothing. But I swore they were there earlier. I didn’t have time to check the feed. I had to go off my instincts and they screamed to get to the girls now.

The guards wouldn’t leave without a reason. Either someone drew them out or they were dead. Hoping my instincts were wrong, and it was a trick of the eye, I waited on bated breath.

”Paul!”

Not yet. My stomach was in tight knots, sweat beaded on my forehead. It was subtle, but there was movement. I checked all the other cameras. No one was inside but the girls and Shelly. No security, no one to protect them.

”Girls, listen carefully.”

Both of them went silent. I don”t know if it was my tone of voice or if York already had them trained for such times.

”Where is Shelly?”

”Bathroom,” Nyra answered.

Fuck, and I didn’t have her number. I was up and making my way out the apartment and down the stairs, jumping most of them.

”Okay, can both of you go to your dad”s room and look for those tasers he confiscated?”

”But Dad said we aren”t supposed to play with them anymore,” Nyra said.

I nodded. ”Normally no, but you two are big girls. Navy, do you know where they are?”

”Yep. Top shelf in his closet.”

Smiling, I couldn”t help but to be proud. ”Good, both of you go in there grab them. Get Shelly and wait out in your dad”s closet.” I waited for the questions even as I pushed past the heavy metal door of the building across from them. ”Girls?”

”We”re listening, Paul,” Nyra said. Her voice was too soft. She was normally the soft spoken twin but she sounded even quieter than normal. ”Is Dad close?”

”Yes, me and your dad will be there soon but I need both of you to do me a big favor and turn on the loudest movie you can, okay?” My heart was firmly in my throat. If I couldn”t make it to the girls in time... My brain stopped any further thought. No one was going to touch a single hair on their heads.

”Found them!” Navy shouted. It wouldn”t kill the intruders, but it sure as shit would give the girls enough time to run.

The notion of doing this alone slammed into me once more. If I had my brothers, it would be no issue. I couldn”t call the team either. There was no telling if the other mole was one of us or in the department somewhere.

”Good job, girls. I have to get off the phone but make sure you do what I asked.”

”We will,” they promised.

I”d buy them a pony as long as they listened to me. I hung up, checking my phone to see where York was.

”Fuck.”

He was already parked in the garage with his shiny new rental. I dodged oncoming traffic as I crossed the street. The receptionist that was normally in the lobby was nowhere to be seen. She would have been the first witness I got rid of as well. People could be paid off, but the dead never testified.

I dialed York, holding the phone to my ear. I hit the elevator button, jamming my finger against it, hoping it made it come down faster. The ringing in my ears made bile burn the back of my throat as elevator doors opened. Two men stood there. I didn’t have to be told they didn’t live there. The moment I found out where York lived, I made sure to check out every single person who lived in his building.

Not an ounce of hesitation to spare, I attacked. I punched one of them in the face, cartilage giving way under my fists. I drove my elbow in the other. Both of them went down, and I made quick work of knocking them out. There was little time to spend on them. I hit the floor York stayed on and hoped I got there before anyone else.

”Fucking asshole.” Air sawed in and out of my lungs, burning with each breath. The only thing that kept me from getting distracted and going on a killing spree was the thought of the girls and York getting hurt. I wouldn”t let it happen. Ever.

York”s voicemail came after the last ring, making me curse more. I hung up and quickly called again, hoping he would answer. On the fourth ring, I was about to hang up and say fuck it.

”Hello.”

”Fuck, York! There are intrud?—”

There was a crash and audible grunt. Fuck, fuck. I glared at the slow as fuck elevator. The ding didn’t come fast enough. I bounced on the balls of my feet as the doors slid open. York”s door was wide open, something he”d never do. The sound of a fight hit my ears, and I was in the penthouse in seconds. I grabbed the first thing I found. The golf club wasn”t my favorite weapon of choice, but anything would suffice.

My breathing steadied as I crept inside. A grunt followed by fists colliding with skin came from the direction of the living room. I wanted to check on the girls but I trusted that they”d listen to me. I moved around the corner, spotting York fighting off two guys. His gun was across the room and one of the assailants had a knife. He swung it at York, catching his clothes, and narrowly missing his flesh.

I saw red. How dare they come in here and try and take what was mine? I moved swiftly across the room, no longer caring if I gave myself away. I hoped they saw me and focused their attention my way. Drawing the golf club back as far as I could, I swung it forward. The thin metal cut through the wind with a whistle sound before slamming into the back of one of the intruder’s knees. He buckled and crashed to the ground. His knife slid across the floor.

The movie the girls put on started with a musical. It was at full blast, a song about chocolate or something blaring into my ears as I followed him down. He scrambled for the weapon, his fingers wrapping around it once more. I was right there with him. His knife pointed at me, and I grabbed hold of his hand, shoving it back toward him. He shook his head, his eyes going wide as I slowly forced the blade into his flesh. The sounds of fighting continued behind me as York fought with the other guy. I”d seen York fight a few times and knew he could more than handle himself. However, I didn’t want to leave him on his own for too long. He was still recovering from that gunshot wound.

Flesh gave way to the steel of the blade as I used all of my body weight to slam it the rest of the way. I was up with the golf club in seconds. For good measure, I swung the club again smacking the heavy piece at the end against the idiot”s face. Blood and teeth flew out onto the floor. The familiarity of it all rolled over me. The corners of my mouth pulled up in a grin that was more instinctive than purposeful.

”Paul,” York grunted.

I ran over to him just as the remaining guy headbutted York. He wheeled backwards, stunned as he fell to the ground. He grunted, favoring his injured arm. Blinking away the daze and breathing heavily, he tried to get back up.

”Vitale scum,” one of them spat at me. “Now you’re helping the feds? Should have known.”

I didn”t have time to think about him blowing my cover. I swung the club again and again. The thin metal caved, bending at an odd angle as I beat him to death with it. Every inch of me was on fire, muscles that hadn”t been exerted in a while throbbed. The body twitched, but he wasn”t moving anytime soon. Or ever again. I looked around, only to find York staring at me as if I had two heads.

Little flakes of blood clung to his brown skin. His eyes were slightly wild, and he never looked better. My cock took the most inappropriate moment to get hard.

”York.” I dragged myself to my feet, and moved forward, ready to have my boss back in my arms. I needed to check him over but every step I moved forward, he took a few back.

”Who are you?” York asked. Fear, disgust, anger, all of them flashed over York’s face.

He knows.

I shook my head and instead of focusing on the hurt this was causing me, I looked around the room. They”d sent two guys this time. Next, it was going to be more, if there weren’t more coming already. York was lucky I”d been watching him and the girls so closely. If I hadn”t, the night would have been very different.

”Paul,” York growled. His fists balled up at his sides. “Who the fuck are you?

He was focused on the wrong thing. Two men tried to come in and kill him and the girls. If I hadn”t been here, York would be no more. I refused to live in such a world. If he had a hang up about me killing them, then he’d have to get over it for now. Ending someone”s life was easy for me.

”York, I need you to listen to me,” I started calmly.

He shook his head, stubborn as always. ”Answer me. Who are you?”

”We don”t have time for this. The girls are in your room, we have to get out of here. This was them not taking you seriously. This didn”t work, they will just keep coming.”

He stared at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. My boss dashed for his phone. I groaned as I tackled him down, feeling like shit that I had to hurt his arm even further. York elbowed me in the chest, no doubt leaving a fat ass bruise behind. I snatched the phone out of his hands before he did something stupid. Like get me arrested. I couldn’t kill the people trying to kill him if I was locked away.

”York, please,” I panted. I got off of him and took a few steps back.

If he felt my boner while I was on top of him, he said nothing about it. York was back up, hands raised, and ready for a fight.

“I’m not going to fight you.”

”Who are you?”

You don”t want to know. I don’t want to tell you, yet.

I pulled at my bleached hair. ”I can explain everything later. We have to go.”

”No, now.”

He couldn”t be serious. ”York, I get your sense of justice but they aren”t going to sit around and wait for you to get the whole truth from me. We have to get out of here. Think about the girls.”

York looked down the hall, his facial expression shifted just slightly.

”I swear on my life, I”m not your enemy right now. I want you and the girls to be safe.” I mentally pleaded for him to believe me. ”You three mean everything to me.”

York”s gaze bore into me as seconds ticked by. I was ready to knock him out and carry his ass fireman style if he didn’t give in.

”The bodies.”

The breath I wanted to let out was still caught in the back of my throat. ”I”ll have everything taken care of.”

He opened his mouth but shut it as he headed for his room. I grabbed a sheet and covered the two dead guys in the living room. I made quick work of cleaning the blood up as best I could. The last thing I wanted to do was scare the girls, but it wasn’t like I had a whole lot of time to do a full scrub down. York came out, carrying Nyra with Shelly and Navy following right behind him. The nanny looked at me wearily, but she said nothing. Navy saw me, I scooped her up and held her close, making sure she didn’t look too closely at the crimson’s spots forming on the sheets. York watched me, but didn”t stop me from picking her up.

I made quick work of getting all of their electronics and destroying them. York was talking to Shelly, reassuring her. I’d leave her behind if I didn”t think York would physically fight me over it.

”Where are we going?” York asked.

I didn’t know, but as long as we were together, I”d make a safe haven for them.